Security Council split on Sudan NGO expulsions

U.N. Security Council failed to order Sudan to reverse its decision to expel 13 international aid groups from the country amid disagreement between permanent members, according to news reports on Saturday.

France had drafted a statement urging Khartoum to reverse its decision on the NGOs, but Britain's U.N. ambassador John Sawers said one of the five permanent members—the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China–had blocked it. He left no doubt he was referring to China.

Western diplomats said the 15-member council had only agreed to express their "concern" about the situation in Sudan during discussions Friday, but were unable to agree to a joint statement.

"One delegation insisted on a reference, which we thought was unwarranted and not relevant, to the ICC decision," he said. "I think the Russians would have been able to agree to a reasonable statement."

China says it wants the council to use its power to halt the ICC case against Bashir. Russia is with China, but Britain, France and the United States oppose deferring the proceedings.

The Khartoum government announced it would expel the agencies after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity carried out in Darfur, western Sudan.

"There won't be a statement," Sawers said after the closed-door meeting. Aid groups condemned the United Nation's inaction as "grotesque."

"The Security Council should condemn the fact that an indicted war criminal has deliberately put yet more lives at risk by expelling aid workers," said Richard Dicker of Human Rights Watch.

"This is no time for the council to debate letting Bashir off the hook for crimes against humanity. That is simply grotesque."

The Security Council should condemn the fact that an indicted war criminal has deliberately put yet more lives at risk by expelling aid workers

Richard Dicker

U.S. “gravely concerned”

Earlier on Friday, Washington's ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice blasted Sudan's decision, describing it as "reckless" and "callous."

"The United States is gravely concerned by the reckless decision of the Sudanese government to expel international aid groups working to ease the suffering of Sudan's citizens," Rice told reporters.

"The humanitarian situation in the country is already dire and this callous step threatens the lives of innocents already suffering from years of war and upheaval," she said in a conference call.

"Millions of civilians, including untold thousands of children and elderly people, will be left even more vulnerable to starvation, disease, despair and death if the government of Sudan does not immediately change course," Rice said.

"The government of Sudan at its own choosing is now heading down a path towards even greater international isolation."

"The United States is gravely concerned by the reckless decision of the Sudanese government to expel international aid groups working to ease the suffering of Sudan's citizens," Rice told reporters in a conference call.

The United Nations says that 300,000 people have been killed and 2.7 million made homeless by the conflict in Sudan which erupted in February 2003.

The government of Sudan at its own choosing is now heading down a path towards even greater international isolation

Susan Rice