The United States on Wednesday praised Sudan's decision to hand over ex-dictator Omar al-Bashir to the International Criminal Court, saying the move would be a "major step" in the country's democratic transition.

"We welcome" the decision, State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters, saying that "doing so would be a major step for Sudan in the fight against decades of impunity."

Sudan will hand longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir to the ICC along with other officials wanted over the Darfur conflict, Foreign Minister Mariam al-Mahdi said on Wednesday.

Bashir, 77, has been wanted by the ICC for more than a decade over charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Sudanese region.