Sudanese govt reverses decision to expel 2 aid workers – BBC

NEW YORK, Nov 29, 2004 (Dow Jones) — Sudan has reversed its decision to expel two senior international aid workers it claims have made political statements about the Darfur crisis, the BBC reports in an article on its Web site Monday.

The country heads of U.K. charities Oxfam and Save the Children were earlier told to leave within 48 hours, the BBC reports. The government in Khartoum accused both organizations of prolonging the conflict rather than helping it.

Sudan ‘s reversal came after a day of intense lobbying and diplomatic pressure, the BBC says. The report adds that there has been no word from the agencies themselves, which are among those helping some 1.5 million displaced people in Darfur.

“We didn’t realize the implications of our decision,” the BBC quotes a humanitarian affairs minister as saying. Officially, the decision has been postponed for four or five days but no one is now expecting the expulsions to be carried out, according to the BBC.

At the BBC News Service: Sudan backtracks on aid workers