E/CN.4/2005/18 page 11 members have to take the following oath: “I swear to give my life for the domination of the white race. I swear to use every means to cleanse it of refuse.” A young skinhead in this movement revealed that he was particularly fond of a phrase in Hitler’s Mein Kampf: “Kill them all: the enemy of the race has neither age nor sex.” He admitted that he saw himself as the cleaner of a city which “is crawling with these bronzed monkeys”. Thus, on 6 December 2004, three young Chinese students were hospitalized after being attacked by a group of skinheads in broad daylight in Saint Petersburg. It was the latest in a wave of attacks against foreign students in that city. 26. The Russian authorities appear to be aware of the alarming scale of this phenomenon in their country and to be paying more and more attention to it. An anti-extremism act was adopted in 2002, but the phenomenon has only spread since then. Moreover, the debate on the act had the effect of giving violent and xenophobic movements greater visibility. Trials of small groups of skinheads for “murder” or “ethnic cleansing” are being held at present or have already resulted in convictions. However, this new act must be applied against xenophobic organizations. Moreover, much more effective measures are needed to combat these skinhead movements, which pose a real threat to the democratic values of Russian society and to peace and stability in that country. The Special Rapporteur therefore welcomes the invitation which he received in response to his request to visit the Russian Federation in 2005, and hopes that his visit can contribute to the Government’s efforts to combat racism and xenophobia in the Russian Federation. The Special Rapporteur furthermore welcomes the adoption, at the initiative of the Russian Federation, of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2004/16, which requests the Special Rapporteur to reflect on the inadmissibility of certain practices that contribute to fuelling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and to make relevant recommendations in his report to the Commission. 27. In Africa, the question of incitement to racial hatred and xenophobia in the political debate is particularly worrying because of its consequences. In Côte d’Ivoire, in the context of political crisis and power politics, the concept of “ivoirité”, or Ivorianness, based on an ethnocentric identity, is used to exclude politicians from the competition for power and to discriminate against a large part of the country’s population, which is regarded as foreign. This exclusion, played up by the media, sparked off an uprising, which plunged the country into a serious political and military internal conflict. Ethnicity has been used, throughout the ages, by both ruling parties and the opposition. In his report to the Commission (E/CN.4/2005/18/Add.3), the Special Rapporteur lays stress on the xenophobic dynamic of the current political crisis. 28. In Darfur (Sudan), black rebels, who are demanding a larger share of the country’s resources but are also making a number of identity-related demands, are in conflict with the mainly Arab Government in Khartoum. In this situation, according to reports by the United Nations and non-governmental organizations, the pro-Government Janjawid Arab militia continue to wage a campaign of violence, massacres and rape against the black populations of Darfur. Indeed, some countries have accused the Government of practising genocide and ethnic cleansing. A particularly firm response from the international community is urgently needed in order to bring a halt to these practices which lead to grave violations of human rights and discriminatory acts. The Special Rapporteur proposes that he accord greater priority to this region and conduct an investigation that is as rigorous and comprehensive as possible on the conflicts which are tearing the region apart.