UNHRC ignores calls to monitor rights violations in Sudan, extends expert’s mandate
October 2, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Friday extended the mandate of the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Sudan for another year, and refused to take into account calls to monitor violations in the east African nation.
The Sudanese foreign ministry also denounced moves by the United States of America to relegate Sudan to agenda item 4.
In a meeting held on Friday to discuss a report about the situation in Sudan presented by Kamal Ismael Saeed, state minister at the foreign ministry who spoke about the government efforts to adopt sizeable legal reforms and to end the armed conflicts.
Ismael also decried that negative impact of the American sanctions on the country saying its effects “on the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights by the citizens of Sudan were devastating”.
During the discussions the committee of experts expressed serious concern about the construction of dams on the Nile river, the situation the loss of nationality of the South Sudanese who are still in Sudan, and the practice of evictions in camps for internally displaced persons. Also they asked whether traditional lands were protected by the law.
After what and under its agenda item 10 on technical assistance and capacity building, the Council decided to renew for a period of one year the mandate of the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Sudan
The resolution which was adopted without a vote encourages the government to hold a comprehensive, inclusive national dialogue in Sudan in order to achieve sustainable peace, also it encourages the government to further promote and protect the right to freedom of religion and belief.
The decision, in addition, urged the Government of Sudan to increase its efforts for the promotion and protection of human rights, in particular to ensure freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention.
In this regard, the resolution requests the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide technical assistance and capacity-building to the Sudanese government “by its request on ways to improve the human rights situation in the country”.
In a joint statement issued on 2 October, the right groups said they are disappointed by the Council’s failure to effectively fulfil its mandate to address situations of human rights violations in different countries including Sudan, and hold the states to account for these violations.
“We are disappointed by the lack of transparency in negotiations of the resolution on Sudan, which affects the capacity of human rights defenders to fully participate and contribute to the debate,” said a statement signed by several groups including Human Rights Watch, International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and World Organisation Against Torture.
“We deplore the failure to set up the much-needed reporting mechanism on the forgotten conflicts in Southern Kordofan, Blue Nile and Darfur” further says the joint text.
(ST)