Monday, March 19, 2007

A beam of light on Darfur

Future generations will not easily forgive the governments and international bodies that have allowed the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan to continue uninterrupted and unpunished year after year. So a report this week prepared for the United Nations Human Rights Council by a "High-Level Mission on the Situation of Human Rights in Darfur" should be welcome as a beam of bright light pointed into this 21st-century heart of darkness.

Basing its recommendations on the 2005 UN affirmation of a "responsibility to protect" civilians not protected by their own governments, the report tells some hard truths — free of jargon or obfuscation.

It says the human rights situation is deteriorating and aid workers are often targeted by government- backed militias. "Killing of civilians remains widespread, including in large-scale attacks. Rape and sexual violence are widespread and systematic. Torture continues." Read more >>>

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Indeed, the humanitarian situation in the region is getting worse by the day. Aid agencies have until recently considered Darfur one of the world's biggest humanitarian success stories, according to LA Times.

However, all this may change soon. The rebels, not just the government-backed militia, have started targeting aid agencies, which prompted many of them to withdraw from the region. In fact, some aid groups now only have staff left in Darfur's three provincial capitals.

Hit-and-run aid in Darfur
http://www.alertnet.org/db/blogs/1265/2007/02/16-182058-1.htm