Stuff Digital Edition

UN urged to open investigation into Yemen atrocities

More than 60 international organisations have urged the United Nations General Assembly to establish an investigative body to gather and preserve evidence of serious human rights violations during Yemen’s seven-year conflict, including possible war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, say the matter is urgent, particularly after the UN Human Rights Council voted in October to shut down its own investigation into atrocities in Yemen.

The Group of Eminent Experts had reported that potential war crimes had been committed by all sides. The Genevabased council’s vote was a stinging defeat for Western nations, and a victory for Russia, China, Bahrain and other countries.

Yemen has been convulsed by civil war since 2014, when Iran-backed Houthi rebels took control of the capital, Sanaa, and much of the northern part of the country. This forced the internationally recognised government to flee to the south, then to Saudi Arabia.

A Saudi-led coalition entered the war in March 2015, backed by the United States, to try to restore President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi to power.

Despite a relentless air campaign and ground fighting, the war has deteriorated largely into a stalemate, and has spawned the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

The organisations said the rights council vote was the result of an aggressive lobbying campaign by Saudi Arabia, backed by the United Arab Emirates, a key coalition partner, and other allies. ‘‘The international community cannot stand by and allow that vote to be the last word on accountability efforts for abuses and war crimes in Yemen,’’ they said.

Amnesty International secretarygeneral Agnes Callamard said parties to the conflict, including the Saudis and Houthis, ‘‘have committed atrocities with

‘‘There is seemingly no end in sight for this war.’’

impunity, and there is seemingly no end in sight for this war’’. This was why ‘‘we have to act now’’.

The general assembly and the UN Security Council have previously taken similar action against widespread human rights abuses.

In December 2016, the assembly created an ‘‘International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism’’ to collect, preserve and analyse evidence and promote accountability for possible war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed by Islamic State extremists in Syria.

In September 2017, the security council established an investigative team to support Iraqi efforts to collect and preserve evidence of possible war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed by Isis extremists, to be used in domestic courts or in investigations in third countries.

The UN Human Rights Council established a similar investigative mechanism for Myanmar following a military crackdown against Rohingya Muslims and allegations that government security forces committed mass rapes and killings and burned houses, amounting to possible crimes against humanity and genocide.

–AP

Amnesty International secretary-general Agnes Callamard

2002 2006 2009 2016

World

en-nz

2021-12-04T08:00:00.0000000Z

2021-12-04T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/282321093289378

Stuff Limited