"We are both making efforts to find a solution and we are trying hard," said visiting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak at a joint press conference after holding talks with his South African counterpart Thabo Mbeki in Pretoria.

"The case could perhaps be postponed for about 12 months during which something could happen to decrease the tension," he was quoted by South African reports as saying during his first official visit to the country.

But, activists and analysts in the North African nation argue that one of the major reasons for not wanting to see Bashir arrested and stand trial on crimes against humanity and genocide is the leader factor.

"Egypt does not want to see a dictator arrested and put on trial for something that they did against their own people," said Nora Abdel Khalek, a political activist and commentator, referring to the five years of war in Darfur.

Since 2003, when fighting first broke out in Sudan's western region, at least 300,000 people have been killed and another 2 million displaced, which the ICC claims is directly related to Bashir's calls for genocide against the tribal population.

"Mubarak does not want to be seen by Egyptians as being responsible for the hardship and troubles that have been going on [in Egypt]. It is a matter of legitimacy that he and other African leaders are trying to deflect the charges, which are based on facts on the ground," Abdel Khalek continued.

Home to as many as 4 million Sudanese asylum seekers, Egypt must act in accordance with justice and "what is right," Tawer Ali, a Sudanese refugee community leader in Egypt said.

He argued that in his experience with Darfur rebel groups – Ali acts as a middleman between the Sudanese government, Egyptian officials and Darfur leaders – Cairo needs to make a stand.

"Egypt wants to be a leader in the region, so why not take a stand against the horrific atrocities Bashir committed in Darfur?" Ali asked.

"A large majority of Sudanese here in Egypt, and Egyptians I know, believe in the ICC's decision and we want to see him brought to justice. Why does the Egyptian government not want this?" Ali asked rhetorically. Then he added: "It is because they are afraid."

Supporting their decision to call for a delay in the arrest of Bashir, Egypt and other African nations have argued that progress in peace negotiations would be greatly impaired if an international team would attempt to arrest the leader of the nation in question.

"The accusation of the International Criminal Court to Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir is very dangerous and the prosecutor should not have let things go so far," Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit argued, after the ICC announced its decision.

"We expect that the international community would be careful and work for providing stability and look for justice and truth in Sudan," Abul Gheit added.

Ali and Abdel Khalek disagree with these assertions. They argue these are simply stall tactics to make Egyptians look away from what is really happening in their southern neighbor.

"While this may seem well intentioned toward the people of Sudan, it makes sense to rid the nation of the person most responsible for the atrocities there," Abdel Khalek added.

"Why do the people of Darfur need to negotiate with the person accused of creating the violence and conflict? It doesn't make for good negotiation," Ali echoes.

The ICC's chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo formally issued the Sudanese president a warrant for his arrest on July 14.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Zalmay Khalilzad argued it would be "premature" for the Security Council to suspend the ICC indictment.

"To protect one person, by suspending the application of what Mr. Ocampo has proposed at this point is premature," Khalilzad said in comments that are sure to be appreciated by Bashir's detractors.

Under Article 16 of the ICC statute, the Security Council has the right to pass a resolution to defer an ICC investigation or prosecution for a period of 12 months. That resolution, if passed, can be renewed.