UN rights council rejects tougher line on Darfur
Nov 28, 2006 (GENEVA) — The United Nations’ top human rights body on Tuesday backed an African-sponsored call for an end to violations in Darfur but without criticising Khartoum, angering European Union diplomats.
European members of the 47-state Human Rights Council, backed by Canada, had sought amendments to highlight what they said was the special responsibility of the Sudan government to rein in rights violations and bring those involved to justice.
But the Council rejected the EU move by 22 votes to 20, with 4 abstentions, and the African proposal was then approved by a wider 25-11 margin, with 10 abstentions.
Aid agencies say 200,000 people have been killed in the troubled western Sudan region since a simmering conflict erupted into war in 2003, but Khartoum rejects the figures as exaggerated and says the security situation is improving.
The African resolution, the first on Darfur the Geneva-based rights body has debated since coming into being in June, noted “with concern the seriousness of the human rights and humanitarian situation in Darfur.”
But African states, backed by Muslim and Arab countries, refused to accept additional wording that would have called on U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour to draw up a new report on the situation there.
The EU also tried to draw attention to violations such as the use of child soldiers, and said it was up to the government to end a “climate of impunity.”
Arbour, a former Canadian Supreme Court judge and war crimes prosecutor, has been extremely critical of Khartoum in the past, particularly on the issue of impunity. She is expected to address the Council on Wednesday. “The human rights situation in Darfur continues to be of grave concern and according to reliable reports continues to show signs of deteriorating,” said Finland’s ambassador Vesa Himanen, speaking for the EU.
But his remarks were dismissed by Algerian ambassador Idriss Jazairy, chairing the African group, who echoed Sudan’s assertion that things are getting better. “We do not share the pessimism that has just been expressed,” said Jazairy.
Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir on Tuesday rejected a U.N. role in the African peace mission in Darfur and accused aid agencies, which have 14,000 staff in Darfur, of giving false information on the crisis to prolong their jobs in the region.
Finland’s ambassador expressed “disappointment” at the Darfur resolution, and EU diplomats said in private that the Europeans were very angry.
The Council replaced the discredited Human Rights Commission as part of a programme of U.N. reform.
(Reuters)