Sudan Allows Aid Group to Resume in Darfur

A Catholic aid agency says it will be allowed to resume distributing food in Sudan's West Darfur region after the government lifted a ban on its operations.

U.S.-based Catholic Relief Services said Tuesday it is working with the local government to begin food distributions immediately.

Sudan's government suspended the group in January, accusing it of distributing Bibles in the largely Muslim country.

The agency denied the allegation, and said forcing it to close would deprive more than 400,000 people of monthly food rations.

Sudan expelled 13 large aid groups from Darfur in 2009 after the International Criminal Court indicted President Omar al-Bashir on war crimes charges. Catholic Relief Services was one of the relief agencies that expanded its operations to fill the gap.

Darfur rebel groups took up arms against Sudan's government in 2003, accusing Khartoum of neglecting the region.

The U.N. estimates that since then, violence has killed 300,000 people and displaced 2.7 million from their home