Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir warned foreign organisations they would be expelled if they disrespected government authority, deepening a stand-off with UN peacekeepers over six Darfuris wanted by Khartoum. The six are accused by Sudan of instigating clashes in South Darfur's Kalma Camp in late July which killed at least five people.
They sought refuge with UN-African Union peacekeepers (UNAMID) who have refused to hand them over to Sudan without proof of their crime or guarantees of a fair trial. Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and genocide during Darfur's seven-year conflict. A counter-insurgency campaign drove more than 2 million from their homes to miserable camps, sparking one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
The United Nations estimates it has claimed 300,000 lives. "Any aid group or UN or AU agency, even UNAMID - their mandate is to support government authorities," he told a gathering of Darfur leaders in Khartoum on Saturday. "I tell my brothers the governors of Darfur that anyone who exceeds these boundaries or their mandate can be expelled the same day."
"No one has the right to prevent the government from doing its job to protect civilians," he said. "The (Darfur) camps are Sudanese territory under Sudanese authority and there is no authority in this world which can stop the government from prosecuting criminals who break the law."
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