Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin has today condemned the decision of the Sudanese Government to expel ten international humanitarian organisations from Darfur
The move comes after the International Criminal Court (ICC) yesterday issued an arrest warrant for president Omar Al-Bashir on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.
The non-governmental aid groups ordered to leave the country are Oxfam, CARE, MSF-Holland, Mercy Corps, Save the Children, the Norweigan Refugee Council, the International Rescue Committee, Action Contre la Faim, Solidarites and CHF International.
Speaking today, Minister Martin said that all of those people responsible for grave crimes committed in Darfur must be held to account, no matter who they are.
Mr Martin added that Ireland fully supported the work of the ICC and called on all parties to co-operate fully with the court.
"I condemn in the strongest terms today's unjustifiable retaliatory decision to expel ten aid organisations. This will leave hundreds of thousands of extremely vulnerable people without essential medical care and other humanitarian assistance. They should not be used as pawns by their own Government."
"I call on the Government of Sudan to reverse its decision. It is imperative that these organisations be allowed to maintain their operations and continue their essential humanitarian work unimpeded."
The war in Darfur began in 2003 when rebel groups took up arms against the government, complaining of discrimination and neglect. UN officials estimate that up to 300,000 people have died and 2.7 million have fled their homes since the war started.
The Labour Party also criticised the Sudanese government's decision saying that it was concerned at the reports coming from the region.
"Hundreds of thousands of those living in one of the poorest areas of the world, an area in which the international community has not engaged sufficiently, will be left without critical medical aid," said the party's president and foreign affairs spokesman Michael D Higgins.
Separetely, Sinn Féin international affairs spokesman Aengus Ó Snodaigh said if the Sudanese Government refuses to reverse its decision the UN must mobilise to ensure that the thousands of refugees dependent on the agencies receive the aid they require.
“These agencies are fundamental to the operation to deal with the humanitarian crisis in that region and are essential to the very survival of hundreds of thousands of refugees. International pressure must be focussed on the Sudanese Government to persuade them to reverse this decision," said Mr Snodaigh.
Meanwhile, Oxfam Ireland, which has been supporting humanitarian programmes in Darfur since 2004, said that international staff had been removed to Khartoum while it appeals the government’s decision to expel the organisation. The charity estimated that its programmes can continue to be run by local communities and volunteers for a number of weeks but if its appeal fails then the schemes will have to close.
Amnesty International Ireland warned that 2.2 million people face the risk of starvation and disease following the decision to expel the agencies.
