Sudan’s president Omar al-Bashir is slaughtering people in South Kordofan and doing everything he can to keep the outside world from finding out. So far, his strategy is working. Why? Because the U.S. government and the United Nations are quite literally choosing to ignore his brutal attacks.

A report released yesterday by our friends at Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International related this disturbing news: “The relentless bombing campaign is killing and maiming civilian men, women, and children, displacing tens of thousands, putting them in desperate need of aid.”

These are the stories and the images that Omar al-Bashir is trying to hide from the world. Watch the video and then be sure to share it with your friends and family.

The U.S. government is doing nothing to stop Bashir’s attacks on the people of South Kordofan. The United Nations suppressed its own reports of ethnic targeting. And the media – just like with Darfur – is silent.

We can’t allow the world to ignore the horrors in South Kordofan. Watch the video now – then share it with everyone you know. We can’t let history repeat itself and wait until the government, the media, or the international community decide it’s time to intervene. By that time thousands more will be dead or displaced.

Thank you for watching and sharing the video – be sure to check back soon to learn more about what you can do to help the people suffering in South Kordofan.

UNAMID peacekeepers in Darfur (Photo: Albert Gonzalez Farran / UNAMID)

This week the Partnership for Effective Peacekeeping sponsored a briefing about “UN Peacekeeping and US Interests”. Speakers included Victoria Holt, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs; Colonel John Agoglia, Vice President for Government Services at IDS International; and Mark Quarterman, Director of the Program on Crisis, Conflict, and Cooperation at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The panelists agreed that the US has a major stake in UN peacekeeping missions in order to promote civilian protection and enhance the capacity of governments to enforce rule of law. The US provides important funding and training resources, even though it is not as involved in directly providing peacekeepers. This is why it is imperative for Congress to remember the US financial commitments to peacekeeping missions during the current 2012 budget negotiations.

Making Peacekeeping More Effective

The speakers also discussed how the US can contribute to improving the efficacy of UN peacekeeping missions. All three concurred that since the majority of peacekeepers come from developing states, additional training is one necessary strategy. Typically battalions deployed as peacekeepers are sent to training centers, many of which are operated by the US, but Col. Agoglia suggest that training would be more effective if training facilities in the donor countries were improved, that way all military personnel would benefit. He also suggested increased training for peacekeepers in human rights and participatory governance so that peacekeepers can provide support to bolstering political structures. Another strategy for increasing the success of peacekeepers is giving missions a Chapter 7 mandate, which enables them to use force for civilian protection.

Improving the conduct of peacekeepers is also necessary for protecting civilians and maintaining peace. UN peacekeepers have been accused of sexual abuse, and Holt said that while reported incidents have decreased in the past six months due to investigations into peacekeeper behavior and new training initiatives, the problem has not been eliminated. Increased human rights training would be one way to decrease incidents of sexual and gender-based violence perpetrated by peacekeepers, and she also suggested incorporating a strategy for holding peacekeepers accountable for their actions.

Peacekeeping in Sudan

Peacekeeping plays a critical role in both Sudan and South Sudan, where the UN currently has three active missions: the UN- African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), the UN Interim Security Force in Abyei (UNISFA), and the new UN mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). The UN Mission in Sudan, which until earlier this month operated in North and South Sudan, was expelled by the Government of Sudan when its mandate expired on July 9^th. Violence continues in South Kordofan, and the Sudanese government said that UN peacekeepers could be accepted in South Kordofan if local leaders sign an agreement welcoming foreign troops, however it remains to be seen if the Government of Sudan will actually follow through. The international community must push for this agreement so that peacekeepers can have access to South Kordofan to protect civilians and monitor the human rights situation.

Human Rights Watch released a report yesterday calling on rebel forces to play an active role in civilian protection:

“The rebel forces should hold accountable anyone from their ranks responsible for looting, arson, and abuse of civilians in recently captured towns in western Libya”

Destruction in Libya

According to the report, rebel forces have been responsible for looting homes and shops, destroying property, and abusing civilians.  HRW emphasized the need for leaders to control rebel activity. Many civilians are fleeing their homes, fearing “reprisals from rebel forces,” adding to the growing number of internally displaced in Libya. Tensions over tribal resettlement by the Libyan government over the last few decades have resurfaced due to the instability.

The report documented violence occurring in three towns that until recently were being used as a base for attacks against rebel-held territory. Rebels were documented looting hospitals for medical supplies, and beating civilians suspected of aiding Gaddafi’s forces prior to the rebel takeover. As the rebels continue to gain territory and challenge the Gaddafi regime, their obligation to protect civilians and avoid human rights violations is not lost on the international community.

The Security Council authorized the deployment of up to 7,000 troops, which is an improvement from the previous mission which had 5,000 troops in the South. In a country the size of Texas with less than 50 miles of paved roads, the additional 2000 troops are essential in order to effectively have a decentralized mission that is able to protect civilians and not just United Nations infrastructure. After the mission’s initial three and six months, the Security Council will review the conditions on the ground to determine if the troop levels can be reduced to 6,000. The added clause was likely included to appease members of the Security Council who initially objected to the additional troops due to UN budget concerns. The UNMISS personnel will also include 900 police as well as UN civilian staff including human rights experts.

In May, Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary General of the UN, issued a report with recommendations for the new UNMISS mission. Two major aspects of the suggested mandate that were missing in Ban Ki-moon’s report were a full Chapter VII mandate which authorizes the use of force by peacekeepers in order to protect civilians, and any mention of responding to attacks by the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) who continue to terrorize civilians throughout Central Africa, including South Sudan. While the previous UNMIS mission had a mandate to protect civilians which would technically encompass responding to LRA attacks, UNMIS failed to take effective action to counter LRA attacks.

In June, the Save Darfur Coalition/Genocide Intervention Network sent a letter to U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice urging her to utilize her influence at the Security Council to ensure that the new UNMISS mission was equipped with a robust Chapter VII mandate that had specific language directing the new mission to respond to LRA attacks in South Sudan, both of which were included in the final version of the UNMISS mandate that was passed last week.

Since the Government of Sudan has refused to allow the mission to continue in the North, the new mission will operate solely in the South, leaving a critical gap along the contentious border region where fighting has displaced over 188,000 civilians in the past two months. While the Security Council has authorized the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), the state of South Kordofan, where fighting between the Sudanese government and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army-North has persisted now for over a month, will have no peacekeeper presence. The absence of a peacekeeping force in South Kordofan and its neighboring state Blue Nile, could have disastrous consequences for civilians.

UN Ambassador Susan Rice in South Sudan

President Obama

The White House Released a statement on July 9 officially recognizing the Republic of South Sudan and expressing support the new state:

Today is a reminder that after the darkness of war, the light of a new dawn is possible…we know that southern Sudanese have claimed their sovereignty, and shown that neither their dignity nor their dream of self-determination can be denied.

As Southern Sudanese undertake the hard work of building their new country, the United States pledges our partnership as they seek the security, development and responsive governance that can fulfill their aspirations and respect their human rights.

In addition to U.S. support, President Obama emphasized the urgency of seeking a solution to current hostilities:

Lasting peace will only be realized if all sides fulfill their responsibilities.  The Comprehensive Peace Agreement must be fully implemented, the status of Abyei must be resolved through negotiations, and violence and intimidation in Southern Kordofan, especially by the Government of Sudan, must end.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

In an official statement released by the State Department, Secretary Clinton said:

The United States will remain a steadfast partner as South Sudan seeks to peacefully meet these challenges and build a free, democratic and inclusive society. The strong ties between our peoples go back many decades, and we are committed to continuing to build on the partnership we have already established in the years ahead.

Also on July 9, the Secretary authored an opinion piece in the Washington Post.  She wrote, in part:

[North and South Sudan] must quickly return to the negotiating table and seek to complete the unfinished business of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement That means settling outstanding questions related to finances, oil and citizenship; demarcating remaining border areas; and fully implementing their agreement on temporary arrangements for the contested Abyei area, which lies along the border of Sudan and South Sudan, including the redeployment of all Sudanese military forces. The violence that has flared in Abyei in recent months cannot be allowed to return and jeopardize the larger peace.

In the op-ed, she went on to say:

One urgent step both sides must take is agreeing to a cessation of hostilities in the northern border state of Southern Kordofan, which started in early June. We are deeply concerned about the continued aerial bombardments, harassment of U.N. staff and obstruction of humanitarian relief efforts. The longer this fighting goes on, the more difficult it will become to resolve.

UN Ambassador Susan Rice

On July 9^th US Ambassador to the UN gave a speech in Juba honoring this momentous occasion and the challenges ahead.  On the road to independence she said:

No citizen of South Sudan should ever take their independence for granted. You have waged a righteous struggle to win your liberty and chart your own course among the community of nations. Let that always serve as a reminder to lift up those who are denied their rights, those who hunger for freedom, and those who suffer in places where hope seems to be forgotten.

She also commented on the full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement:

… But the Republic of South Sudan is being born amid great hopes—the hope that you will guarantee the rights of all citizens…be able to live in peace and justice with your neighbors, bind up the wounds of war, and work with the Government of Sudan to resolve swiftly and peacefully all outstanding issues in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

 

Moving forward, Ambassador Rice spoke about accountability and good governance in shaping South Sudan as a model for a successful African state:

All of this will demand leadership and accountability. For democracy and development rest on the foundation of good governance. Peace and prosperity rest on the foundation of strong institutions devoted to the public interest…South Sudan’s leaders, and the citizens who hold them accountable, now have the chance to create a state that stands out not for its flag or its currency but for the investments it makes in the development of its people.

 

Similar to comments made by the President and Secretary of State Clinton, Ambassador Rice reiterated America’s commitment to working to build lasting peace and prosperity in the region:

…know that the people of the Republic of South Sudan have a true and lasting friend and partner in the people of the United States of America as you work to strengthen the foundations of your democracy, promote human rights, and expand economic growth. Our support for the cause of peace for the Sudanese people has long been bipartisan and deep, and it will continue to be.

 
GI-NET/SDC also released a statement on South Sudan’s independence this weekend, and can be viewed here.  For more information on South Sudan, check out our blogs on what Congress and the human rights and humanitarian community have been saying as South Sudan embarks on its first days as a new state.

Nuba Priests

“Churches have been looted and a Catholic church is now being used by the military to conduct operations.  We need the international community to save the people of the Nuba mountains.”

This is what we heard today when we met with two Episcopal priests from the besieged city of Kadugli, South Kordofan. They both escaped to Juba – one two weeks ago and the other in June – after being targeted by Sudanese government backed forces in South Kordofan’s Nuba mountains.  They told stories of how the Khartoum regime’s actions – tightening its blockade of food, water, medicine, humanitarian aid and now fuel to South Kordofan’s Nuba mountains – is creating a humanitarian catastrophe that, if not stopped, could claim thousands or even hundreds of thousands of lives.

According to the priests, more than one million men, women and children are already being impacted by the government blockade and conditions are becoming desperate. They had just spoken to a colleague in Nuba who had climbed a mountain so that he could call in a report from his mobile phone.  Their colleague reported that military operations are intensifying and that supplies of food, water, medicine and fuel have dropped to dangerous levels. By preventing the cultivation of desperately needed crops in the critical rainy season, the violence will extend the humanitarian crises while making the people of South Kordofan even more dependent on access to food from outside their borders.

Bloomberg News is reporting today that President Bashir has quit talks in Ethiopia over Southern Kordofan and that the UN is reporting heavy gunfire and bombardments around the capital, Kadugli with helicopter gunships “engaged in offensive air operations” west of the capital city.

But President Bashir is using more than military arms to attack the people of Nuba. According to the priests, conditions are becoming desperate as fuel runs out. Their colleague reported from Nuba that grain can no longer be ground into flour, making the food shortage worse. “They are using food and humanitarian relief as a weapon,” the priests explained.

In a meeting with us this afternoon at his Juba headquarters, the Secretary General of the Sudan Council of Churches, Rev. Ramadan Chan Liol, called for the international community to come to the aid of the victims in Nuba before it is too late. “There must be an international intervention”, he said.  The Episcopal priest from Nuba told us: “We need the international community to save the people of the Nuba mountains.”

In just two days, Susan Rice, the US envoy to the United Nations will lead the US delegation to the ceremony marking South Sudan’s independence.  She will be joined by, among others, former Secretary of State Colin Powell.  Sudan’s president, indicted war criminal and leader of the civilian attacks on the Nuba, Omer al-Bashir, will join them on the stage.

Ambassador Rice today released a statement condemning Bashir’s brutality.  We need to see these strong words matched by action.  The administration can begin by announcing tough economic sanctions against Bashir and his cronies; issuing a call for an international investigation of the crimes against civilians that are being committed every day in Sudan; and declaring support  for a strong UN protection force to save the lives of those who are being targeted by the regime.

Condemnation without action has continued to be met with more attacks, more death and growing desperation in South Kordofan as Bashir tightens the noose of his brutal blockade. Ambassador Rice and other American dignitaries traveling to Juba for Saturday’s historic event have an opportunity to stand up to Bashir’s violence. They can also take the opportunity to sit down with some of those – like the priests we met with today – who have been forced to flee South Kordofan and can bear witness to the horrors unfolding there. They would learn a lot including what is at stake in South Kordofan and how desperately important it is to act before it is too late.

UN in Ivory Coast

GI-Net/SDC has been closely following the events in Ivory Coast over the last seven months. ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo is now seeking authorization for an investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity committed since post-election violence flared in November 2010. The prosecutor is acting on his own initiative to open an investigation, but requires approval by ICC judges to proceed.

Violence in Ivory Coast has subsided since the arrest of former president Laurent Gbagbo, and democratically elected Alassane Ouattara has taken control of government.  However, in the post-election conflict (in which Gbagbo refused to resign presidency, despite election results in favor of Ouattara), forces on both sides were responsible for atrocities committed against civilians, and must be held accountable.  According to human rights monitors, at least 3000 persons were killed, 72 disappeared, and 520 were subject to arbitrary arrest and detention. There continues to be some targeting of pro-Gbagbo forces following Laurent Gbagbo’s arrest. The situation is being closely monitored by the UN.

President Ouattara sent a letter to Prosecutor Moreno-Ocampo in May requesting and investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity.  Ouattara claims that the current judicial mechanisms in Ivory Coast are not equipped to carry out fair trials and investigations into human rights violations.  Should the request for an investigation be approved, it would be the first time the ICC opens a case in a non-member state, although the State acknowledges and welcomes the Court’s jurisdiction.

Update:  On Tuesday Ivory Coast’s Justice Minister Jeannot Ahoussou Kouadio signed an accord with the ICC pledging cooperation with the pending investigation.  Minister Kouadio pledged no impunity on the part of the Ivorian government and said that “The Ivorian government will cooperate fully so that light can be cast on all crimes committed in Ivory Coast…whether they were by people close to Ouattara’s camp or to Gbagbo’s camp.”  The apparent willingness to cooperate with ICC investigations on the part of State leaders is an indication of the Court’s growth in legitimacy and a trend towards accepting culpability for possible crimes committed. Furthermore, working to ensure that all perpetrators will be investigated speaks well of the potential to end impunity and increase state accountability.

UNMIS Troops Prepare to Patrol Town of Abyei, in Sudan (UN Photo/Stuart Price)

Shared Risks

More than half of the countries in the world share the risks associated with UN peacekeeping missions. Personnel for missions come from 115 different countries. As of April 2011, the top five troop contributing countries (TCCs) were Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Nigeria and Egypt. The top ten TCCs make up almost 60% of all UN peacekeepers. In comparison the United States ranks number 61 with 110 personnel deployed (0.1%). U.S. personnel primarily serve in police and expert roles, even further limiting risks. The U.S. only has contingent troops in Haiti (13) and Lebanon (5).

Shared Expenses

For 2011-2012, the United States has agreed to pay 27.14% of UN peacekeeping missions. In considering this percentage, it’s important to keep in mind how much the U.S. would be spending if it were to conduct similar missions on its own. Additionally, it should be noted that the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is responsible for authorizing all UN peacekeeping missions. Since the U.S. has veto power on the UNSC, a peacekeeping mission can only be approved with support from the United States.

In 2006, a nonpartisan report from the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) compared the cost of U.S. contributions to the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) to the cost of a hypothetical deployment of U.S. forces. The GAO report found that the cost of the entire UN mission for its first fourteen months was nearly half as expensive as a comparable U.S. mission would have been. Further–because the costs of MINUSTAH are shared by various countries–the UN mission was estimated to cost the U.S. more than 13 times less.

Challenges: Congress and Funding for UN Peacekeeping

The U.S. pays our share of UN peacekeeping through the Contributions to Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) account of the federal budget. Despite the fact that United Nations peacekeeping is a critical investment in global peace and security, there are hurdles that handicap the ability of the U.S. to pay our agreed upon contribution.

House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) speaks at a April 2011 hearing on the UN where she suggests the U.S. should withhold funding. (HFAC Photo)

Peacekeeping Cap

Congress has legislated a peacekeeping cap at 25%, which currently amounts to a funding gap of 2.14%. Until there is a permanent repeal, Congress must take action each appropriations cycle to temporarily lift the cap. In years past, Congress had failed to take this step which resulted in millions of dollars in arrears. Since the United Nations cannot borrow money, it meant that TCCs (that had put the lives of their military and police personnel on the line) weren’t able to pay salaries. Fortunately the United States took action in 2009 to pay off the accumulated arrears, but the peacekeeping cap still exists.

Current Fiscal Climate

Given the current fiscal climate, there will be difficulty in ensuring that the peacekeeping cap is waived this year so that the U.S. can pay our full obligation. Further, the President’s budget request for the 2012 fiscal year (which was made in February of 2011) is $225 million less than will be needed to pay the U.S. contribution assessed at $2.145 billion. As Congress looks to make severe cuts to the entire international affairs account (which includes CIPA funding), we will need your help to ensure that the U.S. meets its obligation and provides full financial support for the UN peacekeeping missions in Sudan, Darfur, Congo and elsewhere around the world.

Take Action to Support UN Peacekeeping

• Need some inspiration? Watch this video from our friends at the Better World Campaign featuring George Clooney.
• Write a brief note to your representative. You can connect with your representative here. Simply enter your zip code and then click on the envelop icon. Ask your representative to support $2.14 billion in funding for United Nations Peacekeeping missions that further global peace and security.
• Send a thank you letter to those serving as UN peacekeepers.

Photo credit: United Nations Mission in Sudan

This past Thursday, GI-NET/SDC held a policy call on recent violence in Abyei, U.N. actions, and related policy options.  Speakers included Amanda Hsiao from The Enough Project, Bokthok Siyr, Representative of the Abyei Community in the U.S., and Josh Kennedy from GI-NET/SDC.  Speakers described the situation on the ground, U.S. policy options, and opportunities for activism.

In response to the military offensive and takeover of Abyei town, several Members of Congress issued public statements. Meanwhile, GI-NET/SDC and its Sudan Now partners called for:

• The United States to demand the immediate cessation of offensive operations and the withdrawal of the SAF from the Abyei area;
• Immediate U.S. imposition of unilateral sanctions on individuals, whether representing North or South, implicated in violence;
• The U.S. government to begin planning for contingency scenarios for civilian protection in Sudan;
• The United States to convene an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council and propose the rapid establishment of a targeted sanctions regime for anyone responsible for violence against civilians in Sudan;
• The U.N. Security Council to accelerate planning for emergency steps to protect civilians from violence; and
• The U.N. to expand and strengthen existing U.N. sanctions regime for Darfur.

Please click here for a recording of the call.

Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro (centre) lays wreath for fallen peacekeepers. UN News Service

As the United States prepares to celebrate the memory of Americans who served for their country, the world is celebrating a much less known date that honors unparalleled contributions to global peace and security, the International Day of United Nations (UN) Peacekeepers.

The first UN peacekeeping mission was established 63 years ago, on May 29, 1948, after the Arab-Israeli war.  Today UN peacekeepers constitute the second largest expeditionary force in the world, second only to the United States.  There are over 120,000 military, police, and civilian personnel from 114 countries serving as UN peacekeepers in 15 operations around the globe.

These brave individuals continue to face grave dangers in the name of peace, a fact highlighted on Friday by the injury of six Italian peacekeepers by a roadside bomb in Lebanon.  Last month seven peacekeepers were killed in an attack in Afghanistan and another 32 lost their lives in a plane crash in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

UN peacekeepers will continue to play a vital role in providing global peace and security, but need the sufficient mandate and resources to carry out their missions.  As budgets tighten and talks of cuts to international accounts arise, it is important to remember the relative costs and benefits that come from peacekeeping efforts.  Peacekeeping costs $8 billion annually – just 0.5 percent of global military spending.  As U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice has said, for every dollar that the United States has spent on independent peacekeeping operations, it usually cost the UN 12 cents.

As discussions of how the newest mandates and missions will be shaped continue (the UN Security Council is scheduled to meet on Tuesday to discuss the new UN peacekeeping mission for the soon to be newest nation of South Sudan), and particularly on this day, the role of the individual peacekeeper should be remembered and future operations given the resources, mandate, and political backing to allow them to fulfill the mission they so selflessly set out to do.