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Sudan Tribune

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Sudan re-denies humanitarian access to Darfur camps amid international outcries

August 17, 2010 (KHARTOUM) — Sudan has reinstated a ban on humanitarian access to Kalma IDP camp in south Darfur, one day after allowing a small team of aid representatives to enter the camp and assess the situation there for the first time in two weeks since the camp steeped in violent clashes, UN officials say.

MSF doctor administrating medicine to refugees at Kalma camp
MSF doctor administrating medicine to refugees at Kalma camp
Kalma camp, one of the largest in region and home to 82.000 people affected by the seven-year conflict in Darfur, was two weeks ago the theatre of violent clashes between refugees opposed to Darfur peace talks and others who supported them.

The incidents resulted in five causalities and catapulted the relationship between the government and UNAMID to a tense point over the sheltering of six refugees wanted by the government at the mission’s headquarters.

Access to Kalma camp has been suspended since 2 August but the government on Monday, August 16, allowed a small team of aid workers to access the camp and assess humanitarian conditions. According to Samuel Hendricks, spokesman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Sudan, the team visited different areas of the camp and found that IDPs vacated some parts because of violence. He pointed out that team also delivered fuel for water pumps and medicine to one clinic.

But Farhan Haq, UN’s deputy spokesman, told AP that representatives of UN agencies and humanitarian organizations yesterday tried “to return to Kalma Camp to further assess conditions and additional humanitarian needs but were denied access.”

UN’s secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, on Monday expressed concern over the situation in the restive region and urged the Sudanese government to ensure humanitarian access to IDP camps.

The Geneva-based organization, Human Rights and Advocacy Network for Democracy (HAND), has warned that the humanitarian situation in Darfur IDP camp is worsening and accused the government of preparing for an imminent military offensive against IDPs in Kalma camp.

In a statement seen by Sudan Tribune , HAND cited reports of “military buildups and mobilization of government security forces around Kalma camp in an indication of imminent military operations in the area.”

The organization also said that there were “reports that the government has distributed more than 1,500 AK47 rifles and Kalashnikov to members of the Dajo tribe through Omda Salah el Deen in Kalma camp.”

“Machine guns, including RPG rockets were also distributed to the nomad militias in Ishma area (25 km South-East of Nyala)” added HAND’s statement.

Sudan has been deliberately derailing the work of Western aid groups in Darfur and expelling their staff since March 2008 when the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for president Al-Bashir on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur.

(ST)

3 Comments

  • kitir
    kitir

    Sudan re-denies humanitarian access to Darfur camps amid international outcries
    Expressing concern by banki moon is worthless, unless a vigorous step taken to enforce the regime to respects its obligations towards these desperate IDPs, it unimaginable, leaving theses vulnerable IDPs without food or water for two weeks. The regime’s culprit are planning to dismantle Kalama (headache) by striving, terrorizing, threatening of the IDPs with complicity of Mr. Gambari of UNAMID. Impeding the IDPs to get access to water, foot, sanitation is a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, by this heinous comportments the regime revealed its cruel motivations to launch a new episode of genocide in Darfur, thus ,The international community committing enormous mistake, by closing eye on the precarious conditions in Kalma, the reports on distributing arms in IDPs camps should taken seriously considered and investigated by the UNAMID to avoid more bloodshed amongst the innocent IDPs.

    Reply
  • telfajbago
    telfajbago

    Sudan re-denies humanitarian access to Darfur camps amid international outcries
    The regime is using denial of humanitarian access as tool of war against the innocent IDPs who had nothing in common with the rebel except their ethnic profile. The International Community is assisting the regime to implement its crimes against these innocent people by maintaining soft stand and not acting. Until when the humanitarian workers held to enter the camps every now and then by the regime and the International Community cries and voicing concern always. The regime must be made to understand that humanitarian needs to these people are not alms so that he can give or deny at any time or else the game will continue until all the IDPs are cleansed.

    Reply
  • DASODIKO
    DASODIKO

    Sudan re-denies humanitarian access to Darfur camps amid international outcries
    The National Congress Party was testing water since the begining of the deployment of the first group of AU forces in Dafur with the condition of the ruling party. Gradually when UN want to do this in Darfur or in South Sudan NCP will say no and then put thier condition to the International body and UN accept what is conditioned by the NCP. Now the National Congress Party after they made sure that UN plus the International Community have become teethless lions; now they impose their own will to these bodies and UN have no option but to listen to what Bashir and his gangasters want.

    Its really shameful!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
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