Sunday, January 03, 2010
We must stop the islamists of indoctrinate youth, by Francis Chartrand
Karl von Clausewitz, one of the major theorists of war wrote: "The purpose of all war must be to establish a better situation before the outbreak of hostilities." After a decade of struggle against international terrorism, how can we know if the situation improved?
We could take to measure the frequency of terrorist attacks. Since early 2009, more than 7,500 people were killed in bombings 5.000 on 4 continents. It is much better than last year where over 15,000 people have died in more than 11,000 attacks. Osama bin Laden and his organization al-Qaeda have been unable to organize attacks comparable in importance to those of 11 September against the towers of the World Trade Center. And they have not managed to get their hands on a nuclear weapon. Can we conclude that terrorism has become a less urgent threat and that the situation has improved since hostilities began? The public in Australia think it. A survey of Autralian Strategic Policy Institute conducted last year showed that terrorism had fallen to 13th among the 14 major concerns in the 2007 elections. Two thirds of Australians believe that the terrorist threat is part of everyday life. Climate change is regarded as the new terrorism.
But when asked if the Australian government did everything it could to prevent a terrorist attack, the voter response was unequivocal. Only 50% thought the government controlled the situation. Although nearly 10 billion dollars have been spent since 2001 to improve security measures, 41% of voters said that the government could do better. Because there has been no serious attacks in Australia since the explosion of a bomb at the Sydney Hotel in 1978, some believe that the threat is so low that it could now spend less money national security.
Resources are limited and as there are many other concerns such as cyber crime or organized, it begins to say it would be better to give less importance to the terrorist threat. This is not what I think. The real danger is complacency about the nature and extent of threat nourished by religious ideology.
As stated recently Peter Clark of the British police: "The terrorist threat is of such magnitude and so intractable that we should not just be content to chase those planning attacks. We must find a way to attack the ideas that motivate them to do so."
The number of terrorists in the world may be decreased, but the ideology that fuels international terrorism continues to seduce the minds of Somalia to the southern Philippines. And children are increasingly the target of this ideological indoctrination. In Indonesia, the radical group Hizb ut-Tahrir is particularly interested in schools, providing books for teens that encourages them to overthrow the secular democracy and replace it with Islamic law (Sharia) and a caliphate.
While such organizations are careful not to openly promote violence, the link between propaganda, radicalization of minds and terrorism is well established.
And the Internet helps to spread the message of extremists. Hizb ut-Tahrir has launched a website that competes with major international channels of information. Teenagers are the largest users of the Internet and social networking sites provide interactive terrorist groups new opportunities for recruitment and radicalization of minds.
Not surprisingly, a Somali terrorist organization is called al-Shabaad (Youth)
To achieve their goals, the ideologues are constantly finding new recruits. So they're training a new generation of terrorists, the international community seems unable to respond in a coherent and strategic.
Until now, the war against terrorism has been shared between 95% of military intervention and 5% of anti-ideological. This must change, because it is winning the ideological war that we may determine whether we succeeded or failed to stop this wave of religious terrorism.
Link
Labels: Australia, Francis Chartrand, Islam, Religion and fanaticism, Somalia, Sudan
Sunday, October 11, 2009
My name is Simon Deng, a Christian, a former slave in Sudan, victims of Jihad, by Annie Lessard and Marc Lebuis
"At 9 years, I was abducted into slavery and given to an Arab family. My people have been subjected to mass murder, slavery, systematic rape, religious persecution, famine imposed, dislocation, exile. We are the victims of what Khartoum has called "a holy war against infidels." How long will the world let the infidels be slaughtered and enslaved in the name of jihad? How long will the world be silent to avoid offending the killers and defenders of slavery? "
Former slave Simon Deng South Sudan has managed to escape and reached the United States where he received political asylum. Human rights activist, he gives lectures around the world on the situation in Sudan, where black Christians and animists are victims of slavery and forced Islamization.
Today, Algeria had called on Arab countries to enter the Security Council of the United Nations to oppose the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir last week to answer charges of crimes against humanity.
In 2006, Simon Deng made a presentation at a symposium organized by an NGO on the victims of jihad.
Slavery is not the past ..., blog Ketibi, January 14, 2006
On April 18, 2006, while the Commission on Human Rights UN was preparing once again to reject a resolution condemning the actions to pressure Sudan on Islamic countries, three NGOs organized a symposium in conjunction with the Committee on the "victims of jihad".
In front of a room moved to tears, Simon Deng has told how he had been enslaved - because black and Christian - by the Arab Islamist regime in Khartoum:
My name is Simon Aban Deng. I am Sudanese shiluk of the tribe, by the Christian religion. My people have been subjected to mass murder, slavery, systematic rape, religious persecution, famine imposed, dislocation, exile. We are victims of genocide, physical and cultural. We were wiped out as human beings because belonging to a different culture. All that we have not stumbled upon by accident: we have been and remain victims of jihadist regime in Khartoum.
During the two genocides committed by the Islamists, our losses have been enormous. From 1955 to independence in 1973, 1.5 million Sudanese Christians have been eliminated by the pro-Arab government in Khartoum. From 1983 until the recent peace treaty, 2 million people in southern Sudan were killed in what the regime in Khartoum has called "a holy war against infidels". Yes, I am an infidel according to their definition. I think many of you are too. We, the blacks "infidels" of the South, Christians and other non-Muslims, we refused to obey Islamic laws, we refused to be Arabized.
I was kidnapped and given to an Arab family as a "gift"
For this reason, ladies and gentlemen, I have been a victim of Arab slavery in Sudan. At nine years, my village was raided by Arab troops paid by Khartoum. As I ran to take refuge in the bush to escape the massacre, I saw my childhood friends being shot down. The old and the sick were burnt alive in their hut. The Arab troops were eventually find me. I was kidnapped and given to an Arab family as a gift. When you look at me, ladies and gentlemen, you see a gift? Do I look like an object or product?
Now is the turn of Darfur.
I was a child slave for several years. I was beaten repeatedly for a yes or a no. Sometimes a whim of my children "master". I worked hard and I had to endure many humiliations. As a child I had loved in my family, I had to get used to sleeping with animals and clean the ground where I slept. I ate the leftovers in the plates of my "master". I got up first and went to bed last, after having completed all the chores. The life of a slave was like hell, but there is no shame in being a slave, it is not a choice. The one who should be ashamed is the one who proclaimed himself the "master". If anyone should feel shame, it is the fundamentalist Muslim regime in Khartoum and its allies in the Muslim world. It is important never to forget that the African Christians of southern Sudan are victims of Islamism. The war against us has been and continues to conduct in the name of jihad.
There are 2 or 3 million refugees from South Sudan. They are treated like dogs. They are not even considered citizens in Sudan because citizenship is based on religion and that only Muslims are entitled. The Africans 'infidels' of this nation are not considered full citizens, while nearly 90% of the population is black.
This is the great challenge of Jihadists in Khartoum: Sudanese and Arabs, they wanted to impose an Arab culture in a country largely populated by blacks. They have done their work very effectively with weapons supplied by their friends in the Arab world. When they committed their genocide against us in the South, the world simply looked away. When millions of black Africans were slaughtered and hundreds of thousands of Sudanese children were enslaved, the world was indifferent. Even the UN has turned its back. Now is the turn of Darfur. Some observ, but most are used to not watch ...
How long will the world let the infidels be slaughtered and enslaved in the name of jihad?
Ladies and gentlemen, I ask this as a victim of slavery in Sudan: How long murder, slavery, religious persecution, systematic rape, starvation imposed and "the ethnic and religious cleansing" going they continue? When those who have the power to act and stop these crimes will they do?
I ask for my fellow Christians and animists in southern Sudan. My voice is their voice. How long will the world let the infidels be slaughtered and enslaved in the name of jihad? How long will the world be silent to avoid offending the killers and defenders of slavery?
Link
Labels: Children, Darfur, Saudi Arabia, Sudan
Friday, March 06, 2009
Darfur: MSF strongly protests further expulsion, medical programs forced to halt, by Iba Bouramine
People of Darfur held hostage to political and judicial agendas
MSF calls upon Government of Sudan to repeal decision and allow vital assistance to people of Darfur to resume
This morning, the Sudanese authorities in Khartoum demanded the immediate expulsion of a second section of the international medical organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). The decision, brutal and sudden, follows the expulsion Wednesday of another section of the organization. MSF is appalled by this order, which clearly holds the needs of the population of Darfur hostage to political and judicial agendas. The organization protests the order in the strongest of terms and appeals to the government to repeal these decisions and allow MSF to resume independent and impartial humanitarian assistance immediately.
“The order to expel MSF from Darfur is a dramatic turn of events that will have unprecedented consequences for the people of the region. Much of the population of Darfur is totally dependent on international humanitarian aid,” says Dr. Christophe Fournier, International President of MSF. “The sudden halt of our medical programs, including vital surgical, nutrition, and basic healthcare programs, in large areas of Darfur will have an immediate and devastating impact on the population.”
The vast needs of the population left unaddressed by the expulsion of so many aid organizations leaves a huge void in assistance, impossible for any remaining agency to adequately fulfill. The basic needs of hundreds of thousands of people will now go unmet, be they medical, food, water and sanitation. Outbreaks of meningitis in Kalma camp and Niertiti – where an estimated 130,000 people are in urgent need of vaccination – risk going completely unanswered.
The remaining sections of MSF working in Darfur are committed to continuing to provide medical care in the areas where they are working. However, this is a far cry from addressing the extent of the needs throughout Darfur.
“The ability to provide independent humanitarian assistance in Darfur has been drastically diminished over the past year, but the actions of the Government of Sudan this week risk to cut off humanitarian assistance for displaced and local populations in large areas of Darfur,” adds Christophe Fournier. “The needs of the population are falling prey to political and judicial ends, which is wholly unacceptable. We appeal to the government to immediately repeal its decision and allow for independent and impartial humanitarian assistance for the people in Darfur.”
MSF firmly reiterates that the organization is completely independent of the International Criminal Court and does not cooperate with or provide any information to it.
MSF has been working in Sudan since 1979 and in Darfur since 2003. While MSF has now been expelled from delivering critical healthcare in five areas of West and South Darfur, including Feina in Jebel Mara, Kalma, Muhajariya, Niertiti and Zalingei, MSF teams continue to provide care in West Darfur in Golo and Killin, and in North Darfur in Kebkabiya, Kaguro, Serif Umra, Shangil Tobaya and Tawila. Prior to the expulsion, more than 100 MSF international staff and approximately 1,625 MSF Sudanese staff worked tirelessly to deliver essential medical aid to hundreds of thousands of people throughout Darfur.
Link
Labels: Darfur, Doctors Without Borders, Iba Bouramine, Sudan
ICC: Bashir Warrant Is Warning to Abusive Leaders, by Marie-Êve Marineau
(New York) - The International Criminal Court's (ICC) issuance of an arrest warrant for President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan signals that even those at the top may be held to account for mass murder, rape and torture, Human Rights Watch said today. ICC judges granted the warrant for Bashir, its first for a sitting head of state, on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes for his role in orchestrating Sudan's abusive counterinsurgency campaign in Darfur.
"With this arrest warrant, the International Criminal Court has made Omar al-Bashir a wanted man," said Richard Dicker, director of the International Justice Program at Human Rights Watch. "Not even presidents are guaranteed a free pass for horrific crimes. By ruling there is a case for President al-Bashir to answer for the horrors of Darfur, the warrant breaks through Khartoum's repeated denials of his responsibility."
The court did not confirm the three counts of genocide that were requested by the ICC prosecutor. Genocide requires evidence that the crimes were committed specifically "with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part," a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group solely on the basis of its identity.
"Proving genocide charges is always extremely difficult," said Dicker. "President Bashir is hardly off the hook, as he is sought for crimes against humanity and war crimes, including widespread rape, murder, and torture committed as part of a government plan."
Under the ICC Statute, the prosecutor is able to request an amendment of the warrant to include genocide if he obtains additional evidence to support the charge.
The ICC prosecutor requested an arrest warrant for Bashir on July 14, 2008. Following the prosecutor's announcement, Sudanese government officials made implicit and explicit threats of retaliation against international peacekeepers and humanitarian workers. On July 25, a Sudanese presidential advisor, Bona Malwal, stated in regard to peacekeeping forces that, "We are telling the world that with the indictment of our President al-Bashir we can't be responsible for the well-being of foreign forces in Darfur." President Bashir has also threatened to expel international peacekeeping forces if a warrant is issued.
The Security Council, its individual members, the UN Secretariat, the European Union, and the African Union have a critical role in promptly responding to any government-supported retaliation in Darfur following news of the warrant.
"The Sudanese government is obliged to maintain security in the country and the Security Council should act decisively to hold them to it," said Dicker. "Khartoum should not be allowed to use the arrest warrant as a pretext for stepping up its obstructionist policies that have hobbled peacekeeping and humanitarian efforts in Darfur."
The government of Sudan is required by a Security Council resolution to facilitate the deployment of the African Union/UN Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) and to cooperate with the ICC. Under international law, Sudan remains obligated to protect its own civilians and to provide full, safe, and unhindered access by relief personnel to those in need in Darfur. The arrest warrant does not change these obligations, nor does it have any impact on Khartoum's obligations to carry out the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement with the government of Southern Sudan.
"The Security Council and concerned governments should impose targeted sanctions against Sudanese officials responsible for any retaliatory violence, and consider other measures such as further banking restrictions or a widening of the arms embargo," said Dicker.
The ICC is an independent judicial institution. Sudan, though not a party to the Rome Statute creating the court, is subject to ICC jurisdiction through Security Council resolution. Having an official position as head of state does not provide immunity from criminal responsibility before the ICC.
Apart from the warrant against President Bashir, the ICC has issued two other warrants in relation to Darfur. On April 27, 2007, the court issued arrest warrants for State Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Ahmed Haroun and a "Janjaweed" militia leader, Ali Kosheib. The prosecutor has also requested arrest warrants for three rebel leaders in connection with attacks on international peacekeepers at Haskanita in October 2007. That request is currently under consideration by the court.
Sudan has so far refused to cooperate with the ICC. All the arrest warrants remain outstanding. Haroun continues in his official position as state minister of humanitarian affairs. On November 24, the Sudanese government arrested and tortured three human rights defenders in Khartoum for allegedly giving information to the ICC.
"Khartoum is required to cooperate with the court," said Dicker. "Because the ICC has no police force of its own, it needs strong support from governments to ensure that all those charged with crimes are arrested."
Background
In a March 31, 2005 resolution, the Security Council referred the situation in Darfur to the ICC prosecutor for investigation and prosecution. The decision was based on the recommendation of an international commission of inquiry, which found that violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law were continuing in Darfur and that the Sudanese justice system was unwilling and unable to address the crimes. Darfur is the first situation referred by the Security Council to the ICC.
Link
Labels: Darfur, Human Rights Watch, ICC, Marie-Êve Marineau, Sudan
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Sudan - The International Criminal Court seeks the arrest of President Al-Bashir for genocide in Darfur, by Marie-Eve Marineau
The actions and threats have not intimidated Sudanese ICC. It has just issued a request for the arrest of President of Sudan, Omar Al-Bashir.
The Sudanese president had said yesterday that his country was not affected by the decision of the Court. Defying the international community, he had asked the ICC to "boil the decision and to drink the juice."
The ICC has thus confirmed its accusations against the President of Sudan, referred by seven charges, including genocide in Darfur and calls on Khartoum to deliver the President, recalling that it occurred under Chapter VII of the Charter United Nations. The ICC also called all countries, especially the signatories of the Rome Convention (on the ICC), to cooperate in order to arrest and hand over Al-Bashir at the ICC.
In their first response, the Sudanese authorities have called the decision of the ICC policy, accusing the West to lead a new offensive against colonial Sudan.
Television Al Arabiya "said that hundreds of Sudanese demonstrated in this time in Khartoum against the decision of the ICC.
Link
Labels: Darfur, ICC, Marie-Êve Marineau, Sudan
Friday, February 20, 2009
South Darfur: MSF team returns to assist people affected by heavy fighting in Muhajariya, by Anne Humphreys
After four weeks of forced absence, a Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) team has been able to return to Muhajariya in South Darfur, Sudan, where an estimated 35,000 people have been affected by heavy fighting.
In mid-January, clashes between two rival rebel groups forced MSF to evacuate most of its medical team to Nyala, the regional capital, an estimated 80 kilometres away. During the first days of fighting the MSF base was completely destroyed by fire. The MSF clinic was untouched and has remained functional. MSF holds the respective rebel groups responsible for damage to MSF’s goods and premises, during the time those groups were in control of the town.
MSF has begun re-establishing full medical services. By the second day the team was back, the number of outpatients had already doubled. The international humanitarian organization plans to bring in more staff and to restore MSF clinics in the nearby areas of Labado and Um Shegeira.
MSF’s country director in Sudan, Reshma Adatia, currently in Muhajariya, says, “On arrival the newly installed Government of Sudan authorities in town welcomed the restart of our medical activities. We aim to have our services soon back to the same level as before we were forced to evacuate.”
In MSF’s absence people living in Muhajariya and its immediate surroundings have been directly affected by the violence. They were left without sufficient and urgently needed medical assistance and nutritional support. A small team of Sudanese MSF staff remained in Muhajariya and continued to provide basic services.
“It looks like more than half of the town has emptied. We do not exactly know where the people are, but we will try to follow up and assist where needed. It seems people fled rapidly into the harsh environment, with little or no time to assemble and carry provisions. We fear they urgently need assistance,” adds Adatia
Further north, MSF teams have seen an influx of newly displaced people. These people arrived at a camp around Al Fasher where MSF supports other organizations, giving medical assistance to the approximately 5,300 newly displaced people. Further south of Al Fashir, teams have distributed initial kits with basic non-food items to the roughly 1,000 people who had to leave behind all their belongings. As people continue to arrive in the region, MSF plans to continue distributions and to increase the provision of medical care.
Since July 2004, MSF has provided medical assistance in and around Muhajariya. In 2008 MSF provided more than 54,000 consultations in our inpatient and outpatient services, almost 6,500 women received maternity care and 300 babies have been delivered. The MSF nutrition program treated more than 1,000 children. In addition the team conducts mobile clinics in the nearby areas of Labado and Um Shegeira.
Around Al Fasher, North Darfur, MSF provides medical care to about 33,000 displaced people in the Shangil and Shadat camps and to surrounding villages.
Link
Labels: Anne Humphreys, Doctors Without Borders, Sudan
Monday, November 24, 2008
ICC: First Warrants Requested for Attacks on Darfur Peacekeepers, by Iba Bouramine
(The Hague) - The request on November 20 by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court for arrest warrants for three rebel leaders believed to be responsible for attacks on international peacekeepers in Darfur is an important step toward protecting those who protect civilians, Human Rights Watch said today. Repeated attacks on international peacekeepers have severely compromised the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations in Darfur.
The request for warrants, the first for killing peacekeepers, stems from an attack on September 29, 2007, by rebel forces on an African Union (AU) base in Haskanita, South Darfur, Sudan, that killed 12 peacekeepers and civilian police officers from the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS). At least eight other AMIS personnel were seriously injured. The laws of war and the statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) prohibit attacks against international peacekeeping missions, so long as they are not directly involved in hostilities.
"Civilians rely on peacekeepers for protection, and any hope for restoring security for civilians in Darfur depends on peacekeepers being able to do their job," said Richard Dicker, director of the International Justice Program at Human Rights Watch. "These warrant requests send a strong message that such crimes will not be tolerated."
Peacekeepers are responsible for, among other things, conducting "firewood patrols" to accompany women and girls when they leave displaced persons camps to collect grass and firewood. These escorts, where conducted, have reduced the risk of rape and other sexual violence that is still widespread across Darfur. Following the Haskanita attack, AMIS adopted stricter security guidelines, curtailed all its activities, and confined staff to their bases, severely limiting its ability to protect civilians.
Security concerns remain a serious obstacle for the joint AU-UN peacekeepers (UNAMID) who took over peacekeeping in Darfur on December 31, 2007. The new peacekeeping force has also repeatedly come under direct attack from both rebel and Sudanese government forces:
- On July 8, 2008, unknown attackers killed seven peacekeepers and wounded 22 in a government-controlled area of North Darfur.
- On two occasions in July, unknown attackers shot at patrols in West Darfur, killing a peacekeeper on July 16.
- On July 21, government forces assaulted and arrested a UNAMID security officer in El Fasher.
- In August and September, unknown gunmen fired on peacekeepers' helicopters on at least four occasions.
- On October 6, a group of peacekeepers were ambushed at Menawashei, 75 kilometers north of Nyala, during an assessment patrol from Nyala to Khor Abeche in South Darfur.
- On October 29, a peacekeeper was killed when UNAMID forces came under attack at a water point near the Kassab displaced persons camp in North Darfur.
- On November 9, a peacekeeping patrol was ambushed by a group of well-armed men near Geneina in West Darfur, wounding one peacekeeper.
Since the attack on July 8, all of Darfur has remained at "UN Security Level 4," the second-highest security level, which is severely hampering the humanitarian operation.
"Although the attacks on peacekeepers in Darfur have not been on the same scale as the atrocities committed as part of the Sudanese government's counterinsurgency campaign, they are still serious crimes that interfere with any efforts to protect civilians in Darfur," Dicker said. "If the warrants are issued, all parties to the conflict should assist in the apprehension of the suspects."
On March 31, 2005, the UN Security Council referred the situation in Darfur to the ICC prosecutor. The resolution requires the government of Sudan and all parties to the conflict to cooperate fully with the court and the prosecutor. To date, the court has issued arrest warrants for two men, State Minister for Humanitarian Affairs Ahmed Haroun and a militia leader, Ali Kosheib. Sudan has refused to hand over either suspect. On July 14, the prosecutor of the ICC requested a warrant for the arrest of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Darfur.
The suspects have been charged with war crimes for: murder and causing severe injury to peacekeepers; intentionally directing attacks against personnel, installations, material, units or vehicles involved in a peacekeeping mission; and pillaging. The names of the suspects in the request for warrants today have not been publicly released.
Labels: Human Rights Watch, Iba Bouramine, Sudan
Monday, November 10, 2008
Sudan: New Darfur Attacks Show Civilians Still at Risk, by Iba Bouramine
(New York, October 24, 2008) – Sudanese forces and government-backed militias attacked more than a dozen villages in operations against rebel forces near Muhajariya, South Darfur, between October 5 and 17, 2008, Human Rights Watch said today. The fighting, in which more than 40 civilians were killed, shows that the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) still lacks the capacity to protect vulnerable civilians.
During the same period, President Omar al-Bashir told the media that life was “very normal in Darfur,” and announced a new peace initiative with much fanfare in North Darfur.
“Once again, civilians are bearing the brunt of fighting in Darfur, and the peacekeepers cannot protect them,” said Georgette Gagnon, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “Life in Darfur is far from ‘normal.’”
According to local sources, government-backed “Janjaweed” militias attacked more than 13 villages and settlements around Muhajariya, 80 kilometers east of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, killing more than 40 civilians, burning homes, and stealing livestock. Witnesses told Human Rights Watch that armed Janjaweed on horses and camels surrounded villages and were followed by government forces in vehicles mounted with weapons.
Muhajariya has long been a stronghold for the Minni Minawi faction of the Sudanese Liberation Army (SLA) and has been attacked many times over the course of the Darfur conflict.
Human Rights Watch has not been able to determine whether government forces clashed with rebels during these attacks. On October 5 and 7, government forces and Janjaweed attacked Sineit village, 16 kilometers southeast of Muhajariya, killing nine civilians. On October 6, Janjaweed attacked Brangal village, 12 kilometers northeast of Muhajariya, resulting in seven civilian deaths. On October 8, they attacked Kilekile and villages in the Mijelit area, northwest of Sineit, resulting in an unconfirmed number of deaths. Rebels from Unity faction of the SLA reported that they clashed with government and Janjaweed forces only after the initial attacks, between October 13 and 17.
As a result of the attacks, thousands of villagers fled to the towns of Muhajariya and Shearia, and have yet to return home. Reliable sources reported more than 40 casualties from the attacks and fighting. However, the full extent and circumstances of civilian casualties remain largely unknown. After gunmen shot at a UNAMID convoy on October 14, UNAMID forces have not tried to enter the area. In recent months, UNAMID has increasingly become the target of attacks and banditry, including in South Darfur. The mission has deployed less than half of the 26,000 military and police mandated by UN Security Council Resolution on July 31, 2007, and is still missing critical equipment, including attack helicopters.
On July 14, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court requested an arrest warrant for President al-Bashir for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Darfur. Since then, Sudan has repeatedly tried to persuade other countries that the security situation on the ground in Darfur is improving, with the aim of securing a suspension of the case against al-Bashir by the UN Security Council.
“President Bashir’s claims about the situation in Darfur should convince no one,” said Gagnon. “But whether or not the fighting continues, the victims of past atrocities deserve to see those responsible prosecuted.”
Human Rights Watch called on UNAMID to conduct a prompt and thorough investigation into the Muhajariya attacks and urged all parties to the conflict to take all feasible measures to avoid loss of civilian life and property and to ensure that the civilian population has access to humanitarian assistance.
Link
Labels: Human Rights Watch, Iba Bouramine, Sudan, UN
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
65 wounded in Darfur camp shooting, by Iba Bouramine
At least 65 people were wounded in shooting early this morning in Kalma Camp in Darfur, Sudan. They were admitted to a clinic run by Médecins Sans Frontières. Kalma Camp is home to more than 90,000 people, and is one of the largest camps for displaced people in Darfur. 
MSF is currently evacuating 47 patients from the clinic to a hospital in Nyala, about 17 km away. More than half of the patients admitted to the clinic are women and children. 
Today’s shooting follows weeks of increasing tension in and around Kalma Camp. In recent weeks, around 6,000 families have been displaced by flooding. There has also been a shortage of clean drinking water due to a lack of fuel to run the pumps.
MSF has worked in Kalma Camp since May 2004. Staff run an outpatient department and a women's health centre. A mental health program addresses the profound psychosocial stress and trauma experienced by the population. The MSF team also responds to the emergency needs of new arrivals as needed.
Labels: Doctors Without Borders, Iba Bouramine, Sudan
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