Three expelled aid groups say Sudan seized $5.2 m of their assets

August 4, 2009 (KHARTOUM) – Three Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) evicted last March, said Sudanese authorities had taken some $5.2 million from their money in Sudanese banks and equipments.

On March 4, following the International Criminal Court arrest warrant for the President Omer Al-Bashir, Sudan forced 13 international aid groups to depart from the country and banned three other local NGOs.

Following the expulsion, the humanitarian affairs ministry said it would replace them by local NGOs and said it would allot their vehicles, equipments to these local groups also, the ministry said it would pay the local staff working with the 13 aid groups for six months from the seized money.

Representatives of the expelled groups were in Khartoum in April to discuss the release of their money and equipment but Khartoum rejected their demand.

The French arm of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF-France), MSF Holland and OXFAM GB told Reuters that Sudanese authorities had taken about $5.2 million of their assets — including computers, vehicles, stock and equipment — and more than $9 million in payments to local staff who lost their jobs after their eviction.

MSF- France said the expulsion cost it around 2 million euros. “700,000 euros ($1 million) of that was linked to a labour decree which we view as invalid, that we were forced into following,” said Jane Coyne, MSF-France’s former head of mission in Sudan.

MSF Holland spokeswoman Naomi Pardington said the group had to pay out 850,000 euros to staff in line with the MSF’s own regulations, and another 650,000 euros enforced by the government, while it lost more than 790,000 euros of assets.

Oxfam GB spokesman Alun McDonald said Sudan took around £5 million ($8.5 million) — more than £2 million in assets and nearly £3 million in redundancies and shut down costs.

Sudanese state minister for humanitarian affairs, Abdel Baqi Al-Jailani told Reuters they had acted within regulations.

“The NGOs signed an agreement that if they are expelled, their assets will be used by others,” he said. “The assets are being held in reserve for the coming NGOs. They will be used by them.”

He further said the redundancy payments had also been made in line with regulations. “If they have any grievances, they can contact me and we are ready to negotiate.”

Ousted aid worker confirmed that all aid groups in Sudan had signed an agreement that their assets could be used by others if they were expelled.

“If we had been expelled for doing something wrong that would be one thing. But we did not do anything wrong and they didn’t follow any of their own rules when they expelled us.”

He further stressed they had no proof their goods had ended up in other humanitarian hands.

US special envoy Scott Gration said Sudanese authorities had agreed to replace the ousted groups by other NGOs. Technical preparations are going on nothing is yet on the ground in Darfur where IDPs continue to speak about the water shortage and lack of health care since March.

(ST)