Bahrain: Family Members of the Dhow Tragedy Cry Out regarding Sentence Reduction

Bahrain: Family Members of the Dhow Tragedy Cry Out regarding Sentence Reduction

By Vivek Thiagarajan
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East

MANAMA, Bahrain- On March 30, 2006, 58 passengers died of the coast of Bahrain when the Al Dana boat sank.  The passengers were partying following the completion of the first level of the Bahrain World trade centers.

Allegedly, the owner and captain of the boat knew about the instability, because the boat rocked so much previous to the launch that day that some wine glasses had tipped.Some of the passengers disembarked before the launch.  The boat capsized an hour and a half later.  Some of the 150 passengers were saved.  It was also alleged that the crew when determining who to save typically chose the foreigners over the Bahrainis.

The captain and owner of the ship were initially charged with manslaughter regarding the deaths of the 50 people.  However, the defendants appealed the ruling that was supposed to come out on December 3, 2007.   The captain of the ship was given three years in prison for manslaughter and the owner was given 10 years of manslaughter.  The owner has claimed that he was made the scapegoat of the action when he appealed.  The court was responsive to his claim and reduced to five years.

The victims’ families complained, citing their confusion that the man held for manslaughter of 58 people could have his sentence reduced from ten years down to five years.  The owner has offered 20,000 dirhams ($2,582.52) to compensate the families.

The victims view on whether they will accept the money is varied.  A woman reported as being desperately waiting to receive the money because her husband who had provided her income had died on the tragedy.  A young woman orphaned by the tragedy had said that by accepting money she would be stating that she was acquiescing with the death of her parents.

Although, the families have differed whether they will accept the money, the family members agree that the amount of money that is being offered as a compensation for the death of their relative is insulting.

For more information, please see:

BBC News- Many die in Bahrain boat disaster- 31 March 2006

BBC News- Bahrain boat death was ‘unsteady’- 26 October 2006

Gulf Daily News- Victims relatives shocked- 4 December 2007

Gulf Daily News- I am a scapegoat says dhow owner- 5 December 2007

Gulf Daily News- Al Dana appeal ruling denied- 22 November 2007

Gulf Daily News- BD 1.5m insult!- 28 November 2007

Heated Arguments Between Solomons MPs Take Off

By Sarah C. LaBelle
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Oceania

The opposition in the Solomon Islands has alleged that they have the numbers to rule for the past three weeks.  Meanwhile, the government claims that this is untrue.  The Governor General has stepped in and set December 13th as the date for parliament to meet to settle the issue. Currently, the sides appear to be tied at 24 members each. For more background information, please see theImpunity Watch posts on the early stages of the numbers dispute here andhere.

HONIARA, Solomon Islands — As December 13th approaches, heated arguments are springing up between MPs and a variety of lawsuits have been filed related to the dispute over who has the numbers to lead.

Julian Moti, the controversial attorney general of the Solomon Islands, filed a suit against Governor General Sir Nathaniel Waena and others, challenging the constitutionality of his intervention in the political mess.  Moti said that there wasn’t anything unusual about naming the governor general as defendant in a suit, and said that there is a history in the Solomons of prime ministers suing governor generals.  He also named Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Independent Members as defendants, stating that since they had a stake in the outcome of the case, they deserved to be heard.

Criminal charges of misconduct in office and conspiracy were dropped against opposition leader Fred Fono today in magistrate court.  The charges were dismissed on the grounds that the prosecution abused the court process by attempting to incorrectly get the case referred to the High Court rather than the Leadership Code Commission.

The opposition group, now calling itself the “Coalition for National Unity and Rural Advancement” (CNURA), recently dropped a claim against current Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare of misconduct, which turns out to have been based on fraudulent information.  An unnamed government spokesman said that the accusation was a deliberate attempt to discredit the government, and called it a “smear campaign”.

MP Sam Iduri, one of the nine original defectors, has been called on by his community leaders to rejoin the government because they feel that his defection may lead to development projects being canceled in their community.

East Honiara MP Charles Dausabea accused RAMSI of wanting to topple Sogavare’s government, based on information from “reliable sources”, and said that RAMSI needs to stay out of politics.  Fono denied that his group is supported by RAMSI, and told the Solomon Star that “Dausabea needs to justify where he gets his statements from … RAMSI is totally neutral and I don’t know where Dausabea gets his facts from but he needs to check again.”

CNURA has said the the Grand Coalition for Change (GCC), the current government, has not successfully implemented its “Bottom-Up Approach” (BUA) development policy.  CNURA claims that Sogavare spent money that should have gone to BUA on defending and protecting Moti, and stated that CNURA is committed to making the development policy work.  Sogavare responded to these claims by saying that they demonstrated CNURA’s desperation and claims that the policy would take a long time to implement successfully.  He also said that the programme should not be discontinued even if a future government does not like it; the hypothetical future government should realign the programmes instead.

CNURA also criticized government attempts to stop the printing of the gazette on the proclamation of the date the governor general declared for parliament to meet.  These attempts failed because by the time members of the prime minister’s office arrived at the printers’ office, the gazette had already been delivered to Government House and distributed among the MPs.  Of the attempts, Fono said, “They are sure signs of a desperate group that wants to cling onto power despite losing its majority support in parliament.”

Fono also alleges that opposition MPs are being threatened and that government officials are behind the threats.  An unnamed government official spoke with the Solomon Star and categorically denied the allegation.  Fono claims that the MPs are being harassed by groups of people showing up at the Honiara Hotel, where the defected ministers are staying since their government housing has been revoked.  Government caucus chairman Nelson Ne’e said that the opposition members were “locked away like prisoners” in the hotel, a claim Fono disputes.

For more information, please see:

Radio New Zealand International – Solomons govt caucus whip accuses opposition of keeping MPs prisoner – 29 November 2007

Radio New Zealand International – Calls for MP in Solomon Islands to rejoin government – 03 December 2007

Solomon Times – Opposition Group Vows New Beginning for Nation – 03 December 2007

Solomon Times – New Government to Enhance Solomons Security, Law and Order: Huni’ehu – 03 December 2007

Solomon Times – Opposition’s CNURA Pledges to Make BUA Work – 04 December 2007

Solomon Times – BUA – The Way Forward for SI: Prime Minister Sogavare – 04 December 2007

Solomon Times – CNURA Pledge to Address Economic Recovery and Financial Management – 04 December 2007

Solomon Star – Opposition blasts government – 04 December 2007

Solomon Star – Moti explains law suit – 04 December 2007

Solomon Star – Opposition drops claim about PM – 04 December 2007

Solomon Star – Opposition MPs being threatened, says Fono – 04 December 2007

Solomon Star – RAMSI stay out of politics: Dausabea – 04 December 2007

Islands Business – Opposition parties formalise coalition – 04 December 2007

Islands Business – Court dismisses charges against Opposition leader – 04 December 2007

Radio Australia – Solomon Is. Opposition releases policy details – 05 December 2007

UN Peacekeepers Urge Rebels in DRC to Cease Fighting

By Meryl White
Impunity Watch Reporter, Western and Central Africa

GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo – Democratic of Congo rebel leader Laurent Nkunda began an offensive attack on the nation’s army by retaking several rebel controlled villages in the east. Two days ago, the rebels attacked Government positions in Nyanzale, a northern section of the province. Presently, there has been heavy fighting in Mushake, a rebel town located 40 kilometers from Goma. In response, the United Nations has promised to join on with the DRC army to provide fire support against the militant rebels.

U.N. Monuc spokesman, Kamal Saiki that the UN will now “provide fire support, including artillery and close air support” as a last resort.

Presently, there are 15,000 UN soldiers in DR Congo that are tasked with peace securing missions. The new UN orders would mean that these peacekeepers would have legal authority to fire at rebel forces. To avoid further armed conflict, the peacekeepers are urging illegal fighters to put down their arms and to cease fire.

Currently, The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has been forced to suspend the delivery of food aid to as many as 300,000 vulnerable people because of the militant take-over of villages in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Fore more information, please see:

BBC – UN to join attack on Congo rebels – 4 December 2007

IRIN- DRC: Fighting interrupts food aid to 300,000 in the east – 4 December 2007 

All Africa.com  Congo-Kinshasa: UN Mission Calls On Illegal Fighters to Lay Down Their Arms  – 4 December 2007

Somalia’s Plea for More Aid

By Myriam Clerge
Impunity Watch Reporter, Eastern and Southern Africa

EL ASHA, Somalia – The security situation in Somalia continues to hamper relief efforts. The presence of Ethiopian troops has only worsened the safety conditions and African Union soldiers along with Ugandan peacekeepers have been unable to stem the violence. Almost 6,000 people have been killed in fighting this year. After meeting with the UN Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes, President Abdullahi Yusuf and new Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein have agreed to place security as their number one priority.

Yesterday, even as Holmes and Somali officials were discussing the growing crisis, eight people were killed in Mogadishu and the town of Jowhar. Holmes repeated sentiments issued by UN head Ban Ki-Moon earlier this month, that UN peacekeepers would not be viable since they can only keep the peace, not create it.

According to the UN, roughly 60% of Mogadishu’s residents left their homes and the World Food Program (WFP) estimates it feeds 21,000 people a day. Last month, UN officials described the situation in Somalia as the worst humanitarian crisis in Africa and not much has changed since Holmes’ visit this week. If anything, the conditions are worse. This month alone, 200,000 people left their homes to escape the incessant violence.

During Holmes’ four-day visit, he stopped by Afgooye, located west of Mogadishu, where nearly 200,000 people are living in squalid camps on the side of the road. Seeing the dire conditions first-hand, Holmes urged more assistance for the world’s worst developing humanitarian crises.  Holmes concluded his visit to the Horn of Africa by calling on the international community and humanitarian agencies to respond to the Somali crisis and urging the Somali government to work with them.

Aid agencies have made attempts to combat the crisis but both sides, the government and insurgents, have made their efforts difficult. Insurgents have stolen loads of food and piracy has plagued the distribution process. The capital, Mogadishu, has many security checkpoints and aid agencies are stopped continuously and at times charged money. Furthermore, in October the mayor of Mogadishu, former warlord Mohamed Dheere, detained the head of the WFP for five days, causing WFP to temporarily suspend food distributions to at least 75,000 people.

For more information, please see:

BBC- UN Says Somalia needs more help – 3 December 2007

AllAfrica.com- UN- Atrocities Fuel Worsening Crisis in Horn of Africa – 3 December 2007

Reuters: Africa- UN aid chief appeals for more help for Somalia  – 3 December 2007

Yahoo News- UN aid chief urges Somalia action as new cabinet unravels – 3 December 2007

Claims of Governmental Abuse Continue in the Ogaden Region

By Myriam Clerge
Impunity Watch Reporter, Eastern and Southern Africa

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – Yesterday, the UN Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs, John Holmes, concluded a one-week tour of the Horn of Africa, which included Somalia, Eritrea and Ethiopia. Holmes visit only reiterated the desperate and devastating conditions that are continuously issued in news reports. Somalia and Ethiopia’s Somali region, Ogaden, are in desperate humanitarian need, mainly the result of “serious international crimes.”

Conflict between the Ethiopian government and the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), a rebel movement that claims it is fighting for self-determination for the region, continue to mount. For several months the ONLF has urged the UN to investigate allegations of man-made famine and genocide. According to Human Rights Watch, governmental officials, such as Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, are ignoring the rampant violations of human rights. Reports and interviews by the humanitarian group has found that the Ethiopian troops are burning villages, sexually abusing women and girls, imposing trade and commercial blockages, and stealing livestock, a vital asset for the predominantly pastoralist community.

Despite such claims and the urge by Human Rights Watch for the UN to follow-up on the allegations, Holmes responded by passing the request to the Ethiopian government. After his visit to the region, Holmes said the humanitarian crisis in Ogaden is not catastrophic and could be averted, although 953,000 are in need of help. After meeting with Meles, Holmes received assurance from governmental officials that the needs of the people will be addressed.  Following the meeting, allegations were released that troops were employing terror tactics such as hanging civilians to crackdown on insurgents. The ONLF spokesman, Abdulrahman Mahdi, says Holmes visit was “stage-managed” by the government to hide the truth that 99% of the people in the country-side are starving and soldiers were killing people “like goats.”

Prime Minister Meles dismisses all claims of a humanitarian crisis, saying a crisis “didn’t exist. Doesn’t exist. Will not exist” in the region. The Ethiopian government accuses the ONLF of being terrorists funded by Eritrea, its rival and neighbor.

For more information, please see:

AllAfrica.com- UN- Atrocities Fuel Worsening Crisis in Horn of Africa – 3 December 2007

CNN- Ethiopians Says Soldiers Killing Villagers ‘Like Goats’ – 29 November 2007

AllAfrica.com – UN Presses Country t o Probe Ogaden Allegations – 30 November 2007

BBC- Ethiopia Assures No Ogaden Famine  – 28 November 2007

Yahoo News- Ethiopian Rebels Claim Army Hanging Civilians in Ogaden – 29 November 2007