The 9th Session of Human Rights Council discussed the issue of Darfur. Yesterday morning Sima Samar,the UN special rapporteur for Sudan, presented her report. Her findings reveal Sudan's human rights have eroded since the surprise attack against Khartoum on May 10th.
Government crackdowns against supposed dissidents are widespread. Violence against children and women continues unabated throughout Darfur. Impunity, lack of security, and overall chaos reigns in many parts of the country.
Samar's report covers extensive investigations dating from January to July 2008. She writes Sudan continues to run air attacks on civilians. She also writes that all parties have committed and continue to commit egregious acts of violence.
Children as young as 11 are forced into military service and used to attack the Justice and Equality Movement.
An oral joint statement by FIDH, OMCT, and SOAT during the same session condemned Sudan's government for not implementing policies to curb the human rights violations. SOAT says they have documented attacks against numerous settlements in Darfur this past year.
Perhaps most revealing was the lukewarm responses of other countries who themselves have histories of human rights abuses. These countries fear that any internationally sanctioned military intervention by the United Nations or similar outfit in Sudan will potentially place them at odds.
Territorial integrity, internal affairs, and respect for sovereignty are the usual arguments against sending in a strongly mandated UN outfit. In its place, a weak, underfunded, undermanned, hybrid African Union/United Nations force is having little effect.
7000 African Union forces are supposed to monitor and protect an area that is slightly more than one-quarter the size of the United States! This was in January, as of the end of July, it had 8,100 military personnel and another 1,900 police officers on the ground. 26,000 AU/UN troops are slated to arrive by the year's end. The chances of that ever happening are slim.
At one point, the Security Council came close to sending in the blue helmets. But the Chinese threatened to veto. Eventually the resolution was watered down. China would agree not to veto only if Sudan agreed to the UN force. Sudan as expected politely declined.
