An upcoming meeting of leading humanitarian aid groups with the international prosecutor investigating war crimes in Darfur prompted concerns about security for international aid workers, as well as local villagers, in the troubled Sudanese region, Reuters reports.

The Sudanese region has become a test of the effectiveness of the court, established to try persons accused of genocide, war crimes, and mass human rights violations. More than 2 million people have fled their homes and thousands have been killed each month in fighting in Darfur. Sudan has said it would refuse to hand over its citizens to be tried abroad and would prosecute alleged criminals itself.

The agenda for the meeting, called by the Chicago-based John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, suggests there may be "opportunities for cooperation" between the aid groups and International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo. But it raised questions about whether the groups could be perceived as compromising their reputation for neutrality, which has been central to their ability to work effectively in conflict zones. Two weeks ago, Sudan detained two workers for Doctors Without Borders on charges of publishing false reports after releasing The Crushing Burden of Rape: Sexual Violence in Darfur (8 pages, PDF).

"Gathering information for war crimes investigations is not part of our mission," Nancy Aossey, chief executive of California-based International Medical Corps, said in a written statement. Noting "security for our staff and beneficiaries is totally dependent on how we are perceived in the area," she said she would nevertheless attend "to share our concerns about the possible impact a war crimes investigation could have on the safety of our staff and the people we are trying to help."

Other invited groups include CARE USA, Save the Children, World Vision, International Rescue Committee, Oxfam America, Christian Aid, International Committee of the Red Cross, Concern Worldwide USA, and Catholic Relief Services.