US Embassy in Sudan warns Americans to leave

KHARTOUM, Sudan - The U.S. Embassy in Sudan authorized nonessential staff and family to leave the country, saying Tuesday that protests against the International Criminal Court’s indictment of the Sudanese president increased the danger of anti-Western violence.

Sudan’s government expelled aid groups from Darfur and has accused them of cooperating with the war crimes court, which President Omar al-Bashir has described as a new form of colonialism.

The embassy said it has received information on terrorist threats aimed at American and European interests in Sudan. The embassy gave no details, but it has posted similar messages in recent years.

The United States and the United Nations have sharply criticized Sudan’s decision to expel 13 of the largest Darfur aid groups in response to last week’s ICC arrest warrant for al-Bashir charging him with war crimes in the war-ravaged western region.

Al-Bashir has rejected the charges and threatened to throw out diplomats and peacekeepers. Many fear the court’s decision could spark more violence in Darfur.

“Recent protests have featured sharp anti-Western rhetoric. There is a continuing possibility that ongoing protests might encourage violent action against Europeans and Americans,” a message posted on the U.S. Embassy’s Web site said.

The embassy message said nonessential personnel and family members could leave Sudan if they wanted, and it warned Americans to avoid traveling to Africa’s largest country.