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.

Sudan Offers to Help Libya Disarm Rebels
Sudanese President Omar al Bashir recently visited Libya to express his gratitude for the removal of its former leader, Muammar Gaddafi, who had previously accused him of supporting rebels in Darfur. In an effort to renew friendly ties with Libya, he also expressed Sudan’s willingness help disarm residual anti-Gaddafi rebel groups. To the alarm of many human rights groups, this visit marks yet another missed opportunity to incarcerate al Bashir, who is wanted by the International Crime Court for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes relating to the recent conflict in Darfur.

International Aid Block Risks Famine in Southern Kordofan
On Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, officially claimed that Khartoum’s strict stance against international aid groups has negatively affected civilians of war-torn Southern Kordofan to the extent that without intervention, mass starvation is projected to take place in a matter of months.

DRC

Four Rwandan Military Officers Arrested Over Congo Conflict Minerals
Following an investigation surrounding suspected conflict mineral dealings with civilians inhabiting eastern Congo, Rwandan officials have arrested four top military officers and placed them under house arrest. This move follows unsuccessful legislative efforts by the American government to resist importing products made from resources that were smuggled out of the DRC to ultimately fund local militia groups, such as the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, the alleged perpetrators of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Election Re-Evaluation Request by Congo’s Bishops
The DRC’s exceedingly influential Catholic Church has officially called on the nation’s electoral committee to re-evaluate the results of the much-disputed federal election that gave victory to incumbent President Joseph Kabila over opposition hopeful, Etienne Tshisekedi. Following several claims of electoral rigging by the international community, thirty-five bishops issued a statement requesting that the commission “correct serious errors that have damaged people’s trust in this institution, and if not, to resign.” This federal election was the first to be internally-facilitated in the DRC’s 51 years of existence.

Sudan & South Sudan

UN Says 2.7 Million South Sudanese Will Need food aid in 2012

Around 2.7 million people in Africa’s newest nation will need aid in the New Year due to crop failures and violence. Although South Sudan won independence in July, the new nation has been struggling to end tribal and rebel violence, overcome an economic crisis, and build up state institutions. The country imports food from Sudan but border trade has been hard due to armed clashes. There has been an influx in the population due to people fleeing from northern border states where Khartoum’s army has been fighting with insurgents and South Sudanese returning home due to the independence. Erratic rains have caused food prices to shoot upwards and have made it even harder for the young nation to feed the country of 8.3 million.

Activists warn of “genocide” in the Jonglei State

Round table discussions on the Luo Nuer and Murie conflicts in Juba organized by Minority Rights Group International and Boma Development Initiative warned there could be an outbreak of “genocide” in the Southern Sudan region. It could be sparked by a lack of political action to resolve the conflict between the Luo Nuer and Murle communities. The weakness is blamed on the judiciary system. The groups called for empowerment of local government so they can handle community disputes. According to Jonglei state officials at least 3,000 people have been killed in 2011 in the ongoing inter-ethnic conflict. The UN Office for the Coordination in contrast reported that around 2,500 were killed in 2009 due to violent conflicts throughout the whole of South Sudan.

Sudan risks unrest due to inflation

Sudan is in the midst of an economic crisis that could provoke protests against President Omar Hassan al-Bashir. According to Sadeq al-Mahdi, head of the Umma Party, the country’s largest opposition party, inflation could lead to unrest like it had in Syria. The African country has avoided a large revolution but there has been small anti-government demonstrations in Khartoum and the underdeveloped east that are inspired by the mass protests in the Middle East. They have been focused on inflation. Bashir has been battling an economic crisis since South Sudan took away much of the nation’s oil thus making imports more expensive.

DRC

 Congo Opposition Leader Declares Himself the Election Winner and Urges Calm

Despite placing second in the official election results, Congo’s opposition leader, Etienne Tshiseked says he is the winner of the presidential election. However, the country’s supreme court upheld President Joseph Kabila’s victory, despite concerns about irregularities from the international community. Observes fear unrest and possible civil war if Tshisekedi orders his supporters to take to the streets. Tshisekedi, according to the results, received 32 per cent of the nearly 19 million votes cast and is very popular with the country’s impoverished masses. Kabila received 49 per cent.

 ICC orders release of Congo war crimes suspect

A Rwandan rebel leader, Callixte Mbarushimana, who was sent to the International Criminal Court to face charges including torture, rape, and murder in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is to be freed because of lack of evidence. Mbarushimana is described as a senior leader of the Democratic Forces of the Liberation of Rwanda or FDLR. The leaders fled to Congo after the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and the group played a major role in the DRC’s 1998-2003 conflict that left 5 million people dead. Mbarushimana was detained in Paris last year and was charged with eight counts of war crimes and five counts of crimes against humanity. This was after investigations, lead by Germany, Congo, Rwanda, France and the ICC , over allegations that the FDLR were involved in rapes in Congo’s North Kivu province.

SUDAN & SOUTH SUDAN

Kenya-Sudan Ties Amended Following Retraction of Nairobi Court Order to Arrest al Bashir

In an effort to preserve Kenya-Sudan trade and prevent the expulsion of all Kenyans from Sudan, Nairobi has lifted a court order made earlier this week to apprehend Sudanese President Omar al Bashir on behalf of the International Crime Court if he were to enter Kenya.

 Sudan and South Sudan’s Request to Join EAC Rejected and Deferred, Respectively

The East Africa Community has declined Sudan’s bid to join the organization currently including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi, citing lack its lack of democracy, respect for women, and shared borders. The EAC is requiring more time to evaluate South Sudan’s compliance with “good governance, democracy, the rule of law, observance of human rights and social justice.”

 Sudan Stealing Oil, Says South Sudan

South Sudan, which must export oil to Sudan because of its own lack of ports or refineries, has accused Sudan of stealing oil while the two countries dispute over profit allocations.

ICC Seeks Arrest of Sudanese Defense Minister

STAND Canada’s November 20 Biweekly Update presented speculation that the International Crime Court would be issuing a warrant of arrest against Abdel Rahim Muhammad Hussein. This story was confirmed by the ICC on Friday, accusing Hussein of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.

DRC

Preliminary Vote Count Shows Incumbent President Ahead

After extending the elections to three days to allow for proper ballot distribution throughout the Congo, the election commission has tallied approximately 15% of the votes thus far and disclosed that Joseph Kabila is leading with 52% of the vote, followed by leading opposition candidate, Etienne Tshisekedi, with 34%. Human Rights Watch has cited pro-Kabila military groups as being mostly responsible for the escalated election-associated violence that has left 18 dead and seriously wounded at least 100.

African Observers Declare Elections “Successful,” Despite Calls for Annulment by Opposition

Though four of the ten opposition presidential candidates have called for a cancellation of this week’s election on account of pre-marked ballots and other forms rigging, five observer groups have declared the voting process legitimate. These groups did, however, acknowledge setbacks pertaining to timely ballot distribution that were reportedly remedied by extending the election period. Leading opposition candidate, Etienne Tshisekedi, has not contributed to the recommendation for election annulment.

Sudan & South Sudan

Rebel Groups Form Alliance Against Khartoum

In an effort to overthrow the Sudanese government, four rebel groups– Sudan Revolutionary Front consists of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North, Justice and Equality Movement, Sudan Liberation Army-Abdel Wahid and Sudan Liberation Army-Minni Minnawi– have joined together to form the Sudan Revolutionary front. Though political analysts have recognized this force as being relatively weak, the Sudanese government has reinstated its pleas to South Sudan to stop supporting such opposition forces.

Article: http://presstv.com/detail/210684.html

ICC to Seek Arrest Warrant for Defense Minister of Sudan

The Dubai-based Al-Arabiya TV has reported that the International Crime Court is planning to release a warrant of arrest for Abdel-Rahim Mohamed Hussein for allegations that have not yet been disclosed. This move, which is yet to be confirmed by the ICC, would be the fourth outstanding arrest warrant for a Sudanese official.

Article: http://www.sudantribune.com/ICC-prosecutor-to-request-arrest,40731

Sudanese UN Ambassador Said to Have “Blatantly Lied” about Aerial Bombing

Following Sudanese Ambassador Daffia-Alla Elhag Ali Osman’s claims that Sudan did not wage an aerial  bombardment on South Sudan,  American U.N. Ambassador, Susan Rice, strongly expressed her belief to the contrary.  According to the U.N. Peacekeeping Chief, South Sudan has been the target of at least two aerial bombings.

Article:http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_19315653

N.B.: This article incorrectly identifies Susan Rice as the United Nations’ U.N. Ambassador, rather than the American U.N. Ambassador.

Amnesty International Accuses Sudan of Torturing Protestors

In a recently issued statement, Amnesty International claims that detainment of opposition activists has included torture tactics as well as violence against youth and the mentally ill.

Article: http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/Sudan-torturing-activists-Amnesty-Int-20111112

DRC

Opposition Presidential Candidate Orders Jailbreaks

Prior to any elections, Etienne Tshisekedi has declared himself president and urged all of his supporters who have been arrested during opposition rallies to stage escapes from jail. Information These statements could be considered treason, according to Information Minister Lambert Mende.

Article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/congo-opposition-leader-declares-himself-president-tells-supporters-to-stage-jailbreaks/2011/11/12/gIQAbSTaEN_story.html

Elections Catch Up

Check out BBC’s Q&A concerning the DRC’s upcoming federal elections on November 28.

Article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15694912

Last month, 16 countries came before the United Nations Human Rights Council for the Universal Periodic Review. This exercise is a process where human rights records of UN member states are examined. Each state gets to talk about how they have worked to improve human rights situations in their country and fulfill their human rights obligations. Every country receives an equal review.

One of the states evaluated was Sudan, whose government has shown little interest in promoting human rights among citizens. There have been predictions that after the South’s secession on July 9, the human rights situation in northern Sudan will only deteriorate.

Protests in the North have been met with arrests, detainments, torture, and sexual assault. Violence in Darfur by the Sudanese army back in December targeted civilians. President Bashir has said that he wants Sudan to be an Islamic State that adheres to Sharia law instead of the religious and ethnically diverse country it is now. This could lead to more tension.

The review was a chance for the United Nations to warn that the international community will continue to monitor and demand improvements regarding human rights in both the North and South Sudan.

It was also a chance to question and pressure the two Sudanese governments on its future decisions for the two countries. These decisions will have a huge impact for the citizens of both countries especially in terms of a post-secession citizen policy and constitutional review. Minorities should be included and basic freedoms and rights should be ensured for all citizens.

On May 10, the review started off with an introductory summary of the country.  Because of South Sudan’s autonomy, the report was divided into two. There was a remark on the signed peace security agreement regarding the situation in Darfur. Also mentioned was the fact electoral laws have been strengthened as women are being allowed to participate in elections. Children’s rights have improved as well.

Then there was a discussion among member states and observer states. The positive achievements in Sudan were recognized including multi-party elections last year and the establishment of institutions. These included the Human Rights Commission, the Constitutional Court, and the Advisory Council on Human Rights.

Other positive achievements were efforts to achieve a peace agreement, organizing a referendum and the promotion of free and compulsory education for all citizens.

However, there were areas of concern. These included discrimination against women, the use of the death penalty and torture, media censorship, the arrests of human rights activitists and journalists, sexual and gender based violence, and perhaps the two with the most attention, human rights violations and the conflict in Darfur.

Other states wanted to know what measures Sudan was taking to ensure ethnic and religious minorities do not face discrimination.

With all these issues and questions brought to light, countries suggested steps for Sudan to take. Ones that stood out were to promote freedom of religion, establish a national human rights institution, suspend the death penalty, protect journalists and human rights activist against violence and eradicate female mutilation. They also called Sudan to cooperate with the International Criminal Court. Building a lasting peace in Darfur was also on the list.

Sudan’s response to the issues and recommendations was defensive. It responded by saying a National Human Rights Committee is being completed and the government is discussing human rights in Sudan with international organizations and local institutions. There is press freedom, an advisor will monitor the situation of detained people, and a law for children protects their rights. A unit has been created to protect women and children against violence.

The issue of the death penalty was less agreeable. Sudan responded by saying it had reservations with the elimination of the death penalty as a person is only sentenced to death when they have committed a very high level of treason. In the eyes of Sudan’s government, it is a suitable form of punishment and has appropriate boundaries.

Regarding peace in Darfur, Sudan responded by saying it is a joint effort by different parties

So the international community did take the opportunity to suggest improvements for human rights in Sudan. The community also did well by addressing its concerns surrounding the new Constitution. Sudan pointed out that minorities are involved in the new draft and the Bill of Rights is incorporated in Southern Sudan’s constitution.

These issues regarding human rights and the constitution are important. Both the Sudanese and the South Sudanese governments should be monitored on their response to the recommendations and how they draft the new constitution. How the two countries handle human rights and citizenship with the creation of South Sudan could determine conflict in either state. Conflict can arise, as it has in the past with Sudan, when political, cultural, or religious rights are revoked from one group for the benefit of another.

–

Alexa Huffman is a regular contributor to the STAND  Canada Blog.

“You have the power to change the world.”

We, as young people, hear that phrase all the time from our parents, teachers and mentors.

Most of you probably shrug off the notion – sure, you could probably help improve the lives of the people around you by volunteering at a food bank or donating your used clothes to the Salvation Army, but no one person could possibly positively affect people around the world.

Well, I’m writing this blog to tell you that actually, you already have a very powerful and effective tool in front of you; one that you use every day, and one that has the ability to change lives. It’s a little phenomenon us communication nerds call “social media.”

Before you roll your eyes, think about it for a second: Facebook boasts more than 500 million users, and approximately 145 million people have a Twitter account.

The entire world communicates via social media, meaning all it takes is one game-changing Tweet to set off a chain reaction of education and awareness.

Remember when news of Gordon Lightfoot’s death went viral earlier this year? Turns out he is still very much alive – but one Tweet to the contrary caused millions of people to think otherwise.

While these fast-spreading stories are often sensationalized lies, the sad truth is that the true stories you could write about the situation in Darfur are devastating enough to turn heads in an instant.

Think about how many people you could reach by telling your Facebook friends and your Twitter followers about who you are supporting for our Stand For The Dead campaign? See how many shocked comments you get when you post that more than 4.5 million people in the Sudan have been negatively affected by the crisis. See how many eyes you’ll open by Tweeting that people halfway around the world are dealing with a mass genocide – something which us young people affiliate with our grandparents’ generation.

Imagine how fast you could educate your peers if every one of your followers re-posted your messages? Think about how many people would learn about the situation in Darfur, simply because you pressed “Share.”

Still think you can’t change the world?

–

Lisa Pires is the Communications Director of Stand Canada.

The polling, which was to start at 7am, wound up being delayed in many sites across the country, in some cases for hours as electoral workers waited for a deficient supply of validation stickers to mark each eligible ballot. The delays and long line ups didn’t seem to deter some 81% of registered voters from exercising their constitutional right to vote for the first time in over ten years or from being almost exceptionally peaceful while they did. They waited patiently and eagerly and took each minor setback in stride. The television repeatedly reminded them to be patient and calm, with all the major religious leaders coming together to publicly announce that the candidates should respect the process and not take power without the electoral commission’s authority; and for the people to remain peaceful no matter the results. Ivorian reggae legend Alpha Blondy (who is often described as the “Bob Marley of Africa”) gave a free “Concert for Peace” just minutes from my door three nights before the vote. Even Ivorian soccer stars like Didier Drogba flashed their smiles on the fair play ads that urged peaceful democracy for their country. The candidates and ex-rebel leaders all expressed their desire to accept the winner and move on in peace no matter the results.

Massive brightly coloured billboards lined the highways and streets, advertising for the three main candidates since campaigning opened on October 15^th. On the boulevard and bridge crossing the lagoon in Abidjan, the blue, pink and white flags of current President Laurent Gbabgo’s newly formed La Majorite Presidentelle (the Presidential Majority) party waved in the wind. The other eleven candidates usually had smaller posters, mostly in black and white with coloured banners that could be found plastered on posts, cars and walls around the cities. Cell phones were bombarded with texts and pre-recorded messages in the weeks leading up to the election that exclaimed the virtues of each of the main candidates, and the papers were awash with stories of the presidential hopefuls. As I sat in my living room one day over lunch, a flurry of movement outside the window caught my eye. Leaflets were falling from the sky. When they finally reached the ground, I picked one up to see Laurent Gbagbo staring me in the face, informing me that he is “L’homme de la situation” (the man for the job). In the week prior to the vote, crowds of political supporters chanted in the streets, overcrowding the gbaka gbakas (mini buses) dressed in matching shirts and colours, and blaring music as they passed. I could hear them cheering, chanting and jeering well into the nights.

I was nervous for the vote, knowing that in the past, elections and change of leadership here have been marked by violence. Everyone had swarmed the markets in the week prior, stocking up on supplies in case they later had to wait out any violence in the safety of their own home. We anxiously watched the television each day, eagerly awaiting any news that would come; half expecting reports of violence on a daily basis. Thankfully, those reports never came.

The local tv station, Radiodiffusion Television Ivoirienne (RTI), devoted an hour and a half to each candidate during the week before the election to allow them to discuss their views on the economy, the social situation and their politics in an interview entitled “Facing the Voters”. Much to my surprise (since it was contrary to what I was reading in some international media reports), the interviewers actually asked some pretty tough and hard-hitting questions and were giving what appeared to be equal air time to all the candidates every day. One of the main newspapers to which I subscribe at home, “Fraternatie Matin”, also seemed to be allotting space equally.

Of the fourteen candidates, only Henri Bedie refused to participate in the television interviews, protesting that debates between all the candidates were not organized by the National Broadcasting Council (CNCA) and that current President Gbagbo was given the final slot in the interviews without a lottery to decide the positions. Bedie was also angered, it appeared, to be referred to as Mr. Bedie, and not Mr. President in several of the newscasts on the elections, since he had served a previous term as President before being ousted in a coup in 1999 led by General Robert Guei. Not having debates seemed the wise choice, seeing as the three main candidates have been embroiled in political and armed strife for over a decade, and a face-to-face meeting to discuss issues would surely have brought about aggressive hostility or a violent response in the streets. It seemed that everything was going rather smoothly, barring this one complaint. The coming weeks would demonstrate how difficult overcoming a legacy of violence can be, especially when many of the same violent actors are tenaciously determined to run the show.

Rebecca Sargent writes for the Stand Blog and lives and works in West Africa.  You can follow her on Twitter @peaceofconflict

The group, while being made up of Western nations, receives briefings from African countries contributing troops to the mission, such as Ethiopia and Senegal.

Canada’s recent loan of 6 Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) to the Senegalese contingent was coordinated through the Friends. Canada’s contribution of APCs to the mission has now risen to 24. A previous contribution of 103 APCs to the mission was withdrawn by July 2009 in accordance with the provision that countries contributing troops to peacekeeping missions should provide their own equipment for their troop contingents. Apparently this is a general rule applied to all UN missions, but given how notoriously equipment-poor the UNAMID mission has been, it’s a hopeful sign that Canada has committed 6 more APCs to the Senegalese contingent. But it has to be said that next to the previous figure of 103, 24 – although surely better than nothing – doesn’t look like much. Not only Canada, but all of the Friends of UNAMID, should use their involvement with the group to continue to make strategic contributions of equipment to the UNAMID mission where they are most needed.

Beside the contribution of 24 APCs to UNAMID, Canada is also involved in providing a package of “equipment and basic operator and maintenance training,” for a total of more than $35 million.¹

*

In other news, my work with an NGO requires me to travel to DRC regularly, where I work in both Bunia and Goma. In Goma it’s hard not to see the dramatic billboards around town warning of a 20-year prison sentence for those who commit the crime of sexual violence. One of the flags on the billboards is Canadian, which led me to check out what Canada’s involvement in the campaign against the widespread sexual violence in eastern DRC has been.

The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) has contributed $15.5 million over a four-year period (2006-2009) to support the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) Project Against Sexual Violence, which provides a diversity of services to sexual violence survivors. According to CIDA’s website:

CIDA’s contribution is centred on two of the worst affected provinces in the DRC and will provide direct services to some 15,000 victims of sexual violence. The project responds to all facets of the problem: medical care, psychological support, socio-economic reintegration and access to civilian justice.²

Systematic sexual violence in eastern DRC isn’t going away – this is clear despite the difficulty of getting accurate figures on the situation. In light of this, let’s hope that CIDA’s support for assistance to survivors of sexual violence in eastern DRC continues beyond 2009.

The New York Times are reporting that “Obama Drops Plans to Isolate Sudan Leaders”

Originally in Obama’s campaign, he promised to have a tough crackdown on Sudan, isolating the government and introducing tougher sanctions, which would pressure Sudan to end the crisis in Darfur. Now Obama has decided to go for a softer approach. The new plan is to offer more incentives to work at normalizing relations with President Omar al-Bashir, who has been charged with war crimes over the conflict in Darfur. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, US Ambassador Susan Rice, and Major General Scott Gration, Obama’s special envoy to Sudan will reveal the plan on Monday.

The three have been bickering about whether to ease up on Khartoum, and it seems Gration, who has been advocating for a more appeasing approach to the Khartoum government has gotten his way. However, the concessions to Khartoum are dependant on the government working to resolve the conflict in Darfur. Gration insists there will be a strict timeline for the peace deal, failing to state that the Sudan government did not follow the original peace deal timeline. Then again, he also wanted the description of what was happening in Darfur changed to “remnants of genocide.”

Why are we going in circles? Obama criticized George W. Bush for not taking action against the Sudan government, yet this new policy bears remarkable similarities to Bush’s approach. The Obama administration has labeled the conflict in Darfur as an ongoing genocide, yet is too wrapped in the politics and the international relations at present moment. The National Congress Party in Darfur is a regime that craves power, not human interests. Easing up the pressure is like not disciplining children; it just teaches Khartoum that they can get away with what they want, stalling and avoiding peace. As evidence shows, they will continue the violence if their assets are not taken away. They need a shout from the United States that this is not acceptable, that the United States will cut off their resources with sanctions. Then change will happen.

This is not making the United States look good. It makes it seem like the Western World opt out of doing what is right in order to avoid a messy clash with Sudan. Meanwhile there are millions of Sudanese displaced from their homes, and hundreds of thousand have been killed.

This is the President who promised in his campaign to help end what was happening in Darfur. This is the President who won the Nobel Peace Prize. I believe that we should show, through letters, emails, and phone calls, what a little pressure can do to advocate change. Let’s promote the Peace Prize winner to make peace, keep his promise, and push for the change needed in Darfur. The people of Sudan do not need to suffer any longer.

Sources

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/18/us-barack-obama-sudan-darfur

http://www.enoughproject.org/blogs/nyt-obama-drops-plan-isolate-sudan-leaders

I guess once you start, it’s difficult to stop. I worry that this is a slippery slippery slope. And with the entire world caught up in debates over financial stimulus measures, Bashir has a free pass to do what he would like.

This cannot continue. What am I going to do about it? Write a letter, send an email and make a phone call.

What are you going to do about it?

Let me know in the Comments section so that other people can do it too.