Thursday, 17 February 2005By Evelyn Leopold
UNITED NATIONS - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has called on the Security Council to take
immediate action to stop the slaughter, rape and pillage in Darfur, which he says nears "hell on earth."
Annan backed the United States in its quest for a travel and assets freeze against those violating a cease-fire in
Sudan's western Darfur region. But he and Louise Arbour, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, told the council
that any meaningful prosecution had to be handled by the International Criminal Court, which Washington opposes.
Arbour and Annan addressed a meeting called to review a report submitted earlier this month from a five-member
commission of inquiry, which accused the Sudan government and militia of "heinous crimes"
The commission also found evidence that rebels fighting the government were responsible for serious crimes but its
chief criticism was directed at the government's inability to stop marauding Arab militia it had once armed.
"This report is one of the most important documents in recent history of the United Nations," Annan said. "It makes
chilling reading. And it is a call to action."
"While the United Nations may not be able to take humanity to heaven, it must act to save humanity from hell," Annan
said. "The report demonstrates beyond all doubt that the last two years have been little short of hell on earth for our
fellow human beings in Darfur."
Still, Annan said trials before the Hague-based court were not the only action the council should take to "halt the
killing and protect the vulnerable."
The 15-member body should consider the full range of options -- targeted sanctions, stronger peacekeeping efforts,
new measures to protect civilians and pressure on all sides for a lasting political solution.
The African Union is fielding a monitoring force of more than 1,000 in Darfur but is short on personnel and
equipment. At least 70,000 people have been killed and 2 million made homeless over the past two years.
The United States has introduced a resolution calling for targeted sanctions, which Russia and China so far oppose.
Arbour, a former Canadian Supreme Court judge, emphasized that the inquiry commission called for trials before the
International Criminal Court, even though the Khartoum government has rejected any outside court.
She said many laws in force in Sudan today contravened basic human rights standards and contained provisions
that prevent effective prosecution of crimes in Darfur.
After reviewing ad hoc tribunals and other methods, Arbour said the commission strongly recommended the council
refer the Darfur crisis to the ICC as the "only credible way of bringing alleged perpetrators to justice."
The Bush administration objects to the court and wants a new court, based in Arusha, Tanzania, that would share
limited facilities with the tribunal investigating genocide in Rwanda.
But so far the United States does not have enough support on the council for a new court in Tanzania, creating a
stalemate on where to try 51 people the commission identified in a sealed list given to Annan.
Richard Dicker, a counsel for human rights watch, said the Rwanda tribunal was already pressed for courtroom
space.
"The U.S. plan to graft a new tribunal on the Rwanda court's facilities is like squeezing three more passengers into an
already overstuffed car," he said.
|
Thursday, 17 February 2005
Reuters via Swissinfo
|
|
