HUMAN RIGHTS FACT-FINDING MISSION ON SITUATION IN DARFUR LEAVES GENEVA

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 21 April (OHCHR) -- A fact-finding team from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) left Geneva late yesterday for the Sudan to continue its enquiries into the situation of human rights in the Darfur region of the country.

Earlier in the present session of the Commission on Human Rights, acting High Commissioner for Human Rights Bertrand Ramcharan conveyed to the Sudanese authorities the interest of the international community in this situation and invited them to provide him with information on events in Darfur.  The acting High Commissioner also requested the agreement of the Sudanese authorities for an OHCHR mission to visit Khartoum and Darfur to look at the situation first hand.  The Sudanese authorities indicated that the request was being considered in Khartoum.

On 7 April, Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in addressing the Commission, raised serious concerns about the human rights situation in Darfur.

With a view to gathering all available information on the situation, the acting High Commissioner sent a mission to the border regions of Chad from 5 to  14 April.  The mission, consisting of five staff members of OHCHR visited a number of refugee camps and interviewed people who had fled Darfur into Chad.

The mission submitted a report to the acting High Commissioner on Monday,  19 April, informing him about serious allegations of a troubling nature that had been made to them by the refugees they interviewed.

On the evening of 19 April, the Sudanese authorities communicated to the acting High Commissioner an invitation for the OHCHR team to visit Khartoum and Darfur.  The acting High Commissioner sought assurances from the Sudanese authorities regarding the right of the team to visit any place it wished, to talk to persons of its choice, to have freedom of movement and to have their security assured by the Sudanese authorities.  The acting High Commissioner also emphasized the importance of the mission being able to visit different parts of Darfur.

The OHCHR mission left Geneva on Tuesday, 20 April, and is expected to arrive in Khartoum today.  The acting High Commissioner has requested that the team be allowed to travel to Darfur on Thursday, 22 April.

Following the return of the mission, the acting High Commissioner will submit the report on their findings and recommendations to the Commission and to the Secretary-General.  The report will also be made public.

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