Sudan crisis: 'Critical test'
2004-09-03 10:26
London - Amnesty International has called on the UN Security Council to stand up to what it described as gross human rights violations in Sudan's Darfur region, saying the crisis was a "critical test" for the world body.
"The Security Council must give (ceasefire) monitors strong political backing to compel the Sudanese government to account for the gross human rights violations committed by its security forces and its militia, the Janjaweed," Amnesty said in a statement.
"The dismal human rights situation in Darfur is a critical test of the Security Council's resolve to bring the Sudanese government to end the crisis."
International presence
The rights group spoke out as the UN special envoy to Sudan, Jan Pronk, reported to the Council, and urged the Sudanese government to let international troops help end attacks on the population of Darfur.
A day earlier UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said Sudan had neither disarmed the Arab militia in Darfur nor had stopped attacks against civilians, as a UN resolution had called upon it to do by the end of August.
Annan also called for an increased international presence in Darfur "as quickly as possible."
Pronk said a broader "monitoring mandate" with "many more monitors" would help.
There are now about 133 African Union ceasefire observers in Darfur protected by an AU force of about 300 peacekeepers.
Rebels and government officials, meanwhile, met in the Nigerian capital Abuja to discuss a proposed AU deal to protect Darfur's 1.2 million displaced people.
Amnesty International warned that rape, abuse and intimidation continued in Darfur and that a climate of insecurity surrounded even UN-designated "safe areas" for displaced civilians.
It said the UN Security Council should call for the creation of an international commission to investigate war crimes, crimes against humanity and alleged genocide.
The world body executive should also "suspend arms transfers to the Sudanese government which are likely to be used to commit human rights violations", it said.
Up to 50 000 people have died and around 1.4m have been displaced by 18 months of conflict in the vast desert region, according to UN figures.