UN attacks Darfur 'fear and rape' and finds Government of Sudan as a whole in denial about the scale and severity of the problem

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has said more than a million people displaced by the Darfur conflict are living in a "climate of fear".

Louise Arbour, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, described refugee camps as "prisons without walls" and said more than a million people displaced by the Darfur conflict are living in a "climate of fear" and Sudan was "in denial" about the extent of rape in and around them.

Aid workers in Darfur have said women have been raped or attacked when they have left the camps to hunt for firewood.

While the authorities have admitted there is some rape, they have said the problem is not widespread, accusing the women exaggerating their stories.

"I think the government as a whole is in denial about the scale and the severity of the problem," Ms Arbour said. She said refugees could not envisage going home because they did not trust the authorities to protect them.

Her comments came at the end of a week-long visit to the remote region. More later.
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Arabs are ‘not responsible for atrocities’
This morning, American blogger Mike Pechar of Interested-Participant emailed me a link to a report that says the Western media is deceiving the world into thinking that the Arabs are responsible for the atrocities in Darfur, according to Obeid Hasbullah Dico, a former member of the West Darfur parliament (pictured below).

Mike felt compelled to pass the report on and post a response. Thanks Mike. It's always good to hear from readers and see what they are saying about conflicting reports.

Here below is a photo from the report.



Arab tribal leaders (from left) Ramadhan Daju Hassan, Mohammed Idris Maghrib and former member of parliament Obeid Habullah Dico calling for peace in West Darfur, Sudan.