FIDH and SOAT call for a strong stance on the settlement of the conflict in Darfur

Paris, Khartoum, 12 March 2008 – FIDH and its member organisation, SOAT, call on the Heads of States meeting in Dakar on 13 March 2008 on the occasion of the 11th session of the Islamic Summit Conference to take a strong stance on the settlement of the conflict in Darfur.

Over the past 5 years in the western region of Sudan civilians have continued to be killed, tortured and raped. Thousands of villages have been looted, destroyed and bombarded. Over 200,000 have been killed and more than 2m people have been displaced, with 250.000 Sudanese having sought refuge in the neighbouring Chad and Central African Republic. Here the local populations have been gravely affected by the spill over effect of the conflict in Darfur. In spite of the Abuja peace agreement and the subsequent peace talks, grave human rights and humanitarian law violations continue to be perpetrated in complete impunity.

FIDH and SOAT urge the Organisation of the Islamic Conference to call for : an effective peace negotiation process open to all the parties to the conflict; the immediate cessation of all attacks against civilian population; the establishment of an effective cease fire; the unhindered deployment of the UN/AU hybrid mission and of EUFOR troops in Chad and the Central African Republic; safe and unobstructed access to Darfur for human rights and humanitarian organisations; the Sudan’s full cooperation with the International Criminal Court on fighting impunity and ensuring accountability of those responsible for the gravest crimes, notably through the transfer to the Court of Mr Ahmed Haroun et Mr Ali Kushayb.

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