UN panel ends mandate of Darfur human rights monitors News
UN panel ends mandate of Darfur human rights monitors

[JURIST] The UN Human Rights Council [official website] voted Friday to end the mandate of a group of seven human rights experts tasked with monitoring the rights situation in the Darfur region [JURIST news archive] in Sudan. The council did, however, extend the mandate of its Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Sudan [OHCHR materials] and adopted a resolution [press release] urging "the Government to continue and to intensify its efforts to implement the recommendations identified by the Group of Experts in accordance with the specified time frames and indicators."

The council's actions follow demands by several African countries that political pressure on Sudan be eased, and rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, condemned the decision to disband the group of experts. AP has more. The UN News Centre has additional coverage.