Page 6 - aruba-today-20230628

A6 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 28 June 2023
Sudan violence likely to push over 1 million refugees out of the

African country by October, UN says

By JACK JEFFERY the trends, that the con-
Associated Press flict will continue and that
CAIRO (AP) — The United many in Sudan will opt to
Nations said Tuesday the (go to) Egypt,” Mazou said.
surging violence in Sudan Peace negations medi-
is likely to drive more than ated by the U.S. and Saudi
1 million refugees out of the Arabia in the Saudi coastal
African country by Octo- town of Jeddah have all
ber, as the 10-week conflict but broken down. The talks,
shows few signs of easing. which led to at last nine
Sudan descended into cease-fires, were formally
chaos after fighting erupt- adjourned last week with
ed in mid-April between both mediators publicly
the military, led by Gen. criticizing the RSF and the
Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and army for continually violat-
the paramilitary Rapid Sup- ing agreed truces.
port Forces, commanded Throughout the conflict,
by Gen. Mohammed Ham- residential areas and hospi-
dan Dagalo. Since then, tals in Khartoum have been
over 3,000 people have pounded by army airstrikes,
been killed, the country’s while RSF troops who have
Health Ministry said, while the upper hand on the
about 2.5 million people city’s streets have com-
have been displaced, ac- Smoke rises over Khartoum, Sudan, Friday, June 23, 2023. mandeered civilian homes
cording to the U.N. Associated Press across the capital and
The violence has been “We were talking about Geneva. He estimated that more turned them into bases.
most acute in the capi- 100,000 people in six The province of West Darfur than 5,000 people were Sexual violence, including
tal, Khartoum, but also in months (fleeing to) Chad. has seen some of the worst killed in the province’s cap- the rape of women and
the western Darfur region, And now the colleagues in violence. In a report last ital, Genena, over the past girls, has been reported
where RSF and Arab militias Chad have revised their fig- week issued by the Dar Ma- two months. in Khartoum and Darfur.
are reportedly targeting ures to 245,000,” said Raouf salit sultanate, the leader So far over 560,000 Suda- Almost all reported cases
non-Arab tribes, local rights Mazou, assistant secretary- of the African Masalit eth- nese have escaped to of sexual attacks were
groups and the U.N. said. general at United Nations nic community accused neighboring countries, with blamed on the RSF, which
Most of those who have High Commission for Refu- the RSF and Arab militias Egypt being the primary hasn’t responded to re-
escaped have fled east to gees, at a news confer- of “committing genocide destination. “We expect, peated requests for com-
Chad. ence in the Swiss city of against African civilians.” unfortunately, looking at ment. q

ICC authorizes reopening probe into Venezuela security forces

By MIKE CORDER uro because the country’s Americ a after Venezu- ro’s government,” Juanita preliminary probe and in
Associated Press own probe has fallen short, ela asked to take over the Goebertus, the group’s 2020 said she found a rea-
THE HAGUE, Netherlands the International Criminal case in April last year. Americas Director, said. sonable basis to conclude
(AP) — International pros- Court ruled Tuesday. Seven months later, Pros- “The decision confirms that that crimes against hu-
ecutors should resume in- The court had suspended ecutor Karim Khan sought Venezuela is not acting to manity had been commit-
vestigating alleged crimes an investigation into al- to reopen his investigation, bring justice for the crimes ted in Venezuela, since at
against humanity in Vene- leged wrongdoing includ- saying that Venezuelan likely to be within the ICC’s least April 2017. Bensouda’s
zuela by security forces un- ing use of excessive force efforts toward delivering investigation. probe focused mainly on
der President Nicolás Mad- and torture its first in Latin justice “remain either in- Impunity remains the allegations of excessive
sufficient in scope or have norm.” force, arbitrary detention
not yet had any concrete The decision comes less and torture by security forc-
impact on potentially rel- than three weeks after es during a crackdown on
evant proceedings.” Khan visited Venezuela anti-government protests in
Judges agreed, and the and signed a memoran- 2017.
court said in a statement dum of understanding with The ICC is a court of last
Tuesday that Venezuela’s Maduro to establish an of- resort that investigates al-
actions do “not sufficiently fice for ICC prosecutors in leged war crimes, crimes
mirror the scope” of the the country. against humanity and oth-
intended investigation, in- The case was brought to er grave offenses when na-
cluding by failing to focus the court in 2018 by mem- tions are unable, or unwill-
on more than just low-level ber states Argentina, Can- ing, to do so.
perpetrators. ada, Colombia, Chile, Judges said that Venezu-
Human Rights Watch wel- Paraguay and Peru, who elan investigations ap-
comed the ruling. sought an investigation into peared to be focused on
“With today’s decision, ICC alleged crimes in Venezue- low-level perpetrators. The
Public Prosecutor Karim Khan prepares for the trial of Mahamat judges have greenlighted la since early 2014, the year ICC seeks to prosecute se-
Said Abdel Kani at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, the only credible pathway after Maduro took office. nior commanders deemed
Netherlands, Monday, Sept. 26, 2022.
Associated Press to justice for the victims of Khan’s predecessor, Fatou responsible for crimes.q
abuses by Nicolás Madu- Bensouda, conducted a