OHCHR / DARFUR KILLINGS

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet called on Wednesday on the Sudanese authorities to protect the population of West Darfur and take urgent steps to prevent further outbreaks of communal violence after more than a hundred people were killed in attacks by armed assailants between 22 and 24 April. OHCHR

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:25
• Production Date: 27 April 2022
• Asset Language: English
• Personal Subject: RAVINA SHAMDASANI
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS - UNHCHR
• Subject Topical: HUMAN RIGHTS
• Geographic Subject: DARFUR; SUDAN
• MAMS Id: 2732264
• Parent Id: 2732264
• Alternate Title: unifeed220427f

Description

STORY: OHCHR / DARFUR KILLINGS
TRT: 01:25
SOURCE: OHCHR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 27 APRIL 2022, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / FILE

Shotlist

FILE - GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

1. Wide shot, Palais Wilson exterior

27 APRIL 2022, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR):
“We are appalled by reports that at least 159 people were killed in Kerenik on 22 and 24 April, thousands have been displaced, and at least 107 injured. Five villages in the region were attacked. We are concerned that this region continues to see repeated, serious incidents of intercommunal violence, with mass casualties. While initial measures taken by the authorities to calm tensions are welcome, we urge the authorities to address the underlying causes of violence in this region and fulfill their responsibility to protect the population.”
3. Wide shot, Palais Wilson exterior
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR):
“The UN high commissioner for human rights urges the authorities to ensure that the many people injured in Kerenik, who have not received medical care, do receive this care promptly and facilitate humanitarian assistance for the displaced. We also call on the Sudanese authorities to conduct prompt, thorough, impartial, and independent investigations into these attacks and hold all those responsible to account in accordance with international human rights law. The victims and their families have a right to effective remedies. We urge them to accelerate the long-delayed implementation of the security measures set out in the Juba Peace Agreement.”
5. Wide shot, Palais Wilson exterior

Storyline

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet called on Wednesday on the Sudanese authorities to protect the population of West Darfur and take urgent steps to prevent further outbreaks of communal violence after more than a hundred people were killed in attacks by armed assailants between 22 and 24 April.

“We are appalled by reports that at least 159 people were killed in Kerenik on 22 and 24 April, thousands have been displaced, and at least 107 injured. Five villages in the region were attacked,” said Shamdasani.

More than 1,000 armed members of the Arab Rzeigat community attacked Kerenik town on 22 April following the killing of two Rzeigat men by unknown perpetrators. At least eight men belonging to the African Masalit tribe and seven Arab men were killed in the attack, and at least 17 people from the Masalit community were injured, including one woman and three children.

Joint security forces were deployed to Kerenik on 23 April but reportedly retreated in the face of another large-scale attack by Rzeigat assailants on 24 April, during which they took control of the town for several hours, looted and torched hundreds of shops and houses, and opened fire on public buildings where many had sought shelter, including a hospital and a police station. At least 151 people were killed, including at least 27 women and 17 children, and more than 90 injured. Three people were reportedly killed inside the hospital, including two medical workers. The violence also spread to El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur.

“We are concerned that this region continues to see repeated, serious incidents of intercommunal violence, with mass casualties. While initial measures taken by the authorities to calm tensions are welcome, we urge the authorities to address the underlying causes of violence in this region and fulfill their responsibility to protect the population,” she added.

“The UN high commissioner for human rights urges the authorities to ensure that the many people injured in Kerenik, who have not received medical care, do receive this care promptly, and facilitate humanitarian assistance for the displaced,” Shamdasani said.

“We also call on the Sudanese authorities to conduct prompt, thorough, impartial, and independent investigations into these attacks and hold all those responsible to account in accordance with international human rights law. The victims and their families have a right to effective remedies.”

The human rights situation in Sudan has continued to deteriorate since the military coup of 25 October 2021.

In conclusion, Shamdasani said, “we urge them to accelerate the long-delayed implementation of the security measures set out in the Juba Peace Agreement.”