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UN team condemns Sudan in Darfur UN team condemns Sudan in Darfur
(20 minutes later)
UN investigators have strongly criticised Sudan for gross human rights violations in Darfur, including murder, mass rape, and abductions.UN investigators have strongly criticised Sudan for gross human rights violations in Darfur, including murder, mass rape, and abductions.
Their report was being released as the UN Human Rights Council opened its three-week session in Geneva. However, the chief investigator also said the international community's response to the crisis was "pathetic".
The UN team was blocked by Sudan from visiting Darfur, but spoke to refugees and aid workers from the region. The report was being released as the UN Human Rights Council opened its three-week session in Geneva.
At least 200,000 people are estimated to have died in Darfur's four-year conflict, with millions more displaced.At least 200,000 people are estimated to have died in Darfur's four-year conflict, with millions more displaced.
Barred from Sudan, the five UN team members travelled to neighbouring Chad, to where many refugees have fled, and where the war itself is spreading. The UN team was blocked by the Sudanese government in Khartoum from visiting Darfur, but spoke to refugees and aid workers from the region.
The five UN team members travelled to neighbouring Chad, to where many refugees have fled, and where the war itself is spreading.
It was after Rwanda that people said 'never again', and here we are again... and the world sits by Jody WilliamsUN lead investigator
There they heard reports backing up well-established accusations of serious abuses in Darfur, including mass rape, abduction, and forcing people from their homes.There they heard reports backing up well-established accusations of serious abuses in Darfur, including mass rape, abduction, and forcing people from their homes.
They condemned the Sudanese government, but also criticised the international community for being slow to act over Darfur. "There are gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, the government is complicit in those crimes with the Janjaweed militia that it arms and trains," said the head of the mission, Nobel peace prize winner Jody Williams.
The continuing conflict will top the Human Rights Council's session in Geneva. The Arab militia known as the Janjaweed have been accused of attacking villagers in Darfur, killing inhabitants and forcing others to flee, while the government provides air support.
The government denies the accusation.
'Hollow threats'
Ms Williams said the atrocities detailed in the report were not new. But the investigators were framing the document in a way that was meant to demand action.
It stated that if a state was failing to protect its own citizens, "then the international community has to step up to the plate and assume its responsibilities," Ms Williams told BBC News.
So far, the international response had been "pathetic", she said.
"There are so many hollow threats towards Khartoum, that if I were Khartoum I wouldn't pay any attention either," she said.
"It is more than a tragedy. It was after Rwanda that people said 'never again', and here we are again... and the world sits by."
Censure motionCensure motion
The head of the mission, Nobel peace prize winner Jody Williams, told the BBC: "The difference in our report is the way that we chose to frame it in presenting it to the Human Rights Council, and that is through the responsibility to protect. The continuing conflict will top the Human Rights Council's session in Geneva.
"It was a resolution passed at the world summit in 2005, and it starts finally talking about if a state cannot meet its responsibility to protect its own citizens, then the international community has to step up to the plate and assume its responsibility."
The UN human rights commissioner Louise Arbour is known to be especially concerned at Sudan's lack of co-operation with the team.The UN human rights commissioner Louise Arbour is known to be especially concerned at Sudan's lack of co-operation with the team.
She has described such obstruction as an affront which must be addressed.She has described such obstruction as an affront which must be addressed.
European members of the council are thought to be planning a motion of censure against Sudan, but this is likely to be resisted by many African nations.European members of the council are thought to be planning a motion of censure against Sudan, but this is likely to be resisted by many African nations.
The UN human rights council is less than a year old.The UN human rights council is less than a year old.
It was created to replace the widely discredited human rights commission and action on Darfur is regarded as a key test of the council's credibility.It was created to replace the widely discredited human rights commission and action on Darfur is regarded as a key test of the council's credibility.
Up to now the council has censured only one country - Israel - for its actions in Lebanon and Gaza, prompting critics to say the new body is just as politicised and ineffective as the old one.Up to now the council has censured only one country - Israel - for its actions in Lebanon and Gaza, prompting critics to say the new body is just as politicised and ineffective as the old one.