ICRC evacuates dead, wounded without hindrance

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Tuesday that - with the help of Congolese Red Cross volunteers - it had evacuated scores of dead and wounded following fighting which broke out in the Republic of Congo capital, Brazzaville, on 14 June.

So far, the ICRC has taken 17 people to the city's hospitals and transferred 19 bodies to the city morgue. It its statement on Tuesday, the ICRC said it had also provided the military hospital with medicines, dressing materials and supplies for treating bone fractures.

In doing so, it had maintained "close contact" with the military and police so as to ensure the safety of its field staff. This factor, it added, had enabled ICRC delegates and local Red Cross volunteers, "to carry out their humanitarian work without incident or hindrance".

ICRC conducted a needs assessment of the displaced on Sunday. Two days earlier, the UN Humanitarian Coordination Office in Brazzaville said at least 10,000 people had fled the city during the two days of fighting between government forces and Ninja militias. Brazzaville had endured two sustained attacks in the northeastern outskirts of the city and the military base near the international airport at Maya Maya, had been targeted, the UN said.

In accordance with its mandate, the ICRC reminded all parties to the conflict of their obligation to comply with the principles and rules of international humanitarian law applicable to non-international armed conflicts. The ICRC also called on commanders to maintain discipline among their troops, whose conduct towards the civilian population "must at all times be in keeping with the above-stated principles".