Rebels want UN rights observer appointed

The Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) said a UN Human Rights observer should be appointed for Sudan, and should have access to both government and rebel-held areas. SPLA spokesman Samson Kwaje told IRIN that the appointment of an observer was important, “because human rights are being abused frequently”. He pointed to the arrest of opposition leaders, including Hasan al-Turabi, and the forced displacement of civilians around the oilfields in south. Kwaje said there had also been a policy of displacement in Bahr al-Ghazal, with the government deliberately settling “non-indigenous” people from northern areas. “We believe the situation needs to be watched very closely.” According to Kwaje, the SPLA had held talks with a representative from the UN Human Rights Commission and had called for such an appointment to be made. Last week, the Sudanese government rejected recommendations by the UN Human Rights Commission for an observer to be appointed for Sudan. The government said it would accept the input of an international human rights expert, but that an observer was “not necessary”.