By Laura Hirahara
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

ABUJA, Nigeria– Though observers at first lauded Nigeria’s presidential election on April 16, the country is experiencing growing violence in the aftermath, with upwards of 40,000 displaced in the last two weeks and an estimated 500 killed.  Because the government refuses to release any confirmed numbers, it is difficult to verify how many have died.  However, across the north as the post-election violence ebbed over Easter, many towns held mass burials.  The rioting started shortly after the election in which the northern Muslim candidate Muhammadu Buhari lost to the southern Christian incumbent Jonathan Goodluck by a 57% to 31% margin.  Shehu Seni, who leads the Civil Rights Congress in northern Nigeria, said the death toll could reach 1,000 before the violence stops.

While the primary conflict appears to be between Muslims and Christians, analysts believe the conflict is more indicative of the stark economic differences between the two halves of the country.  The south is an oil rich delta region and the north is largely struggling, where many live on less than $2 a day.  The conflict is further complicated by the fact that the population of many areas is a mix of economically, religious and ethnically diverse people.  This conflict is also mirrored by Nigeria’s long history of civil unrest; the last presidential election four years ago left 300 dead.  Goodluck stated last week “These acts of mayhem are sad reminders of the events which plunged our country into 30 months of an unfortunate civil war,” referring to the 1967 civil war during which an estimated 3 million were killed.

After Goodluck was announced the winner this month, many Muslim youths in the north began rioting, believing that the polls had been rigged.  There are in fact signs of ballot box tampering, with evidence of unusually large voter turnout and suspected underage voting.  In the months leading up to the election, the Independent Nigerian Election Council in charge of the voting procedures had problems getting election materials and processes in place, resulting in a postponement of the vote until April 16.  So far, Goodlucks’ People’s Democratic Party is the only party to officially recognize and sign the election results.

While a curfew has been imposed, Nigerians fear the violence will only escalate.  Eyo Anthony, a resident in the northern city of Kano where homes and shops had been burned in his neighborhood, said Sunday “Although it has been calm in the past two days I don’t intend to go back to my house… until after the governors’ elections. . .I know how I managed to escape with my family and I don’t want to relive the same experience.”  A Human Right Watch researcher told reporters that the northern state of Kaduna looked like a “war zone” and that not “one building was standing”.  Located within that state, the town of Zonkwa has been hit the hardest, with over 300 reported dead there since April 16.

Initially, gubernatorial elections were planned to take place in the week following the presidential election, but those have been postponed out of fear that those elections will prompt more violence.  Goodluck has denounced the riots but it is unclear what steps he is taking to end the conflict.  Buhari will only state that he objects to the election results and remains silent as Muslims in the north continue to retaliate against Christians and supporters of Goodluck, which some see as an implicit encouragement to his followers.  In the meantime, many residents in the north have fled to police and military barracks as rioters continue to target businesses and religious centers.

For more information, please see;

CNN– Mass Burials Held in Rural Nigeria– 24 April, 2011

NYT– Election Results Fuels Deadly Clashes in Nigeria– 24 April, 2011

BBC– Nigeria Election Violence ‘Left More Than 500 Dead’– 24 April, 2011

AFP– Nigerian Rights Group Says More Than 500 Killed in Unrest– 24 April, 2011

The Botswana Gazette– Nigeria- Mass Burials Held Following Violence– 24 April, 2011

By Laura Hirahara
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

In an interview today, Sudan’s president Omar al-Bashir claimed limited responsibility for the atrocities in his country while blaming the International Criminal Court (ICC), its chief prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo, “Western” states and cited the UN figures of death and displacement as exaggerated.  During the interview, al-Bashir said, “Of course, I am the president so I am responsible about everything happening in the country. . . .Everything happening, it is a responsibility.  But what happened in Darfur, first of all, it was a traditional conflict taking place from the colonial days.”  He said that his troops had not executed any attacks on the people in Darfur despite claims that his troops have committed ground and air strikes against thousands of civilians.

In addition, al-Bashir called Ocampo a liar who is using the ICC to promote his own political agenda.  “It is a political issue and double standards, because there are obvious crimes like Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan, but [they] did not find their way to the international criminal court. . .He [Ocampo] is now working on a big campaign to add more lies,” al-Bashir said during the interview.  Al-Bashir was the first head of state indicted by the court in March 2009 and has yet to be arrested.  Since Sudan is not a signatory member of the ICC, they have no obligation to turn him over to the court.

During the course of the interview, al-Bashir also said the UN had grossly exaggerated the numbers of those killed and displaced by the conflict in Sudan, specifically in Darfur.  The UN reports that in the last 8 years, 300,000 people have been killed in Darfur and another 2.7 million displaced.  Al-Bashir claims the numbers are 10,000 and 70,000 respectively.  Refuting al-Bashir’s claims, John Prendergast, co-founder of the anti-genocide organization Enough Project, stated, “In my eight trips to Darfur since 2003, the overwhelming evidence demonstrates that a government-sponsored counter-insurgency targeted non-Arab civilian populations by destroying their dwellings, their food stocks, their livestock, their water sources and anything else that would sustain life in Darfur.”

Al-Bashir also criticized the military intervention in Libya, saying “The resources of Libya like petrol make it important to other countries like France, Britain and Europe in general.”  He has stated that he will support the succession of South Sudan after this year’s referendum in which an overwhelming majority of southern Sudanese voted for it.  However, he has been accused most recently of funding southern generals who are organizing a rebellion against the coming split.  After accusing western countries of pushing for a regime change in Sudan for the last 20 years, he claimed they were trying to satisfy a personal vendetta against him.

In response to al-Bashir’s numerous claims, Louise Arbour, a former UN high commissioner for human rights and Hague war crimes prosecutor, said, “’The crimes committed against millions of civilians in Darfur cannot simply be shrugged off. If Bashir wants to argue that he was not responsible for the atrocities, he should go to The Hague and make his case there.”

For more information, please see;

BBC– Sudan’s Bashir Accepts ‘Responsibility for Darfur War– 21 April, 2011

Sydney Morning Herald– President Accepts Responsibility for Darfur Slaughter– 22 April, 2011

The Independent– Sudan: President Concedes Blame for Genocide– 21 April, 2011

The Telegraph– Sudan’s President Accepts Responsibility for Darfur Conflict– 21 April, 2011

By Laura Hirahara
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

ABUJA, Nigeria– Despite observers asseritions that Nigeria’s latest election is the most free and fair in its 12 year democratic history, violent riots have spread across the northern states.  Over 16,000 have been displaced and hundreds are being treated for injuries related to the clashes.  While it is presumed that many have died since the election results were announced, the government is refusing to release any numbers out of fear that it will increase the conflict.

On Saturday, incumbent president Jonathan Goodluck, a Christian from the oil rich southern delta region, was announced the winner, garnering 57% of the vote.  His nearest rival in the polls, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, a Muslim from the northern region, lost by 10 million votes.  By Sunday morning rioters began retaliating against what they saw as a rigged election.  In the north, of which most of the population is Muslim, crowds set fire to tires and set up barricades against security forces.  Heavy gunfire could be heard throughout many towns and homes that displayed Goodluck election posters have been burned.

Those fleeing the violence have resorted to sleeping in police barracks and gathering at hotels.  One man told reporters at a hotel in Kano, “Friends lost homes; I saw people who were killed.” and another woman added “I was at my place of work and I just saw people running, houses burnt.”  Umar Mairiga of the Nigerian Red Cross said, “The damage is immense. A lot of buildings have been torched- houses, businesses, and religious centers.”  Many of the rioters have been heard shouting “Only Buhari!” as they run through towns.  Buhari has responded, telling BBC reporters “I must emphasise that what is happening is not ethnic, religious or regional.”

Tens of thousands have died in Nigeria over the last ten years due to ethnic and religious conflict and elections have notoriously resulted in violence.  Even though observers have said that Saturday’s election was a positive step for the country, bombings and shootings overshadowed the last few months of preparations.  The election itself had to be postponed as election materials and procedures were mishandled.

Several irregularities have been noted in this most recent election.  The Civil Society Election Situation Room observation group reported that there had been underage voting in several states as well as intimidation at the polling centers.  The Independent Nigerian Election Council, charged with managing the process, has been accused of “ineffective” oversight.  To date, Goodluck’s majority People’s Democratic Party, is the only party to recognize and sign the results.  As the election results continue to be challenged, the Red Cross estimates that many more will be displaced by the ongoing violence.

For more information, please see;

BBC– Nigeria Election: Thousands Flee After Riots– 19 April, 2011

CNN– Widespread Election Violence Erupts in Nigeria– 19 April, 2011

Bloomberg Businessweek– Nigerian Leader Wins Presidential Poll Amid Riots– 18 April, 2011

Boston Globe– Amid Rioting, Nigeria’s President Declared Election Winner– 19 April, 2011

By Laura Hirahara
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso–  Despite dissolving his government, hiring new military commanders and enforcing a curfew, Burkina Faso’s president Blaise Compaore has failed to put an end to the protests and riots that started last Thursday.  Police and students have joined the soldiers who began rioting Thursday night.  The growing discontent of many Burkinabe’s has merged and the violence has spread to other towns.  The protests began late Thursday night when soldiers, frustrated that their pay had been withheld, began shooting into the air in the military compound near Compaore’s presidential residence.  The soldiers then spread into the city, looting shops and stealing citizen’s cars.

After the government failed to reign in the soldiers, merchants in the capital of Ouagadougou retaliated on Saturday, setting fire to busses and the ruling party’s headquarters.  Since Saturday, the military rioting spread to the northern town of Kaya and the southern towns of Po and Tenkodogo.  Though the smaller towns have apparently calmed down since Monday night- when soldiers roamed through the streets firing in the air, looting businesses and firing on the homes of military commanders- merchants in the capital refused to open their stalls in the center market.  This is no surprise given the level of violence- one witness told Reuters, “They are moving through town and they continue to fire in the air. They are taking people’s motorbikes and cars and breaking up shops.”    Since Thursday, 45 people have been taken to the hospital with riot-related injuries.

Analysts are saying this could be the end of Compaore’s rule in Burkina Faso.  Compaore has been in power since 1987 when he took over through a coup.  Since then the government has enacted terms limits, but Compaore is exempt since he was in power before the current constitution took effect.  Opposition from the younger generation of soldiers coming in poses the most serious threat to Compaore’s power.  Said Ashley Elliot of Control Risks,

The loyalists that were with Compaore for the 1987 putsch still pull the strings, but the old guard is ageing and a gulf has opened up between them and the junior officers. . . .The negotiations between senior and junior officers that began this weekend are about conditions and pay, but between the lines they are about redressing a generational balance of power.

For more information, please see;

Aljazeera– Fresh Riots Reported in Burkina Faso– 18 April, 2011

Reuters– ANALYSIS- Burkina Faso Unrest Threatens Compaore Government– 18 April, 2011

Mail & Guardian– Burkina Faso Mutiny Spreads as Police, Students Riot– 18 April, 2011

BBC– Burkina Faso Mutiny Spreads to Fourth City– 18 April, 2011

By Daniel M. Austin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

MISRATA, Libya – Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has shelled the city of Misrata with cluster bombs according to a report published by Human Rights Watch (HRW). Witnesses in Misrata claim several cluster bombs exploded in the city on April 14th and 15th. It remains unclear how many civilians or rebel fighters were killed in these attacks. The cluster bombs were use during a push by Gaddafi-led forces to retake Misrata from the rebels. Fighting between forces loyal to Colonel Gaddafi and the opposition continues in both eastern and western Libya.

According to reports from Human Rights Watch and the British newspaper, The Guardian, on Thursday and Friday, witnesses in the city of Misrata saw at least four explosions believe to be from cluster bombs. The use of cluster bombs has been banned by most countries because of their potential to inflict damage over a large area. As noted by HRW, cluster bombs “explode in midair, indiscriminately throwing out dozens of high-explosive bomblets” and the submunitions then either explode upon impact or are detonated when an unsuspecting person steps on them or picks them up.

Making this scenario even more troubling is these cluster bombs are being used in an urban environment against both rebel forces trying to defend the city and civilians who have been unable to flee the violence. According to Steve Goose, HRW’s arms division director, the use of cluster bombs in a residential area poses “a huge risk to civilians.”

 HRW believes the cluster bomb munitions were manufactured in Spain before their use was condemned by the international community. Specifically, HRW believes the cluster bombs are “Spanish-produced MAT-120, 120mm mortar projectiles, which open in mid-air and release 21 submunitions over a wide area. Upon exploding on contact with an object, each submunition disintegrates into high-velocity fragments to attack people and releases a slug of molten metal that can penetrate armored vehicles.”

Moussa Ibrahim, a spokesman for the Libyan government has denied cluster bombs are being used in the fighting. He claims “We can never do this, morally, legally. We challenge them [HRW] to prove this. We know the international community is coming en masse to our country. We’re not using them.” It is important to note that Libya has not signed on to the Convention on Cluster Munitions which prohibits the use of cluster bombs and requires states that have stockpiled these munitions to destroy them.

Along with the cluster bombs, more than 100 government rockets have been fired into the city or Misrata as forces loyal to Col. Gaddafi are struggling to retake the city from rebel forces. According to rebels in Misrata, at least eight fighters have been killed as Gaddafi forces continue to push towards the center of the city.

For more information, please see:

Human Rights Watch — Libya: Cluster Munitions Strike Misrata – 15 April 2011

Guardian — Libya: Gaddafi forces ‘using cluster bombs in Misrata’ – 15 April 2011

Mail Online– Gaddafi accused of using cluster bombs on civilians, fuelling calls for allied ground troops to move in – 15 April 2011

New York Times – Qaddafi Troops Fire Cluster Bombs Into Civilian Areas -15 April 2011

The Sydney Morning Herald — Libya denies using cluster bombs – 17 April 2011