CRINMAIL 159:
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The Syrian forces loyal to president Bashar el Assad have been bombing the city of Homs since Friday 3 February, killings hundreds of people.
The bombardment of the city is the most violent since the start of the uprising against the regime in March 2011.
Video images show people who have been shot and hit by shrapnel, including heavily injured young children.
Over the weekend, while civilians were under attack, Russia and China vetoed a UN resolution calling on the Syrian president to resign.
The draft resolution backed an Arab League plan that tries to resolve the crisis in Syria.
UN human rights officials have said more than 5,000 people have been killed so far since March 2011. Read more.
According to a new report published by Human Rights Watch, the Syrian army and security officers have detained and tortured children with impunity during the past year.
The report documents at least 12 cases of children detained in inhumane conditions and tortured, as well as children shot while in their homes or on the street. Human Rights Watch has also documented government use of schools as detention centres, military bases or barracks, and sniper posts, as well as the arrest of children from schools. Read the report.
South Sudan
The United Nations human rights office voiced concern over a cattle raid in a northern state of South Sudan last week, which has led to 78 deaths and numerous injuries among civilians, most of whom were women and children.
Mr. Rupert Colville, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) noted that details of the incident are still unclear as the attack occurred in a remote area of Warrap, and he said that OHCHR and the UNMISS will continue their investigations.
Reports so far have stated that 78 people died, nine are missing and 72 were wounded. Most of the killing appears to have been inflicted with machetes. Read more.
On a more positive note, the South Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission (RSSDDRC) and UNICEF welcomed the recent release of 53 children associated with armed forces and groups in South Sudan. Read more.
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Colombia
Earlier in January, the testimonies of 309 former child soldiers were used as evidence against Freddy Rendón Herrera, head of the now dissolved Élmer Cárdenas paramilitary group, for the forced recruitment of children. Their experiences told of physical injuries from carrying heavy equipment, rape, forced marriage, and being forced to kill, with one former soldier describing military training as consisting of “threats, fists and beatings”. Full story (in Spanish).
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Côte d’Ivoire
Hundreds of children in Côte d’Ivoire were separated from their parents when people fled their villages during post-election violence in 2011, but nine months after the conflict formally ended only a quarter of those children have been reunified with their families. Read article.
Publication: "The Domestic Implementation of International Humanitarian Law" (ICRC)
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) recently published a manual on “The Domestic Implementation of International Humanitarian Law”. The manual serves as a practical tool to assist policy-makers, legislators and other stakeholders worldwide in adhering to international humanitarian law (IHL) instruments.
The manual includes a section entitled “Guiding Principles for the Domestic Implementation of a Comprehensive System of Protection for Children Associated with Armed Forces or Armed Groups”.
The Guiding Principles suggest practical and detailed measures for effective domestic implementation of the international rules protecting children affected by armed conflict. Download the Guiding Principles.
In addition, a web-accessible database of national implementation measures was made available and provides examples of legislation and jurisprudence from countries around the world.
Another database compiles IHL treaties and documents showing the current status of signatures and ratifications.
THE LAST WORD
"Every so often they would open our cell door and yell at us and beat us. They said, “You pigs, you want freedom?” They interrogated me by myself. They asked, “Who is your god?” And I said, “Allah.” Then they electrocuted me on my stomach, with a prod. I fell unconscious. When they interrogated me the second time, they beat me and electrocuted me again. The third time they had some pliers, and they pulled out my toenail. They said, “Remember this saying, always keep it in mind: We take both kids and adults, and we kill them both.” I started to cry, and they returned me to the cell."
A 13 year old boy talking about his detention by Syrian security forces to Human Rights Watch.
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