Government says it is "keen" to resolve Darfur crisis

The Sudanese government has said it is determined to find a lasting solution to the conflict in the country's western Darfur region, where alleged violations of human rights have prompted widespread criticism of the authorities in Khartoum. A statement issued on Wednesday by the Sudanese foreign ministry said: "The government has reiterated its keenness to achieve a lasting solution to the problem of Darfur, as well as normalisation of the situation and maintaining stability there." The Sudanese authorities, it added, had "followed the deliberations of the [United Nations] Security Council regarding the issue of Darfur, and agreed with the contents of the reports presented by World Food Programme Executive Director James Morris and acting UN Human Rights Commissioner Bertrand Ramcharan, which stated that the rebels were the first party which instigated the crisis of Darfur". On 7 May, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) urged Sudan to stem human rights abuses in Darfur, where government troops and allied militias have been accused of perpetrating atrocities against civilians during military operations against insurgents. The UNHCHR said in a report that "a disturbing pattern of disregard for basic principles of human rights and humanitarian law" had occurred in Darfur. The report followed a visit by a UNHCHR team to Darfur and neighbouring Chad in April. The government, however, said the report had been "based on hearsay, claims and presumptions". The UNHCHR team, it added, had "failed to show the basic facts that the government was compelled after the aggravation of the rebellion to appeal on all the citizens to assist the Armed Forces to contain the violence and destructive actions". "As for the claims on rape and sexual attacks, the government affirmed that they are categorically rejected and that they were basically contradicting with the values and morals of the Sudanese society," the statement added. The UNHCHR report said both the Sudanese armed forces and the Janjawid militia were responsible for the atrocities in Darfur, where, it added, civilians had been indiscriminately attacked and subjected to rape and other forms of sexual violence. Displaced people who had fled to Chad told the team that Sudanese government military aircraft had bombed villages while the Janjawid had raided civilian areas, killing people as they pillaged and destroyed property. "The inevitable consequence of the killings, rape, burning and looting of villages has been massive displacement within the Sudan and across the border to Chad. These policies appear to be directly aimed at preventing the villagers from returning to their homes or being in a position to provide any support to the rebels," the report said. The conflict in Darfur erupted in early 2003 and pits the Sudanese government and militias allied to it against two armed rebel groups that accuse Khartoum of marginalising the Darfur region. The conflict has displaced more than a million people, including an estimated 110,000 refugees who have fled to Chad. The UNHCHR demanded that the Sudanese government "unequivocally condemn all actions and crimes committed by the Janjawid and ensure that all militias are immediately disarmed and disbanded". It urged the Sudanese government to investigate reported violations of human rights and humanitarian law, and bring the perpetrators to justice. The UNHCHR also recommended that an international commission of inquiry be set up to examine the problems in Darfur. Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch has accused the Sudanese government of flagrant human rights violations in Darfur, and urged the international community to help remedy the situation. It said in its latest report on Sudan that the Security Council, in particular, should take urgent measures to ensure the protection of civilians and provision of relief aid to them.