Ghana has received warrants from Cote d'Ivoire for the arrest and extradition of Ivorian combatants in the country who were involved in atrocities committed in Cote d’Ivoire. The warrants, currently being studied by the Attorney-General's Department, are for the arrest of some members of the 200 ex-combatants currently in Ghana. The request is coming at the heels of the transfer of former President Laurant Gbagbo to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague to face trial for crimes he committed against humanity. Expressing Ghana's support for the transfer of Gbagbo to the ICC at the Meet-the-Press series in Accra Tuesday, Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, said any Ivorian found guilty of committing atrocities would be apprehended and handed over to the authorities in Cote d’Ivoire. He said Ghana could not dictate to Cote d'Ivoire on what to do with their ex-president and pointed out that "we have no quarrels about the decision to transfer him to the ICC." ALhaji Mumuni explained that Ghana was party to the statutes that established the ICC and would therefore support the sovereign decision of Cote d'Ivoire. He said Article 98 of the regulations of ICC states that "No state party is obliged to execute the warrant of ICC if in doing so that state will be contravening his treaty obligation to another country." However Alhaji Mumuni said since the government of Cote d’Ivoire had decided to transfer Gbagbo to face four charges of crimes against humanity - murder and rape - Ghana could not take an entrenched position. That, notwithstanding, he said the relationship between Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire was solid and cordial. On whether Ghana could cause the arrest of the Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir to face genocide charges at the ICC, Alhaji Mumuni replied in the negative, saying the country would be infringing on the rules of the African Union. "No member of the AU can arrest Bashir because he is a sitting President," he said. Touching on the Libyan crisis, Alhaji Mumuni said it would be unfair for anyone to blame the AU for negligence in the crisis. He said the AU called for ceasefire and an end to hostilities and called for engagement with the two factions to end the crisis, adding that "Ghana, as a member of AU, aligned herself to all the decisions taken regarding Mummer Gaddafi." With regards to the Fulani menace, Alhaji Mumuni said the government was determined to protect the interest of the nation and her citizens without any compromise. "We will protect our citizens against criminal acts and ensure that the Fulanis do not become nuisance to them," he said. Earlier in an address, Alhaji Mumuni said a total of 200,802 biometric passports had been issued to prospective applicants nationwide since April 2010. The number is made up of 199,994 ordinary passports, 610 diplomatic passports and 198 service passports. He said regional passport application centres had been commissioned in Tamale, Kumasi, Sunyani, Ho and Accra to decentralise the application process and enhance service delivery to the public. The new office complex for the foreign ministry, according to him, would be completed by March 2013, to enhance its operations. On the welfare of Ghanaian citizens abroad, Alhaji Mumuni said they were being provided consular assistance in matters such as applications for travel documents, arrests and detention, deaths, marriage renunciation of citizenship and application for dual citizenship. The Ministry also processed appeals, complaints and petitions brought by Ghanaian citizens against foreign embassies, international organisations and individuals to ensure justice and respect for their human rights. Alhaji Mumuni enumerated a number of programmes and activities undertaken by the ministry, which he said yielded for the country appreciable levels of foreign direct investments, political goodwill and solidarity as well as a sustained positive image.