LONDON, Aug 10 (AFP) - Amnesty International on Tuesday accused the Sudanese government of arresting civilians who speak to foreign officials visiting the troubled Darfur region, and urged it to release them.
"The Sudanese government must immediately and unconditionally release all those arrested in North, South and West Darfur detained simply for expressing their opinions about the situation in Darfur," the group said in a statement.
"Scores of people have been arrested since the end of June 2004 in various parts of Darfur for talking to foreign government leaders... or for speaking out on the crisis in Darfur," the text charged.
Those targeted included people who had spoken to US Secretary of State Colin Powell, to French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier, to members of the African Union ceasefire commission and to independent journalists, the group said.
According to the London-based rights group, Sudanese security forces and the army arrested 47 people between June 26 and August 3, most of whom had spoken to members of foreign delegations.
In the Abu Shouk camp for the displaced, on the outskirts of El-Feshir, capital of North Darfur state, 15 men were arrested following Powell's visit on June 30, while five were arrested after Barnier visited on July 27, it said.
In Washington a US official said it was looking into the accusations.
"The United States and its other partners from the international community have been clear about the need for information and cooperation from the government of Sudan regarding the situation in Darfur," deputy State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said.
"So, obviously, reports that individuals are being punished or harassed for speaking out about conditions in Darfur are of serious concern, and that's why we're going to follow up," he told AFP.
The United Nations estimates that up to 50,000 people have been killed and 1.2 million displaced since Sudan's army and a government-backed militia cracked down on a rebellion which broke out in Darfur in February 2003.