Sudan and South Sudan

BREAKING NEWS: South Sudan’s rebel leader George Athor “killed”—Sudan Tribune

“The South Sudanese rebel leader and renegade general, George Athor, has been killed, announced the country’s Vice-President Riek Machar Teny in a press conference held in the capital Juba today…”

SPLA besiege George Athor in C. Equatoria: spokesman—Sudan Tribune

“A Sudan People’s Liberation Army unit has besieged rebel leader George Athor and his forces in Central Equatoria’s Morobo county area, which borders the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Phillip Aguer, the army spokesman said today…”

South Sudan rebels abductees describe South Kordofan ordeal—Sudan Tribune

“Two South Sudanese described their forcible recruitment by the rebel South Sudan Liberation Army (SSLA) in Khartoum and escape from South Kordofan, in an interview with Sudan Tribune on Monday…”

Sudanese refugees recall horror of Blue Nile fighting—Reuters

“Pointing to a scarred bald patch above his ear, Lise Dide shows where shrapnel grazed his head when his village in Sudan’s Blue Nile state was hit in an air strike. “The plane came when I was asleep. I was still in my bed, I did not hear the sound,” he said in South Sudan’s Doro refugee camp, set up just three weeks ago some 40 km (25 miles) from the Sudanese border…”

Janjaweed leader calls for military action to protect Darfur peace—Sudan Tribune

“A former Janhaweed leader called for a military action to protect the implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) in order to ensure its enforcement and end the over eight-year insurgency in western Sudan…”

Amnesty: UN Did ‘Nothing’ to Protect Civilians in Sudan’s Abyei—Voice of America

“Amnesty International says United Nations peacekeepers failed to protect civilians during fighting this year in the disputed Abyei region between Sudan and South Sudan.  The rights group is calling for the new U.N. peacekeeping force currently deploying to the area to do a better job…”

Human rights organisation calls for UN to improve security for Abyei’s displaced—Sudan Tribune

“Amnesty International (AI) is calling upon the United Nations to provide a secure environment for people displaced by the conflict in Abyei…”

New approach needed to ensure food security says UN expert—Miraya FM

“The current global trade system is not helping to ensure food security in poor countries. That’s the conclusion of a United Nations independent food expert, who says the current global trading system does not work for the poor…”

Jonglei village attack amid increased displacement—Sudan Tribune

“A village in Jonglei was attacked on Saturday; one of numerous recent incidents of insecurity in the region which are seeing marked depopulation, according to a local chief…”

UN envoy hails Vice-President’s appeal for reconciliation in Jonglei—Miraya FM

“The head of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan has welcomed an appeal by the country’s Vice-President Riek Machar to communities in the troubled Jonglei state to refrain from violence and to immediately engage in talks on reconciliation and peaceful coexistence…”

USA lifts sanctions—Miraya FM

“The United States of America has lifted sanctions on the Republic of South Sudan, Barnaba Marial Benjamin, the minister for Information said on Sunday upon his arrival from the International Engagement Conference (IEC) in Washington DC…”

S. Sudan demands presence of oil companies in negotiations—Sudan Tribune

“The Government of South Sudan (GoSS) has made proposals to have representatives from oil companies included in the next round of post-session negotiations mediated by the African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP), Pagan Amum, its chief negotiator said on Monday…”

Sudan opens bidding on oil exploration blocks—Miraya FM

“The government of Sudan said it will open six exploration blocks for bidding by international oil companies. “Everyone is invited to invest in this country,” Minister of Petroleum Awad Ahmed Aljaz told reporters…”

Syria

Syria unrest: Dozens of army deserters ‘gunned down’—BBC News

“Dozens of army deserters have been shot dead by Syrian troops as they tried to flee their bases and join anti-government protests, reports say. Activist groups said more than 70 defectors were gunned down in the north-western Idlib province. They said Monday’s death toll across the country could exceed 110 – which if true would make it one of the deadliest days of the uprising…”

Syria Sets Death Penalty for Terrorist Arms Smugglers—Voice of America

“Syria’s state-run news agency says President Bashar al-Assad has issued a new law allowing for a death sentence for anyone found to be distributing arms to terrorists…”

Turkish-Syrian Border Becomes Haven for Syrian Opposition—Voice of America

“The Turkish-Syrian border has become a key conduit for the Syrian opposition, including defectors in the Free Syria Army who have set up an underground network of bases. A couple of kilometers over the border: A cellphone video captures Syrian soldiers firing on people trying to flee across to Turkey…”

Democratic Republic of Congo

Amid Dispute, DRC President Takes Oath of Office—Voice of America

“Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila has been sworn in for a new term, as opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi continues to assert he is the country’s rightful leader…”

DRC Opposition Leader Calls for Kabila’s Seizure—Voice of America

“Congolese opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi says he is the country’s rightful leader and has called for the seizure of President Joseph Kabila. Election officials say Mr. Kabila easily won last month’s presidential poll in the Democratic Republic of Congo. But Mr. Tshisekedi has rejected the results as fraudulent and declared himself president, saying he will take office on Friday.

Analysis: DR Congo elections open new wounds—BBC News

“Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila’s victory in the 28 November election is fragile and contested. His swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday. But main opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi, 79, will also be sworn in as president “by the people” on Friday at a mass rally Martyrs’ stadium in the capital, Kinshasa…”

USA boosts its presence in Central Africa in hunt for LRA—Miraya FM

“As part of its regional hunt for fighters from the Lord’s Resistance Army the US special forces have set up a base in the Central African Republic. “The deployment of this contingent, the size of which is unknown, was carried out very discreetly with Ugandan military aircraft,” reported a Central African military official who would like to remain anonymous…”

Libya

U.N. lifts sanctions in Libya—CNN International

“The United Nations Security Council on Friday lifted sanctions on the Central Bank of Libya and the Libyan Foreign Bank, moves that were warmly received by the United States and Britain. This will allow the United States and other countries to unfreeze billions of dollars to help Libyans build their new democracy,” U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice said…”

In recent years, the International Criminal Court has brought numerous rape charges against the orchestrators of mass rape in conflict zones such as Darfur.  And just this week, former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo was turned over to the International Criminal Court after being indicted on charges of crimes against humanity (including rape and murder) committed in the aftermath of contested elections in Cote d’Ivoire late last year.

In Libya, allegations of sexual violence by pro-government forces drew international attention last spring when a woman was arrested after speaking to international journalists about her rape. The International Criminal Court is now working to conduct investigations into the involvement of Gaddafi regime officials, who may have been involved in organizing the hundreds of other rapes reported over the last 9 months during the revolution there.

In other post-conflict regions, justice and accountability have been slow in coming. The recent trial of former Bosnian soldier Sasa Baricanin made headlines in November when he was convicted for war crimes – including murder, enslavement and rape – that he committed during the conflict in Bosnia. The conflict and ethnic cleansing campaign in Bosnia in the 1990’s became notorious for the soldiers’ strategic use of sexual violence. The UN estimates that there were as many as 50,000 rapes during the course of the war, but the trial of Sasa Baricanin marks only the 30^th conviction on charges of rape since the conflict ended nearly two decades ago.

Yesterday, the UNSC placed a militia leader in the Democratic Republic of Congo under international sanctions for his role in organizing mass rapes in Eastern Congo. However,  rape is an epidemic problem in Congo, where on average 1,100 rapes are reported each month, and over 200,000 women have been raped during the conflicts there.

While we welcome every trial and conviction of perpetrators of rape, in too many conflicts around the world the organizers and perpetrators of sexual violence are still allowed to operate with impunity. A report commissioned by the UN Human Rights Council released earlier this week, found evidence of the use of sexual violence by Syrian Security forces against women and children, including young boys. Meanwhile, in Burma, where the government has a reputation for using rape as a weapon — particularly in villages known to oppose the current government regime — more than 80 rapes have been reported to human rights groups in the past year.

The advances that we have seen in recent years are only the tip of the iceberg. We need to continue to push for justice for the victims of sexual violence in conflict. The human rights community must continue to raise awareness about these issues and the international community must demand that proper investigations are conducted when there are reports of the use of mass strategic rape. We can put an end to impunity enjoyed by those who use rape as a weapon of war.

Libya: The Qaddafi regime appears to be on its last legs, as TNC forces have entered Tripoli.  Fighting continues in the center of the city, and there is no information on Qaddafi’s location.  Despite reports that his sons, Saif and Mohammed, were in TNC custody, both appear to have escaped.

According to the Turkish Foreign Minister, NATO will continue its military campaign until stability is achieved throughout Libya. The Dutch government will release 100 million Euros to be used to purchase medicine from the World Health Organization.  It is likely that the pending TNC victory may lead to the unfreezing of additional blocked assets for reconstruction.

Syria: According to the UN, at least 2,200 Syrians have been killed during the anti-Assad uprising. In a briefing before the UN Security Council, High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, stated that Syria may have perpetrated crimes against humanity in its crackdown against demonstrators. In response to the ongoing violence, the EU and U.S. are drafting a UN resolution designed to impose additional pressures on the Syrian regime, including sanctions.

Policy Objectives:

• Push the UNSC to adopt a strong resolution that includes sanctions on perpetrators of crimes against civilians, an arms embargo and a referral to the International Criminal Court
• Push the European Union to adopt strong and comprehensive sanctions on Syria’s oil sector
• CRN(Conflict Risk Network): Encourage corporate actors operating in Syria’s oil sector to:
  • Urge companies to either immediately halt operations or make public or private statements to the Syrian regime to condemn the violence
  • Call for companies to establish clear policies and procedures for ensuring non-complicity in similar crises in the future

Sudan: In Southern Kordofan, a new round of fighting was reported. In Abyei, it is estimated that over 100,000 people have been displaced by violence. In Darfur, there is a sustained level of violence and human rights abuses, and humanitarian access continues to be restricted.

Sudan will reportedly allow UN agencies to access areas within South Kordofan.

Policy Objectives:

• Push the UN to create a UN peacekeeping force for South Kordofan and Blue Nile states that has a human rights monitoring component and the ability to protect civilians
• Demand humanitarian access in South Kordofan to ensure delivery of much needed aid (food, medical assistance, etc.).
• Expand the existing UN arms embargo on Darfur so that it covers all of Sudan.
• Expand U.S. and UN sanctions to cover officials and militia leaders implicated in the violence
• Demand immediate full access for an independent investigation for war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing through the International Criminal Court

In response to these recent developments, GI-NET/SDC policy outcomes are

Sudan

• The United States and international community imposes consequences on those responsible for violence in Abyei, South Kordofan, the South, and Darfur and also pushes for a robust UN civilian protection and monitoring force in South Kordofan and Blue Nile
• Groundwork is laid for getting companies to take steps that ensure they are not harming civilians and are helping to protect them
• Raise awareness about Sudan crises among constituents, media and high level decision makers

Syria

• The UN passes a resolution implementing sanctions, an arms embargo, and referral to the International Criminal Court
• Companies disengage and pull out from Syria

The Assad regime’s crackdown on anti-government demonstrators in Syria continues apace.  This morning, government security forces reportedly fired upon protestors in the eastern city of Deir ez-Zour, killing an estimated 17 people since Wednesday.   These attacks add to the more than 2,200 deaths since mid-March.

As the death toll continues to grow, the United States and its European allies have circulated a draft UN Security Council resolution.  The current version of the resolution is noticeably stronger than the one circulated earlier this year.

It demands that the Syrian government immediately cease human rights violations and the use of force against civilian areas.  The resolution also imposes an arms embargo on Syria, as well as asset freezes and travel bans on designated members of the Syrian government.

These measures, if passed, would augment the broader economic pressures that the international community is preparing to deploy against the Syrian government, including a potential European embargo of Syrian oil.  These measures would add to the steps already taken by the United States and European Union to impose asset freezes and travel bans on senior Syrian government officials.

Two Ways You Can Take Action Today to Pressure the Syrian Regime

• Urge the European Union to Adopt Oil Sanctions: Avaaz has a petition that calls on the European Union to sanction Syrian oil.  Germany, France, and Italy are the three largest importers of Syrian oil.  Sanctions will show the Syrian government that western governments will not tolerate abuses perpetrated against civilians. Sign the Avaaz EU Sanctions petition here.
• Urge the United Nations Security Council to Pass a Strong Resolution: Citizens for Global Solutions (CGS) has a petition that calls on UN Security Council members to introduce and pass a resolution denouncing the Syrian regime and Bashar al-Assad’s criminal actions. The petition also calls for a referral to the International Criminal Court. Sign the CGS UN Security Council petition here.

In response to Assad’s brutality, President Obama called on President Al-Assad to go and imposed new sanctions against Syria.  The new sanctions block US individuals and corporations from investing in or exporting services related to petroleum and petroleum products to Syria.

This latest round of punitive measures augments the Treasury Department’s recent sanctions targeting the state-owned Bank of Syria, the Syrian Lebanese Commercial Bank, and Syriatel-Syria’s largest cell-phone provider.  This is in addition to the Treasury’s previous designations of businessmen and members of the Syrian security forces, for support of the Syrian regime’s human rights abuses.

There is also movement afoot in the U.S. Senate to extend existing sanctions.  On August 2, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL), and Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT) co-sponsored S-1472, this would further strengthen existing oil sanctions and forbid companies which invest in Syria’s energy sector from obtaining U.S. government contracts.

These clearly demonstrate the the U.S. Government will not tolerate the Syrian government’s abuse of its own people, an effort that should be match by other pillars of the international community.

• Treatment of widely diverse populations (citizenship rights, migrant populations, and resettlement)
• Distribution of oil wealth
• Border demarcation

Ambassador Lyman called for at least an interim agreement to be settled by the end of the month, along with a firm timetable for negotiations moving forward.  The more quickly North and South Sudan resolve their issues, the higher the likelihood of a successful peace and transition to statehood for South Sudan.

In regard to Darfur, Lyman noted that in order for political reform to occur, the Government of Sudan (GoS) must satisfy a list of conditions put forth by the United States, which would create an enabling environment in Darfur for political pluralism and freedom of expression.  Until these conditions are met, the United States will not facilitate a peacekeeping process in the region.

Sen. Kerry (left) and Sen. Lugar

Concerns about GoS’ exclusion of key Darfuri rebel groups from negotiations in Doha was also a point for discussion.  At this point the GoS is only engaging with the Liberty and Justice Movement (LJM), when they need to be bringing in leaders of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), and Sudanese Liberation Army(SLA), in order to construct a viable solution that addresses the issues raised by all parties involved in the conflict.

In reference to getting access to humanitarian aid in South Kordofan and Abyei, Lyman confirmed that both sides were “open” to the idea of a “72 hour pause” in fighting to allow aid workers to bring in food and medical supplies to the displaced.

Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Dick Lugar (R-IN) engaged in discussion regarding agricultural development as essential to food security and economic prosperity in South Sudan. Development aid provided from the United States and international community would provide technological assistance to vastly increase South Sudan’s output, thus reducing its import dependencies and shifting it towards an export-based economy.

Senators John Kerry (D-MA), Lugar, John Isakson (R-GA), Coons, and Tom Udall (D-NM) were all in attendance at the hearing.  Senator Coons announced that he, Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL), Senator Isakson, and Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) will be introducing a resolution commending the cooperation by both sides, and calling on a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Sudan. The meeting had the overarching tone of urgency and uncertainty regarding negotiations and the full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) before current hostilities expand beyond a point of negotiation.

The organization’s biggest concern remains civilian protection. We have repeatedly encouraged Congress to prioritize the protection of civilians in Libya by both authorizing the use of force and providing adequate funding support. Moving forward, the House and the Senate must reconcile their differing views on engagement in Libya. Congress should take decisive action in the interest of protecting civilians and work to support non-military efforts to create an environment in which a peace agreement can be reached.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich on the Floor

The Senate was was set to vote on a joint resolution that would authorize limited military involvement in Libya this week.  However, due to budget talks, a vote on the resolution has been postponed.

The first stop on my journey with GI-Net/SDC’s new president Tom Andrews is Nairobi, Kenya.  Initial impressions are of a city of juxtapositions, from the entrepreneurial encouragement of our taxi driver, asking if we were here on business (then urging us to invest in Kenya) to the squalor of slums we visited outside the city center.

Nairobi is a hub of East Africa, a growing economic center, but also home to one of the largest and most diverse collections of refugees and internally displaced persons in the world.  Numbers are difficult to nail down, but refugee experts estimate that there are over 100,000 refugees living in and around Nairobi alone.

Young Rwandan Refugee in Nairobi

Thanks to our friends at RefugePoint, formerly Mapendo, who do great work to help the most vulnerable, we got a chance to meet some of that population. We spoke with a mixed Rwandan couple, the husband a Hutu, the wife a Tutsi, both still traumatized by the genocidal horrors they experienced nearly two decades ago.  We spoke with Darfuris driven from their homeland by janjaweed attacks, seeking refuge in the Nuba Mountains before fleeing to Kenya.  They are haunted by today’s news of the latest ethnically targeted attacks on the Nuba people by the very same regime that targeted them some 8 years ago. And we spoke with Kenyans who recounted their fears of the violence that was barely contained after the 2007 elections here, thousands of whom remain displaced even as fears of further violence around next year’s elections loom.  In Kenya, that violence was stopped by a cohesive combination of efforts from the international community and domestic civil society leaders, some of whom with which we also spoke.

Each case and each conversation holds within it a variety of lessons as well as the sobering reality of the lasting effects of mass violence on those individuals lucky enough to survive it.  But we also heard from each individual a lasting sense of hope for a brighter future and perhaps someday a return to their homelands.  We take the lessons we have learned here and carry them with us on our continuing journey to Rwanda and to South Sudan.  Stay tuned for more as our travels continue.

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.

The U.S.-drafted resolution mandates that the UNISFA mission carry out a number of tasks, including:

1)      Monitor and verify the redeployment of any Sudan Armed Forces, Sudan People’s Liberation Army or its successor from the Abyei Area as defined by the Permanent Court of Arbitration; henceforth, the Abyei Area shall be demilitarized from any forces other than UNISFA and the Abyei Police Service;

2)      Facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and the free movement of humanitarian personnel in coordination of the relevant Abyei Area bodies as defined by the Agreement.

3)      Acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations, authorizes UNISFA within its capabilities and in its area of deployment to take the necessary actions to:

1. Protect UNISFA personnel, facilities, installations, and equipment,
2. Protect United Nations personnel, facilities, installations, and equipment,
3. Ensure the security and freedom of movement of United Nations personnel, humanitarian personnel and members of the Joint Military Observers Committee and Joint Military Observer Teams,
4. Without prejudice to the responsibilities of the relevant authorities, to protect civilians in the Abyei Area under imminent threat of physical violence,
5. Protect the Abyei Area from incursions by unauthorized elements, as defined in the Agreement, and
6. Ensure security in the Abyei area.

The UNISMA deployment was called for in last week’s Agreement between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement on Temporary Arrangements for the Administration and Security of the Abyei Area.  The Agreement sets up interim arrangements for Abyei until the long delayed referendum, called for in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement’s Abyei Protocol, is held.

Update: The Temporary Arrangements for the Administration and Security of the Abyei Area does not specifically call for a referendum, but rather states that the border between north and south in the Abyei region will be inviolate until changed by the referendum.  The resolution of Abyei may still involve the long delayed referendum, but the Agreement only calls for a peaceful solution regarding Abyei’s final status.