GENEVA, Sept 16, 2008 (AFP) - The human rights situation in Sudan is getting worse, particularly in the conflict-riven region of Darfur where civilians are coming under increasing air attacks, a UN rights expert said Tuesday.
"The situation is deteriorating," special rapporteur Sima Samar told journalists.
"During my last visit (in June and July), unfortunately I saw more violations. In Darfur, there are many more aerial bombardments and ground attacks against civilians," she said.
Samar was in Geneva to present her latest report on Sudan to the UN Human Rights Council.
"The government and the rebel groups continue to fail in their responsibility to provide protection to civilians in areas under their control," she bemoaned in her address to the Council.
"The protection and promotion of human rights is an unconditional state responsibility," she added.
In her report, which was released last Tuesday, Samar slammed Sudan's "grim" human rights record and accused the government in Khartoum of affording impunity to rights abusers.
Samar highlighted "indiscriminate" and "disproportionate" bombing of civilians by Sudanese forces in the east of Darfur, as well as ongoing sexual violence and a wave of arbitrary arrests and disappearances.
The United Nations says up to 300,000 people have died, and more than 2.2 million have fled their homes, since the Darfur conflict erupted in February 2003. Sudan says 10,000 have been killed.
Sudan's own representative at the Human Rights Council called for Samar's mandate not to be renewed, saying that "other mechanisms exist" to protect human rights -- but the UN rapporteur was supported by the European Union who proposed extending her mandate for a further year.
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