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A28 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 21 april 2020
NGOs urge UN to blacklist US, Russia for children’s deaths

By EDITH M. LEDERER dren," and Sudan's government become increasingly politicized, in Afghanistan, "yet the secretary-
Associated Press forces and police for killings, rape threatening to undermine the re- general failed to list them."
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — A coali- and sexual violence against chil- port's credibility and weaken its Sara Kayyali, a Syria researcher
tion of 13 human rights and hu- dren. strength as a tool for promoting at Human Rights Watch which is
manitarian organizations urged U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujar- accountability and compliance a founding member of Watchlist,
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio ric said the secretary-general's re- with applicable international law." said since the Russian air force
Guterres to put the U.S.-led co- port will be issued "mid-year." He Secretary-general Guterres has became part of the Syrian gov-
alition and government-backed had no comment on the Watchlist been issuing two lists every year, ernment alliance in 2015, over
forces in Afghanistan and Russian recommendations. one of governments and groups 5,000 children have been killed,
ground and air forces in Syria on The organization's 32-page report killing and injuring children in con- according to the U.N. children's
a U.N. blacklist of warring parties released Monday said the black- flicts and a second of parties that agency UNICEF.
responsible for killing and injuring list has served as an important tool have put in place measures to Some attacks in rebel-held Idlib in
children last year. to protect children by identifying protect children. Watchlist called northwest Syria have been directly
The international advocacy warring parties responsible for vio- on the U.N. chief to return to the linked to the Russian air force, but
group, the Watchlist on Children lating their rights. This has enabled previous practice of issuing a sin- it has never been listed, she said.
and Armed Conflict, also recom- the United Nations to engage with gle list. In addition to its recommenda-
mended that the coalition led by warring parties and obtain com- It questioned why, for example, tions for additions to the list, the
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab mitments to end and prevent vio- the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen Watchlist called for further investi-
Emirates and its allied militias be lations, leading to their removal was put on the list of taking ac- gations to determine whether the
listed for attacks on schools and from the list. tions to protect children, and why following parties should be added
hospitals in Yemen, and that Is- Watchlist program director Adri- it was taken off that list last year to the blacklist: Afghan forces
raeli forces be listed "for killing and anne Lapar said that to date the when its aircraft were still carrying and pro-government militias and
maiming children in Israel and the U.N. has signed 32 action plans out attacks on schools and hospi- Congo's national police for rape
state of Palestine." with listed parties, including 12 tals that killed and injured them. and other forms of sexual violence
In addition, the Watchlist said the government forces and 20 armed The Watchlist's Lapar told a video against children, the Saudi- and
U.N. chief should list dissidents groups. press briefing launching the report Emirati-led coalition and allied
of Colombia's main rebel group Of those, 12 parties have fully that "all violators should be held to militias for recruitment and use of
the FARC for recruiting and using complied with their commitment the same standards." children in Yemen, Israeli forces for
children, forces backing South and have been taken off the In Afghanistan, she said, U.S.-led attacks on Palestinian schools and
Sudan's former opposition leader blacklist, she said. international forces were respon- hospitals, and forces allied with
and current Vice-President Riek But in recent years, the Watchlist sible for 286 child casualties in Libya's east-based commander
Machar "for rape and other forms said, the process for determining 2018 and 235 child casualties in Khalifa Haftar for killing and injur-
of sexual violence against chil- who is included on the list "has 2019 according to the U.N. mission ing children.q

Canada's worst mass shooting leaves at least 18 dead

By ROB GILLIES Justin Trudeau noted how town, like all of Canada,
Associated Press close-knit Nova Scotia is. had been adhering to gov-
TORONTO (AP) — Canadi- "The vast majority of Nova ernment advice to remain
ans on Monday mourned Scotians will have a direct at home because of the
the shocking rampage that link with one or more of the coronavirus pandemic and
left at least 18 dead in rural victims. The entire province most of the victims were in-
communities across Nova and country is grieving right side their homes when the
Scotia, after a gunman dis- now as we come to grips attack began.
guised as a police officer with something that is un- Several bodies were later
opened fire on people hun- imaginable," Trudeau told found inside and outside
kered down in their homes, an earlier news confer- one house on Portapique
setting houses ablaze in the ence. Beach Road, the street
deadliest mass shooting in "The pandemic will prevent where the suspect lived,
the country's history. us from mourning together authorities said.
Officials said the suspect, in person, but a vigil will be Bodies were also found
identified as 51-year-old held virtually to celebrate at several other locations
Gabriel Wortman, also died the lives of the victims," within about a 50-kilome-
in the weekend attack. Po- This undated photo provided by the Royal Canadian Mounted Trudeau said, adding it ter (30-mile) area from the
lice did not provide a mo- Police shows Constable Heidi Stevenson, who was killed in a would take place Friday neighborhood where the
tive for the killings. weekend shooting rampage by a gunman disguised as a police night through a Facebook shootings began, and au-
Royal Canadian Mounted officer in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. group. thorities believe the shooter
Police Chief Superinten- Associated Press. Trudeau asked the media may have targeted his first
dent Chris Leather told a knew Wortman and some homes which burnt to the to avoid mentioning the victims but then began at-
news conference Monday didn't. ground." name of the assailant or tacking randomly. At least
that police expect to find "We're relatively confident The dead included a po- showing his picture. four forensic vans were
more victims once they are we've identified all the licewoman. Another offi- "Do not give this person the seen Monday morning en-
able to comb through all crime scenes. However cer was wounded by gun- gift of infamy," he said. tering the neighborhood
the crime scenes, some of we have been unable to fire and was recovering at The 12-hour rampage be- where the shootings be-
which were left in smolder- fully examine all the crime home, Leather said. gan late Saturday in the gan.
ing ruins. scenes," Leather said. "We "The 18 innocent lives rural town of Portapique, Authorities said the sus-
Leather said police teams have had five structure lost will be remembered about 60 miles (100 kilome- pected gunman wore a
were spread out at 16 fires, most of those being throughout Canada's his- ters) north of Halifax, where police uniform at one point
crime scenes in central residences, and we believe tory," Public Safety Minister police told residents over- and made his car look like
and northern Nova Scotia. there may be victims still Bill Blair said . night to lock their doors and a Royal Canadian Mount-
He said some of the victims within the remains of those Canadian Prime Minister stay in their basements. The ed Police cruiser. q