U.N.: Attack on Ivory Coast Market “A War Crime”

U.N.: Attack on Ivory Coast Market “A War Crime”

Daniel M. Austin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

Damage from a 81mm shell fired into Abodo neighborhood. (Photo courtesy of
Damage from a shell fired into the Abodo neighborhood. (Photo courtesy of Defenceweb).

 ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast – On Thursday, March 17, at least six mortar shells were fired into Abodo, a neighborhood in northern Abidjan. The attack killed between 25 and 30 people and wounded more than 40. The United Nations (U.N.) mission in Ivory Coast claims the attack may qualify as “a crime against humanity.” The U.N. believes this attack was carried out by forces loyal to incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo. Numerous international observers believe the once stable West African nation is heading towards civil war.

On Friday, a statement from the United Nations mission to Ivory Coast claimed nearly 100 people were killed or wounded when at least six 81 mm shells were fired into the Abodo district. The statement also noted that “such an act, perpetrated against civilians, could constitute a crime against humanity.” One of the shells hit the Saika Kone market where shoppers had congregated. The U.N. believes the shells were fired from a military base in Abodo and the perpetrators of the attack had been aiming for the market area. Abodo, a northern suburb in Abidjan is controlled by militias loyal to Mr. Gbagbo’s rival, Alassane Ouattara.

According to U.N. human rights chief  Navi Pillay, members of her office went to the scene of the attack and collected physical evidence. Specifically, her investigators noted “”shelling impacts were visible throughout the market and at least three houses were destroyed.”  Ms. Pillay also explained that her “mission collected photographic evidence of the damage caused as well as physical evidence of shell remains.”

Mr. Gbabgo has denied any involvement in the incident. In response to the U.N. statement, Ahoua Don Mello, a spokesman for Mr. Gbagbo’s government, told the AFP news agency the accusations were part of a larger conspiracy by the U.N. and France to oust Mr. Gbabgo and install Mr. Ouattara as president. Further, Mr. Gbabgo claimed that since forces loyal to Mr. Ouattara took control of the neighborhood, his security forces have not had access to Abodo.

International observers claim that this incident is another example of pro-Gbagbo forces firing upon innocent civilians.  The United Nations claims over 400 people have been killed since the disputed presidential election. Prior to the election, Ivory Coast was a peaceful nation prospering from its role as the world’s largest cocoa producer.

For more information, please see:

ABC NEWS — UN Condemns Mortar Attack on Ivory Coast Market – 19 March 2011
2011

New York Times — Ivory Coast: Attack on Market May Be War Crime, U.N. Says – 18 March 2011

Press TV — Dozens killed in Ivory Coast violence – 18 March 2011

Reuters — UPDATE 4-Gbagbo forces kill at least 25 in Abidjan attacks-U.N. – 17 March 2011

RTT News — UN Condemns Mortar Attack On Ivory Coast Market – 18 March 2011

UPI — U.N. wants ‘scale up’ in Ivory Coast – 19 March 2011

Protesters Demand New Government As Wages Fall in Swaziland

By Laura Hirahara
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

Protesters March Peacefully on Swazilands Capital Friday; Photo Courtesy of Reuters
Protesters March Peacefully on Swaziland's Capital Friday; Photo Courtesy of Reuters

MBABANE, Swaziland– As many as ten thousand students, nurses, teachers and other Swazi workers marched through the Swaziland capital of Mbabane on Friday, peacefully protesting the country’s unstable economy.  The protesters are calling for an end to Swaziland’s government which is the last absolute monarchy in Africa, led by King Mswati III.  Swaziland is currently suffering a sharp economic downturn which has caused a majority of wages to drop as much as 60 percent.  Additionally, the International Monetary Fund has denied recent loan requests from the country, stating that Swaziland’s government needs to cut public spending before it can be considered for more loans.

In a statement to the state-run newspaper, Mswati said “We need to work even harder and sacrifice even more today for a better tomorrow. The storms shall pass for sure.”  The protesters who gathered Friday say that suggesting they give up even more in order for conditions to improve is ‘laughable’.  Many are attacking Mswati’s actions, citing his lavish lifestyle, as the factors that have bankrupted the small South African country.  Mswati has been in power for 25 years and despite the fact that his worth is estimated at $100 million USD, average wages in Swaziland are less than $1.  He has lived for years with multiple wives who have separate palaces and it is reported the king has a fleet of luxury cars for his personal use.

It appears the government’s plans to celebrate Mswati’s upcoming coronation anniversary, in combination with the economic slump, prompted Friday’s protest.  Signs in the crowd read “Why Cut Salaries, Cut Corrupt Government” and “Down With Celebrations”.  In a country where political parties are illegal and past demonstrations have resulted in police intervention, Friday’s protest marked the largest gathering of its kind in Swaziland in recent years.

During the protest, Mario Masuku, head of the banned opposition People’s United Democratic Movement (Pudemo) stated, “Swaziland cannot remain an island of dictatorship in the sea of democracy. . .Royalty has squandered the economy. . .We want a government by the people.”  The protesters marched to Prime Minister Sibusiso Dlamini’s office and gave him a petition which called for the resignation of Dlamini and his cabinet.  The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), which has been working with the unions and the Swazi government during wage negotiations, has issued a statement commending Friday’s protesters.  Cosatu is not only calling for sanctions against the Swazi royal family for greed and corruption but is also planning to organize multiple events and rallies over the coming weeks in an effort to stand in solidarity with Swazi workers.  “Let these actions serve as a clear statement to the world, to SADC [South African Development Community] and to our own government that merely standing by and watching Mswati is an act of accomplice in the persecution of the people of Swaziland.”

For more information, please see;

BBC– Swaziland: Protest at Pay Freeze While King Celebrates– 18 March, 2011

AFP– Work harder, Don’t Protest Swazi King Says: Media– 19 March, 2011

UPI– Swaziland Protesters Demand New Government– 19 March, 2011

Mail & Guardian– Cosatu to Intensify Role in Swazi Protests– 19 March, 2011

Chechen Women Must Follow Dress Code Or Face Abuse

By Christina Berger
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

GROZNY, Russia — A human rights group recently released a report detailing the enforcement of an Islamic dress code in Chechnya, and the resulting abuse women suffer if they do not comply with the dress code. The report released by Human Rights Watch (HRW) and entitled “You Dress According to Their Rules: Enforcement of an Islamic Dress Code for Women in Chechnya” can be read in full here.

The report is 40 pages long and details the violence, harassment, and threats women in Chechnya face if they do not follow the Islamic dress code. HRW interviewed dozens of women for the report, each of whom had either been a victim themselves or witnessed attacks or harassment against women for not complying with the compulsory dress code. The interviews reveal that women are attacked with paint gun pellets by men thought to be Chechen law enforcement. The men also hand out leaflets claiming the paintball shootings were preventative and if women still refuse to wear head scarves and dress modestly, then more “persuasive” methods would be used.

One of the victims interviewed, identified as Louiza, said she and a friend were attacked while walking down a street in Grozny. They weren’t wearing head scarves. They were wearing skirts a little below the knee and blouses with sleeves a bit above the elbow. Louiza reported that a car pulled up with its side window rolled down and a gun barrel pointed at them. According to the HRW report, Louiza said “I thought the gun was real and when I heard the shots I thought, ‘This is death.’ I felt something hitting me in the chest and was sort of thrown against the wall of a building. The sting was awful, as if my breasts were being pierced with a red-hot needle, but I wasn’t fainting or anything and suddenly noticed some strange green splattering on the wall and this huge green stain was also expanding on my blouse. So, I understood it was paint.” Louiza said the men in the car were wearing the military-style black uniform law enforcement officials wear and she added that “[i]t’s only at home that I could examine the bruise and it was so huge and ugly. Since then, I don’t dare leave home without a headscarf.”

Another victim reported that while walking down a street in Grozny with friends and not wearing head scarves, men in military-style black uniforms shot paintballs at them and screamed, “Cover your hair, harlots!” The woman said that male bystanders watching the incident applauded the attack and claimed it served the women right. The HRW report goes on to detail other incidents like this one.

The dress code is part of a “virtue campaign” started in 2006 by Kremlin-backed Chechen leader, Ramzan Kadyrov. The campaign began with local authorities prohibiting women from working in the public sector if their heads weren’t covered. This enforcement is prohibited by Russian law, but is still strictly enforced in Chechnya. Also, education authorities began requiring women attending schools and universities wear head scarves. The requirement of wearing a head scarf was eventually applied to other public places.

According to HRW, this virtue campaign violates “freedom of religion, freedom of conscience, and the right to personal autonomy and expression, guaranteed by Russia’s constitution and international human rights obligations.” HRW has urged that the Kremlin should make it absolutely clear that Chechen women are free to dress however they choose and that any attacks or harassment should be fully investigated. Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office has instructed Chechen authorities to investigate the paintball attacks, but nothing else has been done to further the investigations.

Kadyrov, who rules with the support of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, has actually explained publicly that women must be forced to dress modestly in order to prevent men from having to do their duty and kill them. “A woman should know her place,” Kadyrov said in an interview last July. “[In Chechnya] man is the master. Here, if a woman does not behave properly, her husband, father, and brothers are responsible. According to our tradition, if a woman fools around, her family members are obliged to kill her…. As president, I cannot allow them to kill. Therefore, let women not dress indecently.”

For more information, please see:

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR — Report: Chechen women attacked with paintball guns for ‘immodest’ dress — 11 March 2011

AP — HRW: Chechen women abused if refuse to cover head — 10 March 2011

HRW — Russia: Chechnya Enforcing Islamic Dress Code — 10 March 2011

Three Senior Officials Convicted For Deadly Clash With Indians

By Patrick Vanderpool
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

The indigenous peoples protest that sparked the bloody clash with police in June 2009. (photo courtesy of Living in Peru)
The indigenous people's protest that sparked the bloody clash with police in June 2009. (photo courtesy of Living in Peru)

LIMA, Peru – A Peruvian military court has imposed suspended prison sentences for three senior police and army officers in connection with the deaths of 24 cops and 10 civilians during the June 2009 protests in the Amazonian town of Bagua. The conflict, which came to be known as “Baguazo,” was Lima’s deadliest class in a decade.

Among those receiving suspended sentences are retired police Generals Luis Murguruza and Javier Uribe and army General Raul Silva Alban, who were convicted of dereliction of duty. In addition to their prison sentences, the men also were ordered to pay fines.

The Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Rainforest (Aidesep), who organized the original demonstration in 2009, touted the verdicts as confirmation that official misconduct can no longer be “swept under the rug.”

There is; however, still controversy surrounding the confrontation. Alberto Pizango, leader of Aidesep, was critical of President Alan Garcia’s decision to shield his Cabinet ministers from any accountability, in contrast to the actions of the military court. Although then-Premier Yehude Simon and the rest of the Cabinet resigned after the Baguazo, no member of the government has faced any judicial consequences.

The events leading up to the Baguazo began in April 2009, when indigenous people were opposed to laws giving Lima power to grant mining, logging and drilling concessions on Indian lands without consulting residents disrupted transport links and seized control of oil-industry installations, effectively shutting down a pipeline that carries crude oil from the Amazon interior to Peru’s northern coast.

The clashes began in June 2009 when police tried to clear a road blocked by thousands of indigenous people an quickly became bloody.

For more information, please see:

Peruvian Times –Indigenous Leaders Criticize Sentence of Bagua Conflict – 17 March 2011

Latin American Herald Tribune – Peru Police, Army Brass Convicted of Deadly Clash with Indians – 15 March 2011

Living in Peru – Police and Military Receive Sentences Two Years After Bagua Violence – 15 March 2011

Attacks on Civilians Continue in Libya Despite UN Resolution

By Eric C. Sigmund
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TRIPOLI, Libya – Government forces continue to advance on rebel strongholds in Libya Friday despite declaring an immediate ceasefire to hostilities with civilian opposition.  Libyan Foreign Minister Mussa Kussa declared that “Libya has decided an immediate ceasefire and an immediate halt to military operations.”  The announcement came shortly after the passage of a UN Security Council resolution calling for the end to the government’s violent suppression of civilians and threatening military enforcement if the resolution’s conditions are not met.  Rebel forces however, say that Colonel Gaddafi is “bluffing” and report facing bombing raids and attacks from Libyan troops in a number of cities.   

UN Security Council votes to take all necessary measures to protect Libyan citizens (Photo Courtesy of The Guardian)
UN Security Council votes to take "all necessary measures" to protect Libyan citizens (Photo Courtesy of The Guardian)

Security Council Resolution 1973, passed on Thursday, condemns the suppression of Libyan citizens by the Gaddafi regime and authorizes the international community to use “all necessary measures” to protect civilian populations in Libya.  In particular, the resolution authorizes the international community to establish no-fly zones and initiate an arms embargo.  The creation of no-fly zones over Libyan airspace would require the destruction of Libyan air defense systems.  While the resolution states that international forces will not be deployed on the ground, it notes that Libyan military forces may be legitimate targets of international enforcement efforts if they fail to halt operations against civilians.  In conjunction with Res. 1973, the UN also ratcheted up economic sanctions against the government and froze Libyan assets.

The Resolution also condemns the government’s deployment of mercenaries to subdue civilian resistance.  The regime has actively recruited mercenaries from surrounding countries and tribal regions.  Advertisements for pro-Qaddafi fighters have been launched in a number of countries including Kenya and Ginuea.  Reports indicate that mercenaries are offered up to $2500 per day to fight for the Libyan government.  Manpavan Joth Kaur, commentator for S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), expresses that mercenaries are particularly “dangerous and brutal because they are monetarily-motivated and lack personal or cultural ties with the local people. Their earnings are guaranteed on unconditional loyalty to their recruiters.” 

The International Criminal Court has warned that the government’s indiscriminate attacks against civilian populations constitute “war crimes.”  The United Nations estimates that over 1000 people have been killed and an additional 300,000 have fled Libya since clashes began a month ago.  A coordinated international humanitarian aid effort has been organized to assist those displaced by the crisis.

To read the full text of Resolution 1973 click here.

To watch President Obama’s remarks about Res. 1973 click here. 

For more information please see:

Sydney Morning Herald – Rebels say Libyan Govt Ceasefire a Bluff – Mar. 19, 2011

ABC News – How Would a No-Fly Zone Work Over Libya? – Mar. 18, 2011

Bloomberg – Libya’s Qaddafi Under Threat from Allied Military Forces – Mar. 18, 2011

RSIS Commentaries – “Mercenaries” in Libya: Impact of Legal Impunity – Mar. 17, 2011

UPI – Gadhafi’s Mercenaries Trigger Terror Alarm – Mar. 17 2011