'Rape, torture' rife in Sudan

2004-06-08 09:11

New York - Amnesty International warned of widespread rape, torture and other abuses in western Sudan and called on the Sudanese government and the international community to do more to protect human rights in the face of a dire humanitarian crisis.

Thousands have been killed and more than 1 million left homeless in a 15-month conflict between Arab militias and the black African population in the western Darfur region that has raised concerns about ethnic cleansing in the western Darfur region.

The UN Security Council has pressured the Sudanese government to end the fighting and relief workers are racing against the clock to keep hundreds of thousands from perishing.

An Amnesty International report released on Monday also described arbitrary detentions of political prisoners who are often held in deplorable conditions, torture and the disappearances of those captured.

"The failure of the justice system cannot be ignored," the human rights group said in a statement. "These abuses, like the fighting, will worsen if immediate preventative measures aren't taken."

The group said the human rights violations need to be addressed as urgently as the humanitarian needs of the region.

Urgent measures are needed to keep the crisis from "becoming permanent and just another African tragedy," Amnesty's Benedicte Goderiaux said at a news conference.

Tensions have long existed between Darfur's African farmers and Arab nomads, fueled by competition for land and scarce resources even though they are all Muslim in the region.

The recent rebellion started in February 2003, when black African insurgents took up arms, saying they had long been neglected by the government in Khartoum.

Since then, the violence has escalated and human rights groups accuse the Islamic government of arming Arab militias to carry out ethnic cleansing. President Omar el-Bashir's administration has denied the claims.

Goderiaux, who was part of an Amnesty team that recently traveled to the Sudanese-Chad border to interview refugees from Darfur, said those responsible for abuses had to be brought to justice.

"In effect it can amount to ethnic cleansing," she said, although she cautioned that more investigation was needed. "We do not know to what extent there was a plan to exterminate people."

Humanitarian groups face tight restrictions in Sudan. Goderiaux urged the Sudanese government to provide immediate access to all areas in the region and to provide protection for civilians.

She also said the international community needs to apply more pressure on the government to release people who have been detained for speaking out against the violence and other political reasons.

Scores of rapes have been reported and Amnesty's Gaetan Mootoo, who also visited the refugees, said the women need more attention and medicine.

- AP