HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS ASK THE U.N. AND U.S. TO CONDEMN RECENT SUDANESE ATTACKS ON DISPLACED CIVILIAN CAMP

For Immediate Release:
Contact: Jeffrey Buchanan (202) 257-9048
buchanan@rfkmemorial.org

Letter to UN Security Council and Sec. Rice: Human Rights Groups Ask the U.N. and U.S. to Condemn Recent Sudanese Attacks on Displaced Civilian Camp

Washington D.C. August 29th, 2008 -- In a letter sent today to U.N. Security Council Members and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights (RFK Center) and Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) asked the U.S. Administration and the U.N. Security Council to publicly condemn recent attacks on displaced persons in the Darfur region of Sudan.

This week Sudanese Government Armed Forces stormed into the Kalma Camp, the largest camp for internally displaced persons in Darfur, firing upon and attacking unarmed civilians. The letter references reports from local sources in Nyala Hospital that the hospital received 48 inpatients as a direct result of the attack, including 11 children and 15 women (including a pregnant woman shot in the pelvis). One patient died a few minutes after reaching the hospital. Many others with milder injuries were reportedly treated within Kalma camp. Early reports can not confirm the exact number of deaths, but informed sources estimate between 42-52.

The human rights organizations ask the UN Security Council and the US Administration to call upon Sudan to cease all attacks, to allow humanitarians access to the camps and to allow UNAMID, the joint UN and African Union mission, to protect camps from future attacks.

RFK Center and PHR state, "We believe that this attack is yet another brazen example of President Omar al-Bashir's calculated actions to express his disrespect of the international community and blatant disregard of Sudan's legal obligations."

The attack came one day after President Bashir threatened to expel UNAMID, the UN and African joint security forces currently tasked with defending displaced persons and civilians in Darfur. President Bashir claimed he would expel the security presence if the International Criminal Court were to begin proceedings against him on counts of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The letter states, "The attacks on Kalma Camp the day after the statements sent a clear message that President Bashir is willing to put force behind his threats. We fear that this may be a harbinger of his stated intentions of ‘emptying out the camps.’”

Source: Robert F. Kennedy Memorial (www.rfkmemorial.org)
Physicians for Human Rights (www.phrusa.org)

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August 28, 2008

Honorable Dr. Condoleezza Rice
Secretary of State
US Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520

Cc: Dr. Jendayi E. Frazer,
Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520

Dear Secretary Rice,

This week, we watched with horror as the Sudanese Armed Forces stormed into the Kalma Camp, the largest camp for the internally displaced in Darfur, firing upon and attacking unarmed civilians. Dozens were killed and 100 injured, and those numbers are likely to increase in the coming days. Sudanese soldiers and police are still blocking access to the camps, denying entry to both humanitarian workers and peacekeepers from the UN / AU Hybrid operation (UNAMID) deployed to protect civilians.

[Informed sources in Nyala Hospital reported receiving 48 inpatients as a direct result of the attack, including 11 children and 15 women (including a pregnant woman shot in the pelvis.) One patient died a few minutes after reaching the hospital. Six survivors underwent major exploratory surgeries. Many others with milder injuries were reportedly treated at Kalma camp. Early reports can not confirm the exact number of those who died, but sources estimate between 42-52.]

We ask you to publicly condemn this outrageous act and to call upon the Sudanese Government to do the following:
1. Cease attacks on the camp;
2. Allow immediate and unhindered humanitarian access into the camps per Sudan's international obligations; and
3. Allow UNAMID forces to deploy in the area to protect those unarmed civilians in accordance with its mandate.

We believe that this attack is yet another brazen example of President Omar al-Bashir's calculated actions to express his disrespect of the International community and blatant disregard of Sudan's legal obligations. President Bashir, who may be tried at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on counts of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, continues to order murderous attacks on the people of Darfur. The day before the attacks, President Bashir threatened to expel UNAMID if the ICC begins proceedings against him. The attacks on Kalma Camp the day after the statements sent a clear message that President Bashir is willing to put force behind his threats. We fear that this may be a harbinger of his stated intentions of "emptying out the camps".

We cannot allow the man responsible for the death of hundreds of thousands in Darfur to be dictating the terms of protection or justice. We respectfully request that the US Administration condemn these criminal acts.

Sincerely,

Monika Kalra Varma
Director, Center for Human Rights
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial

Susannah Sirkin
Deputy Director, Physicians for Human Rights