Brussels, 17/03/2009 (Agence Europe) - EU27 foreign ministers meeting on Monday 16 March in Brussels, reiterated their request that Khartoum reverse the decision to expel 13 international humanitarian NGOs and to revoke the licenses of three local NGOs in Sudan.
The EU considers that the response to the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against President El Béchir for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity places a direct threat on the continuation of vital aid needed for saving lives in Darfur and in the northern part of the country, as the Council Presidency had stressed on 10 March. In its conclusions adopted without debate, the Council “reiterates its call upon the government of Sudan to reconsider their decision urgently, and ensure that humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable people in Sudan be continuously guaranteed, guided by the principles of human rights and international humanitarian law”. (A.N./transl.jl)