The United Nations announced last night it was withdrawing staff out of part of Sudan's conflict-ravaged Darfur region to protest against Sudanese government restrictions on the aid workers.
Mr Jean-Marie Fakhouri, Darfur chief for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said the agency decided to act because Sudanese officials have barred its aid workers from leaving Nyala, in southern Darfur, since October 20th.
The UN announcement came a day after Secretary of State Colin Powell expressed disappointment that Sudanese government troops, for the second time in a week, took steps to forcibly remove refugees from the El Geer displaced persons camp near the city of Nyala.
"It is extremely frustrating for our staff to be forced to sit idle," Mr Fakhouri said in a statement. "If we are not going to be allowed to do our work in South Darfur, then UNHCR has no choice but to go elsewhere where the needs are just as great."
Sudan's government imposed the travel ban after an October 20th incident in which UNHCR staff and other aid workers from the global body tried to stop authorities from forcing refugees to leave the area around Nyala.
The government initially said the ban would be lifted on November 6.
The UNHCR also said it has deferred plans to open an office in El Fasher, in northern Darfur, timetabled for later this month.
Jan Pronk, the top UN envoy to Sudan, was in Nyala for a second day Thursday, trying to visit a camp that UN officials said was attacked by police a day earlier.
AP