US says Sudan government hampering humanitarian aid efforts

WASHINGTON, April 16, 2004 (AP) — The U.S. State Department expressed concern Friday that the Sudanese government hasn’t been cooperating with international efforts to provide assistance to victims of the Darfur conflict.

The 14-month old Darfur conflict has displaced more than 800,000 people, producing one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.

“We urge the government of Sudan to immediately grant visas to the two United Nations teams who are investigating the situation in Darfur and to other humanitarian workers who are working in Darfur,” U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said.

He added that U.S. officials have received reports that pro-government militia have attacked displaced people in Darfur.

“We hold the government of Sudan responsible for their activities,” Boucher said.

He added that some air and truck humanitarian shipments have been reaching the needy in Darfur.

Finalizing a peace deal for the southern rebellion is important to ending a humanitarian crisis created by a separate rebellion in the western Darfur region of Sudan , where more than 860,000 people have been driven from their homes and thousands killed.

While the fighting is unrelated, a peace agreement with southern rebels would free up diplomatic resources for peace talks to begin in Chad in two weeks to end the fighting in Darfur.