Sudanese president calls on fact-finding committee to be objective and neutral

KHARTOUM, May 11, 2004 (SUNA) — President of the Republic Gen. Omer Al-Bashir has stressed importance of the role of the fact-finding committee on allegations of human rights violations in Darfur states.

This came in his address to the fact finding committee’s members after they were sworn in before him at the Republican Palace Tuesday, in the presence of Chairman of the Constitutional Court, Jalal Ali Lutfi, the Presidential Legal Advisor, Ustaza Bdriya Suleiman, and the Minister for Presidential Affairs. Maj. Gen. Al-Tayeb Ibrahim Mohamed Khair.

The President of the Republic has called on the committee members to stick to objectivity and neutrality.

In a statement to SUNA, chairman of the committee Dafa’alla Al-Haj Yousif said that the committee is keen to perform its work properly and to gather comprehensive information.

He said that the committee will pay field visits to Darfur states in the context of its mission.

It is to be recalled that the President of the Republic recently issued a Presidential Decree appointing a fact finding committee to investigate in violations of human rights perpetrated by armed groups in Darfur.

The committee is headed by Dafa’alla Al-Haj Yousif, and includes 10 other members. The committee, which will submit regular reports to the President of the Republic, is an independent and neutral one.