Extreme Violence in Somalia

Extreme Violence in Somalia

By Elizabeth Costner

Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Africa

MOGADISHU, Somalia – Violence in Somalia continues to be a great concern for the international community.  Extreme violence, attacks and threats against the media, and lack of humanitarian aid plague this war torn country where more than 700,000 civilians have been forced to leave their homes.

Civilians face severe human rights violations by all parties to the conflict including the right to life, disappearance, torture, recruitment of child soldiers, and sexual and gender-based violence.

On Friday, four Somali soldiers were killed and several more wounded when an army truck was ambushed in the capital, where the government is currently battling a deadly insurgency.   This attack follows an earlier ambush on a government base.

The military has ordered thousands of civilians in the Somali capital to vacate their homes in order to search for arms and insurgents.  Most forced to leave their homes have either left Mogadishu or sought refuge with family and friends in other parts of the city.

Journalists and human rights activists are also a target of increasing fear and intimidation.  Since January, seven journalists have been killed and dozens more threatened into silence for their work.   Many have been forced to leave the country.

The violence in Somalia is not confined to their borders, as extremist groups have begun attacks in neighboring countries as well.  On Friday, the United States issued a warning to American tourists in Kenya that Somali-based extremists may try to kip American citizens from the beach resorts.  Kenya shares a 400-mile border with Somalia, which is currently closed.   Kenyan security forces have guarded the border since a radical group controlling much of southern Somalia was ousted last December by Ethiopian troops supporting the weak UN-backed government.

For more information, please see:

AllAfrica.com – UN Expert Voices Deep Concern At Extreme Violence – 28 September 2007

International Herald Tribune – Troops forcing residents from homes in Somali capital, rights group says – 29 September 2007

AFP – Four civilians killed in fresh Somalia violence – 29 September 2007

Associated Press – Somalis May Kidnap Americans From Kenya – 28 September 2007

AFP – Four Somali soldiers killed in Mogadishu attack – 28 September 2007

U.S. Aid Worker and Two German Film Makers Arrested in Niger for “Espionage and Terrorism”

By Meryl White

Impunity Watch Reporter, Central and Western Africa

NIGER DELTA, Nigeria- A U.S. aid worker, Judith Asuni, and two German film makers, Florian Alexander Opitz and Andy Lehmann, have been arrested in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta on charges of “espionage and terrorism.” The German nationals without a government clearance have been filming masked youths from the Ijaw region in the Niger Delta. The Germans were preparing a possible TV documentary about the string of violence in the oil rich region. The Germans were detained last week by the State Security Service.

Judith Asuni has lived in the Niger Delta for 36 years. The United States embassy has released the following statement, “All we know is that Judith Asuni is a peace worker who got funding from academics and international donor agencies to work for peace in Nigeria.” Asuni is in charge of an organization called Academic Associate Peace Work as organization that conducts mediations between the government and militant groups and encourages disarmament In the past, she has organized workshops with the Nigerian police on conflict management.

Asuni was arrested for giving assistance to the German filmmakers. Now all three suspects face accusations of carrying out an act of terrorism against the Nigerian government. Addo Mwazu stated, “The lady is suspected of espionage by exploiting the situation in the Niger Delta.” Other people believe that the arrests were a result of the Nigeria’s fear of the embarrassment following the worldwide release of the documentary.

While members of the government may be uncomfortable with the German filmmaker’s work, Port Harcourt journalist Ibiba Don Pedro believes that these filmmakers “are playing a crucial role in getting information out about the region’s problems.”

The U.S. embassy is presently in touch with Nigerian officials. Meanwhile, Germany’s ambassador to Nigeria has rejected the charges that the Germans are spies and terrorists. German officials insist that the two filmmakers are only journalists.

For more information, please see:

BBC – Nigeria arrests foreign ‘spies’ – 28 September 2007

VOA – American Peace Worker, 2 Germans Detained as ‘Spies’ in Nigeria’s Niger Delta – 29 September 2007

Afriquenligne – Germans arrested in Nigeria are not spies’ – 29 September 2007

US Critical of Egypt’s Recent Human Rights Record

CAIRO, Egypt – The White House raised “deep concern” about Egypt’s recent court cases against the independent press and the closure of a human rights organization.

This month alone, at least seven journalists were sentenced to imprisonment for exercising their right to freedom of expression. On September 13, a Cairo court sent four editors of independent newspapers to prison for publishing stories critical of President Hosni Mubarak and other officials. Less than two weeks later, three more journalists were sent to jail for “damaging the image of justice” by publishing an article calling 90 percent of Egyptian judges incompetent.

Elsewhere, a human rights group dedicated to torture victims was forced to shut down. Association for Human Rights Legal Aid (AHRLA) was one of the country’s leading human rights organizations that reported on human rights violations and provided legal assistance to its victims.

Faced with the rising prosecutions, editors from 15 independent and opposition newspapers plan not to publish on October 7 to protest the state’s “offensive against the press freedom.” Also, AHRLA has appealed the decree to a Cairo court to reverse the government’s order to shutdown the organization.

Some analysts say Egypt’s ruling party wants to quash dissent in anticipation of their transition of power from President Hosni Mubarak to his likely successor, his son Gamel. Analysts also blame waning U.S. pressure on Egypt to improve its human rights record as the reason why Egypt has been willing to contradict their stated commitment to democratic rights.

Nevertheless, U.S. criticized Egypt on Tuesday, and Egypt rejected the comments as “unacceptable interference” in the country’s internal affairs.

For more information, please see:

AFP – Temperature rises as Egypt presses in the dock – 27 September 2007

BBC News – Egypt angry at US rights comment – 26 September 2007

Al Jazeera – Three Egyptian journalists jailed – 24 September 2007

Reuters – Egypt court orders three journalists jailed – 24 September 2007

Human Rights Watch – Four editors get prison terms, fines – 15 September 2007

Iraq: Lawyers complain that the government has wrongly withheld information

BAGHDAD, Iraq-  Lawyers representing Iraqi families of prisoners have accused the Iraqi government of wrongly concealing information, including the whereabouts of over 1,500 detainees.  (IRIN)  Government authorities have not revealed whether the detainees are dead or alive, according to the Iraqi’ Lawyers Association (ILA).  The fifteen hundred detainees have not been detained for indefinite periods of time.  Furthermore, the problem has been compounded because some of the families were not clearly told the reason for the arrested of the detainee.

The US military has stated that it will release up to 2,000 prisoners during Ramadan releasing around 50-80 detainees per day to celebrate the Islamic holy month.  (IRIN)  However, the Iraqi authorities have not yet followed through with the releases.

Also, the ILA has brought allegations of prisoner torture. The questioned techniques include “hooding, stressing, sleep deprivation, food deprivation and noise,” which the lawyers believe should be stopped.   (Guardian Unlimited)  The ILA also contends that two lawyers who have actively tried to obtain information from the Iraqi government regarding the conditions have been intimidated and two were killed.  (IRIN)  The government has denied these allegations and reported that the government has not illegally withheld any information but has vowed to investigate the allegations.

As the Iraqi government tries to establish itself as a new democratic entity, it is essential to convey the freedom of information, which is the strength of a democratic government.  This concealment of information by the government compounds a large issue of violating a person’s human rights through detainee torture.  The government will gain credibility as a democratic government, only through the government’s transparency.

For more information, please see:

IRIN- IRAQ: Lawyers accuse government of concealing information about detainees- 19 September 2007

Guardian Unlimited- Lawyers accuse MoD of retaining evidence on abused Iraqi detainees- 22 September 2007

Israeli raids kill 9 Palestinians

On September 26, up to nine Palestinians were killed in two separate Israeli raids into Gaza.  Four or five members of the Army of Islam were killed during a strike carried out by the Israeli Air Force (IAF).  Palestinian medical authorities report that four men were killed, while the Army of Islam report that five were.  Witnesses report that a missile hit the vehicle the militants were driving at a crowded intersection in Gaza City.

IAF officials report that these men were in the process of transporting several Qassam rockets.  The group was responsible for the kidnapping of Alan Johnston and believed to be the group who kidnapped Gilad Shalit, an Israeli corporal.

The second raid, a ground operation in Beit Hanoun, resulted in the deaths of three civilians and one gunman.  Also, at least twenty other Palestinians were injured, several critically.  The deaths and many of these injuries resulted from tank fire.  IDF entered Beit Hanoun to “dismantle terrorist infrastructure” in the area.

These raids came a few hours after Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, stated that Israel was “getting closer to carrying out a widespread operation in Gaza.”  For several weeks, members of the security cabinet have been discussing how to combat the frequent rocket fire from Gaza.  On September 26, it is believed that 10 Qassam rockets and 20 mortar shells were fired into Israel from Gaza.  While no injuries occurred, Prime Minister Olmert and the Israeli government are receiving a lot of pressure to react to these frequent attacks.

However, Israeli media reports that Israel ruled out military operations last month, in favor of economic sanctions such as cutting off the delivery of fuel and electricity.  Reports on the probability of a full military operation, compared to limited raids such as the two on September 26, are conflicting.  While Barak reports that full military operations are near, some Israeli ministers, such as Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, a member of the inner security cabinet, claim that such an operation is the very last alternative there is.

Also, Israel has declared an indefinite closure of both Gaza and the West Bank in preparation of the Jewish holiday, Succot.  It is quite common for Israel to enforce a blanket travel restriction during Jewish holidays.

For more information, please see:
Independent- Barak says Israel is ‘close’ to Gaza Operation– 27 September 2007

Jerusalem Post- Nine Palestinians reported dead as Gaza violence intensifies– 27 September 2007

Associated Press- Israeli strikes kills 8 in Gaza, wound 25– 26 September 2007

BBC- ‘Eight die’ in Israeli Gaza raids– 26 September 2007

New York Times- Israeli strikes in Gaza kill up to 9 Palestinians– 26 September 2007

Reuters- Gaza operation is nearing-Israeli defense minister– 26 September 2007