Sudan admits rights abuses, including rape, by allies in Darfur

The Sudanese government has acknowledged for the first time that its militia allies in Darfur have committed serious human rights abuses, including rape, and given the United Nations a list of 30 suspects, Khartoum dailies said. The list was handed over to the UN Human Rights Comission's international observer, Emanuel Akoy, by Justice Minister Ali Mohammed Osman Yassin, the papers said. Rape was among an array of accusations levelled against the 30, despite longstanding denials by Sudanese officials of rights watchdog Amnesty International's accusations that rape was being used systematically as a weapon in the suppression of the 18-month-old armed rebellion by ethnic minorities in Darfur. "The government does not deny that human rights abuses occur and it will not protect those who commit them," Ali Mohammed Osman Yassin admitted on Sunday. He called for "help from international observers and voluntary organisations" and asked them to "pass on any information they have, particularly concerning rapes," to the authorities.  [more ]