Foreign Affairs Assistant Minister Richard Onyonka said Sunday that arresting President Omar Al-Bashir during his Friday visit to Kenya may have adversely affected peace in Sudan. Sudan is preparing for a referendum next year in which the south may secede.

Kenya drew international criticism for inviting Al-Bashir to witness the signing of Kenya's new constitution. Kenyan officials said they could not deny an invitation to a friendly neighbor and trading partner.

Al-Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court for allegedly masterminding the genocide in Sudan's Darfur region.