GENEVA- UN Secretary General Kofi Annan urged the United Nations’ top rights watchdog to focus its attention on Sudan’s war-ravaged region of Darfur, saying it deserved the same diligence that has been given to crises in the Middle East.
As the 47-member UN Human Rights Council opened its second session of the year on Monday, the global body’s top rights official, Louise Arbour, read out the statement from Annan. “I trust you will focus the same vigilance on violations and abuses wherever they may occur,” Annan said in the speech read by Arbour.”At the present time I feel I must draw your attention especially to those to which the people of Darfur are being subjected and which threaten to get even worse in the near future,” the statement said.At least 200 000 people have died and more than 2 million people have been displaced in the Darfur conflict, which began in early 2003 when ethnic African tribes revolted against the Khartoum government.The government is accused of unleashing Arab militiamen blamed for rapes and killings.Despite a May peace agreement, aid workers and rights groups say the violence has increased in recent months.The rights council, which held its first session in June after replacing the discredited UN Human Rights Commission, has been criticised by the United States and others for focusing too much attention on alleged Israeli atrocities in Lebanon and Gaza.It already has held two special session condemning Israel’s military operations in both places.Annan noted that the council was “rightly concerned” with the Middle East, but reminded it of the “importance of universality, objectivity and non-selectivity and of eliminating double standards and politicisation.”Arbour was even stronger in her demand for the council to act on Darfur.Nampa-AP”I trust you will focus the same vigilance on violations and abuses wherever they may occur,” Annan said in the speech read by Arbour.”At the present time I feel I must draw your attention especially to those to which the people of Darfur are being subjected and which threaten to get even worse in the near future,” the statement said.At least 200 000 people have died and more than 2 million people have been displaced in the Darfur conflict, which began in early 2003 when ethnic African tribes revolted against the Khartoum government.The government is accused of unleashing Arab militiamen blamed for rapes and killings.Despite a May peace agreement, aid workers and rights groups say the violence has increased in recent months.The rights council, which held its first session in June after replacing the discredited UN Human Rights Commission, has been criticised by the United States and others for focusing too much attention on alleged Israeli atrocities in Lebanon and Gaza.It already has held two special session condemning Israel’s military operations in both places.Annan noted that the council was “rightly concerned” with the Middle East, but reminded it of the “importance of universality, objectivity and non-selectivity and of eliminating double standards and politicisation.”Arbour was even stronger in her demand for the council to act on Darfur.Nampa-AP
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