Page 10 - aruba-today-20190425

A10 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 25 april 2019
UN: Pro-government forces kill more Afghans than insurgents

By KATHY GANNON pro-government forces,
Associated Press including more than 1,000
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — civilian casualties from air-
Afghan and international strikes, the highest since the
forces were responsible for U.N. began keeping track
more civilian deaths in the 10 years ago.
first three months of 2019 In September, Masih Rah-
than the Taliban and other man’s family of 12 — his
militants, a new U.N. report wife, four daughters, three
said Wednesday. It marks sons and four nephews —
the first time in recent years were killed when a bomb
that civilian deaths attrib- flattened their home in
uted to government forces the Taliban-controlled Mul-
and their allies exceed- lah Hafiz village in central
ed those blamed on their Maidan Wardak province.
enemies. “It’s not just my family, there
The statistics reflects what are dozens of families just
many say is a growing like mine who have been
problem in Afghanistan’s lost in bombings,” Rahman
brutal war, in which civil- told The Associated Press
ians die not only in suicide this week. “The people
bombings and insurgent at- have no power. ... We are
tacks but also in the cross- United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) Human Rights Director Richard Bennett the ones who are dying.”
fire as Afghan forces and speaks during an interview with the Associated Press in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, April. 24, Rahman, who was work-
international allies pursue 2019. ing in Iran at the time of the
militants. Associated Press airstrike, blamed both pro-
The U.N. Assistance Mission called to assist Afghan forc- urged his ground forces to that were to start last week government forces and the
in Afghanistan reported es. More than 50% of the ci- take greater care to pro- in Qatar with the Taliban Taliban, saying a Taliban-
Wednesday that 581 civil- vilians killed were women tect civilian lives while con- and an array of prominent run prison was located just
ians were killed between and children, said Richard ducting search operations. Afghans, including govern- 400 meters (yards) from his
Jan. 1 and March 31, with Bennett, UNAMA’s human The resurgent Taliban, who ment officials and opposi- home.
Afghan forces and their rights director. now control nearly half the tion representatives, were He has since sought redress
allies responsible for 305 “These tactics have re- country, have also asked scuttled after a falling-out from the U.N. and has also
of those deaths. The insur- sulted in a high proportion their fighters to avoid civil- between the two sides over taken his case to Afghani-
gents were responsible for of deaths of civilians,” rais- ian casualties in their near- who should attend. stan’s Independent Human
wounding more civilians ing U.N. concerns, he said, daily attacks on govern- Butler said U.S. forces are Rights Commission, which
than the coalition forces, referring to airstrikes and ment forces. also concerned over the put out its own report on
the report said. search operations. U.S. military spokesman Col. civilian deaths. civilian casualties on Tues-
Nearly half of the civilian “Every death, every injury is Dave Butler said a cease- “We hold ourselves to the day. The commission said
deaths attributed to Af- a tragedy for civilians,” said fire would be the “best way highest standards of ac- 11,212 civilians were killed
ghan forces and their allies Bennett. “This remains an to end the suffering of non- curacy and accountability. or wounded between
occurred during airstrikes, intense conflict and there combatants.” We strive for precision in all March 31, 2018, and March
while some of the other are way too many civilians But the Taliban have re- of our operations,” he told 31 of this year. In just the last
civilians were killed during being killed and injured by fused to negotiate directly The Associated Press. 10 years of Afghanistan’s
searches and raids of mili- all parties.” with Ghani’s government, Last year’s U.N. report was 17-year war, the commis-
tant hideouts. U.S. forces Afghan President Ashraf even as they hold talks with the first to show a dramatic sion said 75,316 Afghan ci-
carry out airstrikes when Ghani earlier this year a U.S. peace envoy. Talks hike in civilian deaths by vilians had died.q

Myanmar lawmaker: 50 believed dead in mudslide at jade mine

Associated Press lapsed reservoir made from lars.” Local officials did not
NAYPYITAW, Myanmar (AP) a disused mining pit to con- answer phone calls seeking
— More than 50 people are tain materials discarded comment on the accident.
believed to have died in a from the mining process. Myanmar’s Information
mudslide at a jade mining The landscape in the area Ministry said on its Face-
site in northern Myanmar, a is extremely uneven, with book page that rescue op-
lawmaker representing the mountains of debris and erations have been carried
area said Tuesday. valleys formed from aban- out since Tuesday morning
Tin Soe said three bodies doned mines. The mud by local authorities togeth-
have been recovered and covered not only the work- er with social welfare orga-
54 people remain missing ers but also mining equip- nizations. A similar accident
after the accident Monday ment, including bulldozers involving the release of a
night in the Hpakant area and backhoes, from the massive amount of mud
of Kachin state. Myanmar Thuya Co. and occurred in March, dam-
“The rescue process will not 9 Dragons Co. Tin Soe said aging some equipment but
be easy as they’re under the missing were buried un- causing no deaths.
the mud, not just ordinary der mud up to 100 feet (30 Accidents involving heavy
soil. It is really difficult to get People stand atop a ridge overlooking the scene of a mudslide meters) deep. “There is no casualties in the jade min-
the bodies back,” he said. at a jade gemstone mining site Tuesday, April 23, 2019, in machine to pump out the ing area are not rare, but
The mud flowed down on Hpakant area of Kachin state, northern Myanmar. mud,” he said by phone. “It usually have a different
the workers from a col- Associated Press could cost millions of dol- cause.q