Sudan slams rights group report on Darfur

Sudan slams rights group report on Darfur

December 12 2005 at 06:33PM

By Opheera McDoom

KHARTOUM- - The Sudanese government dismissed as "ridiculous" a human rights group's report saying officials at the highest level of government were responsible for abuses in Darfur and should be investigated for war crimes.

New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a report on Sunday saying Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and 20 other government and army officials and militia leaders should be scrutinised for ordering, condoning or carrying out atrocities.

HRW said it based its report on eyewitness accounts, government papers and its own investigations.

Senior Foreign Ministry official Mutrif Siddig responded on Monday saying, "This report is highly politicised.