By Danielle Gwozdz
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

JUBA, South Sudan – 120,000 South Sudanese hiding out in malaria-infested swamps cannot receive medical attention because the South Sudan government has prevented humanitarian aid from entering the outside areas of Pibor County, where the victims are hiding. The medical charity Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) stated that the thousands of displaced people will die unless the government allows aid in.

In early May, thousands of South Sudanese fled because of the fighting between the government and South Sudan’s rebels. Now the government’s army has refused to allow or facilitate the provisions of emergency medicines, food, and water to the displaced South Sudanese. Those hiding have no access to safe water, food, or medical care.

“MSF knows from years of experience in Jonglei that without medical care people will not be able to live for long and will die of pneumonia and other respiratory diseases,” MSF’s director of operations, Bart Janssens, said in a statement.

This time of the year is the rainy season, which means the area where people are hiding will flood. Also,  malarial mosquitos will be in the area and those sleeping outside will be easy targets for the mosquitos.

Aid agencies were in this area until May 10^th, when security forces went on a rampage and looted several agencies’ compounds and homes, including MSF’s hospital. However, the army denies regular soldiers were involved in this attack, claiming a state wildlife force caused this damage.

Further, people are too afraid to walk into town to seek medical care because they fear being confused for rebels or being caught in cross-fire.

This violence began when South Sudan separated from Sudan in 2011, causing widespread ethnic violence centering in Pibor County. The rebel leader, Yau Yau, is Murle: a minority ethnic group. Yau Yau launched a rebellion in 2010 after failing to secure a seat in the state parliament.

Now the Murle are believed to be angered by the activities of the South Sudanese troops stationed in the area, who are mainly drawn from the Nuer ethnic group, which clashes with Murle.

MSF has made repeated requests to the government to allow them to travel to the areas the South Sudanese people are hiding, but the government still denies them access.

“This will not be a place where people can remain alive,” Janssens further stated.

 

For further information, please see:

KBC (Kenya National Broadcaster) – South Sudan ‘blocks aid to 120,000′ – 16 June 2013

Africa Review – South Sudan ‘preventing aid to Jonglei victims’ – 15 June 2013

The Frontier Post – South Sudan preventing aid – 15 June 2013

BBC News – South Sudan ‘preventing aid to Jonglei victims’ – 14 June 2013

Thomson Reuters Foundation – Thousands face death in swamps as South Sudan govt blocks aid – MSF – 14 June 2013

By Erica Smith
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

WASHINGTON, D.C., United States – At a press conference, Justice Hassan Bubacar Jallow, Prosecutor of the (ICTR) and the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunal urged UN member states “to live up to their obligations to cooperate with the [residual mechanism], and the tracking and the arrest of these fugitives.”

The ICTR is based in Arusha Tanzania and was set up after the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. The Rwandan Genocide saw the killing of at least 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and politically moderate Hutus in a span of three months.

The tribunal has indicted 93 people, all of whom were arrested with the exception of nine men who are still on the run. The nine men are, Augustin Bizimana, the Minister of Defense of the interim Government ; Félicien Kabuga, who is believed to have financed the genocide; Protais Mpiranya, Fulgence Kayishema, Pheneas Munyarugarama, Charles Sikubwabo, Aloys Ndimbati, Ladislas Ntaganzwa and Charles Ryandikayo.

Justice Bubacar Jallow’s call comes as the mandates for the ICTR and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia are set to expire and the U.N. Security Council has urged the tribunals to conclude their work by the end of 2014. The Council set up the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) in December 2010 to take over any tasks left unfinished when the mandate for the ICTR expires.  The ICTR branch of the Residual Mechanism began functioning in July 2012.

Jallow confirmed that the trial phase of the tribunal’s work is completed and that the tribunal is currently focused on managing appeals. Five of the six remaining appeals will most likely be completed in 2014 before the mandate expires but there is one appeal that is not expected to conclude until July 2015.

Judge Vagn Joensen, president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, has stated that a main concern for the tribunal is relocating seven people who were acquitted and three released after serving their terms. The ten individuals are currently in Tanzania in safe houses under the tribunal’s protection. “The ICTR is deeply concerned about the consequences of failing to uphold the fundamental right of freedom to live one’s life after being acquitted, and the importance of finding host countries for these persons before the Tribunal closes cannot be stressed enough,” Mr. Joensen said. “We call upon all Member States [… ] to assist with this persistent problem.”

There is no time limit on prosecutions and when the ICTR’s mandate expires the IRMCT can be activated at anytime to try the fugitives when they are apprehended and precautions have been taken to preserve evidence and testimony against the accused.

Mr Jallow confirmed that even though the tribunal’s mandate is drawing to a close the nine fugitives if apprehended will still face justice. “There is no time limit to the prosecution of these cases. Your hiding does not pay off. The mechanism will not relent,” Mr. Jallow said.

The Office of Global Criminal Justice  is offering up to a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of any of the nine men.

 

For more information, please see:

RTT News – International Cooperation Sought For Capturing Rwanda Genocide Fugitives – 12 June 2013

The Gazette – UN tribunals for ex-Yugoslavia and Rwanda won’t meet UN deadline to finish work before 2015 – 12 June 2013

All Africa – Rwanda: Despite Procedural Delays, UN War Tribunals Still Making Progress, Officials Tell Security Council – 12 June 2013

UN New Centre – Prosecutor of UN Rwanda genocide tribunal urges cooperation to catch roaming fugitives – 11 June 2013