UN seeks permit to probe reported mass graves in Southern Kordofan

[News_Editor]

UN seeks permit to probe reported mass graves in Southern Kordofan

2011-07-16 07:21:18 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- Following the reported discovery of mass graves in Southern Kordofan, where fighting and aerial bombings continue to affect civilians, the United Nations (UN) on Friday called on state government to provide complete access for humanitarian assessment and assistance in the region.

Ambassador Peter Wittig of Germany, who holds the UN's Security Council's rotating presidency this month, said members of the Council urged "all parties to respect humanitarian principles and to allow humanitarian personnel timely and unfettered access to the affected civilian population."

Previously, Valerie Amos, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, met with the Council's 15-member body, briefing them on the situation in Southern Kordofan, where fighting has been ongoing since early June.

Last month, an agreement was signed between Sudan's security forces and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM-North), but parties have ignored the agreement and violent fighting has taken over the area.

"I am increasingly alarmed by the mounting allegations of mass graves in South Kordofan, Sudan, and of reported disappearances of civilians, targeting of people on an ethnic basis, and extra-judicial killings," Amos said.

Furthermore, she said the Government of Sudan had repeatedly denied the UN access to the area since the skirmishes between its forces and the SPLM-North began.

Meanwhile, Ivan Å imonovic, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, said the UN has received "very disturbing" reports recently from Southern Kordofan that include indiscriminate aerial attacks, shelling, abductions and extrajudicial killings.

Å imonovic also said reliable secondary sources informed of the existence of mass graves in the area in which, according to media reports, have as many as 100 civilians buried. "I am saying 'secondary sources' because of reduced mobility we are not able to verify that."

Last Saturday, the Republic of South Sudan became independent, and the mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission in Sudan came to an end, creating a "dangerous monitoring gap." Even though the Council has created a UN Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS), the new mission does not have a mandate to operate in Sudan.

In addition, Å imonovic said that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights would soon send an assessment mission to the area, hoping to obtain permission by the government to access Kordofan.

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