Four Darfur IDP’s killed during protests; food shortage hits Kalma camp
August 28, 2008 (PARIS) – Four Internally Displaced People (IDP’s) were killed and eight others injured at the Mercheim camp in Northeastern Nyala by Sudanese police, according to a spokesperson of displaced and refugees in the region.
Sharati said the demonstrators demanded an international force to protect the civilians in the IDPP camps. He further alleged that the Sudanese president wants to “dismantle” the IDP camps by force.
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.
But Sharati firmly denied the presence of any weapons in the Kalma camp.
“If we had any weapons we would have used it against government forces to protect our women and children who were shot dead” he said.
The displaced spokesperson said that Khartoum “needs to disarm the Janjaweed militias”.
The United Nations – African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) issued a strongly worded statement yesterday condemning the “excessive force” used by Sudanese authorities against residents of the Kalma camp.
“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.
Sharati also warned of severe food and water shortage in Kalma camp ands claimed that government forces are blocking humanitarian access.
“People are drinking rain water and still water. We received no food, water or medicine since Monday” Sharati said.
AFP reported yesterday that Sudanese soldiers boosted their presence around Kalma.
A Kalma community leader, Adam Mohamed, told AFP yesterday that more security vehicles had surrounded the camp, where conditions for the 80,000 residents were miserable and homes had been washed away by rain.
Sharati also said that Kalma camp protestors blocked portions of the Nyala railroad.
UNAMID reported in its daily media brief that IDP’s around the town of Zalingei town in West Darfur demonstrated against the Kalma camp attack.
The IDP’s also chanted slogans condemning Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir as a war criminal and rejected his expected visit to Zalingei.
The protestors also saluted International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo.
A month ago the ICC prosecutor announced that he requested an arrest warrant for Al-Bashir.
Ocampo filed 10 charges: three counts of genocide, five of crimes against humanity and two of murder and accused Al-Bashir of masterminding a campaign to get rid of the African tribes in Darfur; Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa.
Most of the Kalma camp residents are from the Fur tribe.
Earlier this month Ocampo told Sudan Tribune in an interview that the Sudanese government is carrying out a “massive rape campaign” against women in the camps and hindering the delivery of aid to the displaced who are mostly from the African tribes of the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa groups. This he said falls under the definition of genocide.
“The issue for me is to show clearly that what is happening in the camps today is a crime because without humanitarian assistance they will die. Not only is Al-Bashir not providing them with humanitarian assistance but also trying to block and hinder the work of these humanitarian organizations. This is the most compelling issue now and we have to stop it” the ICC prosecutor said.
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)