UN human rights expert calls for immediate end to Jebel Marra clashes
February 5, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – The United Nations Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Sudan, Aristide Nononsi, Friday called for an immediate end to hostilities in Darfur saying that tens of thousands of civilians have been forced to flee their homes in the Jebel Marra.
In press statement Friday, Nononsi urged all parties to the conflict to respect international human rights and international humanitarian law, ensure humanitarian access to the needy population and protect unarmed civilians, saying that violence is not the way to resolve the current problems in Sudan.
“The Government of Sudan has a duty to facilitate free, full and unhindered access to all conflict-affected areas to UNAMID (UN-African Union Mission in Darfur), UN agencies and other humanitarian organizations,” he noted.
Jebel Marra clashes have reportedly resulted in human rights violations and abuses as well as violations of international humanitarian law, including destruction of civilian property and objects as well as considerable displacement of civilians, in addition to unspecified number of civilian casualties.
In a statement released on 17 January, UNAMID said it is working with the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) partners to arrive at contingency measures for responding to protection and humanitarian consequences on the civilian population in the area.
“UNAMID emphasises, once again, the importance of the need to arrive at a peaceful resolution of the situation and stands ready to assist in such efforts,” said the statement.
According to the mission, up to 21,338 civilians, mainly women and children, have fled into North Darfur State and have sought refuge around their camp by February 1st.
About 15,000 others have fled into Central Darfur State, according to the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan.
Sudan’s Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) had earlier said the number of the IDP’s following the attacks on Mouli and surrounding villages in west Darfur is estimated at 5,000 civilians.
These civilians have mostly fled to El Geneina, while the number of civilians who sought refuge in Chad remains unknown.
Nononsi further called on the Sudanese government “to create the conditions for an inclusive dialogue and ensure the participation of all armed opposition groups to advance peace and reconciliation in the country”.
The Sudanese army has been fighting a group of armed movements in Darfur since 2003.
According to the UN, 200,000 people have been killed in the conflict, and 2, 5 million chased from their homes.
Doha brokered the Darfur peace negotiations which resulted in the signing of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) by the Sudanese government and the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) in July 2011. Also, a dissident faction of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) joined the DDPD in April 2013.
JEM led by Gibril Ibrahim and the SLM-MM led by Minni Minnawi have engaged in peace talks with the government under the auspices of the African Union.
SLM-AW, however, is not part of the African Union mediated peace talks. The rebel group rejects negotiating a peace agreement with Khartoum government, unless the government militias are disarmed and displaced civilians return to their original areas.
(ST)