[JURIST] UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour [official profile; JURIST news archive] headed to Darfur [JURIST news archive] Monday as she continued a five-day visit to Sudan to press the government to end the violence and address rights abuses in the region. UN spokesman Jose Diaz says reports indicate that the situation there has remained the same or even worsened in some cases since Arbour visited the troubled area a year and a half ago. Read a UNHCHR background press release on Arbour's visit.

Early last month, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland [official profile] attempted to visit Darfur, but was denied entry [IRIN report] to Sudan despite having a valid visa. Egeland said he believes his visit was blocked by officials who did not want him to see the extent of the devastation in the area. Diaz said that no restrictions were made on Arbour's entry into Sudan. VOA has more.