PortSudan, December 11(Darfur24)
The International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC said in a statement seen by Darfur24 that its humanitarian convoy was deliberately attacked, resulting in the killing of three people and wounding seven others, including three of its workers, in the Al-Shajara neighborhood in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, on Sunday.
The statement stated that the International Committee is shocked and dismayed by the incident, after coordination was made between it, the Sudanese army, and the Rapid Support Forces to transfer civilians from the Al-Shajara neighborhood to the city of Wad Madani in the center of the country.
Darfur 24 publishes the text of the statement
Geneva (International Committee of the Red Cross) – The International Committee of the Red Cross is shocked and dismayed by the deliberate attack on its humanitarian convoy in Khartoum.
The incident, which occurred in the Al-Shajara neighbourhood, led to the death of two people and the injury of seven others, including three ICRC employees. The injured were transferred to the hospital to receive medical treatment.
The humanitarian convoy, consisting of three ICRC vehicles and three buses, all clearly marked with the Red Cross, was scheduled to evacuate more than a hundred civilians at risk from Khartoum to Wad Madani when it was attacked as it entered the evacuation zone.
The humanitarian operation was implemented at the request of the parties to the conflict and was coordinated with them, as they agreed to this and provided the necessary security guarantees.
“This attack is unacceptable, and we are saddened,” said Pierre Dorbes, head of the ICRC delegation in Sudan. “I am shocked by the complete lack of respect for the Red Cross emblem, which must be respected and protected in accordance with international humanitarian law. Our mission today was to bring these civilians to safety. Instead, their lives were tragically lost. “My heart is breaking.” “For the loved ones of the people who were killed, and we very much hope that those injured will make a full recovery.”
As a neutral and impartial humanitarian organisation, the ICRC performs its role as a neutral mediator independently of the parties to the conflict. Sunday’s operation to evacuate civilians – including the sick, children, orphans and the elderly – from an area of intense fighting in Khartoum has been canceled until a new security assessment is carried out.
The ICRC calls for immediate protection for all civilians, including humanitarian and medical personnel. They should never be attacked directly. Furthermore, civilians trapped in combat zones must be allowed safe passage from conflict areas and warring parties must facilitate this. As a neutral intermediary, the ICRC stands ready to continue these evacuations in Sudan, provided that the parties to the conflict respect the red cross and red crescent emblems, which must never be targeted.