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Sudan Assured Seat on U.N. Rights Commission

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  • Sudan Assured Seat on U.N. Rights Commission

    Sudan Assured Seat on U.N. Rights Commission

    Mon May 3, 2004 09:32 PM ET

    By Evelyn Leopold

    UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - African nations have ensured that Sudan
    gets a seat on the chief U.N. human rights watchdog and angered rights
    groups who want more liberal democracies to win a place.

    Fourteen vacant seats will be filled on Tuesday and on Wednesday for
    the 53-nation U.N. Human Rights Commission. Many have been decided by
    regional groups before the voting in the Economic and Social Council
    in New York.

    Sudan has been the target of worldwide criticism, including an
    expression of concern from the Geneva-based commission in late
    April. It has been accused of backing Arab militia destroying
    villages, raping and killing black Africans in the Darfur region.

    "A government that engages in wholesale abuses of its citizens should
    not be eligible for a seat at the table, especially a country just
    criticized by the commission," said Joanna Weschler, U.N. delegate for
    Human Rights Watch, one of 10 advocacy groups that issued a protest
    statement.

    "This is a major credibility test of the regional bloc structure at
    the United Nations in terms of how it nominates candidates for key
    U.N. posts," Weschler said.

    In the African regional group, which rotates candidacies for
    commission posts, Sudan, Guinea and Togo -- all called undemocratic by
    the rights groups -- will be filling seats on the commission. A fourth
    will go to Kenya.

    In Asia, Vietnam and Pakistan, which the rights groups say have
    questionable records, are vying for seats and at least one will be
    elected. South Korea and Malaysia are also up for the three available
    slots.

    "Vietnam in particular is in the midst of a violent crackdown against
    the country's indigenous Montagnard people," said Freedom House
    Executive Director Jennifer Windsor.

    In other elections, Mexico and Ecuador face no opposition among the
    Latin American group. Armenia and Romania will be assured seats among
    Eastern Europeans.

    But Western nations have a contested election with Canada, Finland,
    France and Spain vying for three seats. The United States, part of
    this group, has a seat on the commission and is not up for re-election
    until next year.

    © Copyright Reuters 2004. All rights reserved.
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