Human Rights Watch appeals to government

Human Rights Watch asked Guinea on Wednesday to stop what the US NGO said were indiscriminate cross-border attacks into Sierra Leone aimed at destroying the Revolutionary United Front fighters. The human rights watchdog, which questioned civilian survivors of 12 Guinean attacks in the Sierra Leonean districts of Kambia, Bombali and Koinadugu, said at least 41 civilians had been killed since the retaliations started in September 2000. "Instead of the rebels, the Guinean military has attacked the victims of the rebels," Peter Takirambudde, executive director of the Africa Division of Human Rights Watch, said. HRW reported that in 12 attacks it had documented, Guinean forces failed to target the RUF bases and concentrations accurately. "Instead the gunships' rockets and artillery shells slammed into neighbourhoods, market places, restaurants and boat wharfs," HRW reported. HRW noted the Geneva Conventions require military forces to avoid attacks on civilians. Specifically, the conventions prohibit attacks "by bombardment by any method or means which treats as a single military objective a number of clearly separated and distinct military objectives located in a city, town [or] village". The rights body also criticised Sierra Leone for what it said was its relative silence, adding that the government "has yet to condemn the attacks against its own citizens". However, Guinea and Sierra Leone have formed a joint body to help avoid civilian casualties. The most serious of the attacks, HRW said, was on 15 February in and around the towns of Rokupr, Yeliboya, Makasa, Kakuna, Sabuya, Mambolo, Rokel and Kamakwie. HRW also "strongly condemned" the RUF for attacking Guinean civilians and Sierra Leonean refugees, which prompted the Guinean retaliation.