Darfur Refugees

There is an internally displaced people’s camp in Darfur region in Sudan. Kalma is one of the largest camps in Darfur, housing about 80,000 homeless people. Living conditions here are very poor due to overcrowding, water and food shortages.
In this camp, the Sudanese security forces have fired unlawfully at a crowd of thousands of internally displaced people during last August. This information is contained in a report published by the United Nations. As a result of this firing, in contravention of Human Rights declaration, 33 persons have been killed; 108 persons were wounded.
According to Rupert Colville, U.N. Human Rights Spokesman, more than 1000 Sudanese security personnel entered the camp for internally displaced people in Kalma on the pretext of searching for weapons and drugs. There was resistance from the internally displaced persons. Provoked by the resistance the security personnel shot arbitrarily at the crowd including women and children causing the death of 33 persons and injuring 108 persons.
The report released by Sudanese government says, “The security forces were met by thousands of civilians, some armed with spears, knives and sticks. Credible, independent sources have reported the presence of light and heavy arms in Kalma camp.” But U.N./African Union investigators say they have not been able to verify those claims. Witnesses have confirmed that security forces shot arbitrarily at a large crowd of people, including women and children.
Colville has said that investigators were unable to interview the seven Army officers who reportedly were wounded in this attack. So, they were unable to verify that claim. But, he has interviewed the seven wounded Police Officers and found they had received minor injuries in a separate incident later in the day outside the camp.
The report has concluded that the government security forces had committed violations of international human rights law against the civilian population of Kalma IDP camp. It was established that the security forces used lethal force in an unnecessary, disproportionate and therefore unlawful manner. Colville has stated, "The government security forces also failed to protect the right to life according to their obligations under international human rights law."
Sudanese authorities say they opened fire in self-defense, after snipers fired at them from trees inside the camp. They claim rebels used the camp to store their weapons and as a launching pad for attacks in the area. The U.N. investigation has, however, found no evidence supporting the government's claim that it had been attacked.
Sourcehttp://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=21D50A9:F7F0B63DAB0DE8EE33496B13AFB50D5170AD7039DCD7B7E4&