Human rights rapporteur says situation worsening

The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Sudan, Leonardo Franco, has reported some progress on the country’s rights record, but said “the population was still being devastated by the low-level civil war in which neither side respected human rights or humanitarian law”. At a UN meeting on human rights issues, Franco welcomed the 1998 constitution and Sudan’s stated commitment to democracy and humanitarian law. However, he said bombings, forced displacements, kidnappings, forced labour, recruitment of child soldiers, the obstruction of humanitarian aid, and allegations of abductions and slavery were continuing. The human rights situation was worsening “because of strategies implemented in relation to exploitation of oil resources”, Franco said. While the discovery of oil was welcome, “steps taken to preserve control of Sudan’s oil fields, such as the displacement of peoples and ethnic cleansing, were unacceptable”. There were also serious reports of kidnapping and slavery due to tribe-related issues and war strategy that could not be ignored, he added.