African Union pulls summit from Malawi in row over Sudan's president Sudan's president, Omar al-Bashir, has visited other AU countries despite the ICC arrest warrant hanging over him, but Malawi refused to receive him. Photograph: Ashraf Shazly/AFP/Getty Images Malawi will not host an African Union (AU) summit next month after a dispute over the country's refusal to host Sudan's leader, who faces war crimes charges. "Much as Malawi has obligations to the AU, it has also other obligations," vice-president Khumbo Kachali said in a statement on state radio. The cabinet has decided not to host the summit. Kachali said the government had received a letter from the AU saying that it had no right to dictate who could attend the 6 July summit, and that if it insisted on barring Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, it would be moved to AU headquarters in Ethiopia. Summits normally rotate among AU members states. Joyce Banda has steered an independent path for Malawi since stepping in as president in April after the sudden death in office of Bingu wa Mutharika. Mutharika had welcomed Bashir at a regional summit last year. The Sudanese president has visited African, Asian and Middle Eastern countries despite international criminal court warrants for his arrest on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur. Speaking at a news conference in May, Banda said a visit by Bashir would be frowned upon by Malawi's international donors. Banda has worked to repair ties with donors strained by her predecessor. Earlier this week, the International Monetary Fund said it had agreed a three-year, $157m (£102m) aid package. The IMF had described its work in Malawi as off-track under Mutharika, who refused to devalue the currency as the fund had advised. In May, Malawi devalued its currency by one third. Last month, the Bank of England said it would work directly with the Reserve Bank of Malawi to help it cope with the impact of currency devaluation. Also last month, Britain - a former colonial power - pledged £20m to help stabilise the Malawian economy and £10m the country's health system. Last year, Mutharika expelled Britain's high commissioner after the envoy was quoted in a local newspaper as expressing concern that the president was increasingly intolerant of criticism and asserting that human rights were under attack. Britain then indefinitely suspended aid to Malawi, which in the end invited the envoy back.