GENEVA, Switzerland, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- The U.N. Human Rights Council called on both Sudanese governments to work on human rights issues, while paying special attention to border clashes.
The council, during meetings in Geneva, addressed a series of resolutions concerning technical assistance and capacity building for the recently independent South Sudan. The council, in its readout of the meeting, called on Juba to cooperate more with the United Nations on human rights issues.
Hilde Johnson, U.N. special envoy to Sudan and head of the U.N. mission there, told delegates this week in Juba that, with ethnic clashes erupting in parts of the country, a comprehensive effort was needed to maintain stability. U.N. peacekeepers had deployed to Jonglei state to defuse tensions.
In terms of Sudan, the council commended Khartoum for working with the international community on human rights issues but stressed clashes in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states must end.
Abdel Rahman Dhirar, the Sudanese envoy to the United Nations, expressed concern that Sudan was unjustly singled out, which he said wasn't helping the human rights situation in Sudan.
South Sudan became an independent country in July as part of a 2005 peace agreement. Oil revenue and border clashes are problematic, however, and allegations of ethnic killings have been lodged against both sides.
