Press briefings notes on Syria and Central African Republic
Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Rupert Colville
Location: Geneva
Date: 11 February 2014
Subjects: 1) Syria & 2) Central African Republic
1) Syria
We welcome reports that the parties to the conflict in Syria have
agreed to extend the humanitarian pause in Old Homs for three more days.
The delivery of long-awaited and much-needed humanitarian aid to Old
Homs is a very welcome development, as is the fact that hundreds of
beleaguered, traumatized, sick and injured civilians have finally been
allowed to leave the conflict zone.
It is, however, disgraceful that UN and Syrian Arab Red Crescent aid
workers delivering food and medical aid on Sunday were clearly targeted
when the previous agreement to halt the fighting during the humanitarian
operations was breached. It is a war crime to deliberately fire on
those carrying out humanitarian operations.
We are also deeply concerned to learn that a number of boys and men
and their families were seized by the authorities as they left the
besieged area. It is essential that they do not come to any harm, and
along with our colleagues in other UN organizations we will continue to
press for their proper treatment according to the international
humanitarian and human rights law.
Those not engaged in hostilities must be free to move to safe areas.
Evacuations must be voluntary and should not amount to forced
displacement or evictions. It is important that all parties to the
conflict respect international humanitarian law and international human
rights law, including the prohibition on indiscriminate and
disproportionate attacks.
The protections contained in Common Article
3 of the Geneva Conventions, as a minimum must be respected. These
include the absolute prohibition of a number of acts against persons
taking no active part in the hostilities, including members of armed
forces who have laid down their arms, and those placed ' hors de combat '
by sickness, wounds, detention, or any other cause. The prohibited acts
are violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds,
mutilation, cruel treatment and torture; taking of hostages; and
outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading
treatment.
There must not be an assumption that those who remain in Old Homs and
other besieged areas are all combatants. In addition, attacks against
individuals who are hors de combat due to sickness, injury, capture or
surrender, are prohibited by international humanitarian law.
The High Commissioner and other UN and humanitarian partners have,
for many months, been urging safe passage for civilians and humanitarian
access to all besieged areas of Syria. At least 240,000 people are
estimated to be in areas under siege in the country, and we plan to
issue a wider analysis of this situation in the coming days.
We renew our calls for unimpeded, continued and safe access to all the besieged areas of the country.
Under international human rights law, notably the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, States are bound by
core obligations to ensure minimum essential food which is sufficient,
nutritionally adequate and safe, to ensure freedom from hunger;
essential primary health care, including essential medicine; essential
basic shelter and housing, including sanitation; access to the minimum
essential amount of water, that is sufficient and safe for personal and
domestic uses to prevent disease.
Almost none of these obligations have been met in Old Homs, and
various other besieged areas in recent months, and it is important that
the small breakthrough we are seeing in Homs is rapidly expanded, so
that more people are delivered from the atrocious suffering ,
deprivation and constant risk of injury and death they are currently
facing in many locations across Syria.
2) Central African Republic
The security situation in Bangui continues to deteriorate, with
targeted assassinations, increased violence and criminality on the
streets. There are reports that anti-Balaka militants are extorting
money from small businesses and individuals.
On Sunday, a member of the National Transitional Council,
Jean-Emmanuel Ndjaroua, was assassinated in front of his residence in
broad daylight, weeks after two of his children were killed. Houses of
Séléka ministers, including that of the former Minister of Justice, were
looted. Two magistrates were attacked, with one wounded and taken to
hospital while another managed to escape. Also on Sunday, the Rwandan
component of MISCA, the African Union peacekeeping mission, intervened
to stop a mob from killing a Muslim man accused of attacking a woman.
UN human rights staff in the Central African Republic also conducted a
mission to Boda, a town about 100 kilometres west of Bangui, where 92
people were reportedly killed between 30 January and 5 February in
tit-for-tat attacks on religious grounds. Upon the departure of
ex-Séléka from the town on 29 January, anti-Balaka launched an offensive
against the Muslim population of Boda. Young Muslims from the town then
retaliated in a killing spree and by burning down businesses. The team
found houses scorched and the population displaced, split along
religious lines.
Particularly worrying is the climate of complete impunity in the
country, illustrated most glaringly by public statements from
anti-Balaka elements claiming responsibility for the crimes and murders
they have committed. Such brazen admissions are furthering the culture
of impunity and encouraging more people to resort to violence. We are
also concerned that some members of the National Transitional Council
itself have made public statements within parliament which could
instigate inter-communal violence. A number of parliamentarians
reportedly stated that the brutal lynching of a man on 5 February,
during which his body was dismembered and burnt by the armed forces of
the Central African Republic, was justified.
We are working with various parties to try to re-start the judicial
process in Bangui towards combating the pervasive impunity in the
country. We also welcome the preliminary examination by the
International Criminal Court into the crimes committed in recent months
in the Central African Republic.
We take this opportunity to recall that fundamental rights of Central
African people and foreigners must be respected in all circumstances
and that the leadership of ex-Séléka, anti-Balaka and FACA, the armed
forces of the country, have the responsibility to protect those rights
in the areas under their effective control. They will be held personally
accountable for human rights violations perpetrated by those under
their control.
ENDS
For more information or media requests, please contact Rupert Colville (+41 22 917 9767 / rcolville@ohchr.org) or Ravina Shamdasani (+41 22 917 9169 / rshamdasani@ohchr.org )
UN Human Rights, follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unitednationshumanrights
Twitter: http://twitter.com/UNrightswire
Google+ gplus.to/unitednationshumanrights
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/UNOHCHR
Storify: http://storify.com/UNrightswire
Check the Universal Human Rights Index: http://uhri.ohchr.org/en
Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Rupert Colville
Location: Geneva
Date: 11 February 2014
Subjects: 1) Syria & 2) Central African Republic
1) Syria
We welcome reports that the parties to the conflict in Syria have
agreed to extend the humanitarian pause in Old Homs for three more days.
The delivery of long-awaited and much-needed humanitarian aid to Old
Homs is a very welcome development, as is the fact that hundreds of
beleaguered, traumatized, sick and injured civilians have finally been
allowed to leave the conflict zone.
It is, however, disgraceful that UN and Syrian Arab Red Crescent aid
workers delivering food and medical aid on Sunday were clearly targeted
when the previous agreement to halt the fighting during the humanitarian
operations was breached. It is a war crime to deliberately fire on
those carrying out humanitarian operations.
We are also deeply concerned to learn that a number of boys and men
and their families were seized by the authorities as they left the
besieged area. It is essential that they do not come to any harm, and
along with our colleagues in other UN organizations we will continue to
press for their proper treatment according to the international
humanitarian and human rights law.
Those not engaged in hostilities must be free to move to safe areas.
Evacuations must be voluntary and should not amount to forced
displacement or evictions. It is important that all parties to the
conflict respect international humanitarian law and international human
rights law, including the prohibition on indiscriminate and
disproportionate attacks.
The protections contained in Common Article
3 of the Geneva Conventions, as a minimum must be respected. These
include the absolute prohibition of a number of acts against persons
taking no active part in the hostilities, including members of armed
forces who have laid down their arms, and those placed ' hors de combat '
by sickness, wounds, detention, or any other cause. The prohibited acts
are violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds,
mutilation, cruel treatment and torture; taking of hostages; and
outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading
treatment.
There must not be an assumption that those who remain in Old Homs and
other besieged areas are all combatants. In addition, attacks against
individuals who are hors de combat due to sickness, injury, capture or
surrender, are prohibited by international humanitarian law.
The High Commissioner and other UN and humanitarian partners have,
for many months, been urging safe passage for civilians and humanitarian
access to all besieged areas of Syria. At least 240,000 people are
estimated to be in areas under siege in the country, and we plan to
issue a wider analysis of this situation in the coming days.
We renew our calls for unimpeded, continued and safe access to all the besieged areas of the country.
Under international human rights law, notably the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, States are bound by
core obligations to ensure minimum essential food which is sufficient,
nutritionally adequate and safe, to ensure freedom from hunger;
essential primary health care, including essential medicine; essential
basic shelter and housing, including sanitation; access to the minimum
essential amount of water, that is sufficient and safe for personal and
domestic uses to prevent disease.
Almost none of these obligations have been met in Old Homs, and
various other besieged areas in recent months, and it is important that
the small breakthrough we are seeing in Homs is rapidly expanded, so
that more people are delivered from the atrocious suffering ,
deprivation and constant risk of injury and death they are currently
facing in many locations across Syria.
2) Central African Republic
The security situation in Bangui continues to deteriorate, with
targeted assassinations, increased violence and criminality on the
streets. There are reports that anti-Balaka militants are extorting
money from small businesses and individuals.
On Sunday, a member of the National Transitional Council,
Jean-Emmanuel Ndjaroua, was assassinated in front of his residence in
broad daylight, weeks after two of his children were killed. Houses of
Séléka ministers, including that of the former Minister of Justice, were
looted. Two magistrates were attacked, with one wounded and taken to
hospital while another managed to escape. Also on Sunday, the Rwandan
component of MISCA, the African Union peacekeeping mission, intervened
to stop a mob from killing a Muslim man accused of attacking a woman.
UN human rights staff in the Central African Republic also conducted a
mission to Boda, a town about 100 kilometres west of Bangui, where 92
people were reportedly killed between 30 January and 5 February in
tit-for-tat attacks on religious grounds. Upon the departure of
ex-Séléka from the town on 29 January, anti-Balaka launched an offensive
against the Muslim population of Boda. Young Muslims from the town then
retaliated in a killing spree and by burning down businesses. The team
found houses scorched and the population displaced, split along
religious lines.
Particularly worrying is the climate of complete impunity in the
country, illustrated most glaringly by public statements from
anti-Balaka elements claiming responsibility for the crimes and murders
they have committed. Such brazen admissions are furthering the culture
of impunity and encouraging more people to resort to violence. We are
also concerned that some members of the National Transitional Council
itself have made public statements within parliament which could
instigate inter-communal violence. A number of parliamentarians
reportedly stated that the brutal lynching of a man on 5 February,
during which his body was dismembered and burnt by the armed forces of
the Central African Republic, was justified.
We are working with various parties to try to re-start the judicial
process in Bangui towards combating the pervasive impunity in the
country. We also welcome the preliminary examination by the
International Criminal Court into the crimes committed in recent months
in the Central African Republic.
We take this opportunity to recall that fundamental rights of Central
African people and foreigners must be respected in all circumstances
and that the leadership of ex-Séléka, anti-Balaka and FACA, the armed
forces of the country, have the responsibility to protect those rights
in the areas under their effective control. They will be held personally
accountable for human rights violations perpetrated by those under
their control.
ENDS
For more information or media requests, please contact Rupert Colville (+41 22 917 9767 / rcolville@ohchr.org) or Ravina Shamdasani (+41 22 917 9169 / rshamdasani@ohchr.org )
UN Human Rights, follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unitednationshumanrights
Twitter: http://twitter.com/UNrightswire
Google+ gplus.to/unitednationshumanrights
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/UNOHCHR
Storify: http://storify.com/UNrightswire
Check the Universal Human Rights Index: http://uhri.ohchr.org/en
Location: Geneva
Date: 11 February 2014
Subjects: 1) Syria & 2) Central African Republic
1) Syria
We welcome reports that the parties to the conflict in Syria have
agreed to extend the humanitarian pause in Old Homs for three more days.
The delivery of long-awaited and much-needed humanitarian aid to Old
Homs is a very welcome development, as is the fact that hundreds of
beleaguered, traumatized, sick and injured civilians have finally been
allowed to leave the conflict zone.
It is, however, disgraceful that UN and Syrian Arab Red Crescent aid
workers delivering food and medical aid on Sunday were clearly targeted
when the previous agreement to halt the fighting during the humanitarian
operations was breached. It is a war crime to deliberately fire on
those carrying out humanitarian operations.
We are also deeply concerned to learn that a number of boys and men
and their families were seized by the authorities as they left the
besieged area. It is essential that they do not come to any harm, and
along with our colleagues in other UN organizations we will continue to
press for their proper treatment according to the international
humanitarian and human rights law.
Those not engaged in hostilities must be free to move to safe areas.
Evacuations must be voluntary and should not amount to forced
displacement or evictions. It is important that all parties to the
conflict respect international humanitarian law and international human
rights law, including the prohibition on indiscriminate and
disproportionate attacks.
The protections contained in Common Article
3 of the Geneva Conventions, as a minimum must be respected. These
include the absolute prohibition of a number of acts against persons
taking no active part in the hostilities, including members of armed
forces who have laid down their arms, and those placed ' hors de combat '
by sickness, wounds, detention, or any other cause. The prohibited acts
are violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds,
mutilation, cruel treatment and torture; taking of hostages; and
outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading
treatment.
There must not be an assumption that those who remain in Old Homs and
other besieged areas are all combatants. In addition, attacks against
individuals who are hors de combat due to sickness, injury, capture or
surrender, are prohibited by international humanitarian law.
The High Commissioner and other UN and humanitarian partners have,
for many months, been urging safe passage for civilians and humanitarian
access to all besieged areas of Syria. At least 240,000 people are
estimated to be in areas under siege in the country, and we plan to
issue a wider analysis of this situation in the coming days.
We renew our calls for unimpeded, continued and safe access to all the besieged areas of the country.
Under international human rights law, notably the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, States are bound by
core obligations to ensure minimum essential food which is sufficient,
nutritionally adequate and safe, to ensure freedom from hunger;
essential primary health care, including essential medicine; essential
basic shelter and housing, including sanitation; access to the minimum
essential amount of water, that is sufficient and safe for personal and
domestic uses to prevent disease.
Almost none of these obligations have been met in Old Homs, and
various other besieged areas in recent months, and it is important that
the small breakthrough we are seeing in Homs is rapidly expanded, so
that more people are delivered from the atrocious suffering ,
deprivation and constant risk of injury and death they are currently
facing in many locations across Syria.
2) Central African Republic
The security situation in Bangui continues to deteriorate, with
targeted assassinations, increased violence and criminality on the
streets. There are reports that anti-Balaka militants are extorting
money from small businesses and individuals.
On Sunday, a member of the National Transitional Council,
Jean-Emmanuel Ndjaroua, was assassinated in front of his residence in
broad daylight, weeks after two of his children were killed. Houses of
Séléka ministers, including that of the former Minister of Justice, were
looted. Two magistrates were attacked, with one wounded and taken to
hospital while another managed to escape. Also on Sunday, the Rwandan
component of MISCA, the African Union peacekeeping mission, intervened
to stop a mob from killing a Muslim man accused of attacking a woman.
UN human rights staff in the Central African Republic also conducted a
mission to Boda, a town about 100 kilometres west of Bangui, where 92
people were reportedly killed between 30 January and 5 February in
tit-for-tat attacks on religious grounds. Upon the departure of
ex-Séléka from the town on 29 January, anti-Balaka launched an offensive
against the Muslim population of Boda. Young Muslims from the town then
retaliated in a killing spree and by burning down businesses. The team
found houses scorched and the population displaced, split along
religious lines.
Particularly worrying is the climate of complete impunity in the
country, illustrated most glaringly by public statements from
anti-Balaka elements claiming responsibility for the crimes and murders
they have committed. Such brazen admissions are furthering the culture
of impunity and encouraging more people to resort to violence. We are
also concerned that some members of the National Transitional Council
itself have made public statements within parliament which could
instigate inter-communal violence. A number of parliamentarians
reportedly stated that the brutal lynching of a man on 5 February,
during which his body was dismembered and burnt by the armed forces of
the Central African Republic, was justified.
We are working with various parties to try to re-start the judicial
process in Bangui towards combating the pervasive impunity in the
country. We also welcome the preliminary examination by the
International Criminal Court into the crimes committed in recent months
in the Central African Republic.
We take this opportunity to recall that fundamental rights of Central
African people and foreigners must be respected in all circumstances
and that the leadership of ex-Séléka, anti-Balaka and FACA, the armed
forces of the country, have the responsibility to protect those rights
in the areas under their effective control. They will be held personally
accountable for human rights violations perpetrated by those under
their control.
ENDS
For more information or media requests, please contact Rupert Colville (+41 22 917 9767 / rcolville@ohchr.org) or Ravina Shamdasani (+41 22 917 9169 / rshamdasani@ohchr.org )
UN Human Rights, follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unitednationshumanrights
Twitter: http://twitter.com/UNrightswire
Google+ gplus.to/unitednationshumanrights
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/UNOHCHR
Storify: http://storify.com/UNrightswire
Check the Universal Human Rights Index: http://uhri.ohchr.org/en
