UN 'concerned' about humanitarian situation in Darfur

The UN Human Rights Council today refrained from criticising the Sudanese government for atrocities in the western Sudan region of Darfur.

The council compromised by sending a team of investigators to report on the killing of civilians, rapes, destruction of villages and mass flight.

Meeting in emergency session in Geneva, the 47-nation council passed without opposition a resolution expressing "concern regarding the seriousness of the human rights and humanitarian situation in Darfur" and calling for a team of five "highly-qualified persons" plus the UN's expert on rights in Sudan to look into the atrocities.

The resolution stopped short of mentioning any role of the Sudanese government or the militias it is accused of supporting in attacks on civilians.

The government rejects accusations that it supports the militias, who are accused of some of the worst atrocities.

European council members, who wanted a mission of independent experts, agreed on the compromise wording with African countries, which wanted to send only diplomats to the region.

"We must spare no effort to help alleviate the suffering of the people of Darfur and to prevent further violations," said Vesa Himanen, Finland's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, speaking to the council on behalf of the European countries.

UN Secretary Kofi Annan yesterday urged the council to send an expert team to the region adding that the council should send "a clear and united message to warn all concerned, on behalf of the whole world, that the current situation is simply unacceptable and will not be allowed to continue".

Top UN officials and aid agencies were yesterday leading a wide assault of strongly-worded statements expressing frustration over how hard it has been to help people suffering from nearly four years of bloodshed.

Louise Arbour, the United Nations' high commissioner for human rights, cited "credible evidence" that the Sudanese military was responsible for ground attacks and aerial bombardments of civilians.

The Sudanese government is also widely accused of unleashing the Janjaweed militia to help its forces counter ethnic African groups who rebelled in 2003.

More than 200,000 people have been killed and some 2.5 million people have fled their homes in the violence, according to UN estimates.

The council, which replaced the widely-discredited Human Rights Commission in June, has used its six previous sessions to pass eight resolutions denouncing Israeli treatment of Arabs. No other government has been accused of rights violations.

Resolutions by the rights council are not binding, but increase political pressure on criticised countries.