State Dept. condemns aid groups' expulsion

WASHINGTON, March 6 (UPI) -- The United States condemns the expulsion of aid organizations from Sudan by the country's government, a State Department spokesman said Friday.

"These organizations provide critical humanitarian assistance to millions of Sudanese, and the forced departure of these organizations immediately and seriously threatens the lives and well-being of displaced populations," department spokesman Gordon Duguid said during a news briefing.

Sudanese government officials announced the expulsion of about 10 international humanitarian aid agencies after the International Criminal Court Wednesday issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity for atrocities in the country's Darfur region.

Expulsion of organizations that provide aide to vulnerable populations "will result in a further deterioration in the humanitarian situation throughout Sudan," Duguid said. "We continue to urge the government of Sudan and all armed rebel groups and their proxies to take no action that would imperil the safety and security of civilians, humanitarian workers, and peacekeepers in the country."