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Another attack on civilians in Darfour |
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Cairo, 25th August 2008 The Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession (ACIJLP) expresses its extreme concern about the increase in civilians facing a new humanitarian crisis in Darfour, and without any real action by the international community. ACIJLP received news about civilians being subjected to attacks by Sudanese government forces in the “Kalma” camp for forcibly displaced people in south Darfour on 25th August 2008. More than 170,000 displaced people live in the camp. These attacks resulted in the killing for nearly 170 civilians and hundreds of injuries to women and children. They also resulted in the civilians’ belongings being burnt and plundered. This is in addition to the destruction of the headquarters of a humanitarian organisation working in the camp, "El Amal" Center for Medical Treatment and Legal Consultation. Eyewitnesses who were in the “Kalma” camp on 25th August state that a number of military vehicles foot soldiers took part in the attacks. The camp remains under a military cordon: correspondents and news agencies have been prevented from covering these events. These attacks are a serious violation of international law in general, and international humanitarian law in particular, especially Common Article 3 of the Four Geneva Conventions which obliges parties to an armed conflict to refrain from attacking civilians. ACIJLP condemns the targeting of Sudanese civilians in Darfour, and calls on the Sudanese government to abide by the provisions of international humanitarian law on unarmed civilians and immediately stop the violations being committed in the “Kalma” camp. ACIJLP also calls on the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to intervene in order to document the violations which occurred today and conduct an urgent criminal inquiry into the most recent violations in the “Kalma” camp for internally displaced people. |