By Louis Charbonneau | UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States on Friday slammed as "reckless" and "callous" Khartoum's decision to expel more than a dozen aid groups, saying it put millions of people's lives at risk in Sudan's western Darfur region.
 New U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice speaks to members of the media at the United Nations headquarters in New York in this January 26, 2009 file photo. (REUTERS/Mike Segar/Files) |
"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.
The move by Sudan came after the International Criminal Court charged President Omar Hassan al-Bashir with war crimes in Darfur. Khartoum ordered 13 high-profile aid agencies out of Darfur, including Oxfam and Save the Children, accusing them of passing evidence to the court.
"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."
Rice said she had a "forceful" conversation with Sudan's U.N. Ambassador Abdalmahmoud Abdalhaleem, in which she told him the decision was counterproductive and an "enormous escalation" that would exacerbate the situation on the ground and harm Sudan's relations with the international community.
Rice was asked if Washington was still considering the possibility of imposing a no-fly zone over Darfur as the new U.S. administration has indicated previously. She said that option was being "considered and discussed" as part of a policy review the administration is undertaking.
U.S. officials, she said, were consulting with others on the Security Council about the issue and were awaiting a briefing from U.N. humanitarian officials during a special closed-door council session on Sudan later on Friday.
In response to a question, Rice left open the possibility that Washington would push the council to pass a statement or resolution ordering Khartoum to reverse its decision to expel international aid organizations from Darfur.
"We will have the briefing and will together decide on appropriate next steps," she said. Any council moves, Rice added, would take time since delegations would need to consult with their capitals.
(Additional reporting by Patrick Worsnip)
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