Sudan: Ethnic cleansing claims

2004-05-09 21:50

Khartoum - Sudan's president has ordered a committee to investigate the human rights situation in the western Darfur region, where human rights groups and UN officials have accused the government and allied militia of a campaign of "ethnic cleansing."

The official Al-Sudan Media Centre on Sunday quoted a top government official as saying President Omar el-Bashir issued a decree forming the fact-finding committee.

"The committee is to deal with the human rights situation in Darfur, and is to be headed by former chief justice Daffalla Hajj Yusuf," the agency quoted senior foreign ministry official Najeeb Khair as saying. "It includes a number of lawmen and experts."

The report gave no further details on the decision, and didn't say when the committee would begin its work or whether it will travel to Darfur. Khair's office did not return calls seeking comment.

On Friday, Human Rights Watch issued a report accusing Sudan of driving more than one million black Africans from their homes in a campaign of bombing, burning and rape carried out by government troops and allied "janjaweed" militia.

The UN human rights chief, after briefing the UN Security Council on Friday, blamed the militias for a "scorched-earth policy" and spoke of "repeated war crimes and crimes against humanity." He said the government was supporting the militia but stopped short of directly blaming the government for the atrocities.

The government has denied the charges, blaming the fighting on autonomy-seeking rebels it says the janjaweed are fighting.

Meanwhile, Chad's defence minister said Sunday that hundreds of janjaweed fighters crossed the Sudan-Chad border and raided the village of Djanga, 25km into Chad, sparking fighting between the gunmen and the Chadian army.

One Chadian army officer and 60 rebels were killed in Thursday's clash, acting Defence Minister Emmanuel Nadingar said. He said six civilians - all Chadian - were also killed. He vowed not to allow any more cross-border raids.

"On many occasions Chadian forces and civilians have been subjected to repeated aggression from the janjaweed," he said. "That's not going to continue any more. We have an obligation to protect our population and our border and that's what we are going to do."

Khair didn't say whether the formation of the committee was related to the human rights reports.

Meeting with a visiting European Union delegation, he said the EU was partly to blame for the deterioration of the situation in Darfur because of economic sanctions on Sudan.

"The formation of the committee is a boost that will reinforce the partnership between the government and the European Union," he was quoted as saying.

He said the underlying cause of the Darfur conflict was the lack of development in the region.

The EU delegates asked for a round of talks on the humanitarian situation in Darfur.

- SAPA