AFP, COLOMBO: The United Nations’ human rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein began his first visit to Sri Lanka Saturday to gauge the island’s progress in investigating allegations troops committed atrocities during a prolonged civil war.
“I have been looking forward to coming and I am looking forward to meeting both the highest officials of the state as well as representatives of all communities,” Zeid, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said soon after landing in Colombo.
He said he was hoping for “constructive discussions” during his four-day visit which will also take him to the former war zones of Jaffna in the island’s north and Trincomalee in the north-east.
In addition to meeting with President Maithripala Sirisena, Zeid will also meet with war victims as he prepares to make a report to the UN Human Rights Council in March on the nation’s progress in probing war crimes.