Time is up. Protect Darfur. Protests in 30 Countries demand Action by AFP / Globe for Darfur 10:00am 13th Apr, 2007   11 May 2007    UN rights unit calls Darfur bombardments ‘indiscriminate and inappropriate’.    The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) today described as “indiscriminate” a series of deadly aerial bombardments across the North Darfur region of Sudan and said there were many civilian casualties.    OHCHR said it has learned that the attacks – over which United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed deep concern on Wednesday – were carried out near El Fasher, North Darfur with helicopter gunships and Antonov aircraft between 19 and 29 April, killing and wounding civilians and destroying property, school buildings and livestock.    “The bombardments appeared to have been indiscriminate and disproportionate, failing to distinguish between military and civilian targets,” Mr. Ban’s spokesperson Michele Montas said. “The disproportionate use of force constitutes violations of international humanitarian and human rights law,” she added.    In one incident that was cited by the Secretary-General in his statement, the school in the village of Um Rai was struck by rockets fired from a Government helicopter. Some of the 170 pupils in the school were injured in that attack, with two civilians killed in the attack on the village.    The OHCHR spokesman identified four other villages attacked during the period and said more information was being gathered on their consequences. What we do know, he said, is that the attacks have contributed to an already critical humanitarian situation, causing renewed displacement and spreading terror among the civilian population.    30.4.2007. (AFP)    Protests have taken place in 30 countries to demand that world leaders act to prevent further bloodshed in Darfur, on the fourth anniversary of the start of the conflict.    The Global Day for Darfur, organised by a coalition of rights groups worldwide demanded action from world leaders to stop the ongoing tragedy.    The conflict has caused over 200,000 deaths and led to more than two million people being displaced, according to the UN.    In London, demonstrators marched on Prime Minister Tony Blair"s Downing Street office. Activists have also erected a two-metre-high hourglass of fake blood. Statements of support for the campaign were issued by politicians from the ruling Labour Party.    In Rome, people took part in a march on the Colosseum. There was also a protest in Berlin, where marchers carried alarm clocks and a banner saying: "It is five minutes to midnight; we"re sounding the alarm!"    Demonstrations took place in cities including Brussels, Stockholm, Budapest, Melbourne and Lagos.    Amnesty International attacked the "vicious crimes against humanity" which it said the Sudanese government has allowed to take place in Darfur. "Enough is enough. It is time for the rest of the international community to take effective action," Amnesty"s UK director, Kate Allen, said.    Israel"s Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial has sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon calling for "concrete steps" to ensure troops are sent to Darfur.    "As the heads of the Jewish people"s central organisation for commemorating the Holocaust — a genocide that took place while the world was silent — we feel a special obligation ... to raise alarm on Darfur," the letter said.    Although the Government of Sudan recently agreed to let 3,000 UN troops boost the weak African Union (AU) force in Darfur in a first phase deployment, it has objected to key elements of the crucial larger deployment of 20,000 peacekeepers.    April 2007    None of us imagined, when the crisis began in Darfur four years ago, that it would still be going on today. We didn"t imagine that the situation would be worse than ever, with reports coming in of new massacres in nearby Chad, and of African Union troops being murdered.    Recently, the Sudanese government said they would accept the deployment of 3,000 UN military police officers and certain logistical support. This is the second stage of the much-delayed proposal that calls for 21,000 joint UN and African Union peacekeepers. But only a more robust force can put an end to the slaughter.    We hope that President Bashir will keep his word but he has continuously delayed efforts to resolve the crisis, and already contradictory statements from Sudanese officials have surfaced. And while the international community scrambles each time to renew diplomatic talks, more civilians die or flee their villages.    More than four years into Darfur"s nightmare, at least 200,000 people are dead and more than 2.5 million displaced, and the numbers are climbing. If the millions of lives still at risk are to be saved, there is no time for further delay.    Suggestions that the third phase - the deployment of the 21,000 UN/AU peacekeepers would not be able to be in place until after December of this year is not acceptable.    Over 1 million Sudanese refugees currently have virtually no water to survive on. The conflict is destablisizing surrounding countries.    The international community cannot delay any longer, the full deployment of all 21,000 peacekeepers must begin immediately.    International governments must stand firm on making Bashir stick to his promise.    For the more news visit the Globe for Darfur site. Visit the related web page
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