SUDAN: Sudan has arrested a second aid worker over a report on rape in Darfur and is also holding a man who translated for Kofi Annan when the UN chief met rape victims in the region, according to UN and aid officials.
News of the arrests came a day after the authorities detained a senior official from international aid agency Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Sudan.
The aid worker held yesterday was also from MSF Holland, which published a report in March detailing about 500 cases of rape over 4½ months in Darfur, where a rebellion has raged since early 2003.
The UN envoy in Sudan, Jan Pronk, "deplored" the arrests of the two MSF officials and said he would raise the issue with Sudanese president Omar Hassan al- Bashir.
Paul Foreman, country director of MSF Holland,was detained on Monday and released on bail after a day of questioning. He said he had been charged with spying, publishing false reports and undermining Sudanese society.
Vince Hoedt, Darfur co-ordinator for MSF Holland, was arrested in the western region yesterday. He was flown back to Khartoum and taken away by security forces.
Mr Pronk said the authorities had arrested a translator who went with Mr Annan to listen to rape victims in Darfur's largest camp on Saturday, despite government promises that no one would be harassed. - (Reuters)
Deaglán de Bréadún adds: Trócaire has expressed concern at the arrest of Mr Foreman. "This latest arrest follows a pattern of intimidation and harassment of relief agencies which are dealing with the ongoing crisis in Darfur," said director Justin Kilcullen.
He pointed out that three volunteers for the Trócaire-funded Sudanese Social Development Organisation were also still in custody: Salah Mohammed Abdelrahman, Mohammed Musa Aldood and Yousif Kabier.