Brussels, 30/07/2008 (Agence Europe) - The UN Security Council is due to decide on Thursday 31 July on whether to extend the mandate of the joint UN-African Union mission in Sudan and German PES MEP Jo Leinen, member of the EU-UN working group at the European Parliament, is calling on the United Nations to resist pressure from certain countries (Egypt and South Africa, Ed.) to link the success of the Sudanese peace process to the non-issuing of an arrest warrant against Sudanese president Omar Al-Bashir. 'The United Nations must not be blackmailed by Omar al-Bashir,' warned Leinen. After being accused of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity by the general prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, Bashir travelled to Darfur to call for peace, but he was never involved in the peace talks in the past, instead doing all in his power to hinder the United Nations' mission, explained Leinen, adding: 'His arrest will only have positive impacts on the work of the UN in Darfur. The arrest warrant against Bashir must be issued. The peace process in Darfur may not be taken hostage by criminals.' (A.N. transl fl)