New UN expert on human rights to visit Sudan

January 27, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – Radhouane Nouicer, UN expert on human rights in Sudan will pay his first visit to the east African country since his appointment in December 2022.

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva said in a statement on Friday that the new expert will begin on January 28, a seven-day official visit to Sudan which includes a visit to El-Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state.

“During this visit, which will end on 3 February, he will meet with senior Government officials, representatives of civil society organizations, human rights defenders, heads of UN entities and members of the diplomatic corps,” reads the statement.

The Tunisian diplomat succeeds the Senegalese Adama Dieng resigned from his position in October 2022.

The bloody violence against the coup of October 25, 2021, the UN Human Rights Council requested the High Commissioner to designate an expert on human rights in Sudan.

According to a resolution in this respect, the expert has to monitor the human rights situation in Sudan with the assistance of, and in close cooperation with, the UN Joint Human Rights Office in Sudan.

The independent expert further has to pay special attention to victims and ensure a gender perspective, and to engage with all relevant parties, including civil society groups.

The UN human rights body said that Nouicer will also follow up on actions taken by the Sudanese authorities to implement the recommendations made by his predecessor and on commitments made by the Sudanese authorities to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, during his visit to Sudan in November 2022.

“The expert’s findings during the visit will contribute to High Commissioner Türk’s oral update to the 52nd session of the UN Human Rights Council on 3 March 2023 on the human rights situation in Sudan,” reads the statement.

It will also contribute to the High Commissioner’s comprehensive report on the situation to the 53rd session of the Human Rights Council in June.

The expert will hold a press conference on 2 February at the Office of the OHCHR office in Khartoum.

(ST)