Darfur UNAMID issue harsh condemnation of Sudanese authorities

August 26, 2008 (KHARTOUM) – The United Nations – African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) issued a strongly worded statement condemning the “excessive force” used by Sudanese authorities against residents of the Kalma refugee camp in South Darfur yesterday.

“UNAMID strongly condemns the excessive, disproportionate use of lethal force by the GoS security forces against civilians, which violated their human rights and resulted in unacceptable casualties” the mission said in an unusually harsh statement today.

Scores of people were killed on Monday and many more injured when hundreds of Sudanese soldiers and security officers entered Kalma camp early yesterday morning and opened fire.

The Sudanese authorities justified the raid by claiming to have received reliable intel about weapons smuggled recently into Kalma camp which is at a strategic position because of its proximity to the Nyala airport and railways.

However camp leaders who spoke to Sudan Tribune firmly denied the presence of any weapons.

Sudanese security officials said that they were fired upon first prompting their response.

But UNAMID hinted Khartoum’s version of the story is inaccurate.

“The UNAMID team noted that GoS Military and Police were heavily armed, while the IDP’s seemed to carry only sticks, knives, and spears” the peacekeepers said.

The statement could not confirm the exact number of casualties but suggested that it may well be higher the initial figures of 27 deaths.

“On the basis of information provided to the UNAMID team while on site, the casualty toll amounted to 64 killed and 117 wounded, of which 49 were evacuated by UNAMID to the Nyala Hospital. While 11 eleven bodies were actually seen by the team, unconfirmed reports stated a higher number of fatalities”.

Hussein Abu-Sharati, the representative of the Darfur refugees and internally displaced people in Darfur camps, told Sudan Tribune yesterday that 86 people mostly children, women and elders were killed.

Noureddine Mezni, UNAMID spokesperson told Sudan Tribune by phone that the mission attended the funerals for 33 people.

The Darfur peacekeepers also accused the government of hindering their access to the camp as well a medical team.

“The team was stopped on its way to Kalma at a GoS National Security (NS) check-point, which demanded a written authorization from the NS General Commanding. While the UNAMID team was eventually allowed to proceed, this was not the case for the accompanying medical NGO team”.

UNAMID said that they had negotiated access to the medical teams for 2 hours before they received authorization.

The mission called the attack “a clear violation of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA)” signed two years ago in Abuja.

The UNAMID statement will likely anger the Sudanese government which has reluctantly accepted the peacekeepers last year.

Many observers said that Khartoum placed obstacles to slow down the deployment of peacekeepers through bureaucratic requirements easing objections to the composition of the force.

UN Security Council adopted resolution 1769 on July 31st which authorized a hybrid UN-AU force (UNAMID) consisting of 26,000 troops and police but so far it only has only 9,000 personnel.

International experts also say more than 300,000 were killed and 2 million have been driven from their homes by the conflict in Darfur, a region that is roughly the size of France.

(ST)