Baghdad ( CNN ) -- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir , who is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and genocide , will attend this week 's Arab Summit in Baghdad , Iraqi state television reported Sunday . The report by Iraqiya TV said the office of President Jalal Talabani announced Bashir 's intention to attend the summit on March 29 . It will be the first summit of Arab leaders in Iraq since 1990 . A planned Arab summit last year in Baghdad was postponed due to unrest in the region . This year 's summit begins with preparatory meetings starting Tuesday involving government ministers . Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby arrived Sunday in Baghdad for the summit with a small delegation , Iraqiya TV reported . Sudan 's Bashir has traveled to other Arab countries despite the ICC warrants against him for alleged war crimes and genocide in the Darfur region , where rebels have fought government forces and allied militiamen such as the Janjaweed since 2003 . The United Nations estimates as many as 300,000 people have been killed and almost 3 million people have been displaced from their homes in Darfur . In Iraq , a militant group with links to al Qaeda claimed responsibility for a deadly wave of bombings across the country last week on the ninth anniversary of the U.S. invastion . The attacks were designed to undermine government security plans for the Arab Summit .
Omar el - Bashir of Sudan will attend this year 's summit , Iraq 's state television says . The Arab League secretary general was in Baghdad for the summit . Events in Iraq last week were considered critical to summit security .