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Cairo, 25th August 2008
Another attack on civilians in
Darfour
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. |
