Sudan accuses UN experts of lying with reports decrying rights abuses in Darfur

KHARTOUM, March 30 (AFP) — The Sudanese government on Tuesday accused UN experts of lying with reports of “systematic” human rights abuses in Sudan’s western Darfur region.

Foreign Minister Mustafa Ismail told reporters “some UN officials do not keep to the truth when speaking about the situation in Sudan to the extent at which we can label some of their statements as lies and acts of deception.”

He was reacting to a statement issued by eight experts of the UN Commission on Human Rights, expressing their grave concern “at the scale of reported human rights abuses and at the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Darfur.”

They said pro-government militias had killed civilians, attacked refugees, raped women and girls, abducted children, torched and looted villages and destroyed livestock.

A rebellion erupted a year ago in the states of North Darfur, West Darfur and South Darfur over allegations the government had neglected to develop the impoverished region neighbouring Chad, where tens of thousands of displaced people have sought refuge.

The war has killed over 10,000 people and affected more than a million others, according to UN estimates.

Peace talks began Tuesday in the Chadian capital Ndjamena between the government of Khartoum and the Darfur rebels, under the auspices of Chad’s President Idriss Deby.