US authorizes departure of non-emergency personnel from Khartoum embassy

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
The US State Department has authorized the departure of non-emergency personnel and family from its embassy in Khartoum due to "uncertain" security conditions following the expulsion of aid groups from the Darfur region, said a message issued by the embassy Tuesday. The warden message warned that protests in the aftermath of the International Criminal Court's indictment of the Sudanese president for war crimes "may encourage violence" against Europeans and Americans. "The Department of State has authorized the departure of non-emergency personnel and family members at the US Embassy in Khartoum until further notice," said the message, which also recommended Americans avoid travel to Africa's largest nation. The message recommended that US citizens in Sudan should have their own contingency plans to leave the country, adding that the embassy could close for security reasons without much advance notice.