JURIST - Paper Chase: UN human rights chief calls for disarming of Darfur militias

[JURIST] UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour [official profile] warned [UN press release] on Friday that continued movements by armed militias in the western region of Darfur [JURIST archive] will lead to more atrocities against ethnic African civilians. Arbour cited the attacks of October 29-30 [UN press release; UNHCHR report, PDF] as an example of how armed militias are able to inflict significant casualties on the displaced refugees. In a call for government intervention, Arbour said she was, "concerned that if the Government of Sudan does not take control of the militias, disarm them, and put an end to the proliferation of arms, the militias will continue to launch attacks on civilians."

The May 5 signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement [official text] seems to have done little to curb the violence plaguing the Darfur region. The government of Sudan will not allow a UN peacekeeping force into the region and African Union forces now there may not be able to afford to remain in Sudan in 2007 [EuroNews report]. The Independent has more.

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