UN says concerned by the arrest of UN, AU staff in Darfur
Jan 22, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — The United Mission in Sudan said concerned by the arrest of UN, AU and NGOs personnel working in South Darfur during a raid by the police on the compound of an aid group last week. The UN said it will protest the arrest and the mistreatment during the detention.
The UNMIS said deeply concerned at the treatment of the detained staff. The UN added in a press statement it will also officially protest to the Government of Sudan the assault of the staff by local police, in violation of basic principles of rule of law and due process.
South Darfur police and security officials raided an International Non-Governmental Organization (INGO) compound in Nyala on 19 January 2007 and arrested 20 people including 5 staff members of the UN, and a number of staff of the AU and INGOs, who were in the INGO compound for a social gathering.
“The United Nations staff and others were subjected to physical assault and verbal abuse by the Nyala police during their arrest and detention. Several of the detained staff sustained serious injuries, some of which required treatment at the UN clinic in Nyala.”
The UN did not explain the reason of the arrest, but the Sudanese radio alleged that the AU, UN and NGOs staff were arrested over misconduct.
The radio linked between this arrest and the ongoing probe over sexual abuse in southern Sudan, adding “the southern Darfur city of Niyala was the new scene of misconduct from the AU and UN missions there.”
However the African Union has strongly rejected the claim saying all what happened that some neighbors complained of disturbance to Nyala police which stopped the proceeding saying that the event had been organized without permission.
The staff members had subsequently been released.
The United Nations said it will continue its investigations of the incident in complete cooperation with the Sudanese authorities in Nyala and Khartoum, along the established procedures agreed with the Sudan under the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA).
While the African Union said it “remains committed to respectfully uphold the culture and traditions as well as the religious beliefs of the Sudanese and in particular, of the Darfurians, with whom they have been closely and cordially interacting since the start of the AU operations.”
The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement invited the ruling National Congress Party last week to stop political exploitation of the sexual abuse cases in South Sudan. The NCP had organized some protests over Juba abuses by UN personnel.
(ST)