Independent Human Rights Expert to Arrive Today, Visits Abyei

Staff Writer

The UN Independent Human Rights Expert for Sudan, Mohamed Chande Othman, is to arrive today, Sunday, in a one-week visit to the country.

In a press statement, the chairman of Human Rights Department at the Consultative Council for Human Rights, mowalana Nizar Abdo, said Chande will meet during his visit with Chief Justice, Minister of Justice, the Chairman of Referendum Commission, and the Consultative Council for Human Rights.

He said the UN Independent Human Right Expert will then travel to North Darfur state, South Sudan and Abyei.

He added, after his return from Abyei, Chande will meet government bodies concerned with human rights, civil society institutions and organizations in a closing meeting after which he will hold a press conference in Khartoum.

He said the visit by Chande to the country will be the second during his mission that extended for one year and that he will submit a report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva in September this year.

On his part, the minister of justice, Mohammed Boshara Dosa, said in press statement the visit by the independent human rights expert to start today represents an important episode in his mission and that he will able to see the actual position of human rights in Sudan.

"He will have access to go any where in country to satisfy himself with the situation of human rights in Sudan and the government will have nothing to hide from the independent expert," he said.

The minister added the independent expert will see for himself what Sudan has mentioned in its address to the Human Rights Council's 15 TH. Session held recently in Geneva.

He added, in May this year, Sudan will present its address on the situation of human rights in Sudan that will include the remarkable improvement of human rights situation in Sudan.

The minister added he delivered Sudan's address to the council which included a number of positive issues relating to human rights, including elections and the referendum that has taken place recently.

The minister said Sudan's address to HRC gave account of the efforts being exerted by the concerned bodies for considering legislative reforms, such as the writing of a permanent constitution for Sudan with the participation of all the concerned entities.

He added, the address also included an account of the development taking place in Darfur, such as peace negotiations and the Darfur Peace Strategy. At the end of his visit, the human rights expert will hold a press conference in Khartoum.

The minister added Sudan will ask HRC to end the independent expert's mandate since a national mechanism is in place now and it is capable of undertaking such role.

Meanwhile, Chande will meet chief justice, minister of justice, chairman of the referendum commission and the consultative council for human rights before proceeding to North Darfur, South Sudan and Abyei.

On his part, the legal expert and leading National Congress Party figure, Dr. Ismael El Haj Mousa, described in a press conference the visit of the independent human right expert to Sudan as ordinary. He said Sudan is not concerned with the outcome of the visit since its records on human rights is clear from any violations of human rights.

Mousa criticized the double standards and injustice in which HRC deal with human rights issues in various countries.

"Such double standards are manifested by the fact that the mandate of the HR representative to Sudan is renewed every year despite the absence of objective reasons," he said.

He described the matter as being subordination to quarters that are hostile to Sudan.

In addition, Mousa sharply criticized Washington and the West accusing them of using HRC as cat's paws for pursuing their hostile policies against the country. He described visits by HRC's experts as being "plays" badly produced, since their missions are to compile fabricated reports which end up in unjust resolutions against Sudan.


(2011-3-6/Sudan Vision)