By Jeremy Clarke
ASMARA, March 6 (Reuters) - Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has criticized the sanctions imposed on Eritrea last December by the United Nations Security Council, Eritrean local media reported on Saturday.
Bashir paid a one-day working visit on the Red Sea state on Friday during which he held talks with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and attacked the U.N. resolution.
"The people and the government of Sudan reject the unjust sanctions Resolution 1907 against Eritrea," the state-run Eritrea Profile reported Bashir as saying.
Yemane Gebreab, head of political affairs at Eritrea's ruling party, welcomed the support.
"Such a logical stance would further enhance Eritrean-Sudanese ties and Eritrea would as ever stand alongside the Sudanese people," the Profile reported Yemane as saying.
Bashir's visit follows Isaias' involvement in pursuing a peaceful resolution to the Darfur crisis in Sudan as the two nations continue to strengthen ties, the Profile said.
The Sudanese president is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of "war crimes and crimes against humanity" for his alleged role in the humanitarian crisis in Darfur.
The United Nations believes that seven years of violence in Darfur has left 300,000 dead and ICC prosecutors say Bashir "masterminded and implemented" a plan to destroy three ethnic groups using a campaign of murder, rape and deportation.
Bashir has dismissed the charges and says any ruling by the court is worthless.
The U.N. Security Council accuses Eritrea of providing funds and weapons to Islamist insurgents in Somalia where violence has killed 21,000 since the beginning of 2007, and last December the council slapped sanctions on Eritrea.
The resolution supported by 13 of the 15 council members was designed to target the nation's leadership, imposing an arms embargo as well as asset freezes and travel bans on individuals and firms to be designated by an existing sanctions committee. (Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)