Congolese Nobel Peace Laureates Denis Mukwege and Yazidie Nadia Murad on Tuesday called on the UN Security Council to ensure justice for victims of sexual violence in conflict, a resolution adopted after amputation of its substance by the United States and Russia. In the midst of a debate on violence against women, a vote was held on this text after final tough negotiations and new withdrawals of mentions in the text. Thirteen countries voted in favor of the text, with Russia and China abstaining.
Both countries said they wanted to fight sexual violence in conflict but denounced "lax interpretations" in the text and a "manipulated" struggle to create new UN structures and "override" mandates already approved. "No one has been brought to justice for sexual slavery," Nadia Murad had previously denounced, citing her community destroyed by the Islamic State jihadist group in Iraq and Syria. "What does the international community want to do to render justice to the victims," Denis Mukwege also asked, asking for the establishment of national or international courts dedicated to the trial of perpetrators of sexual violence in conflict.
Washington's veto threat
A lawyer for Nadia Murad and other Yazidi victims, Amal Clooney also deplored the weakness of the international response. She accused the United States and Russia of opposing the creation of international justice against these crimes. Sierra Leone, Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, Nuremberg ... Justice has been given to these cases, she reminded the Security Council by putting her in front of her responsibilities. "If we do not act now, it will be too late," she said, citing the current detention of thousands of ISIS fighters.
Originally, the German draft text wanted to establish a formal working group, put in place a "mechanism" to help bring the perpetrators to justice and develop victims' protection by recognizing them with rights to sexual rights and reproductive. Russia, China and the United States opposed the creation of the "mechanism" of justice, the working group was swept away, and Washington threatened to veto if mentions mentioned reproductive rights, fearing a encouragement to abortions. "The text has been reduced to its minimum and there is not much left," laments a diplomat. "The Americans have taken a negotiation from their ideology hostage, it's scandalous," says another diplomat.
France denounces the threat of veto agitated by the United States. France has strongly denounced Tuesday at the UN the United States for gutting its substance the German draft resolution supposed to intensify the fight against sexual violence against women in conflict. "We are dismayed by the fact that a state has demanded the withdrawal of the reference to sexual and reproductive health, which has been approved" in previous resolutions in 2009 and 2013, said the French ambassador to the UN, François Delattre. "We regret that veto threats have been waged by permanent members of this Council to challenge 25 years of gains in favor of women's rights in situations of armed conflict," he added.