Sudan orders fresh AIDS tests for peacekeepers, issues “behavioral code”

Sept 7, 2005 (KHARTOUM) — The government has said it will make it obligatory for employees of foreign organizations and the UN peacekeeping troops to abide my new guidelines aimed at monitoring their behaviour and morals and stop them from engaging in acts of depravity.

This statement was made following the announcement of the AIDS-related death of two African Union soldiers in a Khartoum hospital.

Acting Minister of Health Ahmad Bilal Osman said new guidelines had been agreed between health authorities and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and set out in a document entitled the “behavioral code”. He added that any foreigner who did not abide by the code’s guidelines would be deported for good.

The minister further said AU and UN peacekeeping troops would undergo another medical examination for AIDS in case the virus had not been detected during the first examination. He said there was a period of three months from the time of contracting the disease, during which the virus might not be detected.

The minister reiterated that all foreigners entering the country were examined under the monitoring of aliens immigration law, adding that if results of AIDS tests were positive, the foreigner would be refused entry into Sudan and would be deported. He further said no exceptions would be made, even the UN peace keeping troops would undergo the medical examination.

In this regard, the minister spoke of a recent survey on AIDS in the three Darfur States. He said results of the survey had shown that the percentage of those infected was lower than expected at 1.6 per cent, adding that AIDS was therefore not spreading in Darfur.

(ST)