[JURIST] International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) [advocacy website] President Jakob Kellenberger [official profile] told reporters Friday that all sides of the conflict in the Sudan are violating international humanitarian law [press release]. The statement came after Kellenberger completed a 5-day trip to the country that included time in the Darfur region [JURIST news archive]. While holding the Sudanese government primarily responsible for the violations, he also faulted the armed groups who have fought against the government for the last four years. Kellenberger called for all sides to follow international humanitarian law in protecting civilians and aid workers.

Next week Luis Moreno-Ocampo [official profile], chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court [official website], is expected to introduce evidence and name the first suspects in its Darfur war crimes investigation [JURIST report], which has documented thousands of civilian killings and hundreds of rapes. Last week the UN Human Rights Council [official website] pulled a probe into the Darfur region [JURIST report] after Sudanese officials refused to grant a visa to a team member who had accused the Sudanese government of violating human rights in a 2004 report [UN News report]. Reuters has more. AFP has additional coverage.