Atrocity Alert No. 394: Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, South Sudan and the Central African Republic – Occupied Palestinian Territory

Atrocity Alert is a weekly publication from the Global Center for the Responsibility to Protect that highlights situations where populations are at risk of or enduring mass atrocity crimes..

COUNTLESS UN OFFICIALS SOUND THE ALARM ABOUT RAFAH’S IMMINENT GREAT RAID INTO ISRAEL

On May 7, Israeli forces entered the southern governorate of Rafah, taking control of the essential border crossing there and blocking the passage of people and vital humanitarian aid to Gaza. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Gaza is “suffocated” since Israel closed the two main aid crossings into the southern Gaza Strip – Rafah and Kerem Shalom on May 5. as part of their military operations. Israel’s obstruction of the entry and delivery of vital aid likely amounts to the war crime of intentionally starving civilians as a weapon of war.

Numerous UN agencies and government officials around the world have warned for weeks that large-scale operations in Rafah would have catastrophic consequences for populations beyond the already unbearable levels of suffering. Despite this, Israel began heavy shelling of several areas of Rafah on Monday night, including civilian infrastructure and areas marked safe. A day before these operations, the Israeli army ordered that more than 100,000 Palestinian refugees in eastern Rafah be evacuated to Al-Mawasi, the so-called “humanitarian zone” that already houses 400,000 displaced people. OCHA spokesman Jens Laerke said the evacuation route to Al-Mawasi is “littered with unexploded ordnance and massive bombs lying on the street.” Under international law, people must have sufficient time to prepare for an evacuation and have a safe route to a safe area with access to help.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, stressed: “It is inconceivable to forcibly relocate hundreds of thousands of people from Rafah to areas that have already been devastated and where there are few shelters and virtually no access to food. humanitarian assistance necessary for their survival. “It will only expose them to more danger and misery.” An estimated 1.4 million people are sheltering in Rafah, many of whom have been displaced several times following successive evacuation orders issued by the Israeli army for other areas of Gaza. Airstrikes and missiles periodically hit so-called safe areas where displaced Palestinians have been ordered to seek refuge. The mass displacement of Palestinians in Gaza probably amounts to the war crime and crime against humanity of forcible transfer.

Seven months since Israel’s relentless bombing and siege began in response to Hamas’ horrific Oct. 7 attacks, at least 34,735 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and 78,108 wounded, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Calling on Israel to end further escalation in Rafah, UN Secretary-General António Guterres insisted: “Countless more civilian casualties. Countless more families were forced to flee once again, with nowhere safe to go. Because there is no safe place in Gaza.”

Israel must immediately lift the siege of Gaza and ensure safe and unimpeded access for the delivery of humanitarian aid. It is urgent to reach a permanent ceasefire and be supervised by an independent international organization. All member states must refrain from aiding and abetting the commission of heinous crimes and suspend arms supplies to Israel, while the United States and other influential allies of Israel must also take immediate steps to stop any new offensive against Rafah. States parties to the Genocide Convention must ensure Israel’s compliance with legally binding provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice.

INTERCOMMUNAL VIOLENCE PRESENTS A THREAT TO POSSIBLE ELECTIONS IN SOUTH SUDAN

On April 26, armed youths – believed to be from the Murle community in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) of South Sudan – attacked livestock farmers across the border in Kapoeta East County, Eastern Equatoria. According to local news sources, at least 32 people were killed, 22 were injured and 90 women and children were kidnapped. The armed youths also attacked and stole approximately 22,000 heads of livestock, posing significant consequences for local communities due to their dependence on livestock for their livelihood and survival. GPAA authorities acknowledged that armed youth from their jurisdiction were involved in the attack and stated that they are working for the return of the kidnapped people and stolen livestock.

In a bid to alleviate the situation, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has deployed additional peacekeepers and is conducting urgent patrols in the affected areas. UNMISS also sent an additional 76 peacekeepers to reinforce the temporary Tambura base in Western Equatoria, as tensions remain high between different ethnic communities following a series of previous incidents, including the killing of civilians.

Intensifying fighting over resources and growing clashes between communities will likely affect South Sudan’s first-ever national elections, scheduled for December 2024, according to Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations. . Significant concerns also remain over the country’s electoral preparedness, as the standards necessary for genuine and peaceful elections are not yet met. In March, Under-Secretary-General Lacroix told the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that if the elections are not carefully managed, there will be “potential for violence with disastrous consequences for an already fragile country and for the region as a whole.” . Based on the UN assessment of electoral preparedness, on 29 April the UN Security Council directed UNMISS to provide electoral assistance, including support for electoral education programs for the prevention and response to electoral violence.

Political instability and armed conflict have been omnipresent in South Sudan for most of its nearly 13 years of independence. Delays in the implementation of the 2018 peace agreement and ongoing political rivalries have exacerbated tensions within South Sudan’s ethnically diverse population.

The Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) in South Sudan must make every effort to stop the fighting, address the root causes of inter-communal violence and ensure the safety of all populations. To enable free, fair and credible elections by December, TGoNU must urgently establish an inclusive electoral system, advance the ongoing constitution-making process and allocate the necessary resources to operationalize the various institutions for a democratic transition.

ARREST WARRANT ISSUED AGAINST THE FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

On April 30, the Special Criminal Court (SCC) of the Central African Republic (CAR) publicly issued an arrest warrant for former president François Bozizé. The Specialized Criminal Court charged Bozizé with multiple counts of crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, rape and sexual violence, and forced disappearance, among others. The crimes were allegedly committed between February 2009 and March 2013 by his presidential guard and other security forces in a civilian prison and at the infamous Bossembelé military training center. The judges concluded that there was “serious and consistent evidence against (Bozizé), likely to incur criminal responsibility for him, in his capacity as a hierarchical superior and military leader.”

Decades of political instability and widespread impunity have fueled cycles of armed conflict and atrocities in the Central African Republic. Bozizé seized power in a coup in 2003 and was overthrown a decade later by the Muslim-majority Séléka rebel alliance. The abuses committed by the Séléka led to the formation of predominantly Christian anti-balaka militias and the collapse of state institutions. Anti-balaka and ex-Séléka forces may have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity between 2013 and 2015. In 2019, Bozizé returned to the Central African Republic and became leader of a loose alliance of armed groups known as the Coalition of Patriots for Change, which launched an offensive against the capital in December 2020, before going into hiding again. The SCC press release confirms that Bozizé currently lives in Guinea Bissau.

Although several mechanisms are in place to address international crimes perpetrated in the Central African Republic, accountability remains limited and few alleged perpetrators have been arrested, prosecuted or tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity. . The SCC was established in 2015 as a hybrid judicial mechanism to try international crimes committed during conflicts in the country since 2003. The SCC opened its first session in October 2018, but has faced operational difficulties and jurisdictional barriers, including arrest and the arrest of suspects. . According to Amnesty International’s regional director for West and Central Africa, Samira Daoud, the Specialized Criminal Court has issued at least 25 arrest warrants and the suspects remain at large.

Christine Caldera, Central African Republic expert at the Global Center for the Responsibility to Protect, said: “The issuance of an arrest warrant against François Bozizé – such a high-profile suspect – is a significant step towards combating impunity and “It sends a strong message to perpetrators that justice will eventually catch up, regardless of the individual’s political or military status.” All suspects subject to arrest warrants from the Specialized Criminal Court must be arrested and brought before the Court without delay, including Bozizé. States must fulfill their international obligations and ensure that the most serious crimes do not go unpunished. The international community should provide greater support to ensure that the SCC has sufficient resources to effectively carry out its mandate.