BRIEF: Zimbabwe bans Western Observers

BRIEF: Zimbabwe bans Western Observers

HARARE, Zimbabwe – Elections in Zimbabwe later this month have been decreed “off limits” to Western observers.  Believing Western countries are trying to remove him from government, Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe instituted the ban.   Mugabe has been in power since 1980 when Zimbabwe gained its independence from Britain. Many people believe Mugabe’s “Zanu-PF” party to be poised to win again.  The two challengers, Simba Makoni and Morgan Tsvangirai, believe the government-imposed ban indicates that Zanu-PF has something to hide.

The army, through Defence Forces Commander Constantine Chiwenga, announced it would only back Mugabe in the upcoming election, calling the other two candidates “sell outs.”  “Elections are coming, and the army will not support or salute sell-outs and agents of the West before, during and after the presidential elects,” said Chiwenga.  In addition, army sources claim that soldiers have been instructed to take leave so that they could go to rural areas and stump for the Zanu PF campaign.

Despite the ban on western observers, African countries, as well as Zimbabwe’s allies China, Iran and Venezuela, will be allowed to monitor the elections.

BBC News – Zimbabwe bans Western observers – 7 March 2008

allAfrica.com – I’ll only salute Mugabe, Not Sell-Outs – Chiwenga – 9 March 2008

BRIEF: Burning of Nauru Police Station Tied to Unemployment Crisis

YAREN, Nauru –- Nauru’s government is calling for peace after an angry mob set fire to Nauru’s main police station to protest a phosphate shipment Friday night. The government is blaming former President, Rene Harris, for inciting opposition to Nauru’s plan to resuscitate the phosphate industry.

The mining of phosphate, a mineral used in farm fertilizer, has long been a source of political unrest in Nauru. Economically, Nauru relied on the mineral as its chief export for almost a hundred years. By the 1990s, the mining industry had exhausted phosphate reserves and devastated the country’s environment. Since then, Nauru has fallen into bankruptcy and relies heavily on foreign aid. Australia’s refugee camp, built in 2001 and closed earlier this month, helped account for nearly 25 per cent of Nauru’s GDP. With the center’s closing, the government hopes the phosphate industry might be revived.

But many citizens are unwilling to embrace an industry they equate with corruption, failed investment, and bankruptcy. Friday’s arson drew concerns from Australian Federal Police officer, Robert Lehman, in charge of Nauru’s police force, who reportedly swore in 100 civilians, including high school students, to help keep the peace.

While protests continue in the wake of the unemployment crisis, police were overwhelmed with volunteers who were eager to help the government restore peace to the small island nation.

For more information, please see:

Pacific Magazine — Nauru Police Station Attacked –- 10 March 2008

The Age: Australia — Teens not deputized over weekend: Nauru –- 10 March 2008

Radio New Zealand International — Nauru Government says that former President behind unrest –- 10 March 2008

BRIEF: Interim Government Claims Executive Privilege

SUVA, Fiji — The trial challenging the constitutionality of the Fiji Coup of 2006 has taken a new turn.  Last week lawyers for the interim government argued that the Fijian High Court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case and this week they are attempting to argue that certain evidence should not be admitted into the proceedings in the interest of executive privilege.  Specifically, lawyers for the interim government wish to exclude the minutes from meetings between President Ratu Josefa Iloilo, Qarase and current interim Prime Minister Bainimarama that took place prior to the December 2006 takeover.  Transcripts of the meetings have been presented to the High Court by the President’s official secretary Tupeni Nacewa in the form of an affidavit.

Gerard McCoy, QC, a lawyer for the interim government, is arguing that revealing such information would be detrimental both to the public and to the office of the PM.  McCoy stated that the information contained within the affidavit is privileged because, “Nacewa is the passage through which official communications are committed – and parties were not at liberty to oust the crown privilege.”  Furthermore, he said, any information contained in the affidavit would distract the Court from its main purpose, looking after the public welfare.

Qarase’s lead counsel, Nye Perram, QC, countered that this evidence was vital to the Court’s consideration because it could give critical insight into the legality of Bainimarama’s military takeover.  He also argued that the public has a right to know what transpired in the lead up to the coup, “the public only knows what happened outside – and had a right to know the inside story.”

The matter is set for arguments on Tuesday before the Fiji High Court.

For more information, please see:

Radio New Zealand International — Fiji interim government lawyer says High Court has no authority to review President’s actions — 07 March 2008

Radio New Zealand International — Fiji interim government continues to claim executive privilege in legal challenge to coup — 07 March 2008

Fiji Broadcasting Corporation Limited — People have a right to know coup events: lawyer — 07 March 2008

Radio New Zealand International —Fiji court told to consider public interest as interim government claims executive privilege — 06 March 2008

Kidnapped Children to be Returned to their Families

hoto – CNN(AP)

By Christopher Gehrke
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, South America

N’DJAMENA, Chad – One hundred and three children will be reunited with their families after six French charity workers were convicted of attempting to kidnap to kidnap them.

Chadian authorities arrested the aid workers as they tried to leave Chad on a plane bound for Paris, said the United Nations Children’s Fund.

The charity said that the children were Sudanese orphans from the Darfur region, and were being taken to foster families in France.  Other charities, however, had determined that the majority of the children were Chadian, and had living parents.

The children – 21 girls and 82 boys, aged between one and 10 years – have been in an orphanage in Abeche since late October.  The children indicated that they were from villages near Adre and Tine along the Chadian-Sudanese border.

Chadians expressed their outrage by staging a stone-throwing, anti-French demonstration in the capital, N’Djamena, a few months ago.

French authorities called the charity group’s actions “illegal and irresponsible.”  The six aid workers were sentenced to eight years of hard labor in Chad.  They were sent to France, with the permission of the Chadian government, after French President Nicolas Sarkozy intervened on their behalf.  The six were sentenced to eight years in a French prison.

The children’s return home has been delayed until their guardians could be identified by Chadian officials.  The French charity involved left little paperwork about their children’s identities.  Despite this setback, UNICEF spokesman Jean-Francois Basse said most of the children’s guardians had been found.

“Out of the 103 children we were able to locate those who were in charge of the children for 97 of them,” he told BBC. UNICEF will travel to Chad next week to reunite the children with their families.

For more information, please see:
France24 – Children in Chad ‘kidnap’ scandal to rejoin families:  UNICEF – 7 March 2008

CNN – Kidnapped kids going back to families – 7 March 2008

BBC News – Chad’s ‘orphans’ returning home – 7 March 2008

Kidnapped Children to be Returned to their Families

By Christopher Gehrke
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, South America

N’DJAMENA, Chad – One hundred and three children will be reunited with their families after six French charity workers were convicted of attempting to kidnap to kidnap them.

Chadian authorities arrested the aid workers as they tried to leave Chad on a plane bound for Paris, said the United Nations Children’s Fund.

The charity said that the children were Sudanese orphans from the Darfur region, and were being taken to foster families in France.  Other charities, however, had determined that the majority of the children were Chadian, and had living parents.

The children – 21 girls and 82 boys, aged between one and 10 years – have been in an orphanage in Abeche since late October.  The children indicated that they were from villages near Adre and Tine along the Chadian-Sudanese border.

Chadians expressed their outrage by staging a stone-throwing, anti-French demonstration in the capital, N’Djamena, a few months ago.

French authorities called the charity group’s actions “illegal and irresponsible.”  The six aid workers were sentenced to eight years of hard labor in Chad.  They were sent to France, with the permission of the Chadian government, after French President Nicolas Sarkozy intervened on their behalf.  The six were sentenced to eight years in a French prison.

The children’s return home has been delayed until their guardians could be identified by Chadian officials.  The French charity involved left little paperwork about their children’s identities.  Despite this setback, UNICEF spokesman Jean-Francois Basse said most of the children’s guardians had been found.

“Out of the 103 children we were able to locate those who were in charge of the children for 97 of them,” he told BBC. UNICEF will travel to Chad next week to reunite the children with their families. 

For more information, please see:

France24 – Children in Chad ‘kidnap’ scandal to rejoin families:  UNICEF – 7 March 2008

CNN – Kidnapped kids going back to families – 7 March 2008

BBC News – Chad’s ‘orphans’ returning home – 7 March 2008