NEW YORK – U.S. has critisised Sudan for obstructing a UN investigation into allegations of mass rape in the conflict-torn western Darfur region.
Samantha Power, U.S. Ambasador to the UN, on Friday in New York, referred to a new report by New York-based Human Rights Watch, which accused Sudanese soldiers of raping at least 221 women and girls in the village of Tabit over the course of three days.
She said it had become imperative for the council to rely on investigations by non-government organisations like HRW because Khartoum had “systematically denied meaningful access” to the UN, African Union Peacekeeping Mission (UNAMID) in Darfur.
“To this day, the government of Sudan has shamefully denied the UN the ability to properly investigate this incident, and rape has been used as a weapon of war in Darfur.
“For every Tabit we know about, there are so many more villages that have been the victims of unspeakable atrocities over the past decade in Darfur,” she added.
Meanwhile, Hassan Hassan, Sudan’s Deputy Ambassador, has dismissed the HRW report and Power’s speech, describing them as flagrant attempt to level accusations.
He said that UNAMID had never blamed Khartoum for Tabit rapes and the peacekeepers “were not denied access.
“In the first place, there is nothing like that, no such incident”, he said.
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Meanwhile, HRW’s Philippe Bolopion, said lack of access was no reason for not conducting a UN investigation.
He said his group spoke with victims and other credible sources by telephone to gather evidence.
Stephane Dujarric, UN spokesman said the UN needed full access to conduct a proper investigation.
He cited the deterioration of the situation in Darfur and elsewhere in Sudan, such as South Kordofan, and accused the government of openly violating the arms embargo.
The Darfur conflict began in 2003 when mainly non-Arab tribes took up arms against the Arab-led government in Khartoum, accusing it of discrimination.
The United Nations says the conflict has taken up to 300,000 lives. (Reuters/NAN)
