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| UN to withdraw staff from Darfur | UN to withdraw staff from Darfur |
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| The United Nations is to withdraw all of its non-essential staff from the war-torn Sudanese region of Darfur, the BBC has learned. | The United Nations is to withdraw all of its non-essential staff from the war-torn Sudanese region of Darfur, the BBC has learned. |
| The move comes after a prosecutor at the International Criminal Court sought the arrest of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for genocide in Darfur. | The move comes after a prosecutor at the International Criminal Court sought the arrest of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for genocide in Darfur. |
| Judges have still to decide whether there are reasonable grounds for an arrest warrant to be issued. | Judges have still to decide whether there are reasonable grounds for an arrest warrant to be issued. |
| Sudan's foreign ministry says it does not recognise the ICC or its decisions. | Sudan's foreign ministry says it does not recognise the ICC or its decisions. |
| As of May this year, the joint UN-African Union Darfur mission, Unamid, included nearly 9,600 uniformed personnel and about 1,300 civilian staff, both international and local. | |
| It is not clear how many will be withdrawn. | It is not clear how many will be withdrawn. |
| Earlier, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he expected Sudan to "ensure the safety and security of all United Nations personnel and property" there despite the allegations against the president. | Earlier, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he expected Sudan to "ensure the safety and security of all United Nations personnel and property" there despite the allegations against the president. |
| A Sudanese official told the BBC that he had been informed by Unamid the evacuation would begin on Tuesday. | A Sudanese official told the BBC that he had been informed by Unamid the evacuation would begin on Tuesday. |
| "This is a unilateral decision which the Sudanese government was not involved in," Mr Mutrif Seddeek told the BBC. | "This is a unilateral decision which the Sudanese government was not involved in," Mr Mutrif Seddeek told the BBC. |
| Appeal for calm | Appeal for calm |
| Sudan's president was accused of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur by ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo. | Sudan's president was accused of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur by ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo. |
| ACCUSATIONS AGAINST BASHIR Genocide: Killing members of the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa ethnic groupsCausing these groups serious bodily or mental harmInflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about these groups' physical destruction Crimes against humanity: MurderExterminationForcible transferRapeTorture War crimes: Attacks on civilians in DarfurPillaging towns and villages Bashir move bold but problematicNoose tightens around BashirChina's secret war in Sudan | |
| He told judges at The Hague that Omar al-Bashir bore criminal responsibility for alleged atrocities committed over the past five years. | He told judges at The Hague that Omar al-Bashir bore criminal responsibility for alleged atrocities committed over the past five years. |
| Sudan has refused to hand over two suspects who Mr Moreno-Ocampo charged last year, Humanitarian Affairs Minister Ahmad Harun and militia leader Ali Kushayb. | Sudan has refused to hand over two suspects who Mr Moreno-Ocampo charged last year, Humanitarian Affairs Minister Ahmad Harun and militia leader Ali Kushayb. |
| It has also labelled Mr Moreno-Ocampo a criminal, and warned that any indictment could stall peace talks and cause mayhem in Sudan. | It has also labelled Mr Moreno-Ocampo a criminal, and warned that any indictment could stall peace talks and cause mayhem in Sudan. |
| Sudanese cabinet minister al-Samani al-Wasila told the BBC the accusations were "politically motivated". | Sudanese cabinet minister al-Samani al-Wasila told the BBC the accusations were "politically motivated". |
| The White House urged all parties in Sudan to "remain calm", saying it would "monitor the situation" in The Hague. | The White House urged all parties in Sudan to "remain calm", saying it would "monitor the situation" in The Hague. |
| US National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe stressed that the US was not part of the ICC. | US National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe stressed that the US was not part of the ICC. |
| UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown urged Khartoum to co-operate with the ICC. | UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown urged Khartoum to co-operate with the ICC. |
| HAVE YOUR SAYI strongly support the ICC's move, I do not want to see people dying anymore.Job, SudanSend us your comments | |
| There was no immediate formal reaction from Russia or from China, which is Sudan's biggest arms supplier. | There was no immediate formal reaction from Russia or from China, which is Sudan's biggest arms supplier. |
| Some 300,000 people have died as a result of the conflict in Darfur since 2003 while more than two million people have fled their homes, the UN estimates. | Some 300,000 people have died as a result of the conflict in Darfur since 2003 while more than two million people have fled their homes, the UN estimates. |
| Sudan's government denies mobilising Arab Janjaweed militias to attack black African civilians in Darfur since rebels took up arms in 2003. | Sudan's government denies mobilising Arab Janjaweed militias to attack black African civilians in Darfur since rebels took up arms in 2003. |