Both government troops and rebels committed human rights abuses during a string of attacks in Sudan's western Darfur region last month, a UN envoy said on Monday. Darfur rebel groups used civilians as "human shields" during clashes in West Darfur, Sima Samar, the UN human rights special rapporteur for Sudan, told reporters.
Government troops committed human rights abuses during attacks on the towns of Sirba, Suleia and Abu Surouj, added Samar, a former Afghan deputy prime minister. Locals said more than 100 civilians were killed in the West Darfur offensive, in which government bombing and ground attacks were followed by assaults by militiamen on horseback.
"The attacks were marked by indiscriminate killings, destruction of property and looting and plundering," Samar said in a statement given to journalists. "I request an investigation to find those responsible and to bring them to justice to end the lack of accountability for these serious crimes." No one was available for comment from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs or the rebel Justice and Equality Movement.
The government said it had attacked JEM positions in the towns, and said many of the civilians were actually rebels in disguise, a claim denied by residents and rebels.
Samar's statement said that "killings, sexual violence, arbitrary arrest and detention" were still being reported in the Darfur region as a whole, five years after fighting began. Mostly non-Arab rebels in Darfur took up arms in early 2003 accusing the government of neglect. The government mobilisation of mostly Arab tribal militia and rebel divisions have created a chaotic mix of armed groups and a breakdown of law and order.
"The government and the movements have failed in their responsibility to provide protection to civilians in areas under their control and are violating international human rights law and international humanitarian law," she added. Samar has just completed a two-week tour of Darfur, Sudan's Northern State and the Red Sea trade hub of Port Sudan.
She said she regretted that Sudanese officials had prevented her visiting communities in the north close to the controversial $2 billion hydroelectric dam project in Merowe, where police have shot protesters and arrested journalists. Samar said she would present a full report on her visit to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on March 12.