Sudan prohibits U.S. officials from travelling to Dafur

KHARTOUM, Nov. 09, 2003 (dpa) — The American Embassy in Sudan published a statement Sunday expressing regret that the U.S. Charge d’Affairs in Sudan, Gerar Galluci, and other representatives of the Embassy and USAID were prohibited from travelling to Nyala town in the South Darfur region of western Sudan.

The statement said that Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC), a government establishment regulating the work of local and international relief organizations cancelled the trip despite the Ministry of Foreign Affairs granting permission to travel.

The embassy and USAID officials were travelling to Dafur, a region of extreme unrest, to monitor on-going aid programmes.

The statement demanded that the Sudanese government remove barriers to free movement and permit free travel throughout the country.