The Hindu : International : U.N. report: Sudan's crimes not genocide

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Wednesday, Feb 02, 2005

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International

U.N. report: Sudan's crimes not genocide

By Ewen MacAskill

LONDON, FEB. 1. The Sudanese Government should be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity in Darfur, a United Nations commissioned report has concluded.

But the study, which is expected to be debated by the U.N. Security Council later today, falls short of describing the situation in the western region of Sudan as genocide.

The report by a five-member commission, headed by the Italian judge Antonio Cassese, is due to be published today.

The study was set up by the U.N. Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, in October to investigate whether genocide was being conducted in Darfur, where tens of thousands have been killed and 1.8 million displaced.

A U.N. source said yesterday the commission's conclusion was that the testimony they took did not amount to proof of genocide. ``But it does say crimes against humanity of an ethnic nature have been committed and recommends going to the ICC,'' the source said.

Confidential annexe

A diplomat described the commission's findings as ``hard-hitting.'' Another diplomat close to the Security Council said: ``The Sudanese Government is not getting off.''

The report includes a confidential annexe naming members of the Sudanese military and Government the commission identifies as perpetrators of the alleged crimes. Though the Sudanese Government was given a copy of the report in advance, the U.N. withheld the confidential annexe. The members of the commission told diplomats they did not want to prejudice the outcome of any trial by publishing the names.

They also said the testimony they took was not under oath and therefore would not stand up in court. —

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