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US Army Special Forces working in central Africa to aid in operations against the LRA

Monday, December 12th, 2011

In October, President Barack Obama announced the deployment of 100 US Army Special Forces to central Africa to advise the militaries of Uganda, Central African Republic, South Sudan, and Democratic Republic of Congo in operations aimed at removing the leadership of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).  Although not intended to engage the LRA directly, the deployed troops are combat-equipped for their own protection.

The Lord’s Resistance Army is led by the charismatic Joseph Kony, who launched a rebellion to establish a theocratic government in Uganda.  The Lord’s Resistance Army has killed more than 100,000 people across central Africa and has abducted tens of thousands of children to work as soldiers, porters, cooks, and sex slaves. The Lord’s Resistance Army often forces abducted children to kill members of their community to indoctrinate them as soldiers.  A 2008 joint operation by the militaries of South Sudan, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo called Operation Lightning Thunder failed to achieve its objective to capture or kill LRA leadership.  In retaliation for the operation, the LRA massacred almost a thousand civilians and captured 160 children in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is hoped that training by Army Special Forces will better equip the militaries in their future efforts to capture or kill the leadership of the LRA.  For more information on what US troops are doing to stop the Lord’s Resistance Army watch the following video from Al Jazeera:

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Headlines from Conflict Areas: Dec. 12

Monday, December 12th, 2011

Here is the daily roundup and summary of the major headlines coming out of conflict areas. United to End Genocide does not necessarily support the views expressed in the articles in this post.

Syria

Syrian opposition: ‘Massacre’ could follow deadline—CNN

“Syrian residents in the city of Homs face a deadline to stop anti-government protests, hand in weapons and surrender defecting military members by Monday night — or face attack by the government forces, an opposition leader said…”

Major battle in Syria; shops shut by strike—Reuters

“Syrian troops and army defectors have fought one of the biggest battles in Syria’s nine-month uprising while a protest strike shut businesses in a new gesture of civil disobedience, residents and activists said…”

Syrian president’s statement on security forces ‘ludicrous,’ U.S. says—CNN

“The State Department was quick Tuesday to challenge comments by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that he did not have control of his country’s security forces amid the bloody crackdown on his political opponents…”

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Tensions build ahead of the midnight release of the Presidential election results, as international observers warn violence could erupt in the D.R. Congo

Tuesday, December 6th, 2011

On Monday, November 28th, millions of Congolese turned out to vote in the presidential and parliamentary elections, only the third such election in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s history.  Violence at polling stations, missing ballots, and long lines caused voting to be extended to a second day, and then a third.  Accusations of fraud and reportedly close poll numbers between incumbent President Joseph Kabila and opposition leader Étienne Tshisekedi have set the trigger for possible violence when the election results are announced tonight at midnight.

Members of President Kabila's presidential guard in streets of Kinshasa. Photo Credit: New York Times

Even before the election, international observers and human rights groups were concerned that citizens’ confidence in the results would be marred by poor preparation, organization, and allegations of corruption. Just one week before the election, experts feared it would not start on time, as ballots and ballot boxes had still not arrived in the country.  Added to these concerns, was the sheer complexity of an election where more than 19,000 candidates were running for Parliament in a country inflicted with high illiteracy rates. The parliamentary ballots were the size of newspapers and consisted of nearly 15 pages of names and thumbnail pictures of candidates.

More worryingly, two people were killed in violent clashes in the capital city of Kinshasa the Saturday before the election. Other reports surfaced of government security forces harassing opposition activists, and political rallies were banned the day before the election for security reasons. A rally in support of opposition candidate Étienne Tshisekedi was launched in spite of the ban and was violently suppressed by security forces wielding batons and firing tear gas cannons.

On Election Day, millions waited in long lines to vote for presidential and parliamentary candidates. Thousands of voters reported that they were unable to find their names on the voting lists and were turned away. Some were able to vote only by checking several polling stations to find their names. Congolese citizens in some rural districts waited hours, and in some cases days to vote. In some polling stations loose ballots were lying out, bags of ballots sat in the rain, and tally sheets were left blowing in the wind.

Violent clashes in polling stations and in the streets were also reported. At least 15 polling stations were reportedly lit on fire by voters angry at the long waits and absence of ballots. According to Human Rights Watch, at least 18 people were killed and 100 wounded during the election, with the majority killed by security forces loyal to President Kabila.

Congolese and international observers are worried that these incidents are only a precursor to the violence that may erupt when the Independent National Election Commission releases its results tonight. In the last election in 2006, street violence broke out after the opposition candidate, Jean Pierre Bemba, lost to President Kabila. In this election, President Kabila is running against ten other presidential candidates, including Étienne Tshisekedi, who has gained support from citizens tired of ten years of Kabila’s increasingly oppressive rule. Tshisekedi has already implied that he will not accept the results of the elections if he suspects they are fraudulent.  His supporters have indicated that they will riot if he loses the race to President Kabila. Three other opposition candidates have already rejected the results of the elections, citing what they say is widespread voter fraud intended to keep Kabila in power.

International experts on the Congo say that the situation is ripe for violence. In the words of one expert, “There are certainly people in the ruling party…who would resort to extralegal means to prevent Tshisekedi from being president”. International elections observers are expressing worry that violence is imminent and are begging candidates to accept the results of the election. Meanwhile in the capital of Kinshasa, civilians are fleeing across the river to safety in the neighboring Congo Republic as trucks full of armed soldiers loyal to President Kabila circle the streets waiting for midnight.

UPDATE: Owing to an inability to count all votes by the midnight deadline, the Independent National Election Commission has said that it will not be able to release the results of the election until Thursday. Preliminary results seem to suggest President Kabbila will be re-elected.

 

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As Violence Continues, Yemen’s President Makes More Promises to Step Down

Tuesday, November 15th, 2011

As violence continues in Yemen, President Ali Abdullah Saleh has promised, once again, that he will step down. According to a France24 interview with Saleh, which aired last night, the leadership transition would happen 90 days after the signing of an agreement brokered by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The GCC agreement calls for Saleh to step aside within 30 days.

There is a great deal of skepticism about Saleh’s latest announcement given a string of broken promises that have been made since anti-government protests began in February. The GCC initiative was expected to have been signed this past April.

Video: Interview with President Saleh

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When asked what he thought about the Arab revolution to date Saleh said, “As far as I’m concerned, they aren’t really revolutions. This is chaos, rather, Arab chaos, creative chaos admittedly.” He continued to say:

“What’s happening is that these protest movements are supported by small states in the region that lack influence, but are trying to assert themselves. And, of course, these countries are sending mercenaries, troublemakers of all kinds, but in reality these governments are not supporting Arab revolutions. They are, above all, seeking to undermine the Arab regimes and their interference certainly hurts national unity in all these countries. And, that is fueling chaos in the region.”

Unfortunately, Saleh’s comments fail to recognize the legitimate demands of many Yemeni citizens. Yemen faces chronic underdevelopment and President Saleh has maintained his grip on power for 33 years. According to Al Arabiya news:

“The uprising which erupted in the Arab world’s poorest country early this year was initially against high levels of unemployment, deteriorating economic conditions and corruption among officials as well as against the government’s proposal to modify Yemen’s constitution.”

International Community Seeks End to Violence

Many countries, including the United States, have called for Yemen’s embattled President to step down. The United Nations Security Council also passed a resolution in October urging Saleh to sign the Gulf Coordination Council initiative consistent with the commitments he had made. The resolution further called “for this commitment to be translated into action, in order to achieve a peaceful political transition of power, as stated in the Gulf Cooperation Council initiative and the Presidential decree of 12 September, without further delay.”

Earlier this week, the UN envoy to Yemen arrived in the capital of Sana’a to promote the GCC proposal. Western countries are considering individual sanctions on Saleh and his son as a means to increase pressure.

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UN Says Death Toll in Syria Violence at Least 3,500

Tuesday, November 8th, 2011

Today, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights said that at least 3,500 people have been killed in Syria over the past eight months as government forces have violently cracked down on protesters throughout the country.

City of Homs Faces Brunt of Recent Violence

Over the past several days, the violence has been the worst in Homs, Syria’s third largest city. Activists have said that more than 110 people have been killed this week alone. The amateur video clip below reportedly shows Syrian tanks bombing Homs’ Bab Amro district this past Thursday.

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Syria’s Assad agrees to Arab League peace deal, but violence continues

Friday, November 4th, 2011

The Arab League deal would require the withdrawal of military tanks from the streets, where they have targeted civilian protestors. Photo: AFP image from BBC News

After seven months of pro-democracy demonstrations and violent government crackdowns, the League of Arab States has brokered a deal to mitigate the escalating crisis.   More than 3,000 people have been killed in the Syrian “Arab Spring”, according to the United Nations, most of them civilians killed by President Bashar Al Assad’s security forces.

A committee formed by the League of Arab States to find a solution to the increasingly violent situation proposed a road-map to peace for Assad’s government to consider on Sunday.  According to a translation by Crisis Action, the proposal included the following conditions:

1. “Halt all acts of violence from any source to protect the Syrian citizens.

2. Release all those who are detained because of the current events.

3. Remove all armed manifestations from the cities and the residential neighborhoods.

4. Grant field access to designated organizations of the Arab League and to the Arab and International media to move freely across all parts of Syria to see the reality of the situation and to monitor the current events.”

Two days later, on Tuesday, November 1, Assad’s regime agreed to the Arab League proposal, including withdrawing his security forces from city streets where tanks and snipers have targeted civilian demonstrators. The conditions in the road-map to peace were announced publicly on Wednesday.

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Libya Update: Reports of Qaddafi’s Death

Thursday, October 20th, 2011

The Libyan Prime Minister has announced the death of Libya’s former leader, Muammar el-Qaddafi. Qaddafi was wanted for crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court and stood accused of directing deadly attacks against civilians in his country stemming back to mid-February of this year.

This news comes following reports that the city of Sirte had been captured from pro-Qaddafi forces marking what many hope will be the end of major fighting. Despite today’s news, many challenges remain including the protection of civilians, ensuring accountability, threats to security and the transition to democratic governance. We will continue to monitor the situation with a particular focus on civilian protection.

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President Obama Sends 100 US Special Forces advisors to assist African countries in actions against the Lord’s Resistance Army

Wednesday, October 19th, 2011

By Krista McCarthy

President Barack Obama sent a letter to the US House of Representatives and Senate on Friday, October 14th, announcing plans to send 100 US Special Forces advisors to Uganda, South Sudan, Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of Congo.  The advisors will advise the militaries of these countries in countering the rebel militia the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), led by Joseph Kony.

Maj. Gen. David Hogg, Commander of US Army Africa, inspects Ugandan troops in April 2011. Photo Courtesy of U.S. Army

The Lord’s Resistance Army has long been a source of instability and violence in the nations of central Africa.  Joseph Kony formed the Lord’s Resistance Army to overthrow the government of Uganda and replace it with a Christian theocracy. The LRA has committed massacres of civilians and often mutilated victims to spread fear. Between 1986 and 2007, the LRA reportedly killed 100,000 people in Uganda.  They have also become infamous for their use of children as soldiers and sex slaves. Over the course of the war in Uganda, over 66,000 children have been abducted by the LRA in Uganda. More than 1,700,000 Ugandan civilians have been displaced by the LRA’s violence.

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Letter to Members of the Security Council on Syria Resolution

Thursday, September 29th, 2011

This afternoon, United to End Genocide and seven other human rights organizations sent the below letter to members of the Security Council urging them to take strong formal action on the ongoing atrocities in Syria.

The Security Council is negotiating on a draft resolution on Syria that may be voted as early as the end of the week. A previous version of the resolution included asset freezes and travel bans on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and 22 key Syrian figures, however the section on sanctions was removed due to strong objections from Russia. Despite the lack of sanctions, the current version of the resolution would still be a positive step towards ending violence against the Syrian people and would send a strong signal to the Assad’s regime that attacks against civilians will not be tolerated by the international community.

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September 29, 2011

Dear Ambassador,

Strong and Urgent Security Council Action on Syria

We, the eight human rights and advocacy organizations below, write to urge you to support a strong resolution in the Security Council on the situation in Syria. After months of ongoing human rights violations that very likely amount to crimes against humanity, it is necessary for the Security Council urgently to take formal action.

Since mass protests began in mid-March, the United Nations has estimated at least 2600 civilians have been killed across Syria, the majority of them protesters and local residents shot with live ammunition by the security forces and army. Thousands of others have been arrested or held incommunicado at unknown locations where torture is reported to be rife. Over 100 people have reportedly died in detention in highly suspicious circumstances.

We strongly urge Security Council members to support a resolution that, at the very least:

  • Calls on the Syrian authorities to uphold their responsibility to protect and immediately cease systematic killing, use of torture and unlawful detention of civilians.
  • Demands that Syria abide by its international obligations to respect fundamental human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression and association.
  • Demands that Syria cooperate fully with the international  Commission of Inquiry created by the Human Rights Council, and provide it with immediate and unfettered access, especially to places of detention.
  • Demands access for humanitarian missions, foreign independent media and independent human rights organizations and for the release of detained human rights defenders and journalists.
  • Clearly states that those individuals that have committed crimes must be held accountable.
  • Requires states to prevent the delivery of weapons to Syria.
  • Articulates that there will be consequences if the Syrian regime fails to comply with the Security Council measures.

Many bilateral, regional, and multilateral diplomatic efforts have failed to change Syria’s approach: government forces have continued to kill, arbitrarily detain and torture peaceful protesters. It is therefore incumbent upon the Security Council to do more than merely condemn the violence in Syria. At a minimum, in order to be effective, any Security Council resolution should contain the elements outlined above. During the recent UN General Assembly Debate, a wide cross-section of member states expressed concern about Syria. Strong action from the Council will bolster its credibility in the face of ongoing violations.

If we can provide you with any more detailed information please let us know.

Sincerely,

  1. Amnesty International
  2. Avaaz
  3. Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)
  4. Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect
  5. Human Rights Watch
  6. International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
  7. Reporters without Borders (RSF)
  8. United to End Genocide (formerly the Genocide Intervention Network and Save Darfur)

 

CLICK HERE to learn about what you can do to help end the atrocities being committed in Syria.

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Protests and Violence in Yemen Continue to Escalate

Tuesday, September 27th, 2011

The past week has seen the situation in Yemen deteriorate rapidly. The government and opposition paramilitaries are turning to increasingly violent means in their dealings with one another at the same time as the government continues to target unarmed protestors.  The upsurge in violence was precipitated by the return of President Ali Abdullah Saleh to Yemen on September 23rd from Saudi Arabia where he was seeking treatment for his injuries following a failed assassination attempt in June. With President Saleh’s return, crackdowns on protestors have become increasingly brutal.

The toll on civilians from the upsurge in violence was made apparent with reports that atleast 150 people had been killed in the past week, a number that included the deaths of tribesmen and defected soldiers. Civilian deaths have increased as President Saleh’s regime uses mortar bombs, snipers, and anti-aircraft guns to quell protests in city streets. Most recently government forces launched an attack before dawn on “Change Square”, an area of the city where protestors have camped out as they demand the end of President Saleh’s regime, using mortars, rooftop snipers, and heavy guns.

On Sunday, Yemeni tribesmen opposed to President Saleh’s government took control of the military base of the elite Republican Guards in Dahrah. The tribesmen took 30 soldiers hostage. There have been no reports as to the number of causalities among Republican Guards at the base, but it has been reported that four of the tribesmen were killed and another 27 were wounded. The defeat of the elite Republican Guards and loss of the base at Dahrah was another blow to Saleh’s government, which had already lost a military base in Sana’a to defected General Ali Mohsen and his men, which they invaded on September 19th.

In a statement released yesterday, General Ali Mohsen warned Saleh’s government that unless they quit their actions against civilians Yemen would be headed toward a violent civil war.  General Mohsen is currently in control of several areas of the Yemeni capitol of Sana’a but forces loyal to President Saleh continue to shell his positions, killing nearly a dozen of Mohsen’s men and in one earlier instance killing two civilians.

A member of President Saleh’s own party, Mohammed Abu Lahoum, showed support for Ali Mohsen, saying, “I strongly believe Ali Mohsen has put himself in the right side of history where he has taken the side of the people to see a safe transfer of power…Betting against the people, you will always lose”. But whether the people will be protected from violence as the process of transferring power evolves remains to be seen.

Continue to follow the developments in Yemen, here at the United to End Genocide blog. As before, Yemen remains on UEG’s Watch List.

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