Days after a camp of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Rann, Kala Balge, Borno state was bombed by men of the Nigerian Airforce, an international organisation, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) has demanded for a thorough investigation into the issue.
The Rann camp before and after the bombing by the Nigerian Airforce
The HRW released satellite images of the incidents to show how the camp was before and after it was bombed.
According to the rights group, the images were captured on the morning after the attack and it “identified two distinct areas of destruction in densely populated areas on the western side of the town that are consistent with the detonation of multiple air-dropped munitions.
“At least 35 structures were destroyed in the attack, including shelters for displaced people.”
The HRW called on the Nigerian authorities to conduct a prompt, thorough, and impartial investigation into the incident that led to the death of at least 70 people, including nine aid workers, and wounding at least 120.
A satellite image showing the Rann camp before the bombing
It also called for the compensation of those who were injured and the families of those killed as a result of any violation of international humanitarian law or the right to life since the government says it was a mistake.
READ ALSO: PDP condemns accidental bombing of IDPs camp, demands probe
A senior Nigerian researcher with the organisation, Mausi Segun, admitted that the Nigerian military took an important and rare step in accepting responsibility for the horrible attack.
“Now it should go further by explaining how it came to attack a displacement settlement, and by compensating the wounded and relatives of those who lost their lives,” he said in the statement released by the group.
The HRW said there is no clearly delineated displacement camp in Rann and that the town includes hundreds of tents for displaced people located among residential buildings at the two sites that were hit.
The camp after the bombing
“The presence of what appears to be a large Nigerian military compound on the edge of town, 100 meters from one of the impact sites, raises further questions, as the military would have been expected to know that the area was filled with civilians and to take adequate precautions not to harm them during any operation targeting Boko Haram fighters who might have been in the area,” the group said.
“Even if Boko Haram fighters were present in or near the settlement at the time, the Nigerian military should have ensured all of their attacks were targeting military objectives, and that they took all feasible precautions to minimize harm to civilians.
“The investigation should determine the causes of the attack and the military should make the necessary changes, including in its planning of operations to minimize the risk of similar attacks in the future,” Human Rights Watch said adding that the tragic incident is not the first military airstrike that apparently killed civilians during the fight against Boko Haram.
READ ALSO: 3 reasons Buhari will not visit IDP camp bombing victims
The group recalled that on February 28, 2014, a Nigeria military aircraft dropped munitions on Daglun, a Borno village, killing 20 civilians, mostly older residents, according to media reports.
Again, on March 16, 2014, a similar military attack on Kayamla village, less than 10 kilometers outside Maiduguri, reportedly killed 10 civilians.
On January 16, 2017, the United Nations estimated that 2.4 million Nigerians had been displaced in their country as a result of Boko Haram’s abuses and Nigerian military operations.
360naze
No comments:
Post a Comment