Africa

Government’s Crackdown on Critics Sparks Condemnation

By Ryan Aliman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

 HARARE, Zimbabwe – On Friday, several Zimbabwean rights groups condemned what they suspect is a crackdown against President Robert Mugabe’s critics. In a joint statement, around 58 civic organizations said that human rights activists and journalists, especially those known for criticizing the incumbent administration, have been experiencing a “well-calculated and intensified” harassment through “slander, intimidation, raids, arrests, prosecutions and persecution.” The statement was released a few days after the Chairperson of Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition and Director of Zimrights, Okay Machisa, was arrested.

According to local news, human rights activist and Director for the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (Zimrights), Okay Machisa has long been a target of President Mugabe’s camp. (Photo courtesy of Front Line Defenders)

Machisa was charged with publishing false statements prejudicial to the State, as well as fraud and forgery, after allegedly conducting illegal voter registration. On Monday, he handed himself to the police and has not been released since.

Last month ZimRights Education Programmes Manager Leo Chamahwinya and ZimRights Local Chapter Chairperson Dorcas Shereni, who are known critics of President Mugabe’s party, Zanu-PPF, were likewise arrested for the same charges.

All three were denied bail last week based on two grounds: that the case is a matter of national interest; and that the investigations are so complex that the prosecution needs more time to complete them.

Local media and civil society groups see these series of arrests as an affront to freedom of expression, justice and democracy. They suggest that these are among the administration’s tactics “to intimidate civil society in the run-up to this year’s elections”. According to them, such measures taken by President Mugabe’s camp are meant to keep NGO’s from influencing the masses on the voting process for the upcoming elections.

These alleged attacks on the press and civil society groups come despite President’s Mugabe’s call for free, fair and peaceful elections last year.

“We condemn this calculated assault on activists that is meant to cow civil society organizations that are fighting for democratic reforms before the next election,” NGO Crisis Coalition stated in a recent press release . “We reiterate our position that the political environment in Zimbabwe is not yet conducive for a free and fair election.”

Crisis Coalition also appealed for regional and international pressure on the Zimbabwe government to respect the rule of law. “Such action is important to militate against a possible surge in the harassment and detention of activists especially as we head toward the general election,” urged the organization.

On January 19, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) issued a statement condemning the arrests of Machisa and other human rights activists.  “We condemn recent attacks against human rights defenders in Zimbabwe, including arbitrary arrests, intimidation and harassment. . . We are concerned about the crackdown on non-governmental organisations and dissenting voices seen as critical of President Robert Mugabe’s rule and apparently politically motivated prosecutions,” said Rupert Colville, spokesperson for the OHCHR.

 

For further information, please see:

Stabroek News – Zimbabwe groups condemn crackdown on Mugabe critics – 19 January 2013

UN News Centre – Zimbabwe: UN condemns attacks on human rights defenders ahead of elections – 18 January 2013

Nehanda Radio – Persecution of human rights defenders unacceptable – 17 January 2013

All Africa – Zimbabwe: Activist Detained for 16 Days – 16 January 2013

Ivory Coast Youth Leader Arrested in Connection to Crimes Against Humanity

By Hannah Stewart
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast — Ghanian authorities have arrested Charles Ble Goude, the former leader of Young Patriots, an Ivory Coast nationalist youth movement.  Ble Goude is wanted in connection the postelection violence that ensued in 2010 when Former President Laurent Gbagbo refused to accept defeat to current president, Alassane Ouattara.  Some 3,000 people lost their lives in the four-month crisis.

Charles Ble Goude, Ivory Coast’s former youth minister and ally of former President Laurent Gbagbo. (Photo Courtesy of Reuters)

Ble Goude has been in hiding since April 2011, when Gbagbo was arrested on charges of crimes against humanity.  The former president, who governed Ivory Coast for a decade, is now awaiting trial at The Hague.

Most top military and political officials from Gbagbo’s regime were killed, are in jail in Ivory Coast or now living in exile.  While Ghanaian police last year arrested former budget minister Justin Kone Katinan, Ivory Coast’s request for his extradition has been stuck in the courts for months.  Ghana has previously stated it considers the exiles to be refugees and has yet to extradite any Gbagbo supporters.  Ble Goude currently faces extradition to Ivory Coast.

Ble Goude is wanted by Ivorian authorities for alleged kidnappings, illegal detentions, torture, incitement of hatred and economic crimes while a member of Gbagbo’s inner circle.   Moreover, he is currently subject to United Nations sanctions including a travel ban and asset freeze.  The UN first instated sanctions against Ble Goude in 2006 when he was accused of inciting attacks against UN personnel.

Ble Goude has denied leading pro-Gbagbo militias that attacked foreigners and northerners during the 2010 upheaval.  He claims that he only organized Young Patriot rallies and meetings.  Likewise, Ble Goude has denied purchasing weapons or arming Ivorian youth.  Ble Goude further denies holding regular rallies where he used increasingly xenophobic rhetoric until Gbagbo was forced from power.

In 2010, the Young Patriots reportedly played a decisive role in creating a climate of terror, erecting barricades and checkpoints where they attempted to identify “enemies of Ivory Coast.”  Young Patriots killed countless West African nationals at these checkpoints, often by “necklacing” individuals with tires, which were then set on fire.  As President Ouattara is from northern Ivory Coast and has familial ties to Burkina Faso, pro-Gbagbo groups targeted Ouattara’s supporters: anyone with a northern name, immigrants and foreigners.

Netherlands-based attorney Nick Kaufman says he has been in contact with Ghanaian officials seeking the legal grounds for the arrest and has petitioned the International Criminal Court in The Hague to indicate whether Ble Goude was the subject of a warrant from the court.

For further information, please see:

BBC – Charles Ble Goude: Ghana Extradites Ivory Coast Gbagbo Ally – 18 January 2013

Fox News – Lawyer: Authorities in Ghana Arrest Charles Ble Goude – 17 January 2013

Reuters – Fugitive Ivorian Youth Leader Ble Goude Arrested in Ghana – 17 January 2013

The Washington Post – Ghana Arrests Ble Goude – 17 January 2013

 

Journalist Arrested for Interviewing Somali Army’s Rape Victims

By Ryan Aliman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

MOGADISHU, Somalia – Somali police have detained freelance journalist Abdiaziz Abdinur Ibrahim, who is also known as “Koronto”, without warrant and charges filed against him. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and other local journalist organizations suspect that Koronto was brought to custody for interviewing women who claimed they were raped by national security forces.

A rape victim hides her identity. She is among the internally displaced women frequently exploited by both rebels and government soldiers in Somalia. (Photo courtesy of Sven Torfinn/The New York Times)

On January 6, Al-Jazeera English published a story about government soldiers raping internally displaced women in Mogadishu camps.

4 days later, the Somali police’s Central Investigation Department (CID) in Mogadishu arrested one of those women, along with Omar Faruk, a correspondent for the Al-Jazeera Arabic Service in Somalia.

During interrogations, the head of CID, Gen. Abdullahi Hassan Barisse, allegedly compelled the woman to give them contact information of any journalist who interviewed her for the Al-Jazeera story. According to local news reports, she gave Koronto’s name and phone number. Using the alleged rape victim’s phone, they called Koronto who admitted that he recently interviewed the same woman, but has yet to publish the story. The police ordered him to come to the CID headquarters. Koronto complied and was brought to custody on January 10. On the same day, the police searched his home and confiscated his belongings including his laptop and digital recorder.

During a phone interview with the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), Koronto described what happened: “I received a phone call this afternoon from the number of the woman I interviewed, but, It was Gen. Barise, the CID chief and told me to come to the CID headquarters. When I came to the CID, I saw the woman. . . I was asked if I interviewed this lady and I said, ‘Yes, I interviewed.’ Later, I was told that I was under arrest.”

The CID decided to release the alleged rape victim provided that she returns the following week for further questioning. Omar Faruk was likewise released after convincing the police that he was not involved in the Al-Jazeera report. Koronto, however, remains in detention.

According to the CPJ, both the information minister and deputy information minister refused to answer the CPJ’s calls to clarify why the police is still keeping Koronto in custody.

“It is shameful that Somali authorities have arrested a woman who has reported a rape, and a reporter who documented her story, instead of conducting an investigation into this reported crime,” said CPJ East Africa Consultant Tom Rhodes. “There is absolutely no reason Abdulaziz Abdinuur should be in custody. He should be released immediately and his personal property returned.”

Meanwhile, Africa director at Human Rights Watch Daniel Bekele urged the President to take action, “President Hassan Sheikh should honor his commitment by making sure the police handling of this case doesn’t discourage journalists from reporting government abuses or victims from seeking justice.” “Silencing rape victims and journalists will not end sexual violence, but just reinforce Somalia’s climate of impunity,” Bekele added.
For further information, please see:

Human Rights Watch – Somalia: Free Journalist, Others Linked to Rape Allegation – 12 January 2013

RBC Radio – SOMALIA: Vicious Campaign against Somali Journalists Continues in Mogadishu – 12 January 2013

All Africa – Somalia: Journalist Arrested for Interviewing Reported Rape Victim – 11 January 2013

SpyGhana – Police In Somali Are Questioning A Journalist, Whiles Detaining Another – 11 January 2013

France Joins Malian Army Against Militant Rebels

By Heba Girgis
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

BAMAKO, Mali—French troops have just launched their first ground operation attack against Islamist rebels today, Wednesday, after six days of air strikes. Officials have noted that these air strikes, however, have raised the risk of revenge attacks on French citizens in other parts of Africa. The French ambassador Christian Rouyer told journalists yesterday that, “French interests are threatened all over. Yes we are worried that our interests in Bamako could be targeted by attacks.”

A French army officer talks to his new Malian counterpart. (Photo Courtesy of Voice of America)

This first direct operation involving Western troops brought French soldiers to a desert village in central Mali. The Malian colonel said that his own army’s ground troops have now joined the French forces and encircled the village of Diabaly which had been seized by Islamist fighters the day before. Now, the colonel said, the French-Malian group is engaged in trying to extricate the rebels who had taken over homes in the village.

French President Francois Hollande has about 1,700 troops committed to the mission in Mali, with 800 troops already in the country. Hollande’s goal is to destroy or capture the militants who split the country in two last year, and just last week began moving south toward the capital of Bamako. “Our goal is that when we leave, there will be security in Mali, a legitimate government, and no terrorists threatening the security of Mali,” Hollande said two days ago in Dubai. Hollande also noted that the French forces would remain in Mali until stability returned.

France is not the only country coming to Mali’s aid. West African military chiefs said that the French troops would soon be supported by about 2,000 more troops from Nigeria, Chad, Niger and several other regional powers. Ivory Coast General Soumaila Bakayoko, who presided over a meeting on the regional force in Bamako said, “they are coming to fight and not for a parade. We are coming for battle and that is clear.”

The military conflict in this region broadened as Islamist militants seized a foreign run gas field near the Algeria-Libya border, taking at least 20 hostages, including Americans in order to retaliate against the French intervention in Mali and Algeria’s cooperation in the effort. The French expect that this kind of retaliation will not end here.

 

For further information, please see:

The New York Times – French and Malian Ground Troops Confront Islamists in Seized Mali Village – 16 January 2013

Reuters – France Launches Ground Campaign Against Mali Rebels – 16 January 2013

San Francisco Chronicle – French Ground Forces Move North to Attack Mali Islamist Rebels – 16 January 2013

Voice of America – Africa’s French Citizens Take Islamist Threats in Stride – 16 January 2013

Voices for Sudan: End of Year Report