Human Rights Watch accuses Sudanese officials of committing war crimes in Darfur

Human Rights Watch organization on Monday issued a report in which it accused prominent Sudanese government officials of committing war crimes in Darfur, especially the Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and his deputy Ali Othman Muhammad Taha.

Among the names stated in the report are the defense minister Lt. Gen. Abdul Rahim Muhammad Hussein who was a minister of interior and a special envoy for Darfur, the minister for presidential affairs and former defense minister Lt. Gen. Bakri Hassan Saleh, army chief of staff Abbas Arabi; and the director of security and the intelligence Lt. Gen. Salah Abdullah Qoush.

The report also includes the names of former and current walis ( governors) for the Darfur estates including the Wali of Douth Darfur, al-Haj Atta al-Mannan, the Wali of West Darfur, Jafaar Abdul Haq, and Lt. Len. Abdullah al-Safi Nour, the former Wali for North Darfur.

The report also included the list of what it called the leaders of Janjawid militias including Moussa Hilal, and Abdullah Saleh Sabeil, Ali Muhammad Ali, Muhammad Hamadan and other tribal leaders.

The Sudanese government rejected the report. One official at the Sudanese foreign ministry Mutarraf Siddiq said it is "silly and politicized" and is groundless and is based on campaigns by the rebel groups.

Siddiq also accused the organization of serving objectives contrary to peace and of being in contradiction with the guidelines set by the UN itself, refusing to give information on whether his government will permit the investigators of the International Criminal Court to enter the country.