The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Issue date: 3/13/09 Section: News

Sudanese women greet Sudanese President Omar al Bashir, not pictured, who is wanted by an international court on war crimes charges, during a rally organized by the Sudanese Women's Union at the Prime Minister's headquarters in Khartoum, Sudan, Thursday. The women wave flags and banners and hold the portrait of President Omar al Bashir. (AP Photo/Abd Raouf)

KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) - Armed men stormed an aid agency compound in Darfur and kidnapped three Westerners, heightening fears that foreigners will be targeted in the backlash over the international arrest warrant for Sudan's president.

The three workers for Doctors Without Borders were kidnapped late Wednesday in a government-controlled area in northern Darfur, close to a stronghold of government-allied Arab militiamen known as janjaweed.

The Sudanese government condemned the attack and denied any involvement. But officials quickly blamed the arrest warrant issued last week by the Netherlands-based International Criminal Court accusing President Omar al-Bashir of war crimes in Darfur.

"Anything that goes wrong (since the warrant) onwards I personally attribute to the ICC decision," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ali Youssef said.

Ali Sadiq, another Foreign Ministry official, told Al-Jazeera television that his ministry had warned that the warrant "encourages lawlessness and armed groups to target aid groups and their workers."

Late Thursday, a state-linked media organization said the kidnappers had demanded a ransom. Quoting the governor of North Darfur, the Sudan Media Center said local government officials had begun negotiations.

"The kidnappers asked for a ransom and they reassured us that they don't want violence," Gov. Osman Kebir was quoted as saying. The report did not say how much money was demanded.

Kebir said he had phoned the kidnappers at a number sent to him by the abductors and also had spoken with the captives, who said they were in good condition, according to the report.

Al-Bashir's government has been warning since even before the warrant was issued March 4 that the case could lead to revenge attacks by Sudanese, though it said it would try to protect aid workers, peacekeepers and other foreigners.

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