Raids on Haskanita
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The raids on Haskanita were a series of attacks on
Background
The
In November 2006 the area around Haskanita was taken over from the SLA by the National Redemption Front - a splinter group from the JEM. Aid agencies suspended their operations in the neighbouring districts of Ed Daein and Adila.[3]
First raid
On 30 September 2007 approximately 1,000 rebels attacked an AMIS base, killing 10 peacekeepers, including seven from Nigeria and one each from Mali, Senegal and Botswana,[4] and wounded many more. A further 50 personnel were initially unaccounted for, but later found. The attack occurred just after sunset, and came amid increasing tensions and violence between the separatist rebels and AMIS peacekeepers, who the rebels accused of bias towards the central government. Survivors said the rebels used heavy weaponry to attack the AMIS base, including rocket-propelled grenades and armored vehicles.[5] Sudan's army and Darfur rebel movements initially blamed each other for the attack.[6]
Second raid
The town of Haskanita was attacked again in early October, and most of it was set on fire. Following the attack, the town's mosque and school were some of the few buildings remaining intact.[7] The ruins still act as a base for African Union forces, headquartering a full 800-strong battalion. Although it has yet to be confirmed, unnamed sources in Khartoum claimed the fires were set by AU forces and Janjaweed militia in retaliation for the attacks in late September.[8]
International Criminal Court investigation
The
In July 2008, the Chief Prosecutor said he knew who were the perpetrators of the Haskanita raids, and he was committed to prosecuting them.[10] In November 2008, he requested arrest warrants for three rebel commanders from the Justice and Equality Movement for these attacks.[11] One of these — Bahr Idriss Abu Garda — voluntarily surrendered to the court in May 2009.[12] However, charges were dropped in February 2010 when judges ruled the prosecutor could not prove he had planned the attack.[13] The other two commanders - Abdallah Banda Abakaer Nourain and Saleh Mohammed Jerbo Jamus - surrendered to the court in June 2010 and were charged with three counts of war crimes:
- murder
- pillage
- Attacking peacekeepers[13]
Banda led a splinter group from the
External links
References
- Darfur conflict and AMIS.
- ^ See this map Archived 2011-10-30 at the Wayback Machine for the location of Haskanita]
- USAID, 1 December 2006
- ^ NBC News
- ^ Rebel attack came at end of Ramadan fast USAToday, October 1, 2007.
- ^ News: Sudan, Sudan gov't, militia forces raze Darfur town-rebels
- ^ BBC NEWS | Africa | Army-controlled Darfur town razed
- ^ NBC News[dead link]
- ^ Security Council Refers Situation in Darfur, Sudan, To Prosecutor of International Criminal Court, United Nations, 2005-03-31, accessed on 2007-01-11
- ^ Court vows to try Darfur rebels, Al Jazeera, 2008-07-18
- ^ Prosecutor to present third Sudan case within weeks Archived 2008-10-20 at the Wayback Machine, Reuters, 2008-10-18
- ^ First Darfur rebel to appear before Hague court, Reuters, 2009-05-17
- ^ a b c Sudan: Darfur rebel leaders surrender to Hague court, BBC, 16 June 2010
- ^ See Bahr Idriss Abu Garda article for more information and sources.