BAN VOICES CONCERN AFTER AID WORKERS ABDUCTED IN DARFUR

BAN VOICES CONCERN AFTER AID WORKERS ABDUCTED IN DARFUR
New York, Mar 12 2009 12:00PM

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today he is deeply concerned at the kidnapping of three humanitarian workers in Darfur, and once again called on the Sudanese Government to reverse its decision last week to expel 13 major aid groups.

The three aid workers abducted yesterday are staff members of the non-governmental organization (NGO) Medecins sans Frontieres' Belgian branch.

Speaking to reporters at UN Headquarters today, Mr. Ban stressed that these NGOs play a vital role in assisting some 4.7 million people in the strife-torn region.

"The concern of the United Nations in Sudan has always been, and will remain, peace and the well-being of the country's people," Mr. Ban stated. "For millions of Sudanese, these NGOs are a lifeline. They must be allowed to do their work."

The expulsions started immediately after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur.

As of 10 March, 183 international staff of the affected NGOs had already left the country, with others are awaiting exit visas to depart, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
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