Sudan's Expulsion of Aid Groups Imperils Region

After getting the boot in March, NGOs to return to troubled region

(NEWSER) - The Sudanese government says it will invite new aid groups to work in Darfur and let the UN and other agencies expand their operations in the region. The announcement comes two months after Sudan expelled 13 NGOs, including Doctors Without Borders, in the aftermath of the International Criminal Court's indictment of President Omar al-Bashir. The UN's humanitarian chief said he would have preferred if Sudan had reversed the earlier expulsions but was encouraged by the "welcome degree of flexibility." More»

Death of JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim would be key victory

(AP) - The Sudanese army said it killed the leader of the main Darfur rebel group in fighting today and touted his death as a key victory. The army said Khalil Ibrahim, who led the Darfur-based Justice and Equality Movement, or JEM, was killed during a military offensive in North Kordofan state to retaliate for a deadly rebel attack there yesterday. JEM is the most organized and effective military force in Darfur. If Ibrahim's death is confirmed, it would be a serious blow to JEM, which has on several occasions threatened to bring down Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir's regime. More»

Offers to assist Darfur via wardrobe malfunction

(NEWSER) - Accepting the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award at last night's Emmys, George Clooney made light of his work to raise awareness about genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. "I have offered to go to the south of Sudan and stage, like, a wardrobe malfunction," the modest actor quipped. "But it was pointed out to me that I'm 49, and the consensus was that it would just be upsetting. And kind of sad." More»

(NEWSER) - Though Obama advocated a confrontational approach to Sudan on the campaign trail, his administration will announce a somewhat soft policy toward the country on Monday. Ending months of internal wrangling, the policy is designed use to "pressure and incentives" to bend the government to address US concerns over the killings in Darfur and a slow-to-be-implemented peace accord between the north and south, along with fears that Sudan may provide a haven to terrorists. More»

Jolie writes for Time magazine

(NEWSER) - Angelina Jolie argues in a Time essay that it's put-up-or-shut-up time for the UN on Darfur. The Security Council will receive a report today on the nation's genocide under the watch of Omar al Bashir, and its response will determine whether the idea of an "international standard of justice" is real or just talk. "The evidence the prosecutor has presented is clear and compelling," she writes. "Millions of people have been displaced; hundreds of thousands have been killed." More»