GENEVA, Switzerland, March 31 (UPI) -- The United Nations Human Rights Council has approved an independent group to work with the Sudanese government to monitor the situation in war-torn Darfur.
The resolution to establish the group of human rights experts was approved Friday during the council's session at its Geneva headquarters.
In the resolution, the council voiced "deep concern regarding the seriousness of the ongoing violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Darfur," citing armed attacks on civilians and humanitarian workers, destruction of villages and lack of accountability for the perpetrators of violence against women and girls.
The resolution backed establishing a new group headed by Sima Samar, special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Sudan. The group will work with Sudan and the African Union to ensure resolutions and recommendations on Darfur made by U.N. human rights institutions are implemented.
The Darfur resolution was adopted amid growing international concern for the situation in the region, where at least 200,000 people have been killed and another 2 million forced from their homes since rebel groups began fighting the Sudanese government and allied Janjaweed militias in 2003.
