(New York)- Darfur’s warring parties must cease attacks on humanitarian agencies and facilitate access to civilians in need of assistance, Human Rights Watch said in a 29-page briefing paper released today.
The Abuja peace agreement, signed by the Sudanese government and the main rebel group on Friday, is a welcome first step but implementation remains the key issue, Human Rights Watch said. It is vital that the United Nations Security Council moves forward with a transition from the existing African Union force to the deployment of a robust U.N. protection force. Enforcing the agreement and ensuring real protection and access to humanitarian aid for civilians remain top priorities.
“After three years of horrendous attacks, more than three million people in Darfur depend on international aid to survive,” said Peter Takirambudde, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “The warring parties must give humanitarian aid workers access to those in need. The international community must ensure they stick to the deal.”
Relief workers are struggling to reach hundreds of thousands of civilians in dire need of food, water, shelter and protection from further attacks in Darfur, in the face of mounting insecurity, targeted attacks on aid workers and administrative obstruction by the Sudanese government. Under international humanitarian law (the laws of war), the warring parties must allow impartial humanitarian agencies to assist civilians, and attacks on aid workers or deliberate obstruction of relief efforts can constitute war crimes.
The deteriorating rights situation in Darfur comes despite numerous commitments by both the Sudanese government and rebel movements to respect an April 2004 ceasefire and protect civilians.
The U.N. estimates that it has no access, or limited access, to at least 650,000 civilians in need of assistance.
Even in areas where humanitarian agencies have safe access to civilians, the government of Sudan has obstructed relief activities with a campaign of “administrative harassment.” Administrative restrictions include delaying visa and travel authorization and using a new law regulating the activities of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to impose arbitrary and onerous regulations on humanitarian agencies.
The United Nation’s top humanitarian official, Jan Egeland, was scheduled to visit Sudan, including Darfur, on May 6, one month after the Sudanese government refused to allow him to enter the country.
“International pressure forced the Sudanese government to allow aid agencies into Darfur in 2004, but since then Khartoum has been trying to strangle relief efforts,” said Takirambudde. “The new NGO law is just the latest attempt by Sudan to impede the delivery of life-saving aid to its citizens.”
During the 21-year civil war in southern Sudan, the Sudanese government regularly blocked humanitarian access to civilian populations, using tactics ranging from outright denials to flight bans to an array of administrative obstacles, such as delays in granting visas and travel permits. Such tactics contributed to the deaths of tens of thousands of people from famine and disease.
The mounting violence against aid workers and restrictions on their efforts are part of a broader surge in attacks on civilians and clashes between the warring parties across Darfur in the past six months. Access to civilians has become extremely difficult in the volatile border zone of West Darfur which straddles Chad, due to the proliferation of armed groups and increasingly violent attacks on humanitarian convoys.
Darfur's rebel movements have also limited access for humanitarian agencies to many areas. In northern and western Darfur, various rebel movements, including the main force, the Sudan Liberation Army/Movement, have looted humanitarian convoys and abducted aid workers.
“Attacks on aid workers and deliberate obstruction of humanitarian assistance are war crimes,” said Takirambudde. “Rebel commanders in Darfur must instruct their forces to protect all civilians, including aid workers, and the humanitarian supplies intended for civilians.”
Human Rights Watch called on all the warring parties to cease attacks on civilians, including aid workers, and immediately facilitate access of humanitarian assistance to civilians.
