A/RES/51/112 Page 3 Welcoming the establishment by the Government of the Sudan of the Special Investigation Committee on Allegations of Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances and Reported Cases of Slavery, Alarmed by the continuing failure of the Sudanese authorities to investigate human rights violations and abuses brought to their attention over the past years, Gravely alarmed that since February 1994 there have been increasing reports from a wide variety of sources indicating that atrocities by the Government of the Sudan against the local population in the area of the Nuba Mountains have intensified, Welcoming the commitment of the Government of the Sudan to facilitate the improved flow of information, as well as its stated strong commitment to cooperate with the competent United Nations bodies and agencies, as well as with the Special Rapporteur; Concerned by reports of religious persecution in areas of the conflict zone controlled by the Government of the Sudan and of discrimination based upon religion in the provision of shelter and relief, Deeply concerned by the Special Rapporteur's conclusion that the abduction of persons, mainly women and children belonging to ethnic and religious minorities from southern Sudan, the Nuba Mountains and the Ingassena Hills area, and their subjection to the slave trade, servitude and forced labour are taking place with the knowledge of the Government of the Sudan, Welcoming the dialogue and contacts between non-governmental organizations and the religious minorities in the Sudan aimed at improving relations between the Government of the Sudan and the religious minority groups, Noting that the Government of the Sudan has taken steps towards a larger degree of cooperation with some international organizations, with special attention to the rights of Sudanese children, and hoping that these efforts will be enhanced in the future, Deeply concerned about the problem of unaccompanied minors and the use of children as soldiers by all parties, despite repeated calls from the international community to put an end to this practice, as described in the report of the Special Rapporteur,8 1. Expresses deep concern at the serious, widespread and continuing human rights violations in the Sudan, including extrajudicial killings and summary executions, detentions without due process, violations of the rights of women and children, forced displacement of persons, enforced or involuntary disappearances, torture and other forms of cruel and unusual punishment, slavery, practices similar to slavery and forced labour, denial of the freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly and discrimination based on religion; 8 Ibid., chap. II, sect. K, para. 34. /...