Describing the year 2014 as “catastrophic”, in its 415-page annual report which details abuses, Amnesty slammed world leaders for failing to protect civilians from groups like Islamic State (IS) and accused governments of “pretending the protection of civilians is beyond their power.”
It said millions of civilians had been killed from Syria to Ukraine, Gaza to Nigeria, while the number of displaced people around the world exceeded 50 million last year for the first time since the end of World War II.
“2014 was a catastrophic year for millions caught up in violence,” said Amnesty’s secretary general, Shalil Shetty.
“The global response to conflict and abuses by states and armed groups has been shameful and ineffective.
“As people suffered an escalation in barbarous attacks and repression, the international community has been found wanting.”
It warned that the situation would get worse this year unless leaders took immediate action.
Amnesty singled out the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for criticism, with Shetty saying it had “miserably failed” to protect civilians.
The five permanent UNSC members — Britain, China, France, Russia and the US — “consistently abused” their veto right to “promote their political self-interest or geopolitical interest above the interest of protecting civilians,” he added.
Amnesty is now urging the five states to give up their right to veto action in cases where genocide and other mass killings are being committed.
In the report, amnesty said armed groups like IS, Boko Haram and Shebab were found to have committed abuses in 35 countries last year.
It will be recalled, that some members of Boko Haram on Tuesday were caught disguising as women in an attempt to bomb some parts of Baga.
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