Red Cross 'Ordered To Suspend' Sudan Work
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Red Cross 'Ordered To Suspend' Sudan Work
Red Cross 'Ordered To Suspend' Sudan Work
Publish Date: Feb 01, 2014
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A picture taken on April 25, 2012 shows Sudanese prisoners of war boarding International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) vehicles following their release in South Sudans capital Juba. PHOTO/AFP newvision
KHARTOUM - Sudanese authorities have ordered the Red Cross to suspend its activities, the organisation said Saturday, in the latest restriction to be placed on foreign aid workers in the war-ravaged country.
"We have received an official letter from the HAC (Humanitarian Aid Commission) informing us to suspend our activities with effect from today," Rafiullah Qureshi, spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Sudan, told AFP.
"Our activities are suspended."
He said HAC cited "some technical issues" related to work which ICRC hoped to undertake this year in the country.
As a neutral intermediary, the Red Cross has facilitated the handover and repatriation of numerous prisoners held by armed groups in the country's war-torn Darfur region.
The agency has also provided health services, food aid, seeds, tools, hand pumps and other assistance which helped more than 1.5 million people in restive parts of the country last year, Qureshi said.
Although its projects are suspended, the ICRC's roughly 700 local and international staff will still go to their offices while discussions take place "in coming days" with the foreign ministry, HAC and other government agencies, he said.
The aim is "to resume our activities as soon as possible in favour of the victims of armed conflict."
HAC's registrar general, Mohammed Fadlallah, told AFP he had no idea about the case and referred inquiries to HAC Commissioner Suleiman Abdel Rahman, who could not immediately be reached.
Sudanese officials have repeatedly expressed their wish to cooperate with international agencies.
However, access has been restricted to the states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile, where rebellions began more than two years ago and where the United Nations says more than one million people have been displaced or severely affected.
There has been no aid access to rebel-held areas of the two states since 2011
In 2012 the HAC expelled seven international non-governmental organisations from impoverished eastern Sudan, arguing that some projects were badly managed, of poor quality and too costly.
Also that year, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said it had been forced to suspend medical activities in a part of North Darfur due to restrictions imposed on its work there.
In 2009 Sudan revoked the licences of 13 international aid groups working in Darfur shortly after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant against President Omar al-Bashir for alleged war crimes.
Qureshi said ICRC work in Sudan had previously been suspended in the 1990s.
The suspension of ICRC comes days after Bashir appealed for a "renaissance" in his country, which is ravaged by war, poverty and political turmoil.
In a speech which did not reveal detailed initiatives, he said peace is his top priority and "freedom of people" must be respected.
Half of Sudan's 19 states are affected by conflict and 6.1 million people are estimated to need humanitarian assistance, the United Nations has said.
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Publish Date: Feb 01, 2014
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
A picture taken on April 25, 2012 shows Sudanese prisoners of war boarding International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) vehicles following their release in South Sudans capital Juba. PHOTO/AFP newvision
KHARTOUM - Sudanese authorities have ordered the Red Cross to suspend its activities, the organisation said Saturday, in the latest restriction to be placed on foreign aid workers in the war-ravaged country.
"We have received an official letter from the HAC (Humanitarian Aid Commission) informing us to suspend our activities with effect from today," Rafiullah Qureshi, spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Sudan, told AFP.
"Our activities are suspended."
He said HAC cited "some technical issues" related to work which ICRC hoped to undertake this year in the country.
As a neutral intermediary, the Red Cross has facilitated the handover and repatriation of numerous prisoners held by armed groups in the country's war-torn Darfur region.
The agency has also provided health services, food aid, seeds, tools, hand pumps and other assistance which helped more than 1.5 million people in restive parts of the country last year, Qureshi said.
Although its projects are suspended, the ICRC's roughly 700 local and international staff will still go to their offices while discussions take place "in coming days" with the foreign ministry, HAC and other government agencies, he said.
The aim is "to resume our activities as soon as possible in favour of the victims of armed conflict."
HAC's registrar general, Mohammed Fadlallah, told AFP he had no idea about the case and referred inquiries to HAC Commissioner Suleiman Abdel Rahman, who could not immediately be reached.
Sudanese officials have repeatedly expressed their wish to cooperate with international agencies.
However, access has been restricted to the states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile, where rebellions began more than two years ago and where the United Nations says more than one million people have been displaced or severely affected.
There has been no aid access to rebel-held areas of the two states since 2011
In 2012 the HAC expelled seven international non-governmental organisations from impoverished eastern Sudan, arguing that some projects were badly managed, of poor quality and too costly.
Also that year, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said it had been forced to suspend medical activities in a part of North Darfur due to restrictions imposed on its work there.
In 2009 Sudan revoked the licences of 13 international aid groups working in Darfur shortly after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant against President Omar al-Bashir for alleged war crimes.
Qureshi said ICRC work in Sudan had previously been suspended in the 1990s.
The suspension of ICRC comes days after Bashir appealed for a "renaissance" in his country, which is ravaged by war, poverty and political turmoil.
In a speech which did not reveal detailed initiatives, he said peace is his top priority and "freedom of people" must be respected.
Half of Sudan's 19 states are affected by conflict and 6.1 million people are estimated to need humanitarian assistance, the United Nations has said.
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Mazy- Achieving total Clooney-dom
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Join date : 2012-11-03
Re: Red Cross 'Ordered To Suspend' Sudan Work
Let's hope that the evidence of warcrimes is given to a state that can pursue Omar al-Bashir and also Salva Kir and Riek Machar.
Atalante- Clooney-love. And they said it wouldn't last
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Re: Red Cross 'Ordered To Suspend' Sudan Work
Thanks Mazy, that's really bad news
Nicky80- Casamigos with Mr Clooney
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Join date : 2013-05-01
Location : Germany
Re: Red Cross 'Ordered To Suspend' Sudan Work
Thanks Mazy, as always ....
What Would He Say- Mastering the tao of Clooney
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Join date : 2013-05-15
Location : OneDAyComo
Re: Red Cross 'Ordered To Suspend' Sudan Work
thanks Mazy
It's so shameful!
It's so shameful!
chiki- Clooney Expert
- Posts : 274
Join date : 2013-05-23
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