GM WATCH comment: Looks like this row has precious little to do with GM, though from past experience that won't stop pro-GM lobbyists trying to make it seem otherwise - see 'Fake Blood on the Maize'.
http://freezerbox.com/archive/article.asp?id=339
---

Row as Sudan blocks 'GM' food aid
Angola Press, April 26 2007
http://www.angolapress-angop.ao/noticia-e.asp?ID=527327

DARFUR, Sudan, 26/04 - The United Nations food agency has criticised Sudan for holding up to 100,000 tonnes of aid meant
for Darfur, saying it is genetically modified.

WFP spokeswoman Caroline Hurford said the US sorghum had been tested to show it was not genetically modified, adding
GM sorghum did not even exist.

'It's a huge amount of food to be held up and our sub-offices in Darfur must be getting quite worried,' she said.

Aid agencies are feeding 2.4m people who have fled the Darfur conflict.

Some aid workers believe that Sudan wants more food aid to be purchased in the country, reports Reuters news agency.

'We do intend to buy some amount of food from Sudan as they had a bumper harvest but there are limits to how much we can
purchase because of funding. Most food aid is given to us in kind, as is the case with the US sorghum,' Ms Hurford said.

Meanwhile, African Union peacekeepers say that pro-government militias continue to kill and pillage with impunity in Darfur.

The Sudanese government says security is improving in Darfur and has repeatedly pledged to the Arab Janjaweed militias.

Last week, Sudan agreed to let 3,000 UN peacekeepers with helicopter gunships into Darfur to help African Union troops.

But the US wants more than 10,000 UN soldiers to be sent and has threatened to increase sanctions.

At least 200,000 people are estimated to have died in Darfur since rebels took up arms four years.

The US says a genocide is being committed against the region's black African population.

Sudan says the problems are being exaggerated for political reasons.