Red Cross: Ending wars now “mission impossible.”
The two-day Paris Peace Forum, attended by civil society and diplomats, was held to reflect on solutions to achieve peace. Radio France wrote: From Ukraine to Gaza and Sudan, ending the conflicts seems to have become ‘mission impossible.”
Mirjana Spoliaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, spoke at the forum about the organization’s initiative “to restore political commitment to international humanitarian law” and called on the parties to the conflict to “respect humanity in war.” She also participated in an interview with Radio France.
When asked by a Radio France reporter, “At the same time as the Paris Peace Forum was being held, Gaza was bombed, and at least 100 people died. Can we still talk about a ceasefire in Gaza?” she replied: “We must do everything we can to ensure that the ceasefire is respected.” The ICRC continues to engage with all parties to ensure that the first steps of the ceasefire are properly taken and that lasting agreements are reached to restore stability and peace to the people.
Spoliaric added: “We cannot allow the resumption of hostilities. This means that the countries that have influence on the current situation have a heavy responsibility to take the necessary measures to ensure that this cessation of hostilities leads to a lasting ceasefire. We must protect civilians. Millions of lives depend on the maintenance of the ceasefire.”
Radio France, citing the civilian casualties in Gaza and more recently in Sudan, where there are “horrific reports of violations and abuses against civilians,” asked: “How can we stem or prevent this trend of civilians being targeted more than soldiers?”
The ICRC president said: “In recent years, we have witnessed widespread violations of international human rights.” The laws of war are being abandoned in order to achieve complete victory. But complete victory is a complete tragedy for the civilian population. We must reverse this trend, and that is why, in collaboration with France, we have launched a global initiative to protect humanity in times of war.