Sudan sticks to decision to expel aid workers

Riyadh: Dr Mustafa Othman Esmail, adviser to the president of Sudan, asserted that Sudan is ready to entertain new aid organisations in the country, provided that they comply with its laws and regulations strictly adhere to their humanitarian mission.

Replying to queries from Gulf News during a press conference in Riyadh, he reiterated Sudan's strong objection to allowing the representatives of humanitarian organisations, who were ordered to leave the country recently, to return.

"We will not succumb to any pressures in this respect. The decision to expel them was taken due to their involvement in activities aimed at destabilising the country and undermining national security and sovereignty of Sudan," he said, adding that Sudan is ready to receive other aid organisations. "We have evidence to show that aid workers of these organisations were engaged in creating sedition among the tribals in Darfur and undermining the stability of Sudan.

"Had we any ulterior motives to target US or UK or France by this measure, all members of the humanitarian organisations from these countries would have been expelled," he said. Sudan expelled more than one dozen foreign aid organisations from Darfur. They were asked to leave Sudan within one year.

Esmail said none of the expelled organisations was a donor. "They were tasked to distribute some 12 per cent of the humanitarian aid assigned for Darfur.

"But their actual mission seemed to be creating disturbance and spreading false information about the Sudanese armed forces and security machinery in addition to smuggling out witnesses and documents to the International Criminal Court," he alleged.

Esmail reiterated that Sudan sees it is futile to make any initiative to solve the Darfur crisis without lifting the arrest warrant issued against President Omar Al Bashir. He said Sudan is in favour of Egypt's proposal to hold an international conference on Darfur.

"We believe that Egypt made this proposal with good intentions. However, we are forced to reject it because of Egypt's unilateral announcement about it without taking us into confidence," he said.

Commenting on the proposed conference, the official clarified that it is impossible for Khartoum to agree before knowing details. "We were more convinced about holding such a conference after the recent visit of the Egyptian delegation to Sudan and its talks with the leadership. We will study more about the pros and cons of such a gathering before taking a final decision," he said.