UNHCR temporarily withdraws staff from South Darfur

GENEVA, Nov 11 (Reuters) – Three international staff from the U.N.’s refugee agency are being temporarily withdrawn from South Darfur because of restrictions imposed by Sudanese authorities, the agency said on Thursday.

Its four staff in South Darfur have been restricted to the capital Nyala for three weeks following an incident when they and other U.N. aid workers intervened to stop villagers in the area from being forcibly moved, UNHCR said in a statement.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) also said it was also putting on hold plans to open an office in El Fasher, capital of North Darfur, slated for later this month, because of the standoff.

The agency is part of a huge effort to bring life-saving aid to more than 1.5 million people uprooted by violence in the troubled Darfur region, including 200,000 who have fled to Chad.

“If we are not going to be allowed to do our work in South Darfur, then UNHCR has no choice but to go elsewhere where the needs are just as great,” said Jean-Marie Fakhouri, UNHCR’s operations director for Sudan.

Three international staff would be redeployed to El Geneina, capital of West Darfur and site of the UNHCR’s main operation. The fourth international staff member would stay at Nyala.

Two African rebel groups in Darfur revolted against Khartoum in early 2003, complaining of neglect after years of conflict between Arab nomads and mainly African farmers over scarce land and water resources.

Arab militia, known as Janjaweed, helped the government retaliate and are blamed for an orchestrated campaign of rape, burning and looting. The United Nations estimates 70,000 people have died in Darfur since March.