International Refugee Rights Initiative (IRRI)

Refugee Rights News
April 2009

New Emergency Transit Centre in Romania Helps Stranded Darfurian Refugees

The Situation for Somali Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Kenya Worsens

Toil and Trouble: Accusations of Witchcraft as a Protection Issue

The Outreach Challenge of the Lubanga Trial: Another First for the International Criminal Court

The Reaction to the Arrest Warrant Against Sudanese President Al-Bashir

April 14: Brown bag lunch in New York

The African Union, Darfur and the Question of Justice

Dismas Nkunda, Co-Chair of the Darfur Consortium and Co-Director of the International Refugee Rights Initiative, presented his perspectives on the role that the African Union has played in mediating the crisis so far and the impact that debates over international justice have had in its recent engagement.

We also presented the report "In the Interests of Justice? Prospects and Challenges for International Justice in Africa."

See event invite here.

The International Refugee Rights Initiative signs the Justice for Darfur statement: "Bashir warrant: a major step towards justice for victims in Darfur"

(The Hague, March 4, 2009) Today’s decision by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue an arrest warrant for Sudanese president General Omar al-Bashir is a major step towards combating impunity associated with the horrific crimes in Darfur, said the Justice for Darfur campaign. President al-Bashir is wanted by the court for crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Justice for Darfur calls on the international community to press Sudanese authorities to comply with their obligations to execute the warrant. The government of Sudan has failed to bring to justice any of those responsible for crimes under international law in Darfur, and has so far refused to cooperate with the ICC and to surrender any of the suspects.

Read the press release here.
In French.
In Arabic.

On March 3-5, African NGOs submitted a statement to the Standing Committee of the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner's Programme during its 44th Meeting.

Drafted by IRRI with with high levels of input from a wide range of NGOs working in Africa, the statement intends to highlight current displacement events and focus areas in need of attention from the standing committee, states, and the international community. The statement is a reflection of a wide range views held by NGOs working on refugee and displacement issues in Africa.

Read the statement here.