Sudanese government accused of Darfur cover-up

THE Government last night accused the Sudanese authorities of attempting to cover up worsening atrocities in Darfur by refusing to allow journalists to travel to the region.

As Darfur descends into an ever-worsening humanitarian crisis, Development Minister Conor Lenihan criticised the Sudanese government’s refusal to grant visas to journalists due to accompany him on an official trip to the devastated region next week.

Mr Lenihan said the decision sent out all the wrong messages and served to undermine “confidence that the Sudanese government is doing all it can to end the violence”.

“I am greatly disappointed that Irish journalists have been prevented from visiting Darfur by the denial of visas by the Sudanese government,” he said.

“This denial at the very least creates an impression, whether justified or not, that the government of Sudan do not wish the outside world to see what is happening in Darfur.”

The development comes as the UN was yesterday scheduled to debate a French proposal to have Darfur war crimes suspects tried in the International Criminal Court (ICC) - a bid being strongly resisted by the US.

The French resolution was held back for debate until today amid fears that the US may decide to exercise its veto against the plan - a move which would likely see an angry political backlash against the Bush administration.

As the world’s first permanent criminal tribunal set up in The Hague to try war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity, the ICC has always been opposed by the US which fears its own citizens may be tried before the Court.

Meanwhile, with the Darfur death toll now set at 300,000 by a new British Parliamentary report, the UN Security Council agreed on Tuesday to impose sanctions on those responsible for continuing atrocities in the region.

The US-drafted resolution, passed by 12 votes to zero with abstentions from Russia, China and Algeria and is aimed at strengthening an arms embargo on Sudan. Both Russia and China have strong oil interests in Sudan.

Under the agreed sanctions, a travel ban and an asset freeze will also be imposed on those who hamper the peace process in Darfur.

The resolution also forbids the Khartoum government from carrying military flights into Darfur.

Meanwhile, following reports of increasing violence and intimidation against aid workers and UN staff in Darfur, it emerged yesterday that three members of the African Union peacekeeping force were injured on Tuesday after their convoy came under fire from unidentified rebels.