US Criticizes Sudan’s Rebuff Of UN Official

April 3, 2006 (WASHINGTON) — The U.S. State Department criticized on Monday the refusal of Sudan to permit a visit by the U.N. top’s humanitarian affairs official, Jan Egeland, calling the decision “deeply disturbing.”

Citing the “crying humanitarian needs” in Darfur, spokesman Adam Ereli said it was hard to understand why Sudan rebuffed Egeland.

“This certainly sends the wrong signal about where the government of Sudan stands on the issue of humanitarian relief in cooperation with the international community to address the problem of Darfur,” he said.

The U.N. mission in Sudan said Egeland’s flight into the country wasn’t given authorization to land Sunday.

(ST/AP)