a peace of conflict

February 29, 2012

This Week in African Conflict… February 21st-28th, 2012.

Experts say the increasing trend of illicit financial flows are posing a great threat to Africa’s fragile growth as they pump back more dollars to developed countries than those send to poor African states.
The Open Society Media Program released background papers earlier this month on Mapping Digital Media, on the impact of digitization on democracy in the Horn of Africa.
A top UN official stressed the importance of a comprehensive regional strategy to combat piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, highlighting the threat posed to the security and economic development of States in the region.
The UN Security Council voted on Wednesday to increase an African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia to nearly 18,000 troops to try and squash the al-Shabaab rebel insurgency, calling upon the AU to increase the strength of its AMISOM peacekeeping force by almost 50%; the chief of awareness raising for al-Shabaab insisted that unmarried girls should join in Jihad against pro-government forces while addressing a congregation over the weekend at a mosque; Ethiopian and Somali troops reportedly captured the strategic Somali city of Baidoa from al-Shabaab, who vowed to avenge the loss; aid agencies demanded an end to the politicisation of aid in the country, saying they must be allowed to negotiate with all warring parties so that they can reach communities ravaged by famine and war; while International Crisis Group released a new report about the end of the mandate for the Transitional Federal Government in six months time. On Thursday, an international meeting aimed at resolving the political crisis in the country was hosted by the British PM and pledged more help to combat terrorism and piracy while demanding that its politicians form a stable government with a threat of sanctions against anyone stalling progress. On Friday, a missile strike reportedly killed four foreign militants south of Mogadishu. On Saturday, the Somali PM said that in the future a share of natural resources would be offered in return for help with reconstruction, making many observers uneasy about increasing foreign interference; reports suggested that Britain is involved in a secret high-stakes dash for oil in the country; an Islamist militia group in Puntland reportedly merged with al-Shabaab and announced their plans to scrap the license of Western oil and gas firms drilling in the region; while US drones reportedly killed 4 al-Shabaab high ranking officials in the Lower Shabelle region. The renewed offensive against al-Shabaab by Somali, Ethiopian, Kenyan and AU forces in the past couple of weeks has reportedly sparked another influx of civilians to Mogadishu out of fear of fighting. On Tuesday, at least nine were killed and many injured in heavy fighting and shells between government forces and al-Shabaab in the Lower Jubba region; and two hostages were killed as a Danish warship intercepted a cargo vessel allegedly hijacked by pirates off the coast.
US officials admitted that the Lord’s Resistance Army leader Joseph Kony remains elusive in an unknown location in the Central African Republic, despite the deployment of American troops. They claim, however, that the LRA has been decimated to about 200 fighters. On Tuesday, humanitarian officials announced that a joint military offensive between the armed forces of the CAR and Chad to oust the Chad’s Front Populaire pour la Redressment (FPR) rebel movement is hampering operations to help the displaced.
The world’s largest refugee camp—the Dadaab settlement in eastern Kenya – marked its 20^th anniversary in existence. Arrivals frequently exceed 1,000 people per day. On Tuesday, the Director of Public Prosecutions announced that the 5,000 pending cases of post-election violence will be thoroughly investigated before decisions are made to either prosecute them or drop them. On Friday, detectives from Muthaiga police station reportedly raided the home of the former President’s son in a bid to arrest him after the High Court issued a warrant for him to be detained for one month for ignoring an order to pay maintenance to his estranged wife. On Tuesday, at least two people were reportedly killed in an attack by armed men in Mandera.
Security forces in Sudan reportedly raided two Arabic daily newspapers, confiscating all copies of the publications that were due for distribution on Sunday. On Wednesday, aid agencies called upon Sudan to urgently extend the looming deadline for up to 700,000 southern Sudanese to leave the country, as it is impossible to meet and would create a “logistical nightmare and humanitarian catastrophe”. On Thursday, activists, opposition politicians and journalists expressed their concern over a new espionage laws being debated in the Sudanese Parliament. On Friday, two African Union-UNAMID peacekeepers sustained gunshot wounds in Darfur after being targeted by an unknown group; the UN welcomed the return of its personnel to the South Kordofan state; while rebels reportedly clashed with government forces, with rebels claiming to have killed a dozen government soldiers and the government accusing the rebels of targeting civilians. On Sunday, South Sudan and Sudanese forces clashed in South Kordofan, despite the recently signed non-aggression pact. On Monday, rebel groups in Sudan announced they had captured a Sudanese army garrison near the border with the South; while the UN reported that increasing numbers of Sudanese and South Sudanese are reportedly fleeing to Kenya due to fighting and economic crisis. On Tuesday, analysts warned that a plan to start disarming civilians in South Sudan, by force if necessary, is likely to worsen the security situation and complicate efforts to deliver essential humanitarian aid; while Sudan reportedly threatened military action against the South, accusing their troops of involvement in rebel attacks along the border where rebels claim they killed 150 government soldiers.
Boko Haram claimed responsibility on Wednesday for Tuesday’s deadly attacks at a popular market in Maiduguri, Nigeria; gunshots and explosions rang out in Kano, as the military reportedly exchanged fire with suspected Boko Haram militants; while unknown gunmen set some classrooms and a store at Budun Primary School in the outskirt of Maiduguri. On Thursday, gunmen on motorcycles shot dead two policemen and wounded two others in Kano. On Friday, at least 10 people were killed in a night attack on the Gombe Divisional Police Station, as gunmen reportedly set off bombs in an attempted prison break in the northeastern city of Gombe. On Sunday, two suicide bombers suspected to be Boko Haram members blew up the Church of Christ in Nigeria headquarters in Jos, killing at least 2 people. Police arrested 8 Nigerian Christians from a rival faction of their own church in relation to the bombing, while 8 others were killed in reprisal attacks by protesting youths following the incident. Also, suspected Boko Haram militants attacked the Shuwa Divisional Police Station in Madagali, killing three police corporals.
Tens of thousands of returning workers from Libya, failing rains and insects are reportedly causing food shortages and a major humanitarian crisis in Chad that could affect up to 3.6 million people.
A Parliamentary committee leading the constitution making in Zimbabwe has reportedly been forced to drop a number of provisions, including one on term limits that would have locked President Mugabe from future polls on Thursday. On Friday, PM Tsvangirai reportedly castigated President Mugabe and the ZANU PF over insincerity, calling the unity government a “sorrowful experience” and vowing to resist Mugabe’s calls for early elections. On Saturday, President Mugabe celebrated his 88^th birthday with an elaborate party, and again called for an early vote this year. Concern is reportedly building over the fate of a human rights activist missing since the 8^th of February.
On Friday, the Supreme Court of Rwanda sentenced one of the most important Tutsi opposition leaders, PDP party president Deogratias Mushayidi, to life in prison in a controversial verdict for “plotting to overthrow” Kagame’s government, spreading rumors to incite hatred of the government and using forged documents. Supporters say that the trial is merely a tool to silence the opposition.
President Compaore of Burkina Faso fired his justice minister on Friday and created a cabinet post for human rights in an effort to calm citizens’ anger over abuses by government officials. The justice minister was reportedly fired for ordering the arrest, beating and detention of a man with whom he had a minor traffic dispute.
A young girl was killed and ten women and children injured when Mali’s air force reportedly bombed a camp for displaced civilians in the north on Wednesday. On Friday, the UN refugee agency appealed for $35.6 million to respond to the growing humanitarian crisis resulting from the renewed fighting in the north between government forces and Tuareg rebels; while President Toure announced he is willing to step down and hold democratic elections in June, denying that he is willing to fight a war against the rebels in return for staying in power. Refugee numbers are rising daily in the bordering countries as the fighting rages between the Malian army and the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad fighting for greater autonomy for the Tuareg. On Sunday, the French Foreign Minister said that Mali must negotiate with separatist Tuareg rebels to end the fighting in its northern desert, during a visit to the country.
The judge in ousted President Mubarak’s trial in Egypt announced that the verdict will be delivered on June 2^nd during Wednesday’s hearing. On Friday, the Muslim Brotherhood announced it will be holding the Interior Ministry responsible for two separate attacks on Islamist politicians over the last couple days, accusing it of ignoring death threats made to its members; while the Muslim Brotherhood also reported claimed in its own newspaper that it had scored an outright majority in the upper house of Parliament ahead of results that would be released on Sunday. On Sunday, a court reportedly adjourned the trial of pro-democracy activists accused of illegally receiving funds from abroad until April; while at least 20 Jordanian nationals were reportedly trapped in the south Sinai, blocked in by Bedouin protesters demanding the release of Sinai prisoners. On Monday, the Supreme Commission for Presidential Elections postponed the meeting to announce the timeline for the upcoming elections until next week.
Three people were reportedly killed and some 25 injured on Tuesday in clashes between rival tribes in the far southeast of Libya. On Wednesday, a military court ruled that 50 people accused of fighting for Gaddafi and helping a mass jail break by alleged Gaddafi supporters should be freed and tried instead in a civilian court; while two Libyan Mirage fighter jets, which were flown to Malta by defecting pilots last year, headed back home. On Thursday, troops intervened to try and end fighting between rival tribes in the eastern desert where dozens of people had been killed over the previous week. On Friday, clashes flared between rival tribes in the far southeast, injuring several people. On Saturday, Libya and France reportedly agreed to look into boosting maritime security and controlling Libyan borders, as the French Defense Minister met with his Libyan counterpart in Tripoli; militiamen reportedly detained two British journalists working for Iran’s Press TV and are holding them in Tripoli; while authorities urged Libya’s neighbours to hand over Gaddafi supporters who have fled the country, saying bilateral ties could be threatened if they did not cooperate. On Sunday, the government of Niger warned its people that they could be targeted by roving militias if they travel to Libya, as tensions rise between the neighbouring countries over Niger’s refusal to extradite Gaddafi’s son Saadi; while the situation remained tense in the south-eastern town of Kufra, with more than half the population fleeing and the death toll reaching over a 100. On Monday, a powerful militia announced it will not heed a government request to disband because they incentives are not generous enough. On Tuesday, officials announced they will not rule out using force to regain control of the town of Bani Walid after it was recently taken over by forces loyal to Gaddafi.
The President of Uganda’s Forum for Democratic Change, Kizza Besigye, and a female MP were hospitalized on Tuesday when a political rally was dispersed by police in Kampala. On Wednesday, Besigye reportedly said that the threat of death will not stop him from advocating for political freedom. On Saturday, the Independent (Kampala) reported that President Museveni appears to be losing his grip after 10 of his 15 top ministers either resigned over alleged corruption or face censure by a rebellious parliament that refuses to be either bribed, intimidated or seduced by Museveni. On Monday, IRIN warned of overwhelmed refugee camps in the west of the country, as an influx of refugees fleeing post-election violence and militia activity in the DRC are swarming in. On Tuesday, the Uganda Human Rights Commission released a new report on victims’ views on the right to remedy and reparation.
The opposition in Senegal claims that it has a permit to march and occupy public places while the Ministry of the Interior continues to call for the deployment of forces to prevent the occupation of strategic places. On Tuesday, hundreds of opposition supporters clashed with security forces in the capital, as EU observers criticized a ban on protests and an African envoy flew in to try and stem the rising violence. On Wednesday, President Wade ignored appeals by former Nigerian leader Obasanjo to withdraw from the presidential race made during a series of meetings with main opposition members. On Thursday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed his hope that this weekend’s Presidential election is peaceful and credibly staged. On Friday, thousands of opposition activists took to the streets to demand President Wade cancel the elections, resulting in at least six deaths. On Saturday, the country was gripped by uncertainty on the eve of the election as more than 450,000 voter cards have yet to be collected by registered voters. On Sunday, former Nigerian President Obasanjo’s mediation attempts suffered a setback as protesters turned down a proposed two-year term for Wade and ordered Obansanjo to leave their country; Senegalese voted across the country, largely without incident, though incumbent President Wade was reportedly heckled by voters as he cast his ballot. IRIN ran an analysis about life under President Wade. On Monday, early results appeared to indicate that Wade had failed to win an outright majority, which would necessitate a runoff. On Tuesday, the campaign spokesman for incumbent Wade said that partial results showed that Wade was well short of an absolute majority.
The International Criminal Court announced that it would be expanding the scope of its investigation into possible war crimes in Cote d’Ivoire to as far back as 2002 on Thursday; while Human Rights Watch expressed concern over the scheduled end of a national commission of inquiry investigating the post-election violence, citing several failures and rushed work. On Sunday, unidentified armed individuals shot at a convoy from the Independent Electoral Commission as it transported ballot boxes from a central-western town during the legislative by-election, with a second attack occurring hours later, killing at least five people. A new book written by a French journalist challenges the dominant narrative about the killing of several women protesters in Abobo that prompted the French and the UN to intervene following the election crisis in early 2011.
A self-proclaimed gay activist in Liberia and some of his followers narrowly escaped an angry mob who rushed a local radio and television station to attack him for his pro-gay campaign on Thursday; while members of the Senate launched a probe into allegations of rebel training ongoing in the area near the Liberian-Ivory Coast border. On Tuesday, MPs are expected to consider a bill that would forbid same sex marriage.
A judge in Tunisia granted the publisher of a daily newspaper a provisional release, postponing his trial over the publishing of a photo of a football player embracing a naked model until March 8^th, after the publisher went on a hunger strike. On Thursday, police used tear gas to break up a crowd of around 200 hard-line Salafists allegedly armed with sticks, swords and petrol bombs after they set fire to a police station.

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February 28, 2012

This Week in the World of Conflict… February 20th-27th, 2012.

I ask readers interested in peace and conflict to join the Peace and Collaborative Development Network and donate to help keep them alive, if possible. The network is a great place to meet others working in the field, browse job openings, read great blog entries and learn where to find other conflict resources.
The International Centre on Nonviolent Conflict is now accepting applications for the 2012 Fletcher Summer Institute for the Advanced Study of Nonviolent Conflict at Tufts University running from June 24-30^th, 2012.
The Columbia Centre for Oral History announced its 2012 Summer Institute “What is Remembered: Life Story Approaches in Human Rights Contexts” to be held June 4-15^th, 2012 at Columbia University in New York City. Sessions will look at the methodological and theoretical implications of doing life story research with individuals who have suffered human rights abuses and other forms of discrimination.
A coalition of governments, international organizations and other groups joined forces with the World Bank to confront threats to the health of the planet’s oceans, launching the Global Partnership for Oceans on Friday. Marine life is being threatened by over-fishing, loss of habitat and environmental degradation.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) released its annual Attack on the Press in 2011 report. The report claimed 46 journalists were killed and 179 imprisoned last year in countries around the world, with Pakistan listed as the most dangerous place for journalists to work followed by Libya and Iraq.
The President of the UN General Assembly stressed the importance of mediation in the early stages of conflict on Saturday, saying that seeking peaceful settlement of disputes before they become violent can save lives and ensure stability.
Earlier this month, Oxfam released a report on the challenges posed by the vast humanitarian crises around the world, in spite of the growing number of vulnerable people, the rise in disasters and the failure to put most fragile states on the path to develop that will significantly increase needs.
The Oxford Research Group released a new report on the drivers of insecurity in the Global South, including climate change, increasing competition over resources, global militarisation, and marginalization across much of the “majority world”. The Group suggests the need to change the current approach to security that is based upon the premise that insecurity can be controlled through military force or containment, focusing on “curing the disease” instead of “fighting the symptoms”.
Cambridge Scholars Publishing is set to release a new book called Conflict Resolution and the Scholarship of Engagement that looks at the growing field of conflict analysis and resolution and the need for scholars to work on the ground to transform entrenched conflicts.
Peace, Conflict and Development: An Interdisciplinary Journal just published its latest special issue on what’s missing in approaches to peace and conflict.
The Noble Institute announced that 231 people have been nominated for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, including former US President Bill Clinton, former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and Bradley Manning.

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Tags: Attack on the Press 2011, • The Committee to Protect Journalists, conflict, Conflict Resolution and the Scholarship of Engagement, drivers of insecurity in the Global South, February 2012, Fletcher Summer Institute for the Advanced Study of Nonviolent Conflict, health of the planet's oceans, human rights, humanitarian crises, mediation in the early stages of conflict, Nobel Peace Prize, Peace and Collaborative Development Network, violence, war, what’s missing in approaches to peace and conflict

February 27, 2012

This Week in European Conflict… February 18th-25th, 2012.

The former foreign secretary of the EU Jack Straw announced that the European Parliament should be abolished after failing to achieve its purpose of bridging the divide between the European people and EU. Straw argued that the body has a “major democratic deficit” as a poll shows 78% believe their voice doesn’t count in the EU.
Tens of thousands reportedly rallied across Russia on Saturday in support of Vladimir Putin. Hundreds of cars circled central Moscow on Sunday to demand PM Putin allows free elections in the country; President Medvedev announced his intention to meet with some of the heads of the opposition protest movement; while PM Putin outlined plans for military reform and rearmament that would see the government spending 23 trillion rubles (around $770 billion) over a ten year period. On Monday, a rare meeting between the President and opposition leaders produced talk of political reform but no sign of concessions strong enough to halt protests posing a challenge to Putin; a new poll predicts that Putin will be elected President in the first round of March’s election; while PM Putin announced that the country needs a stronger military to protect it against foreign attempts to stoke conflict around its borders. On Tuesday, Putin allegedly sought to bolster his authority ahead of the Presidential election by promising police in Moscow to pay hefty pay raises; the President of the southern republic of Tatarstan endorsed Putin, claiming Russia needs a “tsar” rather than a manager as head of state; while early voting began in remote areas ahead of the March 4^th Presidential election. On Thursday, tens of thousands gathered in a central Moscow stadium to hear Putin, as he spouted nationalistic rhetoric and warned of the dangers of foreign influence, reportedly reminiscent of Soviet times. On Friday, Radio Free Europe ran an article detailing how a new protest movement, organized largely through social media, is rolling through the country; while Putin announced that he sees no new chill in ties with the Americans, but warned that he would not let the US gain nuclear supremacy and had no intention of playing “yes man” to the West on global issues.
An opposition activist in Belarus was sentenced to 10 days in jail on Wednesday for holding an unsanctioned “toy protest” in Minsk, and announced he will go on a hunger strike in protest. On Thursday, another toy protest activist was reportedly jailed, while both men announced the start of a hunger strike to protest their imprisonment.
A wave of execution-style shootings and a police station bombing have rocked Sweden’s third largest city, sparking fears of gangster violence taking hold of the country, once seen as the world’s safest places.
Police announced on Saturday that at least seventeen police and seven insurgents were reportedly killed in four days of fighting on the border between Chechnya and Dagestan. Another 24 police and security troops were also wounded in the fighting.
EU officials announced that a new round of talks in Brussels between Serbia and Kosovo was to be postponed to February 22^nd after Pristina representatives failed to show up on time because their flight had been cancelled. On Wednesday, Serbia announced its plans to open its first shelter for gays and lesbians in a southern city. On Thursday, the German Foreign Minister announced that Germany firmly supports Serbia’s bid to join the EU and would like to see it given candidate status at the upcoming week’s EU summit; while former Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladic slammed the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal as a puppet of NATO, calling it biased against him and other Serbs. On Friday, the EU Enlargement Commissioner announced that Serbia and Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian leadership reached a deal on border issues and Kosovo’s participation in Balkan regional meetings; while the Bosnian Education Minister has reportedly resigned and fled the country after receiving death threats for his decision to remove mandated religious classes from primary school.
Macedonia reportedly urged NATO to accept it as a member when the alliance holds a summit in May, despite Greek opposition due to a long-running dispute over its name.
The government of Germany and two main opposition parties agreed to jointly nominate a former East German human rights activist as the next President, following the resignation of the former President on Friday.
Hundreds of thousands of people protested across Spain on Sunday against reforms to the labour market, in fears it will destroy workers’ rights and the welfare state. The protests took place in some 57 towns and cities across the country. Thousands of students took to the streets on Tuesday to protest against alleged police violence, a day after security forces arrested 25 protesters and injured 4 at a demonstration against spending cuts in education.
Nearly 75 percent of voters in Latvia rejected the plan to change the constitution and introduce Russian as an official second language in the country on Saturday, a move praised by neighbouring Lithuania. Russia however, criticized the country for rejecting their language, calling the vote biased because it excluded so many Russian-speaking “non-citizens” from voting.
The Guardian ran an article outlining the six key elements of the deal for the bailout of Greece by the eurozone finance ministers. On Wednesday, trade unions promised a popular revolt over the bailout.
Emergency services in London, England began practising their response in the event of an attack during the summer Olympic Games, set to be staged in the capital this year.
The European Court of Human Rights ordered Italy to pay thousands of dollars to 24 Somali and Eritrean migrants who fled Libya in 2009, but were subsequently returned. The court ruled that the migrants risked ill-treatment in Libya where such migrants were systematically detained.
President Saakashvili of Georgia challenged his political opponents to disclose their views on relations with Russia, while also underlining his commitment to strengthening the country’s ties with NATO and the EU.

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Tags: Belarus, Chechnya, conflict, Dagestan, England, EU, Europe, European conflict, European Parliament, February 2012, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Human rights abuses, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Macedonia, peace, Russia, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, violence, war

February 26, 2012

This Week in Middle Eastern Conflict… February 17th-24th, 2012.

China announced on Friday that it had yet to receive a formal invitation to a meeting of international powers in Tunis next week to discuss the crisis in Syria; the government reportedly blocked a premiere live stream website, Bambuser, that has been used by dissidents to upload streaming video of conditions in the country in real time; thousands of Israeli Arabs reportedly demonstrated against Assad, calling for him to step down; an award-winning “New York Times” correspondent died in the country from an apparent asthma attack; NATO’s Secretary General said that the they have no intention of intervening in Syria, even if the UN mandate was changed to protect civilians; three pro-democracy protesters were allegedly killed by security forces during protests; security forces renewed a bombardment of opposition strongholds in Homs and attacks on rebels in Deraa; while the government of Venezuela allegedly supplied diesel to the country, undermining Western sanctions. On Saturday, security forces reportedly fired live ammunition to break up an anti-government protest in Damascus, killing at least one person; China said it backs President Assad’s plans for a referendum to end the violence; and Iraq announced it was reinforcing security along its Syrian border to stop the flow of arms and smuggling. On Sunday, gunmen reportedly staged an ambush that killed a senior state prosecutor and judge in an opposition-dominated northern region; a leading Chinese newspaper accused western countries of stirring civil war in Syria and that their calls for Assad to step down could provoke a “large-scale civil war” that might demand foreign intervention; Egypt announced it was recalling its ambassador to Damascus; an insider in the Syrian regime said it is “disintegrating” under the weight of international sanctions; and AP reported a troop build up in Homs. On Monday, members of the EU announced they will likely adopt fresh sanctions against the Syrian President in the coming week; the International Committee of the Red Cross said it is negotiating with Syrian forces and opposition fighters on a daily two-hour ceasefire to bring life-saving aid to civilians the hardest hit by the conflict; security forces reportedly injured four youth when they fired live ammunition at a night demonstration in Damascus. On Tuesday, the US said it will consider taking “additional measures” to end the bloodshed in Syria if an international outcry and a strengthened sanctions regime do not convince the government to stop the crackdown on the opposition; Russia said it will not attend a Western-backed international conference in Tunis about the crisis because it only supported the opposition cause; security forces reportedly killed at least 33 civilians in army raids on villages in northern Idlib province; and government forces reportedly continued to bombard the city of Homs, killing at least 63 people. On Wednesday, a veteran Sunday Times correspondent and a French photographer were reportedly killed in Syria, along with some 80 others as security forces rained rockets and bombs on opposition-held neighbourhoods in Homs, increasing the foreign pressure on Assad; security forces and militiamen loyal to Assad allegedly chased, captured and then shot dead 27 young men in three northern villages; two Islamist militant groups in Iraq rejected a call by al Qaeda to aid Syrian rebels in their revolt, saying sending weaponry and fighters across the border would only worsen the conflict; the main opposition Syrian National Council said it wants a minimum of 3 points of safe passage for life-saving aid supplies to enter the country; a main opposition group called upon Syrians to boycott an upcoming referendum on a new constitution, calling it an attempt to cover up the crackdown; King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia told Russian President Medvedev that any dialogue about the crisis in Syria would lead nowhere; the Information Ministry reportedly told foreign journalists that are illegally inside the country that they should report to the government, as they allegedly had no knowledge of the entrance of the two foreign journalists who were killed in Homs; France called upon the Syrian government to immediately halt the military onslaught of Homs and allow safe access for medical aid; while UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon asked the UN relief chief to visit the country to assess the humanitarian situation. On Thursday, security forces reportedly lined up and shot dead 13 men and boys from one extended family after raiding the village of Kfartoun in Hama province; three people were killed in shelling in the village of Soubin; a French journalist who was badly injured in a recent attack in Homs issued a video plea for help to cross the Lebanese border; the UN accused the Syrian regime of “crimes against humanity”, including the use of snipers against small children, and drew up a list of senior officials who should face investigation; China announced it would not accept an invitation to discuss the crisis in Syria with other world powers during the “Friends of Syria” conference on Friday in Tunisia; several attendees of the Friends of Syria group announced they would seek tougher measures, including a possible economic “stranglehold” on the Syrian government. On Friday, representatives from more than 70 nations gathered in Tunis for the “Friends of Syria” conference aimed at finding ways to end the bloodshed, with Saudi Arabia and Qatar reportedly pushing for more forceful intervention against Assad including supplying weapons to rebels; pro-Assad protesters rallied outside the conference in Tunis; EU diplomats named seven Syrian ministers to be targeted with new sanctions including travel bans and asset freezes on the ministers of health, education, presidential affairs, communications and technology, industry, oil and mineral resources, and transport, with more sanctions expected to be issued on Monday; US Secretary of State Clinton called upon Syria to agree to a cease-fire and criticised Russia and China for siding with Assad; while the Syrian Arab Red Crescent began evacuating wounded or sick women and children from the Baba Amro district of Homs, in what is being called “a first step forward”.
Police and anti-government protesters clashed in Bahrain on Thursday, with two policemen reportedly severely injured in a petrol bomb attack. Two Western activists were detained for leading a women’s protest on Friday, while police suppressed the protests with water cannons and armoured vehicles. On Monday, police again used water cannons and tear gas to break up a march chanting anti-government slogans following a funeral. On Wednesday, Sunni Muslims warned the government at a rally of some 20,000 people, against entering a dialogue with Shi’ite-led opposition parties, instead urging them to focus on security.
Government forces in Yemen reportedly detained 10 al Qaeda linked fighters on Friday; while oil pipeline workers returned to work after a 10-day strike which had shut down oil exports. On Monday, an explosion rocked a polling station in Aden and was followed by gunfire that killed one soldier and injured another; while the Yemeni branch of al-Qaeda confirmed the death of a senior leader who officials say died in a bloody family feud. The country went to the polls on Tuesday, with the Vice-President as the only candidate in polls that are reported to have a high turnout despite calls for a boycott by the opposition and deadly violence in the south. Reuters ran an article outlining the high-ranking members of Saleh’s family who still have positions in security and military roles or influential positions in the business community. On Wednesday, vote counting was underway to confirm the current VP as the new leader, amid violence that killed at least 10 people across the country’s south; while the Security Council welcomed the holding of elections and encouraged leaders to move on to the next stage of transition. On Thursday, troops reportedly opened fire on a rally by southern secessionists opposed to the Presidential elections, killing one protester and wounding three others; while outgoing President Saleh, who had been receiving medical treatment in the US, left the country headed for an unknown destination. On Friday, Al Jazeera ran a report about the cost of rebuilding the country in the wake of Saleh’s departure, a price the country can ill afford.
Police announced on Friday that they had found the bullet-riddled body of a man in his twenties floating in a river northwest of Kirkuk, Iraq; gunmen in a speeding car opened fire on a man and his son, wounding both in Mandili; a roadside bomb targeting a police patrol wounded two policemen near Muqdadiya; gunmen opened fire on an off-duty policeman near his home, killing him near Khalis; gunmen in a speeding car opened fire on a police patrol, killing two officers in southern Baghdad; gunmen in a car opened fire on a police lieutenant colonel and his driver, killing both in Tikrit; and a sticky bomb attached to a car wounded a farmer near Hawija. On Saturday, authorities began evacuating an initial batch of 400 Iranian dissidents from Camp Ashraf to a transit camp near the airport in Baghdad; gunmen killed two off-duty soldiers in separate attacks in western Mosul; a mortar round killed one civilians in eastern Mosul; a bomb attached to a car wounded three people in Falluja; gunmen opened fire at a police checkpoint, wounding one policeman in Falluja; police found the body of a man who had been handcuffed and shot in southern Kirkuk; and police found the body of an unidentified man who was killed by the explosion of a roadside bomb he was trying to plant in Hawija. On Sunday, a suicide bomber reportedly killed 16 people and wounded some 26 in a crowd of police recruits leaving their academy in eastern Baghdad. On Monday, a sticky bomb attached to a police lieutenant colonel’s car exploded, seriously wounding him in Tuz Khurmato; gunmen stormed a house killing a tribal leader in the southern outskirts of Falluja; a sticky bomb attached to a former civil defense lieutenant’s car exploded, killing him and seriously wounding two others in Jalawla; a sticky bomb attached to an off-duty police lieutenant’s car exploded, killing him and seriously wounding another policeman in Ramadi; while judges ordered one of the two VPs be tried for terrorism, a move the accused dismissed as “black comedy”. On Wednesday, a bomb near a policeman’s house exploded, wounding his wife and child in Baquba; a roadside bomb wounded one civilian in western Mosul, and gunmen shot dead a civilian in eastern Mosul. On Thursday, at least 28 separate bombings were reported across the country, killing over 49 people and wounding at least 280 people, many of them security forces; while there were at least 6 attacks by gunmen, mostly at security checkpoint, killing some 18, and wounding at least 31 people.
The United States and the EU expressed cautious optimism on Friday over prospects that Iran may be willing to engage major powers in new talks; President Ahmadinejad blamed foreign powers for “all the problems” in the region through their interference; two Iranian naval ships sailed through the Suez Canal with permission of Egyptian authorities; officials in key parts of the American Obama administration are increasingly convinced that sanctions will not deter Iran from nuclear ambitions and that the US will be left with “no option” but to launch an attack on the country, or watch Israel do so; two articles in the Atlantic discussed the warmongering media frenzy over Iran; and Israel blamed Iran and the Lebanese group Hezbollah of plotting attacks against Israelis and Jews worldwide, a claim Hezbollah leader Nasrallah vehemently denied. On Saturday, Britain’s foreign minister warned that any attack on Iran would carry huge costs, including leading to a new cold war; American General Martin Dempsey also warned against military strikes against Iran; the Israeli Defense Minister said a nuclear-armed Iran could trigger an arms race in the Middle East and that nations should impose “crippling” sanctions on them to force the end to their nuclear ambitions; while a Vienna-based diplomat announced that Iran may be poised to expand its nuclear program at an underground site near the city of Qom. On Sunday, Iran’s oil ministry announced it had stopped selling crude oil to British and French companies in retaliation for the EU sanctions. On Monday, inspectors from the UN International Atomic Energy Agency arrived in the country for two days of talks about the Iranian nuclear program; the Iranian media reported that two of their navy ships docked in the Syrian port of Tartous on a mission to provide training to Syrian naval forces; Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei’s outlook on the West appears to dim the hopes for any future nuclear deal; several European countries announced they have stopped buying Iranian oil, while others announced they would be cutting back on their purchases; authorities reportedly faced a second and more extensive disruption of Internet access; and Common Dreams published a report highlighting the hypocrisy of condemning Iran for its alleged connection to the assassinations in Tbilisi, New Delhi and Bangkok while not doing the same to the assassinations of Iranian scientists allegedly ordered by Israel. On Tuesday, the EU’s foreign policy chief renewed calls for Iranian authorities to halt the execution of an Iranian man with Canadian residency for “designing and moderating adult-content websites” that contravene the country’s laws; the two Iranian warships were reported to have passed south through the Suez Canal after a brief stop in the Syrian port of Tartus; the Iranian body that vets election hopefuls reportedly approved 3,444 candidates to run in the March 2^nd parliamentary polls; authorities announced they expect to hold more talks with the IAEA; while a five-member group of UN atomic energy watchdog experts continued their talks on Iran’s nuclear programme. The Christian Science Monitor ran a report detailing what would happen if Iran did have a nuclear bomb. On Wednesday, the IAEA team declared their mission in Iran a disappointment as they were unable to visit a military site at Parchin; Russia warned that an attack on Iran would lead to a catastrophe; Supreme Leader Khamenei offered new assurances that his country is not seeking to develop nuclear weapons, even while a report, allegedly out of Iran, of the wife of an assassinated nuclear scientist who said her husband’s ultimate goal was the annihilation of Israel; Israel said it believes that within 2-3 years Iran will have intercontinental missiles able to hit the US; and the Atlantic ran a piece suggesting that a pre-emptive attack on Iran may actually ensure they get nuclear weaponry, if they don’t already have it. On Thursday, a weeklong election campaign began for the March 2^nd parliamentary polls, with analysts predicting a comfortable victory for the ruling conservative faction loyal to Ayatollah Khamanei. On Friday, Russian PM Putin accused the west of seeking “regime change” in Iran under the guise of trying to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction, during a tour of Iranian nuclear research centre; while the IAEA reportedly claimed that Iran has dramatically accelerated its production of enriched uranium in recent months and is refusing to cooperate with an investigation of evidence that it may have worked on designing a bomb.
Several thousand Palestinians reportedly rallied in Gaza and the West Bank on Friday in support of the jailed Islamic Jihad leader who has been on a hunger strike protest for a 63^rd day against his detention by Israel; while reports suggested that a sustainable energy program in a rural area of the West Bank was being threatened by Israeli authorities. On Saturday, at least two Palestinian were wounded in an Israeli air strike on southern Gaza City, allegedly in retaliation for several rockets fired into southern Israel the day before. On Tuesday, the Palestinian prisoner whose life was in danger after he went on a hunger strike for 66 days, agreed to eat after a deal was struck for him to be released at the end of a four-month period of detention. On Wednesday, the top UN envoy for the Middle East peace process described Israel’s announcement that it had given approval to a large number of new settlement units deep inside occupied Palestinian territory; while members of Hamas endorsed a unity government with the Palestinian authority, taking on a more moderate position that reportedly presents a serious challenge to Israel and raises the states in any future peace process. On Friday, Israeli police clashed with hundreds of Muslim worshippers near the al-Aqsa mosque for the third time this week, reportedly sparked by fears that far-right Israeli activists were planning to enter Muslim-controlled areas at the site; while the UN committee on Palestine rights voiced alarm over the recent Israeli decision to build more than 500 new homes in a settlement inside occupied Palestinian territory and to retroactively “legalize” some 200 settlement units built earlier without permit.

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Tags: Bahrain, conflict, February 2012, Gaza, human rigths abuses, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Middle East, Palestine, peace, Syria, violence, war, West Bank, Yemen

February 24, 2012

This Week in Conflict in the Americas… February 16th-23rd, 2012.

President Caledron of Mexico reportedly unveiled a large advertising board near the American border calling on the US to stop the flow of weapons into the country on Friday. On Sunday, a fight between prison inmates inside a jail near Monterrey reportedly killed some 44 people. On Monday, reports suggested that some 30 members of the Zeta drug cartel plotted with prison guards to orchestrate an elaborate escape that resulted in Sunday’s prison deaths.
The Governor of New Jersey in the United States rejected a bill allowing same-sex marriage in the state and called upon a ballot question to decide the issue a day after the state assembly passed it. On Friday, a 29 year-old Moroccan man was arrested in Washington DC as part of an anti-terrorism campaign, as he carried what he thought was explosives into the city. On Monday, the Obama administration’s plan to revamp the country’s nuclear weapons strategy and possibly reduce the number of warheads was leaked to the press, causing a major uproar among some conservatives who called the proposals “reckless lunacy”. On Tuesday, the US Marine corps discharged the long marine convicted in the 2005 killings of unarmed Iraqi civilians in Haditha, but will not face jail time. On Wednesday, several members of the Congress received mail threatening biological attack and containing suspicious powder, later found to be harmless by law enforcement officials. On Thursday, at least seven US soldiers were reportedly killed after two helicopters collided during a training exercise along the Arizona-California border.
Authorities in Canada announced plans to toughen their refugee laws to filter out fake claims from “safe” countries like Hungary, which it says are clogging up the system and wasting taxpayer money. Critics say it is an attack on human rights, as it appears to target the large influx of claims from Roma “gypsies” coming from Hungary. The country has also allegedly threatened a trade war with the European Union over the bloc’s plan to label oil from the province of Alberta’s vast tar sands as highly polluting. An indigenous community has launched a lawsuit against the government and a petrochemical company SunCor for failing to prevent pollution that has taken a severe toll on their environment and health.
The top court in Ecuador upheld a jail sentence on Thursday against three newspaper publishers who were also ordered to pay damages for libelling President Correa. Rights groups claim the ruling puts freedom of expression under threat.
The President of Haiti was reportedly attacked as he walked in a Carnival procession in Port-au-Prince, but escaped unharmed on Friday. Witnesses say that “troublemakers” were throwing rocks at the President and his accompanying motorcade.
National police in Panama reportedly broke up protests over plans for a vast copper mine and hydroelectric schemes, killing three men, wounding dozens and detaining more than 100 others.
Flooding rivers in Peru and Chile displaced people and turned up old land mines from the 1970s, resulting in a closure of the border between the two countries on Monday.
President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela announced that he must receive another operation to remove a lesion on his pelvis where surgeons removed a large cancerous tumour last year, but denied rumours that there was any metastasis. Chavez’s imminent departure for his surgery has reportedly thrown his re-election campaign into uncertainty.
Hundreds of relatives of inmates who died in last week’s prison fire in Honduras reportedly forced their way into a morgue in the capital to demand the remains of loved ones on Tuesday. The government announced that a dropped cigarette may have set off the fire, going back on the original claims of a purposely set fire.
A group of 17 leading intellectuals in Argentina criticized the government for supporting the right to self-determination of Falkland Island inhabitants, questioning the country’s claims on the territory.

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February 23, 2012

This Week in Asian Conflict… February 15th-22nd, 2012.

President Karzai of Afghanistan confronted the Pakistani leadership on Thursday during a visit to Islamabad, accusing Pakistani officials of harbouring the Taliban; he also was quoted as saying there were secret contacts between the US, Afghan governments and the Taliban, and that the militant group was interested in ending the war; while the Pakistani President publicly pledged efforts to seek reconciliation with the Taliban with hopes of ending the Afghan war. On Saturday, the two days of high level talks ended in acrimony with Afghanistan saying it was “preposterous” to think that Pakistan could deliver the Taliban chief Mullah Omar to the negotiating table. On Sunday, the Atlantic ran an article that suggested that education in the country would be taking a big step backward, as new textbooks would cut out much of the country’s post-1973 history since none of the major groups can agree on a basic set of facts. On Monday, a prominent female lawmaker repeated her intention to run for the presidency when Karzai’s term runs out in two years time; while a car bomb in Kandahar killed one policeman and wounded four other people. On Tuesday, US and NATO forces rushed to apologize for discarding and possibly burning copies of the Qur’an, as thousands of angry Afghans protested outside the Bagram military airbase; Chatham House released a new report on how the withdrawal of international forces will affect the country; Afghan officials reported that Taliban militants beheaded four Afghan civilians who they believed had been spying for the government; President Karzai reportedly invited the Taliban leadership to direct talks with his government, while urging Pakistan to help with negotiations; a man wearing an Afghan police uniform killed an ISAF service member in southern Afghanistan; a roadside bomb killed four civilians including a child in southern Kandahar; Afghan security forces and foreign troops killed two insurgents, wounded three and detained one more in Kabul and Logar provinces; and Pakistan announced it will not support an American-driven initiative to start Afghan peace talks with the Taliban in Qatar until it is clear that they have backing from Kabul. On Wednesday, Georgia’s Defense Ministry announced that three of their soldiers were killed in Helmand province while serving alongside NATO forces; while President Karzai appealed for calm as demonstrators protesting over the burning of copies of the Qur’an clashed with security forces, resulting in at least seven deaths.
The military in Pakistan rejected criticism by Human Rights Watch concerning the murder of a Pakistani journalist that suggested the Inter-Services Intelligence agency was beyond the reach of the criminal justice system, as “derogatory, biased and contradictory”; while intelligence officials said two suspected US drone missile attacks killed more than 10 people in the North Waziristan region near the Afghan border. On Thursday, a suspected US drone aircraft reportedly fired two missiles at a car in the North Waziristan region, killing ten people; a homemade bomb planted in a vehicle exploded in the city of Quetta; a militant threw a hand grenade at police officials in Peshawar, injuring three people; one soldier and eight militants were killed in clashes between Pakistani forces and a group of militants in Wana; a suicide bomber killed two people and wounded five others in the Upper Dir district; and a suspected US drone aircraft killed six and wounded two others as it fired two missiles at a house in Miranshah. On Friday, the Atlantic ran an article that suggested that the Americans should “suck it up” and apologize to Pakistan for the “friendly fire” incident that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers last fall; a homemade bomb exploded, killing three Pakistani soldiers in Tirah; three militiamen were killed when Pakistani forces and a pro-government militia attacked a militant base in Bara; a clash between two militias left five militants and three members of a government-sponsored militia dead; while a suicide bomber on a motorcycle killed up to 32 people and injuring at least 60 in a market in a town close to the Afghan border. On Saturday, the death toll from Friday’s suicide bombing rose to 39; and militants ambushed a Pakistani paramilitary convoy in the southwestern Baluchistan province, killing two soldiers and wounding nine others. On Sunday, a homemade bomb exploded in the northwestern Khyber region, killing seven pro-government militia members and critically wounding five others; while militants reportedly attacked a military checkpoint, killing a soldier and wounding three others in Wana. On Tuesday, the Interior Minister announced that the government in Islamabad intends to ask Interpol to arrest the former President and military chief Pervez Musharraf in connection with the assassination of former PM Bhutto; a homemade bomb exploded outside a hospital in Peshawar with no reported casualties; a homemade bomb exploded next to a police vehicle in the Bagzai area with no casualties; and policeman was killed when militants attacked a police checkpoint in Panjgur.
The International Crisis Group released a new report on Timor-Leste’s upcoming elections, and the possibility of a more peaceful future.
The President of Kyrgyzstan announced on Friday that he plans to demand overdue fees for Russian military assets on Kyrgyz soil during upcoming talks in Moscow. On Monday, the President announced at a meeting with visiting US State Department officials that “no foreign troops” should remain at the Manas airport after 2014, which the US pays to use as a transit centre for operations in Afghanistan. On Wednesday, a state-controlled Internet provider blocked access to a leading independent news website.
Activists suspected of playing a role in December’s violence in Zhanaozen, Kazakhstan are reportedly still being rounded up by authorities and detained. On Tuesday, five men were reportedly sentenced on terrorism charges for creating an illegal armed group and of organizing and conducting a bombing in the northwest, to jail terms varying from 5 to 13 years; while the former VP of the Kazakh national nuclear company was arrested in Canada for violating immigration laws.
Human Rights Watch criticized the authorities of Azerbaijan for the alleged forcible eviction of hundreds of residents to demolish the last standing building in the neighbourhood of Baku where the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest is to be held. On Saturday, security forces allegedly arrested and jailed an Iranian journalist within the country without any specific charge. Authorities announced on Tuesday that they had busted an alleged terrorist group working for Iran’s secret services.
The government of Myanmar/Burma announced it expects to reach a ceasefire deals with all of the ethnic minority rebel armies within three months time before starting a process of political dialogue towards “everlasting peace”. The Bangkok Post ran an article that suggested that the recent ceasefire deals are driven by a desire of the army and politicians to capitalize on the booming narcotics business and not a real desire for change. On Thursday, the World Bank said it was in the process of returning to the country after 25 years, but the nation must first clear its arrears to global financial institutions before the bank resumes lending. On Friday, the EU announced it was lifting travel restrictions and sanctions against the country, in the first step towards rewarding the government for democratic reforms. On Sunday, a dissident monk who helped lead the 2007 anti-government uprising is facing fresh legal action for “squatting” illegally in a government-sealed monastery and breaking into two others. On Monday, the Guardian reported that a monk jailed for his role in the 2007 protests and then released in an amnesty in January now faces action by the authorities because he has “repeatedly broken Buddhist monks’ code of conduct and the law” by rejoining the religious order without requesting authorization and joining a monastery that has been sealed off by the government. On Wednesday, Karen rebels, who have been fighting for autonomy in the country for the last six decades, outlined their demands for peace with the government, including a complete withdrawal of government troops from posts near villages along the Thai border.
Recent re-elected President Berdymukhammedov in Turkmenistan vowed to lay the foundations for a multiparty system and a free media on Thursday, after being elected with some 97 percent of the vote.
Radio Free Europe reported that articles in the Uzbek language on Wikipedia have not been accessible in Uzbekistan for weeks, though no official statements have been released by authorities about the blockage. On Wednesday, it was reported that prominent cleric Imam Obidkhon Qori Nazarov survived an attempt on his life in a Swedish city where he was granted political asylum in 2006.
The government of China reportedly detained several hundred Tibetans who were returning from teaching sessions by the Dalai Lama in India and is forcing them to undergo political re-education. On Wednesday, Chinese police reportedly detained a Tibetan writer in a western area. On Thursday, the exiled Tibetan PM said that the plight of Tibetans has deteriorated since a wave of deadly protests in 2008, stressing that Tibetans live in a “lockdown”. On Saturday, another Tibetan Buddhist monk reportedly set himself on fire in western China. On Sunday, the 21^st Tibetan monk this year set himself on fire after shouting slogans in favour of Tibetan independence and the exiled Dalai Lama.
The new President of the Maldives agreed to hold early elections on Thursday to break the political impasse brought on by the allegations that the former President was forced to resign in a coup. On Friday, thousands of supporters of the former President rallied peacefully in the capital as Commonwealth ministers arrived to investigate the circumstances of his exit from power.
Two fishermen in India were reportedly shot dead in a confrontation with an Italian oil tanker off the southern Indian coast on Wednesday, sparking a diplomatic row between the two countries. Indian police detained the entire Italian crew.
North Korea threatened to launch “merciless” strikes against South Korea over its planned regular live-fire drills near their disputed sea border on Sunday. On Monday, South Korea conducted live-fire military drills from five islands near its disputed sea boundary with the North, despite their threat of retaliation; while North Korea’s state media announced that the ruling Worker’ Party will hold a key conference in April where it will likely make official the succession of power to Kim Jung-un.
The family of two young brothers in Indonesia have blamed police brutality for the death of their two boys, aged 13 and 17, who died in police custody. A new poll on Monday suggested that the ruling Democrat Party has lost major support, to the point that it could be pushed out in the next election. On Wednesday, security forces reportedly stormed a prison on Bali following a riot by inmates, injuring several people.

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Tags: Afghanistan, Asia, Azerbaijan, Burma, China, conflict, February 2012, Human rights abuses, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Myanmar, North Korea, Pakistan, peace, South Korea, Tibet, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, violence, war

February 22, 2012

This Week in African Conflict… February 14th-21st, 2012.

The West African Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) has just launched a new book on election management in West Africa.
The African Union Chairman announced on Saturday he will visit some of the continent’s conflict areas including Sudan, South Sudan, Mali and Libya for direct talks to help tackle the continent’s security hotspots.
ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States unanimously elected Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara as its Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority, succeeding Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan. ECOWAS also announced that they will introduce a single currency into the sub-region by 2020, and be effective in English speaking countries by 2015.
Heavy casualties were reported in clashes between security forces and Tuareg rebels in Mali in a northern town on Thursday. ECOWAS ordered Tuareg rebels to end their hostilities on Friday and to give up the territories they occupy; while Amnesty International warned that the Tuareg offensive raging in the north is causing a humanitarian and human rights crisis, killing scores and causing thousands to flee into neighbouring countries. On Sunday, authorities announced that it will hold Presidential elections on time in April, despite the Tuareg rebellion.
The Guardian ran an article suggesting that Malawi, once known as the beacon of democracy, is creeping towards dictatorship after the British High Commission described the President as “becoming ever more autocratic and intolerant of criticism” and was subsequently expelled from the country. On Thursday, a prominent critic of the President, a human rights lawyer and former attorney general, was reportedly jailed after he made claims that five or six “thugs” were hired by the government to attack him and petrol bomb his office.
At least three people were reportedly killed and about 20 injured in two days of clashes in the eastern region of Cote d’Ivoire at the beginning of the week. The violence was allegedly sparked by frustrations over the continued policing of the area by former northern rebels. On Friday, a senior UN official in the country announced the partial certification of legislative elections, issuing a statement saying that all the conditions necessary for holding open, free, fair, just and transparent elections were met. On Tuesday, a court in Liberia released some 76 Ivorian refugees arrested last month at a mining camp near Zwedru over suspicion of training as mercenaries to invade Cote d’Ivoire.
The acting inspector general of police in Nigeria announced on Tuesday that corrupt police forces act on the whims of the highest bigger and that officers carry out extra-judicial killings and torture. On Wednesday, the re-arrested “hatchet man” for Boko Haram allegedly buckled to the interrogation of security agents and listed the sponsors and sources of arms and ammunition of the sect. On Thursday, the federal government tightened security by redeploying 72 of its generals; while at least 118 prisoners were set free by armed men in an attack on a jail south of Abuja. On Friday, the Vice President inaugurated a committee to re-organize the police as part of plans to turn around the corrupt police force. On Saturday, five people were reportedly wounded after an explosive device detonated in Niger State. On Sunday, a bomb blast allegedly targeted a branch of the Christ Embassy Church in Suleja, injuring at least one person; while the police in the FCT, Abuja beefed up security in and around the capital city with new motorized electronic detecting equipment. On Monday, the Joint Task Force in Borno State announced that it killed 8 Boko Haram fighters in a shootout that was preceded by at least 7 explosions, though witnesses say many more people— mostly bystanders— were killed in the shooting.
The first Presidential elections since the fall of Mubarak are set to be held at the end of May in Egypt according to the state-owned newspaper on Wednesday; while the top US military officer forcefully argued against a cut-off in aid to the country. On Friday, thousands rallied in Port Said in a show of support for residents angry over the football riot this month that killed 74 people, who claim they now live under a de facto siege. On Sunday, the elections commission announced that the Presidential race will begin as of March 10 until April 8, but failed to follow through on a promise to announce the actual date of the elction.
Human Rights Watch expressed concern over activists who are allegedly being prosecuted in Morocco for peacefully boycotting an election three months ago, despite statements by authorities that no one was arrested for the boycott.
The Ogaden Somali Community in South Africa released a statement on Tuesday announcing they are filing a complaint with the country’s top prosecutor and the ICC urging an investigation into the actions of the government of Ethiopia against the Ogaden people, including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detention, rape, torture, disappearances, the destruction of livelihood, the burning of villages and the destruction of livestock.
Around 5,000 rebels have reportedly joined the new national army thus far in Libya, though many militia groups still constitute a threat to stability. On Thursday, Amnesty International accused several armed groups within the country of committing widespread abuses in a new report, saying that suspected supporters of Gaddafi are being tortured with impunity; and dozens of people were reportedly killed over the week in clashes between rival tribes over control of areas in the far southeast. The people marked the first anniversary of the February 17^th revolution on Friday with excitement and protests; while the Guardian ran a video report about the Abu Salim prison in Tripoli. On Saturday, the new government announced it plans to give each family more than $1,500 and pay unemployed former rebels in an attempt to win over those who want faster progress; it also sent military forces to stem clashes between rival tribes over control of territory in the far southeast; while the East African reported that the UN is still investigating investments of businesses owned by Tripoli across East Africa nearly three months after lifting sanctions. On Monday, the government announced its forces will intervene if clashes between rival tribes over control of territory in the southeast do not stop; while the population of Misrata voted in the first “free” election to pick 28 new members of the local council.
At least one person was killed in Uganda as government troops reportedly evicted an estimated 6,000 “squatters” from a nature reserve where authorities say the people are living illegally, though locals claim the property is their ancestral land and accuse the government of attempting to sell it to foreign developers. On Thursday, two more cabinet ministers resigned over corruption allegations, bringing the total number of resigned ministers to six. On Sunday, President Museveni went back on his own words spoken years ago when he told Kenyans that it is beneficial for one person to rule a country for a lengthier period, citing his own 26-year tenure as making him an “expert on governance”.
Police in Senegal reportedly violently dispersed opposition protesters demonstrating in Dakar in the run-up to the Presidential election on Wednesday. The interior minister announced that the government has the right to “restrict such liberties through legal channels when there is a real threat to public order”. On Friday, police reportedly sealed off a main square in the capital and fired tear gas to disperse anti-government protesters. On Saturday, police reportedly fired tear gas and chased protesters from the centre of the capital in a fourth day of protest against the candidacy of incumbent President Wade in the upcoming poll; while the local branch of President Wade’s Parti Democratique Senegalais was reportedly ransacked and burned. On Sunday, the opposition planned new protests in the build up to elections next weekend.
Many from South Sudan who were fired from their government jobs in neighbouring Sudan blocked a major road in Khartoum on Wednesday, hurling rocks at passing cars and demanding severance benefits. On Thursday, two joint UN/African Union Mission in Darfur soldiers were injured when three unidentified gunmen attacked their vehicle; and delegations from the two Sudans reportedly agreed to immediately demarcate the border between them in a bid to settle a number of pending issues they started to discuss before the South’s independence last July. On Friday morning, police in Sudan raided dormitories of the University of Khartoum, arresting over three hundred students in anticipation of a new protest they planned to stage over the weekend; the UN Security Council extended the mandate for the panel of experts monitoring sanctions imposed on Sudan over the conflict in Darfur for another year; the ruling party head offices in South Sudan were reportedly gutted in a fire that is still under investigation; while South Sudan appealed to Kenya to assist to end the conflict with the North over mineral resources and the disputed Abyei and Kadugli border regions. On Saturday, the UN relief chief expressed deep concern at the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, where continued fighting is killing countless civilians and displacing hundreds of thousands of others; while the Islamist opposition leader in Sudan accused the National Intelligence and Security Services of installing a secret listening device at his party’s headquarters. On Monday, rebels in the Darfur region announced they had released 49 international peacekeepers, only hours after detaining them, but kept hold of three civilian staff they accused of working as spies for the security service; while Sudanese security agents reportedly confiscated an entire edition of the independent al-Tayar newspaper in the latest media crackdown in the country.
On Monday, in an ironic twist, the minister for morality and good governance in Chad was fired and charged with corruption, accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in funds meant for cracking down on graft.
At least 28 bodies were found dead on a beach in the northern region of Somalia on Wednesday, thought to be those of migrants whose ferry boat capsized; the International Crisis Group released a new report on the Kenyan military intervention in the country, warning them to act cautiously and avoid prolonged “occupation”; certain diplomats began seeking for a boost to the AMISOM forces via a UN resolution; and fighting between Puntland state forces and Sheik Sa’eed Atom fighters killed some 15 soldiers in a northern town. On Thursday, a Kenya Defense Force soldier was reportedly killed in combat during an operation against al-Shabaab. On Friday, al-Shabaab reportedly deployed hundreds of heavily armed militants to the southern outskirts of Mogadishu to reinforce its flanks; Oxfam warned that an escalation of military activity in the area has forced thousands of civilians to flee and its severely hampering famine recovery efforts; and a car bomb exploded inside the compound of a major police building in Mogadishu, wounding at least two policemen. On Saturday, a missile hit a beach allegedly used as a base by al-Shabaab. On Sunday, key groups reportedly reached an agreement on a number of pending transitional government tasks, including a federal structure for a future government and representation in Parliament; while at least 10 people were reportedly killed and some 20 injured in clashes between AMISOM and al-Shabaab. On Tuesday, the Guardian ran an article detailing how Somali pirates are forced to go further away from the coast and taking more risks, particularly now that merchant ships can carry armed security teams; IRIN questioned what the 5-hour London Conference on the 23^rd can possibly achieve for Somalia; Britain and other EU nations announced they are considering the feasibility of air strikes against al-Shabaab’s logistical hubs and training camps; while Human Rights Watch released a report suggesting that Somalia’s warring parties have all failed to protect children from the fighting or serving in their forces, with al-Shabaab increasingly targeting children for recruitment, forced marriage and rape.
A medical doctor, who is also a prominent human rights defender and opposition member in Equatorial Guinea has reportedly been held for more than five days following the death of a patient during surgery, with Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International suggest is politically motivated.
The Governor of Masvingo in Zimbabwe suspended 29 non-governmental organizations from operating in the province on Tuesday, after he accused them of failing to register with the local authorities. On Thursday, a lawyer’s group advised people to defy the suspension on NGOs, that the governor’s ruling had no basis in law and was done by an individual lacking the authority to do so; while two dispossessed farmers who were evicted from their farms in 2009 during a land grab campaign, were set to take their landmark case to the Southern African Development Community. On Friday, an elderly farmer who was reportedly evicted from his farm several years ago as part of a land grab campaign, was jailed for more than a week as the battle for his new home intensified; and the EU announced a decision to remove 51 individuals and 20 companies from the targeted sanctions list in Zimbabwe, against strong criticism from those who say that SADC facilitated negotiations were stalled and none of the issues agreed to had actually been implemented. On Sunday, President Mugabe said he will “definitely” call elections this year to end a fragile coalition with the former opposition and called politicians who say the polls cannot be held until well into 2013 “cowards”; he also scoffed at calls for him to retire. Mugabe, who turned 88 on Tuesday, publicly praised the coalition pact, saying in an interview that he and long-time foe PM Tsvangirai can now share a cup of tea.
The Former PM of Tunisia was acquitted on Tuesday of charges of illegally crossing the Tunisian-Libyan border in September 2011. Labour protests supported by the main labour union in the country are reportedly breaking out, especially in the western regions. On Wednesday, three local journalists were facing trial on morality charges after publishing a photograph of a footballer frolicking with a nude woman, raising fears of a media crackdown. On Friday, police fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of conservative Islamists who poured out of a mosque after noon prayers reportedly protesting and calling for an Islamic state. On Monday, the third-largest party in the constituent assembly proposed a draft document based on Islamic law for the new constitution.
Hundreds were displaced and six reportedly killed in a fresh wave of ethnic clashes in central Kenya this week. On Thursday, the Cabinet failed to convince the two principle ministers to agree on an election date; while Matatu operators in Meru and Tharaka-Nithi counties gave the government 30 days to rescind a decision on the phasing out of 14 seater cars or they would withdraw their services, paralyzing public transport. On Saturday, authorities called upon citizens to maintain strict vigilance to thwart off terror threats posed by Somali insurgents blamed for a series of suicide attacks in the country. On Tuesday, an envoy announced that the Kenya military is set to benefit from the American financial assistance once it is fully integrated into AMISOM.
The government of Zambia is reportedly in a fierce diplomatic row with Kenya, as it claims the son of the former President Banda is hiding out at the State House in Nairobi to avoid facing corruption charges.
The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo reportedly pulled three broadcasting stations off the air on Wednesday, although the exact reasons remained unclear. On Thursday, security forces in Kinshasa fired teargas to break up a “March of Christians” organized by the local Roman Catholic Church to protest alleged fraud in the recent Presidential and legislative elections. On Friday, the three broadcasting stations were back on the air following their two day suspension, which was allegedly for airing “propaganda” about the peaceful Catholic march; while the EU and the US-based Carter Center criticised the Congolese government for banning the Catholic Church’s protest. On Saturday, the leading opposition party ordered its newly elected MPs to boycott the national assembly following the controversial Presidential elections. On Monday, three senior Congolese diplomats reportedly resigned from their posts at the embassy in London, claiming asylum in the UK to escape the “climate of terror”.

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February 20, 2012

This Week in the World of Conflict… February 13th-20th, 2012.

TRANSCEND Peace University has opened its online courses in peace and conflict studies for the upcoming spring semester. TRANSCEND was founded by Dr. Johan Galtung, widely known as the father of peace studies.
NATO announced on Wednesday that it will buy five US-made unmanned drone aircraft capable of countering Afghan insurgents, hunting pirates off Somalia or monitoring arms embargos. The drones will be part of the Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) project) set to begin between 2015 and 2017.
TransConflict established a Global Coalition for Conflict Transformation comprised of organizations from over forty organizations from a variety of countries that are committed to upholding the principles of conflict transformation.
Bill Clinton is being forwarded as one of the names to replace Robert Zoellick as the head of the World Bank. Other candidates are speculated to be Larry Summers and Tim Geithner.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has launched a new map that tracks cases of threatened bloggers around the world. The Foundation also helps bloggers understand their legal rights.
Park University’s Centre for Global Peace Journalism has launched a new semi-annual publication highlighting peace and conflict sensitive journalism called The Peace Journalist. They are currently seeking submissions of summaries of a length of one to two pages of upcoming peace/conflict sensitive journalism projects, as well as research/academic papers.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called upon all countries to move towards realizing the vision of a nuclear-weapon-free world on Friday and especially on those who have not yet endorsed the global treaty to ban nuclear testing, to do so without delay. These words came on the 15^th anniversary of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization.
The Centre for International Peace Operations released a new report on the role of elections in peace processes, when and how they advance stability or exacerbate conflicts.
The International Peace Institute released a new report on Security Sector Reform. The report focuses on how practitioners and academics can move from policy of SSR to implementation.
The German Institute for International and Security Affairs released a report on the partnership of NATO and the UN.

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Tags: drone aircraft, February 2012, Galtung, Global Coalition of Conflict Tranformation, NATO-UN partnership, nuclear-weapon free world, peace, Security Sector Reform, The Peace Journalist, the role of elections in peace processes, threatened bloggers, TRANSCEND Peace University, World Bank

February 20, 2012

This Week in European Conflict… February 11th-18th, 2012.

On Friday, France and Britain agreed to jointly work to develop next-generation unmanned drones as part of their military cooperation.
The Guardian ran a set of interesting articles detailing Scotland Yard’s investigation into Britain’s MI5 instances of torture, murder and rendition.
Nicolas Sarkozy formally declared that he will be running for a second term as President of France this spring.
The chief editor of the leading liberal radio station in Russia announced that a surprise management reshuffle at the station is aimed at dictating the station’s coverage ahead of the March 4^th Presidential elections on Tuesday; while it was released that the country came close to a nuclear disaster last December when a blaze engulfed a nuclear-powered submarine carrying atomic weapons. On Wednesday, a fake video showing Vladimir Putin in a courtroom cage in what seemed to be a real trial for terrorism went viral on the internet; while the white ribbon protest gained steam, especially among those fashion-conscious Russians. On Thursday, the European Parliament expressed concern over the disputed Russian State Duma elections in December, but stopped short of called for their annulment; while an official responsible for foreign arms sales says the country set a weapons export record in 2011, selling $13.2 billion in arms to foreign clients, with India, Algeria and Vietnam accounting for half of all exports.
Serbs in northern Kosovo began voting on Monday in a referendum asking whether or not they accept the authority of ethnic Albanian rulers. The referendum has no legal weight, but is likely to further complicate the EU-sponsored dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina and Serbia’s efforts to eventually join the EU. By Thursday, 99.74% of Serbs who voted rejected Albanian rule; and European Union-brokered talks were set to resume between Serbia and Kosovo.
At least three Russian police officers were reportedly killed and six others injured on Monday in a gun battle with suspected militants along the Chechen-Dagestan border. On Tuesday, Russian security forces allegedly killed the leader of a rebel group, Ibragimkhalil Daudov in Dagestan.
Veterans of the Afghan-Soviet war in the Ukraine snubbed the President by turning their backs on him at a ceremony on Wednesday to mark the 23^rd anniversary of the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan. The daughter of former Ukrainian PM Yulia Tymoshenko said that her mother has been subjected to poor medical care and abusive conditions in prison during an interview.
On Saturday, the people of Latvia voted in a referendum on whether or not to make Russian the second official language of the country.
On Sunday night, tens of thousands of people in Greece reportedly tried to demonstrate peacefully in front of the parliament building, but were almost immediately met with teargas, and then took to rioting—setting fire to banks, stores and cafes. On Monday, the country announced it will hold general elections in April, only hours after Parliament voted through tough new austerity measures aimed at saving the country from bankruptcy.
The European Parliament President announced he is “appalled” by the deteriorating situation in Belarus regarding human rights and political freedoms on Tuesday and called upon authorities to release opposition activist Syarhey Kavalenka and all other political prisoners. On Friday, another prominent Belarusian human rights activist who was sentenced to 4 ½ years in jail for tax evasion was transferred from a detention centre in Minsk to a labour camp in Babruysk.
Two international watchdogs condemned recent attacks on a Turkish newspaper office in Germany and France allegedly carried out by Kurdish activists. On Friday, the German President was forced into a humiliating resignation, after being caught up in an alleged corruption scandal and misguided attempt to muzzle the press.

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Tags: Belarus, Britain, Chechnya, conflict, Dagestan, Europe, February 2012, France, Germany, Greece, Human rights abuses, Kosovo, Latvia, peace, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, violence, war

February 19, 2012

a peace proposal for Israel/Palestine

Hello all! Hope all is well!

Here is a submission by a reader: a suggestion for a peace proposal for Israel and Palestine. Please check it out and be sure to leave your feedback in the commentary or find them on http://apeaceproposal.wordpress.com.

Thanks for the submission reader.

Peace!

Rebecca

This is draft peace plan for Israel and Palestine. The peace plan can work in practice, now or in the future, but implementation is a challenge. The proposal can be improved but the main points must remain. Details should be left to the two parties and to the international community; to work out suitable arrangements.

All well-meaning suggestions, questions and comments are welcome at apeaceproposal@mail.com

Two states

There will be two independent states. The 1967 borders will be basis for the final agreement but territory swaps will be possible. Eastern Jerusalem will have special, exterritorial status under international rule for five years; if the peace holds it will become part of Palestine. The rest of the city will be in Israel.

The two states should recognise each other and eventually establish full diplomatic relations. Palestine will recognise Israel as the Jewish state.

International presence in Palestine

There will be large-scale international presence in Palestine; military, police and civilians. It will be indefinite until further arrangement. The international presence will provide security for Israel and Palestine and help Palestinians reconstruct and develop their country.

The bulk of the international personnel should be from the majority-Muslim countries that enjoy diplomatic relations with Israel (at the moment the role of Turkey is unlikely but in future it could be important). Other troops should be led by the UN.

There will be a ‘special representative’ in Palestine, appointed by the UN Security Council and approved by Palestine and Israel. This person will be in charge of the international mission. The special representative will be a good negotiator, respected by the two sides and someone who favours compromise. The special representative will coordinate international presence with the Palestinian government and will also be regularly in contact with the Israeli government; in a manner which will be agreed with the Palestinian government.

Courts

As part of the international presence, foreign judges will operate in Palestinian courts in cooperation with their Palestinian colleagues; in order to help, or oversee and train.

Policing

There will be mixed police patrols, Palestinian and international, operating in Palestine, including Eastern Jerusalem. The international police will have the same rights as the local force. The mixed patrols will do regular policing and, in addition, focus their efforts on preventing rocket attacks on Israel.

Refugees

Refugees will to an extent be able to chose where they want to live, as envisaged by the Geneva Accord of 2003.

The settlers

The settlers in Palestine will be allowed to stay. They will enjoy special status for three years and will be allowed to carry light weapons for protection. During this period they will be looked after by international troops.

The settlers will be entitled to a dual citizenship or permanent residence in Palestine, according to their preference. After three years, they will be able to decide where they want to live.

The sea blockade

The international military and civilian structures will be in charge of Palestinian territorial waters. The sea blockade will be lifted when Israel is safe; to be decided in agreement with Israel.

Link between West Bank and Gaza strip

The Palestinians will have a road link between West Bank and Gaza Strip. The two sides will work out mutually convenient arrangement.

New constitution in Palestine

The Palestinian politicians and people will decide what sort of constitution they want but it is vital that Palestine is a democratic country, where all minorities will enjoy full rights and representation. Foreign legal experts will offer any help.

EU membership / special partnership

If the two countries are at peace with each other for at least ten years and if they want to, the EU will offer them full membership status or special partnership. Citizens of Israel and Palestine will be able to live and work in the EU and vice versa. If violence returns, the scheme will end; the EU will decide when.

This peace proposal is a beginning; long-term it is up to the two states to work out mutually convenient arrangements. .

Referendum

There should be a referendum in Israel and Palestine where the people will decide whether to approve the deal.

In addition, the leaders of the two countries should be in permanent contact.

The international community must treat the Israel/Palestine crisis as an absolute priority.

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Tags: Israel, Palestine, Palestinian territories, peace

February 19, 2012

This Week in Middle Eastern Conflict… February 10th-17th, 2012.

A new report in the Atlantic this week suggests that a barely perceptible shift occurred in recent months that make the possibility of Israel attacking Iran’s nuclear sites more possible, as the benefits outweigh the costs. NBC reported last week that Israel used an Iranian opposition group, designated as terrorist group by the United States, to carry out much-publicized assassinations of Iranian scientists. On Friday, China announced it would be sending a senior official to the country for talks on their nuclear program; ; while the PM of the Hamas administration in the Gaza Strip arrived in Tehran for a three day visit to mark the 33^rd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. On Saturday, President Ahmadinejad addressed tens of thousands of supporters in Freedom Square, saying that the country will soon announce “very important” achievements in the nuclear field. On Sunday, a Palestinian prisoner being held without charge who has been on a hunger strike for more than 8 weeks is reportedly being kept shackled to a hospital bed, despite warnings that he may be close to death. On Monday, Israeli PM Netanyahu accused Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah of being behind twin attacks on Israeli targets in India and Georgia that injured four people; the Iranian media reported that President Ahmadinejad’s press advisor was sentenced to six months in jail for insulting Supreme Leader Khamenei; China urged authorities to do more to end the standoff over its disputed nuclear program; while the international community accused authorities of misleading them with their claims to have abandoned the death penalty for juvenile offenders and execution by stoning of those convicted of adultery. On Tuesday, Israel again accused Iran of being behind three blasts in Bangkok, Thailand that injured some five people. On Wednesday, authorities unveiled their nuclear progress, claiming their success in manufacturing fuel rods and advanced centrifuges and also indicated that they were on the verge of imposing an oil embargo on European countries in retaliation for their sanctions; Thailand arrested two Iranians charging them with plotting the recent bomb attack in Bangkok and linking them to recent attacks in India and Georgia; while Israeli PM Netanyahu said that Iranian “terror activities” must be halted. On Wednesday, Russia said global powers must work harder to win concessions from Iran over its nuclear programme; Iranian authorities denied any role in Tuesday’s bomb blasts in Thailand, while Thai police held three Iranian nationals in connection; Iranian authorities also told world powers they were ready to resume stalled nuclear talks at the “earliest” opportunity; the US Treasury Department slapped sanctions on Iran’s main intelligence organization, accusing it of supporting terrorist groups, committing human rights abuses and backing the Syrian government’s crackdown on citizens; Israel’s defense minister dismissed Iran’s announcements of major nuclear advancements as exaggerations; and Iranian censors allegedly blocked access to a number of news websites sympathetic to President Ahmadinejad ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections in March.
State-run media in Syria reported that at least 28 people were killed on Friday and 200 others injured in two car-bomb explosions perpetrated by “armed terrorist gangs” in Aleppo; Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister said that Assad’s assurance to Russian officials that he will hold a constitutional referendum means that the opposition now “bears full responsibility” for ending the violence there; a firefight broke out in a poor district of Damascus between loyalist forces and rebels; and the EU foreign policy chief called on Russia to reconsider its position on Syria after last week’s veto on Syrian violence. A video uploaded to YouTube on Saturday allegedly shows an anti-aircraft tank firing directly into an urban neighbourhood in the city of Douma; Syrian forces reportedly continued their bombardment of districts of the city of Homs, killing some 10 people; security forces entered the besieged town of Zabandani near the Lebanese border after agreeing to a ceasefire with rebels; authorities told Libya and Tunisia to close their embassies in Damascus within 72 hours; while the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency reported that gunmen had assassinated an army general in Damascus. Security forces reportedly eased their week-long bombardment of Homs with only sporadic shelling on Sunday and let a few families leave opposition districts while thousands of protesters crowded the streets overnight; Tunisia announced it would host a meeting of the “Friends of Syria” which seeks to build an international agreement on how to end violence in the country on February 24^th; the Arab League reportedly wants the UN to form a joint peacekeeping force and appoint a special Arab envoy to try and end the violence, a move Russia made clear it would not support; al-Qaeda’s leader called for the ousting of Assad and urged all Muslims to help the rebels; while the head of the Arab League’s observer mission to Syria resigned during a meeting of ministers in Cairo. On Monday, authorities flatly rejected the call by the Arab League to deploy peacekeepers in the country, while Britain said no western troops could be involved in such a mission; British PM Cameron and French President Sarkozy announced that they will be meeting in Paris on Friday to discuss a possible increase in help to the rebels, including giving them military advice; Russia allegedly signaled a new-found willingness to consider international intervention when it abandoned its absolute defence of the Syrian regime and announced that it does not rule out its participation in a potential UN peacekeeping mission as long as there was a ceasefire between government and opposition forces first; security forces reportedly resumed their offensive by shelling areas of Homs and Rastan and storming areas near Damascus; and the UN human rights chief warned that failure by the UN to take action has emboldened the Assad regime to mount an all-out assault on his opponents and accused the government of an “indiscriminate attack” on civilians and other grave human rights violations. On Tuesday, government forces again clashed with protesters across the country, with some 20 people killed; and government troops shelled the city of Homs for a 10^th day, killing at least 7 people and wounding more than 20; Arab officials confirmed that regional governments would be ready to arm the resistance if bloodshed did not cease; while France announced it had created an emergency fund for aid agencies helping the Syrian people. On Wednesday, President Assad ordered a referendum on a new constitution to be held on February 26^th with a parliamentary election to be held within 90 days of the constitution’s approval; Syrian forces reportedly launched an offensive on the city of Hama, bombarding residential neighbourhoods with armoured reinforcements; Egypt called for change in the country that met the demands of the people, but ruled out supporting a military intervention into Syrian territory; an Arab delegation dismissed Russian amendments aimed at weakening a draft UN General Assembly resolution plan to get President Assad to step down as unacceptable; while Libya invited the Syrian opposition National Council to open an office in Tripoli. On Thursday, the UN General Assembly strongly condemned the continued “widespread and systematic” human rights violations by the Syrian authorities and demanded that the government immediately cease all violence and protect its people; at least 22 people were reportedly killed in a military assault on opposition strongholds and several activists were arrested; the American embassy in Damascus posted a supposed satellite image of an oil pipeline fire in Homs to make a statement on China and Russia’s vetoes of a UN resolution demanding Assad step down; while the Director of American National Intelligence blamed the Iraqi al-Qaeda for a series of recent bombings against Syrian government targets.
Police in Bahrain reportedly used force to break up a peaceful anti-government march in the capital on Saturday, using tear gas and stun grenades to disperse hundreds of protesters and arresting two American rights activists. On Sunday, King Hamad dismissed the country’s opposition movement as disunited and said the threat of Iran had compelled him to call in foreign troops to crush last year’s uprising. On Monday, security forces fired tear gas and stun grenades at protesters trying to occupy a landmark roundabout in the capital ahead of the one-year anniversary of the uprising. On Tuesday, the Guardian reported that Britain has continued to sell arms worth more than 1 million pounds to the country despite continuing political unrest, including gun silencers, weapons sights, rifles, artillery and components for military training aircraft; while a massive police presence in the capital kept protesters from gathering in Pearl Roundabout to mark the one-year anniversary, arresting at least 30 people. On Wednesday, more than 120 protesters were reportedly wounded in clashes with police.
Security forces in Saudi Arabia reportedly shot one person dead and injured three others during an anti-government demonstration in the Eastern Province on Friday.
Thousands of people rallied in the capital Sanaa in Yemen on Friday to back a single-candidate Presidential election planned later this month. On Sunday, militants in the south said they had executed three men for giving the US information used to carry out drone strikes in the area; while southern separatists set fire to a tent camp housing anti-government protesters in Aden in opposition to an election this month to replace outgoing President Saleh. On Tuesday, the Nation ran an article on how American plans in Yemen are backfiring. On Thursday, security officials announced that a leading al-Qaeda operative had been killed in a family dispute that left at least 16 other tribesmen dead; while militants reportedly shot dead five people, including a military officer and regional head of the country’s election committee in al-Baydah province.
A roadside bomb targeted an army patrol, wounding three soldiers on Friday night in Abu Ghraib, Iraq. On Saturday, a car bomb went off targeting a police convoy, wounding the police station chief and at least three other policemen in Mahaweel; while gunmen shot dead a teacher in front of his house northeast of Baghdad. On Sunday, Turkish warplanes carried out air strikes on suspected Kurdish militant targets in the north; a sticky bomb killed a gas station manager and his driver in Baiji; a roadside bomb went off and wounded two soldiers in Baquba; a roadside bomb wounded three people in central Baghdad; and another roadside bomb blew up and wounded six people, including three policemen in northern Baghdad. On Monday, a sticky bomb attack wounded a teacher and two other passengers in his car in Kirkuk; another sticky bomb wounded a police captain in Kirkuk; and a sticky bomb attack wounded a government-backed Sahwa militiaman in Muqdadiya. On Tuesday, a car bomb explosion killed two people, including one soldier and wounded 14 others in Mosul; gunmen opened fire from a car, wounding an off-duty security officer in Kirkuk; a roadside bomb near a police patrol killed one civilian and wounded six others, including three policemen in eastern Baghdad; police found the body of a strangled woman in Baquba; and police said they found the decayed bodies of two men buried in 2006 near Baquba after an insurgent confessed to the killing and revealed the burial place. On Wednesday, gunmen wearing army uniforms attacked a policeman’s house using grenades and machineguns, killing his wife and two daughters and wounding him seriously in Jurf al-Sakhar; while a roadside bomb wounded two people in Baquba. On Thursday, an investigation panel said that death squads under the command of the Sunni Vice President were behind years of fatal attacks on security officials and Shi’ite pilgrims, a claim the VP denied as a smear campaign to consolidate power; while the leader of the exiled Iranian opposition group called the Mujahedin-e Khalq agreed to start relocating residents of the long disputed dissident camp Ashraf after receiving assurances from the US about their safety.
The United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process called upon Israel to do everything in its power to preserve the health of a Palestinian detainee reportedly close to death on a hunger strike on Friday. Hundreds of other Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails reportedly joined in on the hunger strike, and Human Rights Watch called upon Israel to “immediately charge or release him” on Saturday; while a Palestinian in Gaza died after being wounded during a series of Israeli airstrikes. On Monday, Israel rejected an appeal by the prisoner on a hunger strike, prompting a furious reaction from the Issa Qaraqa, the Palestinian Authority’s prisoner affairs minister, who said the rejection was tantamount to murder; while Israeli embassies in Georgia and India were targeted by bomb strikes that Israel is blaming on Iran, who has denied any involvement. On Tuesday, the Gaza Strip’s only power station has reportedly been shut down, cutting already problematic electricity flows in the area by almost two-thirds, allowing each household only six hours of electricity at a time.
Two people were reportedly killed and several soldiers and others wounded in Tripoli, Lebanon on Saturday as supporters and opponents of Syria’s al-Assad fought in the street.

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Tags: Bahrain, conflict, February 2012, Gaza strip, Human rights abuses, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Middle East, Palestine, peace, Saudi Arabia, Syria, violence, war, Yemen

February 17, 2012

This Week in Conflict in the Americas… February 9th-16th, 2012.

The Pentagon in the United States announced their plans on Thursday to change rules in the armed forces to open up more than 14,000 positions for women to serve as frontline medics, helicopter pilots and intelligence analysts, bringing them closer to frontline combat roles. On Saturday, Republican Presidential front-runner Mitt Romney narrowly won Maine’s caucuses with 39% support; while the hacker group Anonymous claimed responsibility for disabling the CIA website, making it inaccessible for several hours. On Monday, lawmakers in New Jersey passed a bill through the state Senate to legalize gay marriage for the first time, but Governor Chris Christie announced he would veto the bill. On Tuesday, Texas announced that they may be incapable of carrying out further death sentences beyond June because they are running out of supplies of lethal drugs; more than 1.8 million dead Americans reportedly remain listed as active voters, as the voter registration system is “plagued with errors and inefficiencies”; the US Defense Secretary told members of Congress that President Obama’s proposed smaller defense budget won’t compromise US “military superiority” around the world; while the US Department of Defense is apparently asking the federal government for almost $3 billion for “activities” in Iraq, even though they have supposedly withdrawn from the country.
Argentina accused Britain of sending a nuclear submarine to the disputed Falkland Islands on Friday, in an ongoing feud between the two nations. MPs from a parliamentary committee that oversees defence matters are set to visit the Falklands next month, in a move that is likely to heighten tensions even more between Britain and Argentina.
The Guardian reported on Sunday on defenders of the Amazon in Brazil who inform on illegal loggers often face death or exile; while the police strike in the north-east reportedly ended, though a similar action in Rio de Janeiro is still continuing.
Venezuela ran its first-ever opposition Presidential primary on Sunday, where it chose a single challenger to run against incumbent Hugo Chavez. Henrique Capriles, a state governor, won the primaries with around 62 percent of the vote. By Wednesday, allies of Chavez had allegedly begun a smear campaign against Capriles, casting doubt on the legitimacy of the vote, questioning his sexuality and disparaging his Jewish roots.
The top leader of the Shining Path in Peru has reportedly been found alive, but is badly wounded, after the military had earlier reported him dead. On Sunday, reports were suggesting that the leader was badly wounded after being shot and captured by security forces in a remote jungle.
Authorities in central Mexico say a mob of around 300 took three suspected kidnappers out of town’s police station and beat them to death, setting two of the men on fire during an attack on Friday. On Saturday, authorities for the first time appointed a female to the role of head of the federal police. On Wednesday, police reportedly found the mutilated bodies of six men inside plastic bags dumped on a road near the city of Cuernavaca with a threatening message inside.
A fire allegedly started by an inmate in a prison in Honduras killed some 356 prisoners, who were locked in their cells. Outraged relatives of the dead inmates tried to storm the gates of the prison on Wednesday morning to recover the remains of their loved ones, but were driven back by police officers firing tear gas. Reports suggest that most of the inmates in the prison had never been charged, let alone convicted of any crime.
The UN Security Council finished a four-day visit to Haiti and called for police reform and improvement in living conditions for those displaced in the January 2010 earthquake.

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Tags: Argentina, Brazil, conflict, Falkland Islands, February 2012, Haiti, Honduras, Human rights abuses, Mexico, peace, Peru, United States, Venezuela, violence, war

February 16, 2012

This Week in Asian Conflict… February 8th-15th, 2012.

A criminal court on the island nation of the Maldives issued an arrest warrant for the first democratically-elected President, Mohammed Nasheed, who awaited arrest in his home on Thursday, following last week’s alleged coup attempt. The ousted President was still walking free on Friday despite the arrest warrant and called upon new elections and vowed mass street protests if the new government did not relent. On Sunday, the new President Mohamed Waheed told a visiting American diplomat that he would be willing to cooperate with a probe into the circumstances of the transition of power; while he expanded his cabinet to strengthen the new coalition government, swearing in six members from four political parties as ministers; and the Commonwealth announced it would send a team to investigate the circumstances surrounding the President leaving power. On Monday, a senior UN official called on all sides to urgently reach agreement on forming an inclusive government of national unity and for a credible and independent probe into recent events, though said that it was up to the local population it is up to them to resolve violent divisions. On Tuesday, the new President pledged “peace and order” in the country and assured the visiting European delegation that he would form a “fully inclusive” cabinet.
The Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency in Pakistan is facing charges in the courts over the case of 11 men who were allegedly abducted and tortured; while a US drone missile strike is reported to have killed Taliban leader Badar Mansoor and three others in the North Waziristan region on Thursday. On Friday, the Supreme Court rejected an appeal from PM Gilani, upholding that he must appear before the court next week to answer contempt-of-court charges; a second US drone attack in two days in the North Waziristan region killed at least four people, including a senior militant commander with alleged links to al-Qaeda; militants fired two RPGs at a military airport in Miranshah near the Afghani border; unidentified attackers threw two hand grenades and opened fire on a police vehicle after a political rally in the northwest, wounding some 12 people; a homemade bomb planted in a donkey cart exploded in the Khuzdar area, killing one person and wounding another; and Pakistani forces fired artillery shells at three militant hideouts in the Mamozai area of the northwest, killing some 11 militants and wounding another 19. On Saturday, a homemade bomb exploded in a house in the outskirts of Peshawar, killing some seven people and wounding another three; while PM Gilani said that corruption charges against the President were “politically motivated” and that the President had immunity as head of state. On Monday, PM Gilani was formally charged with contempt at the Supreme Court, accused of failing to reopen old corruption cases against the President; and a homemade bomb exploded next to a police vehicle in the southwest, killing two and wounding 14. On Tuesday, militants opened fire on a group of labourers in the southwestern town of Turbat, killing seven. On Wednesday, the Atlantic ran an article that claimed that the US Special Forces have infiltrated Pakistan, the CIA entering after the 2005 earthquake under the guise of construction workers and aid workers, others slipping in through the Afghani border.
A young man was killed late on Friday in Kashmir when a soldier reportedly accidently fired his rifle as security forces combed the area for militants. Angry demonstrators blocked the main highway to protest the killing the following day, with police using batons and tear gas to disperse them.
The Atlantic ran an article about the razing of historic neighbourhoods in Beijing, China and the subsequent displacement of often-resistant families. On Sunday, a teenage Tibetan nun reportedly set herself on fire in the latest protest against treatment of Tibetan regions it rules.
Exiled students from Myanmar/Burma are reportedly returning home for the first time since a failed student uprising in 1988 after receiving visas from the government, a further sign of political reconciliation; though reports will still coming out of refugees facing violence as they flood across the Chinese border. Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has reportedly been greeted by cheering crowds on Friday as she began her campaigning in the constituency where she is standing for Parliament for the first time.
One person was killed and 13 others wounded when a truck bomb exploded on Thursday in south Thailand that police blamed on ethnic Malay rebels.
President Karzai of Afghanistan strongly condemned a NATO air strike that reportedly killed at least 8 children in the eastern part of the country on Wednesday and called for an “all-out probe” into the details of the incident. On Thursday, Karzai extended the unilateral deadline for the transfer of full control of Bagram Prison to the Afghan authorities until March 9^th and suspended all legal and judicial operations at the prison; two policemen were killed and one wounded when they tried to defuse a mine in Lashkar Gah in southern Helmand; while two alleged insurgents were killed and more than 30 detained in joint operations of Afghan security forces and foreign troops across the country. On Friday, the French Defense Minister said that using the route through Uzbekistan to withdraw NATO troops from Afghanistan was too costly, and that Pakistan was the better option. On Saturday, an ISAF soldier died in an insurgent attack in Kabul; while a roadside bomb killed five policemen while they were traveling in their car in the south. On Sunday, gunmen burst into a family home of a provincial judge in the east, killing him and his niece. On Monday, NATO conceded that several children died during a recent military operation in the northeast, but that it’s not clear if NATO was actually to blame for the events as the children might have been carrying weapons; and the Afghani Taliban says the militia’s former defence minister died two years ago in a Pakistani jail; six Taliban insurgents and two policemen were reportedly killed in fighting in the Ab Band district; Afghan security forces and foreign troops killed 10 insurgents in several operations across the country; and an ISAF service man was killed in an insurgent attack in the south.
The Prosecutor-General’s Office in Kazakhstan announced on Thursday that a group of suspected religious extremists were arrested in the northwestern city of Oral and were found with explosives and extremist literature in their apartments. On Monday, the wife of the jailed chairman of the unregistered opposition Algha party said her husband’s rights as a prisoner are being violated, as he has not had access to a lawyer, she has not been allowed to meet with him and the National Security Committee officers refused to accept food and clothes she has been trying to pass him since arrest.
Authorities in Turkmenistan closed the Turkmen-Kazakh border on Thursday, citing the February 12^th Presidential elections as the cause of the closure. On Sunday, incumbent President Berdymukhammedov was reportedly leading at the polling stations, defeating seven other relatively unknown candidates running against him. On Monday, reports claimed Berdymukhammedov had won a new term with more than 97 percent of the vote, with a more than 96 percent turnout.
The State National Security Committe in Kyrgyzstan said its forces captured a member of the Zhayshul Mahdi terrorist group on Friday. On Monday, a jailed former policeman was found hanged in his cell, prompting some 200 protesters to block the Osh-Batken highway in the south the following day.
A rumour of the assassination or coup of North Korea’s Kim Jong Un during a visit to Beijing went viral this week after a couple of posts on a Chinese website Weibo that was then forwarded onto Twitter. A senior American envoy is set to hold nuclear talks next week in Beijing with North Korea, resuming a dialogue put on hold by the death of Kim Jong-il last year.

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Tags: Afghanistan, Burma, China, conflict, February 2012, Human rights abuses, Kashmir, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Myanmar, North Korea, Pakistan, peace, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, violence, war

February 15, 2012

This Week in African Conflict… February 7th-14th, 2012.

The UN and Interpol discussed transnational organized crime in West Africa, including illicit drug trafficking and the proliferation of illegal arms, as well maritime piracy in Lyon, France on Monday.
An anti-homosexuality bill is being once again resurrected by the Parliament in Uganda with changes to the provision calling for the death penalty now reduced to a life sentence. On Tuesday, the State Minister for Ethics and Integrity broke up a secret gay rights activist conference because it was “illegal”; while demonstrators gathered to ridicule MPs for their accepting money to buy cars and trying to take the matter out of the public domain.
Troops in Senegal reportedly clashed with suspected separatist fighters in the Casamance region, killing three soldiers and wounding six others.
Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for a suicide car bomb attack that killed at least 11 (some reports saying as many as 17) people in Mogadishu, Somalia on Wednesday near a hotel where lawmakers gather; while an al-Shabaab rebel commander was allegedly killed along with 13 other rebel fighters in an ambush by Kenyan troops in the south. On Thursday, it was reported that al-Qaeda incorporated al-Shabaab into its organization in a “jihadi unity” merger; while more than 1,000 families were displaced from the town of Buuhoodle and nearby villages in eastern Somaliland after heavy fighting between the Somaliland Army and clan militias loyal to the newly created Khatumo State. On Saturday, Kenya Defense Forces announced that al-Qaeda’s merger with al-Shabaab opened the way for other international players involved in the fight against terrorism to take part in the war on al-Shabaab; while the United States announced that it is considering additional assistance to AU mission in Somalia (AMISOM) in the wake of the merger. On Sunday, al Shabaab insurgents reportedly attacked Somali and Kenyan troops stationed in the southern town of Busaar, killing some 10 people. On Monday, Kenya’s Defence Forces said that al-Shabaab’s fighters held demonstrations in areas under their control to display that their new-found alliance with al-Qaeda enjoys local support; while the government called upon the lifting of an arms embargo to help it resist an al-Qaeda insurgency. British insistence that the Somaliland Government attend the upcoming London Conference on Somalia has caused a lot of debate both within and outside the country.
Swiss-based commodities trader Trafigura is again facing a legal dispute, with South Sudan claiming that Trafigura bought oil that was seized by Sudan, making its ownership suspect. On Wednesday, it was reported that rebel groups fighting the South Sudanese government have been forcing the recruitment of southerners living in Khartoum; while Sudanese President al-Bashir reportedly accused foreign groups of profiting from the crisis in Darfur and vowed to fully implement a deal aimed at ending years of insurgency and dependency on aid in the region. On Thursday, Amnesty International said that Russian and Chinese arms are being used to violate human rights in the Darfur region in breach of an “ineffectual” UN embargo; at least 3,798 UN peacekeepers have been successfully deployed to the contested Abyei region, but a UN report suggested that the security situation was still “tense and volatile”; while the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan helped launch the construction of a training centre for former soldiers aimed at helping them disarm, demobilize and return to civilian life. On Saturday, Sudan and South Sudan signed a “non-aggression” pact over their disputed border following talks in Addis Ababa, though mediators expected little immediate change on the ground; while Sudan’s armed forces announced that they had seized an area held by rebels after a two day battle in Blue Nile State. On Sunday, President al-Bashir blasted the government of South Sudan over their decision to suspend oil production, calling the move “suicide” as it is their only source of living. Over the weekend, the Sudan armed forces reportedly launched an aerial bombardment within territories within South Sudan in violation of the recent non-aggression agreement, with four SPLA soldiers critically injured.
President Jammeh in the Gambia has asked the UN to investigate the disappearance of several journalists, while rights groups accuse the government of persecuting media workers.
President Atta Mills of Ghana ordered the arrest of a key ruling party financier after initially defending him in a high-profile corruption case that has blown up in an election year. Two cabinet ministers also resigned over the matter.
Analysts are saying that the Tuareg insurgency has increased since the fall of Gaddafi, as thousands of Tuaregs previously serving in his army have now returned to Mali, potentially destabilizing the country and the upcoming Presidential elections. On Wednesday, northern rebels reportedly seized the strategic border town of Tinzawatene after two days of fighting forced government troops to withdraw into Algeria; while UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced deep concern over the outbreak of fighting in the north and the large-scale humanitarian consequences of the conflict. On Friday, Malian helicopters reportedly bombed rebel positions in a key northern town, hours after former colonial power France called for a ceasefire and immediate talks to end a three-week rebel offensive. On Saturday, authorities said that they were determined to quell a heavily armed Tuareg rebellion in the north before the scheduled April elections.
Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania have signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding on Tuesday in Dar es Salaam to coordinate their efforts to fight against piracy in and other illicit activities on the high seas in joint maritime patrols, particularly to protect against recent attacks by gangs of Somali pirates.
A report by IPS on Wednesday told of hundreds fleeing Kano State in Nigeria to escape attacks by Boko Haram in recent weeks. On Thursday, the Security Joint Task Force reportedly discovered a large arms cache in Kano State via a tip-off by “well-meaning Nigerians”. On Monday, pirates reportedly attacked a cargo ship off the Nigerian coast, killing its captain and chief engineer; security forces reportedly stopped a bomber who tried to ram a car with explosives through the gates of a government house in Kaduna; and Boko Haram alleged it had killed 12 soldiers in an attack in the northeast town of Maiduguri, a claim security forces denied. On Tuesday, Boko Haram said the arrest of some of its top leaders will not deter it from carrying out attacks; while a policeman was killed in two explosions at a mosque in Kaduna state.
Thousands of elderly folks in Kenya have announced their intention to sue the British government over abuses—including torture, illegal detentions and rape—that were committed during a 1950s anti-colonial rebellion. On Thursday, four people were seriously injured at a mosque after two groups of faithful clashed over the annual Maulidi festival. A new bill called the Leadership and Integrity Bill 2012 published this week could result in dozens of aspirants for Presidential, county and parliamentary seats in the upcoming General Elections to be locked out of the race, including the majority of the MPs and most of the top-tier Presidential aspirants.
Authorities in Egypt said they would not be persuaded by the potential loss of American aid to end their investigation into foreign-funded NGOs, after 19 Americans were to be put on trial last week for the alleged illegal activities of their organizations. On Wednesday, the ruling generals said they would deploy more soldiers and tanks across the country, an announcement seen as a warning to activists planning a national strike on the anniversary of Mubarak’s overthrow. On Friday, thousands marched on the Defense Ministry in Cairo, demanding that the country’s military leaders hand over power. On Saturday, military rulers warned that the country faces conspiracies to spread chaos as it prepared to mark the first anniversary of the overthrow of Mubarak and that it will not “bow to threats, nor succumb to pressures, nor accept ultimatums”; while protesters were calling for a nationwide strike. On Sunday, authorities reportedly detained four people, including an Australian journalist and an Egyptian labour activist, on suspicion that they had distributed cash to workers to incite them to take part in a strike demanding an end to army rule. On Monday, the Atlantic ran an article that discussed whether al-Qaeda is growing within the country since the fall of Mubarak and another on the 9 new faces in Egypt; while the Fact-finding Committee of the People’s Assembly held state security, Egypt’s Football Association, Al-Masry Sporting Club, Port Said Stadium and the fans accountable for the deadly soccer match that saw the deaths of over 70 people last month. On Tuesday, the Guardian ran an article on growing violence in the Sinai, with Bedouin accused of looting resorts, bombing pipelines and abducting foreigners in the post-Mubarak security vacuum.
UDPS Secretary General Jacquemain Shabani was reportedly beaten and detained by immigration agents at N’Djili International Airport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Tuesday as he was about to board a plane to Europe, but was later released on Wednesday. The top UN peacekeeping official stressed the need to boost the mission in the country on Wednesday to facilitate the next phase of elections and protect civilians in areas where national authorities are not present. On Saturday, the East African ran an interesting article questioning the lack of action by both the United States and the UN on the elections results that were widely viewed as fraudulent. On Sunday, President Kabila’s chief adviser was killed in a plane crash, along with the co-pilot near Bukavu, while South Kivu Governor Cishambo was admitted to the hospital for emergency treatment.
Two fifths of the seats in the new parliament of Libya are scheduled to be reserved for political parties, groups that were banned under Gaddafi, according to the final draft of the new election law published on Monday that reversed an earlier plan to give all seats to independents and promised a ten percent quota for female candidates. On Thursday, the UN political mission in the country welcomed the adoption of new electoral laws, calling the move an “important step in the transition to democracy”. On Friday, Gaddafi’s son Saadi warned of an imminent uprising in the country, stating that he wanted to return “at any minute”. Niger announced that it has refused to submit to the requests to extradite Moammar Gaddafi’s son Saadi Gaddafi to Libya on Saturday because he risks death in the country, but that they would turn him over to the ICC if the court requested. On Monday, at least five people had reportedly been killed in clashes between rival tribes over control of territory in the far southeast. On Tuesday, the country was reportedly tense as it prepares to mark the anniversary of its February 17^th revolution.
PM Zenawi of Ethiopia said on Wednesday that he could pardon politicians and journalists arrested under an anti-terrorism law last week, but dismissed opposition criticism he was using the law to clamp down on dissent. Rights groups say they government used the law to crack down on its opponents, with 150 opposition politicians and supporters detained in the last three years.
A ZANU-PF youth vice chairperson in Zimbabwe who was found dead in his home was granted with liberation hero status despite having not been alive during the country’s liberation period, igniting fierce controversy. On Monday, human rights groups filed a case at the South African High Court seeking to compel the authorities to investigate and prosecute Zimbabwean officials accused of torture, arguing that the ratification of the Rome Statute will ensure that that South Africa is committed to prosecuting perpetrators of serious international crimes, regardless of where they were committed. On Tuesday, recriminations broke out in ZANU-PF over a clause contained in a draft constitution that appears to bar President Mugabe from seeking another term in office, as some within the party appeared to support the move.
A senior UN official welcomed the news on Friday that a court in Guinea had filed charges against an army colonel accused of being responsible for mass rapes that occurred during a pro-democracy protest in the capital in 2009. He is the highest ranking official yet to be charged for his role in the massacre. On Tuesday, police reportedly raided the chic Parisian apartment of the son of the President as part of an investigation into the French property holdings of three African heads of state, a move their lawyer vehemently protested saying the building was under diplomatic immunity.
The South African foreign affairs ministry said on Sunday that Madagascar must agree to new amnesty laws by the end of February to pave the way for the return of exiled former leader Marc Ravalomanana; while Wikileaks revealed that Ravalomanana was helped by South Africa to import crowd control weapons before he lost power.
The National Constituent Assembly of Tunisia began work on Monday of drafting the country’s new constitution. The drafting process is divided between six commissions and is expected to conclude in a maximum of 18 months before the proposed presidential elections deadline. On Monday, authorities announced that they had broken up a “terrorist organization” with links to al-Qaeda, arresting 12 members.
Long-serving President Jose Eduardo dos Santos of Angola will be seeking a new term in the September polls on Friday, according to the ruling MPLA. Dos Santos has been in power since 1979.

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February 14, 2012

This Week in the World of Conflict… February 6th-13th, 2012.

The UN conference on trade and development (UNCTAD) secretary-general published a report on Tuesday that called for fundamental reform of the global financial system that would be of benefit to the global poor. The report will act as the theme for the UNCTAD XIII conference in Doha, Qatar in April.
An Online Dispute Resolution Conference is set to be held from June 27^th to 29^th, 2012 in Prague.
The United States Institute of Peace’s Academy for International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding has launched two new courses on nuclear non-proliferation. One is on Iran and Pakistan’s Nuclear Proliferation Challenges and the other is on China’s Nuclear Posture, North Korea’s Nuclear Challenge and US National Security.
The Atlantic ran an article about rape in war and how to stop it, based upon a new project by activist Gloria Steinem.
An American public interest group has asked a federal court to block Google Inc from consolidating its privacy policies, saying it could make it easier for advertisers to target users.
The UPEACE Centre for Executive Education is running an online course in negotiation and conflict resolution. The course will run six-weeks starting March 1^st, 2012.
The Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) called upon a closer partnership between them and the United Nations during a Security Council meeting on Thursday.

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Tags: fundamental reform of the global financial system, Google privacy, negotiation and conflict resolution, nuclear non-proliferation, Online Dispute Resolution Conference, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, rape in war, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

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