Under the pressure of Egypt, on behalf of the African Group, the Council decided to transpose the follow up of the work of the eight experts into the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Sudan. This will weaken the mandate of the Special Rapporteur, who already monitors, with limited resources, an extremely complex pattern of human rights violations throughout the whole of Sudan.
“We remain deeply concerned that the Council decided today not to renew the Group of Experts on Darfur,” said Mr. Hashim Ahmed, Acting Director of SOAT, “this sends a disappointing message to the victims of Darfur and risks downplaying the still critical human rights situation in the region”.
“I deeply regret the Council’s decision”, said Souhayr Belhassen, President of the FIDH, “in light of the persistence of crimes and their impunity, the Council gives Sudan a pat on the back, a dangerous political signal”.
The Group of Experts was put in place on the occasion of a Special session of the HRC in December 2006. In its final report, the group documented the absence of significant improvements and implementation of UN recommendations addressed to the parties of the conflict, and in particular to the Government of Sudan.