Sudan Wants All Aid Groups Out Of Country By End of Year

The Sudanese government in Khartoum cares less about its citizens and the untold misery and mayhem they endure than the aid groups that work tirelessly to improve their condition under the worst of circumstances.

The government now demands that all aid groups cease their work by the end of the year and leave the country. The government, including President Bashir, claim that the aid groups have been talking with the International Criminal Court and assisting in the preparation of war crimes and ethnic cleansing charges against the thug in Khartoum.

President Omar Hassan al-Bashir expelled 13 international aid groups this month, accusing them of helping the International Criminal Court, which issued an arrest warrant against him, accusing him of orchestrating atrocities in Darfur. Aid groups deny working with the court.

In an emotional speech to thousands of soldiers and police, Bashir said he had ordered Sudanese aid groups to take over the distribution of all relief inside the country — a move that could freeze the work of more than 70 foreign organizations still operating in Darfur and other strife-torn areas.

He warned aid groups to respect Sudan's sovereignty or "pay the price." He didn't elaborate.

If carried out, the order will also create a dilemma for international donors, including the governments of the United States and Britain, over whether they will be able to continue to pour millions into projects across the underdeveloped country without full control over how their aid is distributed.

Respect Sudan's sovereignty - but ignore Sudan's incessant war crimes and human rights abuses. Sadly, Sudan is right about the sovereignty issue and the fact that the world regularly turns a blind eye to war crimes and genocide and human rights abuses except when such charges are lobbed against either the US or Israel. Since Sudan isn't Israel or the US, they're expecting that this will all boil over without any lasting effect.

The only people who will truly pay the price for Sudan's criminality are its citizens, especially those who are left in Darfur.