Official complains to visiting UN expert against human rights reports on Sudan
10 June, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – The newly-appointed United Nations Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Sudan, Mashood Baderin, arrived in the capital Khartoum on Sunday and held meetings with government officials who criticized reports of international human rights groups on Sudan.
In his first visit to Sudan since being appointed earlier year, Baderin held meetings with the country’s Justice Minister Mohamed Bushara Dosa and undersecretary of the foreign ministry Rahmt Allah Mohammed Osman.
Dosa told reporters that his meeting with the UN expert had discussed the situations of human rights in Sudan as well as recommendations to improve them through long and short term programs.
The UN official’s visit follows announcements by Sudan’s state-owned Consultative Council of Human Rights (CCHR) that the country is planning to change strategy at UNHRC’s session in order to counter allegations of abuses raised by international quarters.
The Justice Minister also announced that the CCHR had concluded a study on human rights, and press freedoms in order to submit it to Baderin during his visit. Dosa added that the government is willing to cooperate with the UN expert. He also said that they had confirmed to Baderin that Sudan is “interested in observing human rights from an Islamic perspective.”
Meanwhile, the ministry’s undersecretary said that he told the visiting UN expert that the reports produced by foreign organizations on the human rights situation in Sudan “do not reflect the reality on the ground”
Osman said that the human rights situation in the country’s western region of Darfur had witnessed “great progress”
The meeting between the UN expert and foreign ministry officials also discussed preparations for a technical assistance and capacity building conference due to be held in Khartoum this week. The conference aims to produce a roadmap for supporting Sudan in the field of human rights and will be attended by a number of human rights groups.
Baderin is expected to present his findings and recommendations to the UN Human Rights Council in September 2012.
(ST)