Amnesty International Report on Africa

Amnesty International Report on Africa

By Impunity Watch Africa

Amnesty International has recently released their 2007 report on Africa.  Amnesty reports that the human rights situation remained precarious throughout the region in 2006.  Armed conflict, under-development, extreme poverty, widespread corruption, inequitable distribution of resources, political repression, marginalization, ethnic and civil violence, and the HIV/AIDS pandemic have all contributed to the undermining of human rights throughout the region.  While armed conflict on the whole decreased, many countries continue to be affected by it and as a result there are millions of refugees and internally displaced people.  Extrajudicial executions, arbitrary arrests, torture and other ill-treatment is still occurring across the region.

Amnesty’s report provides further detailed information on armed conflicts, economic, social, and cultural rights, repression of dissenters, the death penalty, impunity, violence against women and girls, and regional institutions and human rights.

For the full report, please see:

Amnesty International – Amnesty International Report – May 2007

Thousands Flee Lebanese Camps

         The fighting between the Lebanese army and Fatah Al-Islam which began on Sunday has temporarily stopped, and thousands of Palestinian refugees seized the opportunity to flee from the refugee camp, Nahr al-Bared.

        The conflict has rendered the camp almost unlivable. Many in the camp have lost electricity, running water, and drinking water. Already 15,000 residents (of the 40,000 residents) have fled to Beddawi, where they have moved in with relatives, or have filled up schools designated by the United Nations for them. The Lebanese army could not enter the camp because of a previous agreement, they had to shell Fatah Al-Islam from outside the camp leading to less targeted warefare and more civilian casualties. One citizen reported to a Reuters reporter, “It’s mass destruction in there. The dead people are strewn on the streets. Nobody is picking them up.” The fighting has killed 32 Lebanese soldiers, 27 civilians, and between 22 and 60 militants.   

        The fighting does not seem to have an end in sight.  The silence is not an official truce, but rather a lull in the conflict to allow the wounded and endangered to flee. The nation’s instability since the assassination of Rafik Hariri has allowed the area to become prime recruiting grounds for the Fatah al-Islam and similar insurgency groups. The Lebanese military told the insurgent group that they will not negotiate with them and instead with “eliminate the Fatah al-Islam phenomenon.” Al-Jazeera. Fatah’s second in command, Abu Midian, has been killed in the conflict, yet the group has vowed to fight on.

Al-Jazeera: Lebanon refugees talk to Al-Jazeera. 23 May 2007.

Al-Jazeera: Lebanon truce lasts just minutes. 23 May 2007.

Al-Jazeera: Protests in Lebanon refugee camps. 23 May  2007.

Reuters: Palestinians Flee after Truce in Lebanon. 23 May 2007.

BBC World: Thousands Flee Lebanon Violence. 23 May 2007.

Human Rights Watch: Lebanon:Fighting at Refugee Camp Kills Civilians. 23 May 2007.

Upcoming Trial for Charles Taylor

By Impunity Watch Africa

Charles Taylor, the former leader of Liberia from 1997 to 2003, is currently awaiting trial for 11 counts of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other serious violations of international humanitarian law including mass murder, mutilations, rape, sexual slavery, and the use of child soldiers.  All counts stem from his role in the Sierra Leone civil war.   He was indicted by the Special Court for Sierra Leone in March 2003 and arrested in Nigeria in March 2006.  The Special Court will conduct the trial, however they requested permission in June 2006 for it to take place in the International Criminal Court in The Hague.  The United Nations Security Council unanimously agreed and Taylor was subsequently transferred to the Netherlands where he is currently awaiting his June 4 trial.

Taylor played a large role in the Sierra Leone civil war, trading diamonds for guns with rebel leader Foday Sankoh and providing support and advice to Sam Bockarie. Taylor’s administration is also charged with harboring members of Al-Qaeda sought in connection with the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

For more information, please see:

BBC – Charles Taylor- Preacher, Warlord, President – 13 July 2009

AllAfrica – UN-Backed Court in Sierra Leone Unveils Start Date for Trial of Former Leader – 08 May 2007

Trial Watch – Charles Taylor – May 2007

Human Rights Watch – Charles Taylor Hague Trial Must Be Accessible – 19 June 2006

BBC – Taylor Trial to Be Out of Africa – 16 June 2006

Cambodia’s ‘Killing Fields’ Pillaged

Looking for gold, destitute peasants of Sre Leav, Cambodia have dug up about two hundred graves of victims of the Khmer Rouge from the 1970s.  The Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, and is blamed for the death of 1.7 million people through starvation, illness, overwork, torture, and execution.  The killing fields, which are scattered throughout Cambodia, are mass graves where the Khmer Rouge unloaded victims. 

Of the thousands of killing fields researchers have documented, this is the first reported looting and raid.  Even as Cambodia prepares a trial of Khmer Rouge leaders, some experts find the pillaging to be an indication that past traumas are beginning to fade.  Digging has stopped, however, as villagers pray for forgiveness, fearing  ghosts of the victims will take revenge.

For more information, please see:

Time Magazine – Looting Cambodia’s ‘Killing Fields

The New York Times – Ghosts Wail as Cambodians Plunder Killing Field Graves – 20 May 2007

IHT – Villagers find and loot Cambodian killing field – 15 May 2007

Ecuador’s Removal of Lawmakers

Provincial Judge, Juan Ramirez, was fired after he blocked the Electoral Tribunal from unseating 57 legislators in Ecuador. The tribunal fired Ramirez, saying the removal was justified because Ramirez acted illegally when blocking the Tribunal’s actions. The 57 fired lawmakers were opposing a referendum on a constitutional change that was supported by President Rafael Correa. The change would send a referendum to the people seeking approval for a national assembly to look at constitutional reform and potentially rewrite the Constitution. The Supreme Electoral Court announced that the referendum would proceed. The legislature then replaced the president of the court. The court came back and fired 57 lawmakers out of the 100 member assembly.

Following the removal of the lawmakers, the Constitutional Court found that the firings were unconstitutional and ordered them to be reinstated.  On the following day all nine judges of the Constitutional Court were removed by Congress who stated that the judges terms had meant to expire in January 2007. However, the judges have a four year term under the constitution and were appointed in February of 2006. President Correa insisted that the lawmakers did not deserve their jobs back and condemned the Supreme Court ruling to reinstate the lawmakers as a violation of legal procedures.

Human Rights Watch said that these actions have undermined the country’s democratic institutions and that disagreement between factions cannot justify the removal of judges. Such actions are a gross interference with the autonomy of another branch of government continued Human Rights Watch. There is a trend of Ecuadorian officials resolving political differences by removing their opponents rather then through other, more democratic, means. The democratic institutions in Ecuador have been in crisis for years as presidents have been removed before completing their terms and Congress has fired and replaced Supreme Court judges.

For more information:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6505485.stm

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/HRW/a912a7f83d7a74051cd413b70e5e3376.htm

http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2007/05/11/ecuado15909.htm

http://news.bbc.uk/2/hi/americans/6590245.stm

http://www.iht.com/article