Annan urges UN rights council to focus on Darfur
Sept 18, 2006 (GENEVA) — U.N. Secretary-general Kofi Annan urged the U.N.’s top rights watchdog to focus its attention on Sudan’s war-ravaged region of Darfur, saying it deserved the same diligence that has been given to crises in the Middle East.
As the 47-member U.N. Human Rights Council opened its second session of the year Monday, the global body’s top rights official, Louise Arbour, read out the statement from Annan.
“I trust you will focus the same vigilance on violations and abuses wherever they may occur,” Annan said in the speech read by Arbour.
“At the present time I feel I must draw your attention especially to those to which the people of Darfur are being subjected and which threaten to get even worse in the near future,” the statement said.
At least 200,000 people have died and more than 2 million people have been displaced in the Darfur conflict, which began in early 2003 when ethnic African tribes revolted against the Khartoum government. The government is accused of unleashing Arab militiamen blamed for rapes and killings. Despite a May peace agreement, aid workers and rights groups say the violence has increased in recent months.
The rights council, which held its first session in June after replacing the discredited U.N. Human Rights Commission, has been criticized by the U.S. and others for focusing too much attention on alleged Israeli atrocities in Lebanon and Gaza.
It already has held two special session condemning Israel’s military operations in both places.
Annan noted that the council was “rightly concerned” with the Middle East, but reminded it of the “importance of universality, objectivity and non-selectiviy and of eliminating double standards and politicization.”
“Do not disappoint the hopes of humanity during the next three weeks as you work to build an effective and credible human rights council,” the statement said.
Arbour, in her own speech delivered afterward, was even stronger in her demand for the council to act on Darfur, describing an atmosphere where armed groups are indiscriminately attacking civilians, and noting an increase in rape and other atrocities.
“In the face of a near collapse of the prevention and protection initiatives put forward by the international community, we must stress, in the last instance, the need for unflinching accountability,” Arbour said.
Sudan’s deputy ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva said criticism of his government has been unfair.
“The armed groups in Darfur are the real culprits of the violations mentioned,” Omer Dahav Fadol Mohamed told the council. “We’re always willing to contribute to respect to human rights.”
The council’s meeting runs through Oct. 6, and will also consider the human rights situations in countries such as Sudan, Myanmar, Cuba and the Palestinian territories.
Next month, it will hear from four U.N. rights experts who were sent to Israel and Lebanon to investigate alleged atrocities committed during the Israel-Hezbollah war.
General human rights topics such as racism, human trafficking, torture and religious freedom are also on the agenda.
Experts will discuss the respect for human rights in what is deemed the war on terror. The U.S. is not a member of the council, but participates in sessions as an observer.
(AP/ST)