International Federation
for Human Rights

Our organizations commend the adoption yesterday by the United Nations Security Council of Resolution 1778 (2007) authorizing the establishment of a « multidimensional force » in eastern Chad and in north-eastern Central African Republic (CAR), mandated to protect refugees, displaced persons and civilian populations in danger, as well as to promote and strengthen the respect of human rights and the rule of law.
This Resolution, which echoes Security Council Resolution 1769 (2007) adopted on June 12, 2007 and authorizing the deployment in Darfur of the United Nations – African Union hybrid force, comes as an answer to the multiple calls made by FIDH and its member organizations in CAR and Chad for the protection of civilian populations victims of serious human rights and humanitarian violations caused by the sub-regional extension of the Darfur conflict.
Back from aninternational investigatory mission in Sudanese refugee camps in Chad last June 2007, FIDH alerted the international community of the security situation’s precariousness of the Chad civilian population victim of recurrent attacks by the Sudanese militias known as Janjawids; clashes between the army and Chad rebels based in Darfur; murderous tensions between "Arab" and "African" ethnicities exacerbated by inter-ethnic violence in neighbor Darfur. In north-eastern Central African Republic, the civilian population is also victim of fighting between CAR military personnel and rebels based in Darfur. As a consequence of Darfur’s conflict and its regional impacts, more than 250.000 Sudanese have taken refuge in Chad and CAR and almost 170.000 Chadians have been forced to flee their home, creating a true humanitarian disaster.
The Security Council Resolution authorizes the establishment of the "MINURCAT", a United Nations mission composed of 300 police and 50 military liaison officers, as well as civilian staff, mandated to ensure that Sudanese refugees in Chad, displaced persons and civilians are safe, and to support the Chadian police for humanitarian protection ("Police tchadienne pour la protection humanitaire" - PTPH). The mission is also tasked to promote and protect human rights, with particular attention given to the fight against impunity. The resolution further authorizes the deployment of a European Union force, composed of military personnel, and mandated to contribute to protecting civilians in danger, to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and to contribute to protecting United Nations personnel.

Consequently, our organizations call upon
The European Union:
– To immediately take all measures to become operational and ensure the speedy deployment of the force;
– To guarantee the neutrality of the force, considering the implication of French army in Chad and in CAR in the name of military cooperation;
The international community:
– To provide, as soon as possible, the human and budgetary resources necessary to the MINURCAT for the realization of its mandate, in particular with regards to human rights and the rule of law, in cooperation with local and independent organizations for the defense of human rights;
– To strengthen cooperation with the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in CAR, Sudan and in Chad, and in particularly to support the arrest of the two Sudanese suspects against which the ICC has issued arrest warrants;

The future multidimensional force, MINURCAT:
– To support the work of ICC Prosecutor, to which the situations of Darfur and CAR were referred to, in order to contribute to the fight against impunity of authors of the most serious crimes perpetrated in the sub-region;

The Chadian and Central African governments:
– To facilitate the speedy deployment of the multidimensional force, to be more greatly involved in the fight against the impunity of authors of the most serious crimes and to pursue their efforts for the political settlement of the conflicts opposing them to rebels;

The Security Council:
– To immediately consider the worrying situation in north-eastern CAR where serious human rights and humanitarian violations are perpetrated in the conflict opposing the CAR army and rebels;

International Federation for Human Rights - FIDH

Association tchadienne pour la promotion et la défense des droits de l’Homme – ATPDH