And, It Wouldn't Be a Weekend Without Darfur

by Michael Bear · 2009-04-27 06:16:00 +1000
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As for recent Darfur news and rumors:

- A fascinating IRIN article describes how some of the expelled NGOs are now publicly accusing the Sudanese Government of extortion:

"'They asked us to pay an exorbitant amount of money... [and said]: ‘We have your passports. Once you agree to pay, you can leave the country’,”' said Jane Coyne, head of mission for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)-France, one of 13 aid agencies ordered to leave Sudan for their alleged provision of information to the International Criminal Court.

The Government pressured NGOs by confiscating staff passports and refusing to allow them to leave, while also stoking popular anger.  According to the article:

"Most of the expelled NGOs have agreed to the government’s demands so as to ensure their staff could leave Sudan and to avoid potential detention or physical attack by members of the public."

One particular source of concern was the demand by the Sudanese Government that the expelled aid agencies pay their local staff six months of severance pay, although local labor law only requires a month of severance.  As one aid worker explained:

"The word I like to use is extortion…That’s all money that at the end of the day has to come from donors that would have otherwise gone for programmes in Darfur."

- And, just to make matters that much more confusing - talks are still apparently ongoing about allowing some of the expelled NGOs to return.  As John Norris reported last week on the Enough blog:

"This picture seems to be shaping up as this: Sudan will allow some of the aid groups back if they are ‘rehatted’ under different names. It also seems clear that some of the 13 groups probably will not be allowed back at all. No timetable for any of this has been announced by the administration, aid groups, or the Government of Sudan."

- Finally, Alex de Waal has an interesting post on Making Sense of Darfur analyzing the Save Darfur movement in terms of American exceptionalism.

[Photo of Kalma Camp in Darfur from MSF]

Michael Bear
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