The Government of Sudan Closes the Offices of Seven International Organizations

(7 June 2012) On 31 May Sudan’s Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC), the government body responsible for regulations relating to international organizations, ordered the closure of the offices of seven international organizations in specific regions of the country.

1. Save the Children – Red Sea state
2. Goal Ireland – Kassala state
3. Agency for Cooperation in Research and Development (ACORD) – Kassala and Red Sea state
4. Mines Advisory Group – Kassala state
5. Plan Sudan – Red Sea state
6. Triangle – Gedarif state
7. Rosantes – Gedarif state

According to the HAC, the justification for the office closures is that these organizations were not sufficiently carrying out their mandates in these regions. The organizations were given until 30 June to settle their accounts with their employees.

On 23 May, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) suspended its work in North Darfur because the HAC had refused to allow the transfer of medical supplies to some areas in North Darfur since September 2011. MSF has stated that it is ready to resume its activities once this issue has been resolved.

The African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies condemns the government of Sudan’s arbitrary interference in the operations of international organizations and calls on the government to allow these organizations to resume their operations and refrain from unjustified interference and harassment in the future.