The Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies’ (MIGS) Will to Intervene Project and the Canadian Centre for the Responsibility to Protect are pleased to invite you to a special event to mark the passing of a municipal proclamation declaring “Will to Intervene Day” in Toronto on May 10, 2012. The Will to Intervene Project is a crucial initiative co-founded by LGen Roméo Dallaire that aims to mobilise domestic political will in Canada to prevent mass atrocity crimes and make “never again” a reality.

The event will feature special addresses from Martha Hall Findlay, Tarek Fatah and others.

To find out more and to register, please visit http://willtointerveneday.eventbrite.com/

The event will take place in the quadrangle at Trinity College (University of Toronto), 6 Hoskin Avenue, Toronto, from 2p.m. to 4p.m. on 10 May, followed by a reception with light refreshments. If the weather is uncooperative, the event will take place in Seeley Hall, Trinity College.

In a recent article in the Globe & Mail, analysts discussed the benefits of ethical sourcing which included greater brand reputation and secure supply chains.  Any conversation on conflict minerals easily brings up the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).  However, we often forget that the DRC is also a source for ethical conflict-free minerals. This highlights the importance of tracing the origins of these minerals to not just the country but the smelter or refinery that processes them.

The EICC-GeSI Conflict-Free Smelter Assessment Program does just this. The Program is being developed by the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC) and the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI). The voluntary program acts as an independent third party investigator, tracing the sources of smelters and refineries. The assessment is made be a third party and the Conflict-Free Smelter Audit Review Committee then reviews the findings to decide whether the smelter/refinery has met Conflict-Free Smelter assessment protocol.

Conflict-free does not mean a boycott on minerals sourced in the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Sourcing minerals is intended to prevent the indirect funding of the violence in the Congo but still provide revenue for those who rely on mining for their livelihoods. Boycotting Congo minerals altogether only hurts the DRC economy and, more importantly the civilians.

By demanding conflict free products, we are raising our voices as consumers and saying that we do not want to enable rape and murder.  We’re calling for conflict free products and ethical sourcing procedures that do not threaten the livelihood of innocent civilians. That’s why, as we campaign for ethical sourcing, we need to remember that the DRC already has conflict-free minerals.

–

Navdeep Johal is Campaign Director of STAND Canada.

Sources:
Globe and Mail. “Ending trade in conflict minerals trickier than it sounds: analysts.” Accessed April 3, 2012.

The EICC-GeSI Conflict-Free Smelter (CFS) Assessment Program. Accessed April 3, 2012.

SUDAN

Analyst: Sudan and South Sudan Engaged in Unofficial War
Violence between Sudan and South Sudan surged this week when both countries attempted to assert control over the Heglig oilfield, cancelling plans for a summit between these countries’ respective presidents, Omar al Bashir and Slava Kiir. On Thursday, South Sudan accused its northern neighbour of aerial bombing the South Sudanese town of Bentiu. With both countries accusing each other of initiating the current level of violence, which has been at its highest since South Sudan gained independence last year, each side is also vying to defend itself. Magdi El Gizouli, a fellow at the Rift Valley Institute in Kenya, has likened the situation to a smaller version of previous civil warfare between these two regions, maintaining that Sudan and South Sudan are “effectively . . . at war.” On Wednesday, the United Nations officially requested “an immediate de-escalation of the situation… to avoid further bloodshed.”

Sudan Accuses US of Waging “Stealth War”
This week, Sudanese parliamentary speaker Ahmed Ibrahim al-Tahir accused the United States of waging a “stealth war” against Sudan. The accusations surround 15-year-old American economic sanctions against Sudan, which recently contributed to the postponing of the inauguration of a $1 billion sugar plant in White Nile State, as well as American pressuring of Khartoum to allow the international community to provide aid to Sudanese civilians living in war-torn South Kordofan and Blue Nile. He argued that the United States is prohibiting Sudan from progressing as a country and maintained that the Sudanese people would choose food deprivation over loss of dignity.

Sudan Arming Civilians Against Rebels
Civilians in Talodi town claimed to have been provided with guns supplied by Khartoum to aid in fighting against Sudanese rebel groups along the Sudan-South Sudan border. Such civilian soldiers have been suspected by a human rights organization to be committing human rights abuses. This news comes amid speculation that South Sudan is similarly arming its civilians in the event of war and that the rate of South Kordofan refugees entering South Sudan has recently increased 8-fold.

DRC

Kabila Calls for Former Rebel Leader’s ICC Arrest
Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila recently advocated for the arrest of former rebel leader, Bosco Ntaganda, for whom the International Crime Court issued an arrest warrant five years ago for recruitment child soldiers, rape, and murder. Ntaganda, whose current location is unknown, is believed to have as many as 600 defectors with him; any attempt to arrest him will inevitably cause considerable conflict, according to BBC analyst Martin Plaut.

Kabila Suspends Main Military Operation in East Congo
In response to hundreds of recent desertions within the Congolese army, Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila has halted military operation Amani Leo in eastern North and South Kivu. Though Amani Leo has been relatively successful in its focus on pursuing members of the Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda, many civilians have suffered human rights abuses in association with the operation. A representative for Kabila stated that the decision was meant to keep the well-being of the public in mind; meanwhile, Amani Leo will be re-strategized.

SUDAN

George Clooney Arrested for Protesting Outside of Sudanese Embassy
American movie star George Clooney was arrested outside the Sudanese embassy in Washington, D.C. today, along with his father and others, who assembled to protest against the Sudanese government’s refusal to allow humanitarian food and supplies to reach civilians living in the war-torn Blue Nile Region who are expected to face starvation without immediate assistance. Following his release a few hours later, Clooney gave his two requests– that aid be allowed into “Sudan before it becomes the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, immediately,” and for “the government in Khartoum to stop randomly killing its own innocent men, women, and children.”

Sudanese President Confirms Intentions to Not Seek Re-Election
Sudanese President Omar al Bashir, who has been in power since 1989, has reiterated his plans to turn over the presidential candidacy to another National Congress Party (NCP) member for Sudan’s 2015 federal election. This decision follows pressure from unidentified fellow members of the NCP, including the NCP’s youth sector, on Bashir to step down to facilitate reform within the party. Some NCP members have speculated, however, that the NCP, and not Bashir, will ultimately be responsible for deciding whether or not he will seek re-election.

South Sudan Governor: Tribal Attack Leaves Over 200 Dead
Last week, several Lou Nuer tribes were victims of a three-day attack launched by members of the Murle, a long-time enemy of the Lou Nuer. While the UN has yet to confirm this speculated death toll of 200, the UN estimates that more than 1,000 people were killed in the Jonglei in 2011, mostly in association with fighting between these two tribes.

South Sudan’s Army Signs Anti-Child Soldier Agreement
Though the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army of South Sudan (SPLA) committed to releasing its child soldiers in 2009, Monday marked the SPLA’s first signed agreement with the UN to do so. The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy, arrived in South Sudan this week and has declared hopes to meet with the Nuer and Murle tribes of the Jongeli state in order to work towards a similar understanding with these communities.

DRC

ICC Prosecutor Will Seek Maximum Sentence for Convicted Congo Warlord
The International Crime Court declared its first verdict this week in its 10 years of existence– Thomas Lubanga was found guilty of harboring child soldiers in Congo from 2002 to 2003. ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo referred to the verdict as a “victory for humanity” and disclosed that he will be recommending a sentence “close to the maximum”: 30 years or life in prison. Lubanga will be sentenced later this year. Moreno-Ocampo has also declared plans to compound the indictment of Bosco Ntaganda, a former commander of Lubanga who is wanted by the ICC for recruiting and using child soldiers, with accusations of murder and rape. Ntaganda currently remains in Congo, maintaining his position of army general.

Congo Slowing Search for Joseph Kony and Rebel Army, Says Ugandan Government
The hunt for Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army and wanted person of the International Crime Court (ICC), has been impeded by territorial restrictions imposed by the Congolese government, says Ugandan government official Fred Opolot. The UN estimates that Kony’s army has launched twenty raids in northeastern Congo is the past half-year, resulting in 10 fatalities and the displacement of 3,000 individuals. The United States has provided Uganda with military advisors to pursue Kony, whose official charges by the ICC include war crimes and crimes and several crimes against humanity– “murder, sexual slavery, and abusing children.”

A summary of the news from the Sudans and the DRC the past two weeks. Click on the title for the full article.

SUDAN & SOUTH SUDAN

New Ethnic Clashes in South Sudan Claim 57 Lives
On January 11, about 60 Murle fighters massacred 57 Lou Nuer civilians in northern Jonglei state in response to deadly attacks launched by Lou Nuer fighters the previous week. In addition to the fatalities that were comprised of mostly Murle women and children, 53 were left wounded and over 20,000 cattle were stolen from the Lou Nuer villages. With an estimated 60,000 people in danger as a result of this ongoing ethnic conflict, the UN is preparing an emergency aid mission.

Obama Declares South Sudan Eligible for Receiving Weaponry
In light of South Sudan’s vulnerability to air raids that have been reportedly mediated by the Sudan Air Force, U.S. President Barack Obama has declared that providing South Sudan with defensive weaponry would “strengthen the security of the United States and promote world peace.” This statement, however, does not confirm any actual plans for an exchange. The Sudan Tribune has also speculated that the United States is likely wary of supplying weaponry to a country that is currently marred by its own ethnic conflict.

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