‘UN human rights reporting on Darfur should improve’: HRW

The UN Security Council should direct the AU-UN peacekeeping mission in Darfur (Unamid) to improve human rights monitoring and public reporting when it renews the mission’s mandate. The Security Council is expected to act on the mandate during the week of 25 August. The human rights situation in Darfur has deteriorated sharply this year, Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated in a report released on Thursday. “Rapid Support Forces, a Sudanese government force consisting largely of former militias, attacked scores of villages in South, Central, and North Darfur between February and April. Dozens of civilians died, tens of thousands of people fled, and there was massive destruction and looting of civilian property.” “Accurate and timely reporting by the AU-UN mission is critical for protecting vulnerable civilians. The UN Security Council needs to order the mission to ramp up its human rights monitoring and public reporting,” Daniel Bekele, HRW Africa director said. “With the surge in Sudanese government-led attacks on civilians, credible public reporting on the situation in Darfur is more important than ever,” Bekele said. “The UN should not allow this core aspect of its work to be degraded, especially when the Secretary-General has pledged to put ‘Rights up Front’ in the UN’s work.” IneffectualAccording to HRW, Unamid, now in its sixth year, has been largely ineffectual in protecting civilians from violence. “Unamid has a team of about 60 human rights officers in Darfur, but the mission has all but ceased public reporting on human rights. Although it has described these attacks and other patterns of insecurity in its periodic reports to the UN secretary-general, it has not reported detailed findings, including civilian death tolls, estimates of property destruction, and alleged violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. The mission has not issued a stand-alone public human rights report in five years.” The last Unamid human rights report on Darfur, published jointly with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, was issued in January 2009. HRW in its report points to “Various forces (that) have targeted civilians during fighting between government forces and rebel groups, and between government and militia forces, and between armed community groups”. “The government has also intensified aerial bombings of Jebel Marra, a long-time rebel stronghold, and other locations, killing civilians and damaging property. More than 380,000 people have fled violence in Darfur since the beginning of 2014, according to UN estimates.” Government security forces have also committed human rights abuses against civilians in camps for the displaced, HRW said, referring to the recent raids on El Salam, Dereig, and Otash camps near Nyala, capital of South Darfur, whereby displaced were beaten, robbed, during the searches for weapons, alcohol, and other contraband. A number of camp residents were detained.   “The Sudanese government has the responsibility to maintain law and order, but its forces need to conduct operations lawfully and respect basic rights,” Bekele said. “UN/AU peacekeepers could help deter abuses during law enforcement operations through close monitoring and prevent future abuses with timely reporting, both of which are clearly within the mission’s mandate.” Sudanese government restrictions have seriously hampered the peacekeeping mission’s access to conflict areas. Chronic security threats to peacekeepers have also undermined its effectiveness. Attacks on the mission have killed at least 58 peacekeepers since 2008. Despite the obstacles, Unamid could improve its civilian protection role, HRW stated. “Peacekeepers should increase patrols and human rights monitoring where they are present, particularly in and around camps for displaced people.” MisreportingIn its report, HRW also pointed to the allegations of cover-ups and misreporting of events by Unamid, based on internal documents leaked by its former spokeswoman, Aicha Elbasri. She alleged that the mission’s leadership -reluctant to criticise the Sudanese government- had failed to report accurately on crimes by government forces. News of the leaks prompted the Secretary-General to establish an internal investigation into the alleged cover-ups and review probes into the mission. The investigation is due to begin in September. The Secretary-General’s investigation should recommend improvements to the mission’s reporting and its advocacy to protect human rights, Human Rights Watch said. “In February, a separate AU/UN review of the mission’s effectiveness, carried out over several months, found serious deficiencies in performance, and recommended new priorities and benchmarks for the mission. However, that review did not call for improvements in reporting or for improving protection for civilians and peacekeepers. HRW also called on the UN Human Rights Council to condemn human rights violations in Darfur and other parts of Sudan. “The Council should reappoint a special rapporteur to specifically monitor and report on the human rights situation across the country, upgrading the current independent expert’s mandate.” File photo: Men bury a victim of clashes between Rizeigat and Beni Hussein nomadic tribes in Jebel Amer area. The clashes erupted in 5 January 2013, and resulted in over 100 deaths and the displacement of over 100,000 civilians. Unamid did not report on the suspected role of the Sudanese government in the killings (El Sareif resident/Radio Dabanga) Related:Darfur Bar questions UN investigation team’s integrity (18 August 2014)’Investigation team in Darfur within weeks’: Unamid head (12 August 2014)  UN to probe Darfur peace mission (3 July 2014) ICC demands investigation of Unamid in Darfur (18 June 2014)Dossier: Sudan Leaks