By Kylie M Tsudama

Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – A thirty-nine-year old British Geologist was killed on Monday while traveling through the Ogaden region of Ethiopia.

Jason Reid was a geologist working for Petronas, a state-run Malaysian energy firm looking for oil in the region.

Jason Reid was being escorted by two Ethiopian military guards through Ethiopia’s eastern Somali region when gunmen opened fire on the car they were traveling in.  According to Ethiopian authorities, they returned fire and “a gun battle ensued.”

The car was “riddled with bullets.”

“Mr. Jason and his escorts were going to their camps after completing their day’s work.  The bandits ambushed and attacked them, and the law enforcement officials made a hot pursuit and were able to apprehend three of the suspected attackers,” said government spokesman Shimelis Kemal.

The Ethiopian government and the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) rebels have accused each other of being responsible for the attack.

“We don’t want to speculate at the moment,” said Gavin Cook, spokesman for the British Embassy in Addis Ababa.  “There are a number of groups that operate in the region, but no one has claimed responsibility.  There’s nothing to suggest as yet whether one or any of them was responsible or whether it was a random attack.  But we are working with the government to try and establish more details.”

ONLF has denied responsibility for the attack, saying that the attackers “were simply outlaws, people engaged in robbery and illicit activities.”

“The Ethiopian regime has for some time now sponsored undisciplined armed militias who routinely wreak havoc in Ogaden and are no doubt responsible for this callous act,” said an ONLF statement.  “The Ethiopian regime has clearly lost control of the local armed militias it sponsors, and the ONLF strongly suspects that they have committed this act.”

The ONLF is categorized as a terrorist group in Ethiopia, while the ONLF accuses the Ethiopian government of rights abuses.

For more information, please see:

VOA – Ethiopia, Rebels Trade Charges Over British Geologist’s Killing – 11 April 2010

AFP – Separatists Accuses Ethiopian Militia of Killing British Oil Worker – 09 April 2010

Washington Post – British Geologist Shot Dead in Ethiopia – 09 April 2010

By Jared Kleinman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa Desk

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali Islamists insurgents seized radio transmitters that let the local population hear news programs from the British Broadcasting Corporation Friday. Militia group al-Shabaab, who profess loyalty to al Qaeda and are fighting a deadly insurgency in the anarchic Horn of Africa nation, also said they had looted transmission equipment belonging to the BBC.

“Starting from today all BBC FM stations in the areas controlled by al Shabaab will be off air and their equipment will be taken over,” the group said in an emailed statement. “BBC is owned by England and it spreads (a) colonial and Christian agenda in the Muslim world. BBC fights Islam … it is against the Islamic administration in Somalia.”

The BBC broadcasts its London-based programming onto its own local FM frequencies in Somalia and local stations relay its signal. The BBC does not have any studios in Somalia.

Jerry Timmins, BBC Head of International Relations & Africa Region, said, “We are disappointed in this interference with our broadcasts in Somalia as in the end, it is the Somali people who are most affected.”

“The BBC speaks to all sides in Somalia — including al-Shabaab — and reports events as they unfold. It is essential for the people of Somalia that the BBC is allowed to continue to report accurately and impartially on the situation in the country without undue interference from anyone,” he said. The BBC has been broadcasting in Somali for 50 years.

The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) has decried a crackdown on press freedom in recent weeks and called the clampdown on the BBC an act of repression. “This…is a strong demonstration of the gravity of media repression by al Shabaab. We are very concerned at the obvious intent…to get tough on journalists and media organizations that have taken an independent attitude of reporting,” NUSOJ said.

Al-Shabaab insurgents control much of southern and central Somalia, including large portions of Mogadishu. They frequently threaten or assassinate journalists whose coverage they disagree with.

The group wants to topple the country’s weak U.N.-backed government and replace it with an Islamic state. Somalia has not had an effective government for nearly 20 years.

For more information, please see:

Reuters – Somalia’s al Shabaab Takes BBC Off Air – 9 April 2010

Garowe Online – Al-Shabaab orders BBC off air in Somalia – 9 Apr 2010

Associate Press – Somali Islamists seize radio transmitters for BBC – 9 April 2010

By Jennifer M. Haralambides
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

LAGOS, Nigeria –  Nigerian President Umaru Yar’Adua’s critics are accusing the ailing president’s allies of working to undermine the country’s acting president’s efforts.

President Yar’Adua has not appeared in public for months due to his health.  In November 2009, the President left Nigeria for Saudi Arabia for medical treatment of a heart condition.   Most recently, a groups of clergymen have made visits to the President.   On separate occasions, both Muslim and Christian religious leaders made visits offering support and prayers.

After the visits, all of the religious leaders declined to offer any details regarding the health of the ailing leader.

Acting President, Goodluck Jonathan, who was formerly the Vice President, has been able to see or access President Yar’Adua since his return to Nigeria in February.  Many fear that the President’s family may be restricting access to him.

Human Rights lawyer Femi Falana has spoken out claiming that the visits by religious leaders were, “part of the moves by Yar’Adua’s wife to cause further confusion in politics . . . to give the impression that her husband will soon return to office.”

She goes on to say that, “[t]he timing of the visits was also important.  The motive was to frustrate the inauguration of Jonathan’s newly-appointed ministers.”

This tension between the ailing President and Goodluck Jonathan, who was thrust into office by parliament, has caused political uncertainty.  According to AFP, this has also come at a time where there is existing tension between Muslim and Christian groups.   “Religion is a powerful force in Nigeria, with the country roughly split in half between Christians and Muslims,” said AFP.

There have been no updates on President Yar’Adua’s health since November.

For more information, please see:

NEXT – Yar’Adua and the Missing Billions – 11 April 2010

The Punch – Enough of this Yar’Adua Distraction – 11 April 2010

AFP – Critics Fear Allies of Nigeria’s Ailing Leader Interfering – 10 April 2010

VOA – Controversy Grows in Nigeria Over Visit With Ailing President by Ten Religious Leaders – 8 April 2010

By Jennifer M. Haralambides
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – After decades of guerrilla war, a rebel group in Ethiopia’s Somali region has agreed to lay down arms, according to the Ethiopian government.  This is to be accompanied by the rebel group’s participation in the Ethiopian political process, and is quite timely, given that nationwide elections are to take place in a few weeks.

After talks with the local government, leaders of the United Western Somali Libertarian Front (UWSLF) agreed to abide by the constitution of Ethiopia and operate legally and abandon the “armed struggle.”

In a press conference, Communications Minister Bereket Simon announced Friday that, “[w]e expect these leaders to appear here soon to explain how they will operate in the Ethiopian legal atmosphere . . . that will help the stability and peace.”

The “government has decided to respect their right to operate in the Ethiopian legal system, to enter into more civilized and pacific politic,” said Minister Simon after being questioned by AFP.   He went on to add that the UWSLF “”[t]hey had pursued a mistaken past, and now they’re desisting from it, so we will respect their right to engage in civilized politics.”

The UWSLF, created in the 1970’s, was active during the war for control of the Ogaden, where Ethiopia defeated Somalia.  It, along with other rebel groups has been fighting over Ogaden, a predominantly Somali-speaking region,  due to the regions vast natural resources.

UWSLF activities recently include a 2006 kidnapping of Red Cross workers, which the UWSLF apologized for, citing a miscommunication and case of mistaken identity as the reasons for the kidnapping.

For more information, please see:

AFP – Ethiopian Rebel Group “Agrees to Lay Down Arms” – 9 April 2010

Reuters – Ethiopia Says Rebels Threatening Oil Firms Surrender – 9 April 2010

VOA – Ethiopia Hails Little-Known Rebel Group’s Demise – 9 April 2010