"They are accused of rape, arson and other crimes and will go on trial very soon," Yassin said, adding that he was unsure of the precise date of their arrests.

Official media announced Sunday that Sudan planned to try at least 164 suspects for Darfur crimes -- 14 of them in South Darfur and 150 in North Darfur.

The announcements came as the UN Security Council prepared to debate a French draft resolution that would refer 51 suspects identified by a UN probe for trial on war crimes charges at the International Criminal Court in the Hague.

Khartoum is strongly opposed to the draft, insisting that it is a sovereign nation and that prosecutions for offences on its territory should be through the Sudanese courts.