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Rights Groups: Sudan Lying About Improvements in Darfur

02 December 2008

15 human rights organizations said in a joint report released Tuesday, the Sudanese government is lying about improvements in the situation in Darfur.

Human Rights Watch, Save Darfur Coalition and 13 other rights organizations said the Sudanese government continues to conduct large-scale military attacks against populated areas, harass aid workers, and allow impunity for the worst crimes committed in Darfur.

Sudan wants the U.N. Security Council to suspend the International Criminal Court's consideration of an arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir.

Luis Moreno-Ocampo, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), addresses a press conference at UN Headquarters in New York, 17 Jul 2008
Luis Moreno-Ocampo, Prosecutor of the ICC (17 Jul 2008 file photo)
The new human rights report said Sudanese officials have been lobbying Security Council members to order the suspension of the ICC investigation of Mr. Bashir.


The ICC prosecutor is scheduled to brief the Security Council Wednesday about the progress of his investigation.

Earlier this year, the court's chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, said Sudan's "whole state apparatus" was involved in crimes against humanity in Darfur.

The United Nations reported that five years of fighting in Darfur involving rebels, the Sudanese government and government-backed militias has killed more than 300,000 people, and caused more than 2.5 million others to flee their homes.

 

Some information for this report was provided by Reuters.


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