Sudan rejects UN panel of experts report

November 8, 2009 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese government blasted a report compiled by the UN panel of experts established to monitor compliance with UN Security Council resolutions relating to the Darfur region.

The report made public this week accused the Khartoum and Darfur rebels of violating the arms embargo in Darfur and ban on military air flights over the region by the Sudanese air force.

It further blames Khartoum for lack of cooperation with the panel and raising objections to inquiries “offer lip service while committing sanctions violations”.

Sudan’s U.N. Ambassador Abdel-Mahmoud Abdel-Haleem reacted angrily to the panel’s report, saying Khartoum “will demand that the Security Council terminate the panel’s mandate”.

“They are just representatives of Western intelligence agencies,” he told Reuters. “We are fed up with this committee. Our position is a total rejection of this report”.

The commission provided excerpts from confidential communication between Sudanese intelligence in Darfur requesting military supplies and air cover for use particularly against Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).

They further assert Sudanese support to the Chadian rebels seeking to oust the regime of Idriss Deby.

“The Chef d’état-major general of UFDD stated in a meeting with his commanders on 24 May 2007: “We receive supplies from the Sudan because we have revolted against Deby. We should maintain in good condition the arms that we possess at the moment, before expecting to receive any new delivery. We should not count on receiving everything from the Sudan” the report says.

The panel of expert also included photos showing the aftermath of Chadian bombing inside Sudan and namely in Jebel Sarrow area.

The report also reveals that unmanned aerial vehicles used in Darfur were equipped with video surveillance technology ordered by a company based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

After investigating the source of video recorders it turned out to be sold by Millennium Product Company LLC, with a sales manager the report named as Mojtaba Sadegbi and managing director Saeid Mousaei, both Iranian nationals.

The report said the U.N. monitors visited the company in June. A few hours later Sadegbi and Mousaei left the country.

“The administrative assistant explained to the Panel that Mr. Sadegbi and Mr. Mousaei had left for vacation in their home country, the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the report said. “They have apparently not returned to their offices since then.”

According to the report, neither the company’s main shareholder, a citizen of the UAE, nor the UAE government have replied to the panel’s request for further information.

The issue of recruiting child soldiers by JEM, Chadian government and opposition has been highlighted in the report.

But with regard to Khartoum, the panel said that the Sudanese government “has not been transparent concerning the disarmament and reintegration of Janjaweed, as demanded by Security Council resolution 1556. Therefore, the Panel cannot confirm whether child soldiers formerly serving with these militias may have been integrated into CRP, the Border Guards and PDF, which all have children under the age of 18 among their ranks”.

Overall the report concluded that “The Darfurian population continues to be victimized by the effects of attacks and counterattacks involving most of the armed movements that frequently lead to disproportionate use of force by the Sudanese Armed Forces,” the report said.

The panel described a government crackdown on Darfur natives that “has manifested itself in violations of a catalogue of human rights and fundamental freedoms”.

The UN Security Council (UNSC) is not expected to take the violations mentioned in the report.

(ST)