South Africa urged to lead UN to action on Darfur

March 31, 2008 (NEW YORK) — South Africa should use its Security Council presidency in April 2008 to make significant progress on human rights crises in Darfur, Somalia and Burma, Human Rights Watch said today.

“The Security Council should be signaling hope to civilians in crisis, but so far it has failed the people of Darfur, Burma and Somalia,” Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch wrote in a letter to South Africa’s minister of foreign affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, and members of the UN Security Council.

“South Africa should lead the Security Council in a major new international effort to end horrible abuses in these places and save lives.” He added.

Violence against civilians in Darfur has surged in the past three months. The Sudanese government’s February 2008 offensive in West Darfur saw displacement and killing of civilians on a scale not seen since the darkest days of the crisis in 2004.

“South Africa should push Sudan to allow the swift and unhindered deployment of peacekeepers to Darfur, including troops from outside Africa,” said Roth.

The rights group also urged South Africa and other Security Council members to issue a presidential statement demanding that Khartoum immediately surrender for trial the two suspects named in arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court.

Khartoum continues to obstruct the deployment of the hybrid African Union/United Nations peacekeeping force, UNAMID. Rebel groups and former rebel groups continue to commit abuses against civilians, the HRW said.

(ST)