(MENAFN- Qatar News Agency) UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay expressed deep concern on Tuesday that civilians in South Darfur, Sudan, have been bearing the brunt of recent attacks.
"There has been a disproportionate use of force by armed groups in areas in South Darfur that are not military target
There must be an immediate halt to attacks on unarmed civilians," she sai
According to witnesses, these groups have attacked some 45 villages in the Um Gunya area, approximately 50 km south of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state, since the end of Februar
While it is difficult to ascertain the number of people killed, an estimated 50,000 civilians have been displaced amid looting and arson. "I urge the authorities to protect civilians and hold to account those who have committed grave breaches of human rights and humanitarian laws," said Pilla
The High Commissioner voiced concern that peacekeepers from the United Nations/African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), as well as human rights and humanitarian agencies had been prevented from reaching areas affected by the attack
The High Commissioner noted that the attacks were adding to the number of internally displaced people (IDPs), with many of those fleeing ending up in camps in South Darfur such as Kalma and Al Salam, near Nyala, where the number of IDPs was close to 200,000 before the recent attack
"Their arrival is having an overwhelming impact on the already limited water, food and health care available in the camps. The increase in displacement is a worrying trend at a time when civilians were being encouraged to return to their villages of origin," Pillay sai
The High Commissioner called on all parties to the conflict to participate in UNAMID's mediation initiativ
She also urged all armed groups to avoid using civilian populations in many regions of Darfur as a shield for military operations.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.