Friday, May 11, 2007

UN rights unit calls Darfur bombardments ‘indiscriminate and inappropriate’

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) today described as “indiscriminate” a series of deadly aerial bombardments across the North Darfur region of Sudan and said there were many civilian casualties.

OHCHR said it has learned that the attacks – over which United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed deep concern on Wednesday – were carried out near El Fasher, North Darfur with helicopter gunships and Antonov aircraft between 19 and 29 April, killing and wounding civilians and destroying property, school buildings and livestock.

“The bombardments appeared to have been indiscriminate and disproportionate, failing to distinguish between military and civilian targets,” Mr. Ban’s spokesperson Michele Montas said. “The disproportionate use of force constitutes violations of international humanitarian and human rights law,” she added. Read more >>>>>>>

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