Sudan hails UN humanitarian chief’s report on Darfur
June 13, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudanese government welcomed today the report submitted by the United Nations Undersecretary for humanitarian affairs John Holmes saying it “opens wide opportunities for cooperation”.
The top UN relief official said that Khartoum signaled its readiness to receive new aid groups from abroad.
Sudan asked more than a dozen foreign aid groups to leave the country last March accusing it of passing “fabricated” information to the International Criminal Court (ICC), which issued arrest warrant issued for Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir.
Sudanese officials have said that they will not rescind its expulsion orders under any circumstances to these groups but left the door open to return of new aid organizations including Western ones.
The foreign ministry spokesperson said his government is looking for ways to stabilize the Darfur situation working with other international organizations.
“What Holmes reported also affirms that direct cooperation between the UN, the Sudanese government, AU and international NGOs working in Darfur is the best way to work together to calm the general situation in Darfur” Al-Sadiq said.
Separately the Sudanese the commissioner for humanitarian assistance Hasabu Abdel-Rahman said that the UN apologized for “mistranslation” in Holmes statements regarding return of expelled aid groups.
The UN humanitarian chief told reporters that four of the ejected groups have been authorized by Khartoum to resume work under new names or new logos.
“That possibility is there for all the organizations that were expelled and some of them have already taken advantage of that, and have got very recently new registrations, and will be restarting their operations” Holmes said.
“Four have already applied for new registration under their slightly changed new names and they have been accepted. I think the same possibility is open to others” he added.
Holmes said these groups include CARE, Save The Children, and Mercy Corps.
However, Sudanese officials as well as these organizations said they were not authorized to return nor had they applied for new permits.
Two of these groups said that their Europe based offices registered in these countries were in the process of applying for registration with Sudanese authorities.
Some 4.7 million people rely on humanitarian aid in Darfur. Many of the camps, where some 2.7 million residents headed after the violence drove them from their homes, lie in flood plains
(ST)