UN official urges human rights probe in Abyei, South Kordofan Article Comments (0) Email PrintSave --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
June 27, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – A senior UN official has called for thorough human rights in Sudan’s flashpoint regions of Abyei and South Korodfan, currently the scene of occupation and clashes between forces of north and south Sudan. UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Kyung-wha Kang addresses press conference (UNMIS PHOTOS) Relations between north and south Sudan frayed last month after the northern army known as Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) seized the fertile and oil-producing region of Abyei, also claimed by the south, in retaliation for an attack by southern troops. The occupation of Abyei forced thousands to flee amid reports of widespread looting of UN offices. The already-tense relations further plummeted after SAF clashes with elements aligned with South Sudan army in the north-south border state of South Kordofan. The fighting escalated into heavy artillery and aerial bombardment amid reports of widespread abuses and ethnically-targeted attacks. The UN says more than 70,000 people were displaced by the fighting. In a press conference held in Khartoum on June 27, the UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Kyung-wha Kang, highlighted several human rights concerns in both north and south Sudan. Kang, who concluded a week-long visit to Sudan during which she visited South Sudan, the border-areas and the war-battered region of Darfur, said it was “necessary” to launch a thorough human rights investigation in Abyei and South Kordofan “as soon as possible.” She expressed regret over the devastation she saw during her brief stay in Abyei. According to Kang, “looters still roamed among the ruins in the presence of Sudan Armed Forces.” The UN official reiterated calls on the government to facilitate access for humanitarian actors to assist the people affected by the fighting in these areas. On Darfur, Kang urged the government of Sudan to create a human rights environment in the region, saying that little had changed in Darfur since her last visit eight years ago. In order to create this environment, she said the government must lift the state of emergency in the region and guarantee freedom of expression, freedom from arbitrary arrest and freedom of association. Kang leveled criticism at the the country’s National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), saying that the wide powers granted to its members to detain and arrest people for long periods “must be brought in line with the international conventions that Sudan has ratified.” Sudan’s western region of Darfur degenerated into a state of armed conflicts when ethnic rebels took up arms against the central government in 2003, accusing it of neglecting the region. A counterinsurgency campaign waged by Khartoum army and its allied militias is blamed for creating a humanitarian catastrophe, where more than 300,000 people died and millions displaced, according to UN estimates. (ST) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "JFD info" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/jfdinfo?hl=en.
