Secretary-General Deplores Killings of Civilians in West Darfur

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The Secretary-General deplores the killings of civilians in Kreinik locality, West Darfur, as well as the attacks on health facilities on 24 April.  He calls for an immediate end to the violence.  The Secretary-General extends his deepest condolences to the families of those killed and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured.

The Secretary-General underscores that the primary responsibility for the protection of civilians in Darfur rests with the Government of Sudan.  He takes note of efforts undertaken by the Sudanese authorities to address the situation, including a commitment to evacuate injured civilians and calls for the acceleration of the deployment of the joint security-keeping forces as per the Juba Peace Agreement.

The Secretary-General stresses the importance of strengthening security in Darfur including through the implementation of the Juba Peace Agreement, bolstering the rule of law, safeguarding human rights and fully implementing the national plan for the protection of civilians.  He calls for unhindered humanitarian access and an independent investigation of this and other acts of intercommunal violence, to ensure those responsible for the violence are held accountable.