Tamba Jean-Matthew III
30 December 2011
Dakar — Three international rights groups have called on the separatist Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (Mfdc) to refrain from torturing five government soldiers they are holding hostage.
In a joint statement issued on Thursday evening in Dakar, the three rights groups urged the secessionists’ movement to ensure the five captives were held in humane conditions.
“We call on the Mfdc to guarantee the soldiers’ right to life, the right not to suffer torture and mistreatment and to assure them decent living conditions,” the statement said.
The statement was signed by the African Assembly for the Defence of Human Rights, the Senegalese branch of Amnesty International and the Senegalese chapter of the Human Rights League.
Furthermore, the groups called on the Mfdc to immediately facilitate access to the captives by the Red Cross team in order to ascertain that they were being held in accordance with international humanitarian law that relates to prisoners of war.
On Wednesday, the Senegalese army categorically denied claims by members of the Mfdc that they (the Mfdc) were holding up to 20 government soldiers in captivity.
The five government soldiers were captured nearly two weeks ago during a surprise dawn attack on a military installation in the troubled southern Casamance region of Senegal.
About six days after their capture, the government troops launched a vain counter offensive to recapture the five soldiers during which about 13 civilians were killed in the cross fire.
This month has witnessed the bloodiest attacks by the belligerent factions since the beginning of the secessionist war in 1982 with at least six attacks.
The rebels have warned of more abductions.
AllAfrica – All the Time