Africa

Niger Under New Rule

By Kylie M Tsudama

Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

NIAMEY, Niger – Supreme Council for Restoration of Democracy (CSRD) leader Major Salou Djibo has been named as the head of state and government during the country’s transitional period.

“The highest authority designing and directing national policy is headed by a president who exercises the functions of the head of state and government,” said a statement made by the CSRD.

The junta staged a coup last week.  The transitional president has unveiled plans to draw up a new constitution that will be put to a referendum.  Authorities have also promised to create a body to draft new electoral laws.

Last week’s coup ousted President Mamadou Tandja.  The CSRD announcement came as the United States called for a peaceful and early transition in from military to civilian rule in the West African country.

“The United States continues to call (for) Niger’s speedy return to democracy and the rule of law, as well as prompt, fair and transparent elections,” State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said.  “We will obviously work closely with our international partners and do everything we can to see democracy returned to Niger as rapidly as possible.”

Over the weekend, junta leaders met with United Nations (UN), African Union (AU), and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) envoys.  The CSRD convinced the UN, AU, and ECOWAS envoys of their plan to give power over to civilian rulers as soon as a new constitution is agreed upon.

No timeframe, however, has been given.

Tensions mounted as Tandja tried to maintain his presidency longer than the constitution allows.  He has been in office since December 1999.

“The political party is very keen to return power to civilians and transition to an all-inclusive democracy,” said UN Special Representative for West Africa Said Djinnit.  “This transition began with the occurrence of the coup and the expiration of the constitution and implementation of a new constitution.”

Representatives from the AU, ECOWAS, and CSRD met Sunday to push for a quick resolution to the conflict.

“The mission of this meeting is to assure this coup is the last,” said Djinnit.  “No coup can be tolerated.”

A “constitutional committee” and a court will be set up to replace the dissolved constitutional and supreme courts.

Meanwhile, Tandja and his prime minister are being held under house arrest at a villa attached to the presidential palace.

For more information, please see:

AFP – Niger Junta Names Interim President, Plans New Constitution – 22 February 2010

CNN – U.S. Urges Speedy Return to Democracy in Niger – 22 February 2010

Reuters – Niger’s Junta Wins Popularity, Says Little Yet – 22 February 2010

VOA – Former Ruling Party Condemns Niger Coup – 22 February 2010

New Top Prosecutor in Special Court for Sierra Leone

By Kylie M Tsudama

Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

THE HAGUE, Netherlands – UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has named Brenda Joyce Hollis as the new Prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL).

Brenda Joyce Hollis is a United States attorney.  She leads the prosecution against former Liberian President Charles Taylor, who is under indictment for war crimes and crimes against humanity.  She has been serving as a principal trial attorney in the Office of the Prosecutor in the SCSL.

Previously, Hollis has served as an expert legal consultant on international law and criminal procedure training judges, prosecutors and investigators at courts and international tribunals in Indonesia, Iraq and Cambodia; she has helped victims request International Criminal Court (ICC) investigations for international crimes in Democratic Republic of Congo and Colombia; she has held the position of senior trial attorney at the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia (ICTY), serving as lead counsel in the case against former Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic; she assisted the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).

Hollis succeeds Stephen Rapp, who left the post last September to become the United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues.  In the interim, Deputy Prosecutor Joseph Kamara served as Acting Prosecutor.

Additionally, the Secretary General appointed Binta Mansaray, a Sierra Leonean, as the Registrar of the SCSL.  She was appointed the Deputy Registrar in 2007 and has been serving as the Acting Registrar since last June.

Prior to joining the SCSL, Mansaray worked as a human rights advocate for victims and ex-combatants.  In 2003 she joined the SCSL as an Outreach Coordinator.  In that post she designed the grassroots program that keeps Sierra Leoneans and Liberians informed about the Special Court and its trials.

She succeeds Herman von Hebel, who is now at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

The SCSL is a United Nations-backed tribunal and is trying the brutal acts committed during the decade-long civil war in Sierra Leone.  The remaining trial is that of former Liberian president Charles Taylor, whose trial was moved to The Hague for security reasons.

For more information, please see:

ISRIA – UN – Secretary-General Appoints Prosecutor, Registrar to Special Court for Sierra Leone – 22 February 2010

Sierra Express Mail – Binta Mansaray Named Special Court Registrar – 22 February 2010

UN News Centre – Sierra Leone: Veteran War Crimes Lawyer Tapped as Top Prosecutor UN-Backed Court – 22 February 2010

Grenade Attacks in Rwanda’s Capital

By Kylie M Tsudama

Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

KIGALI, Rwanda – Three simultaneous grenade attacks in Rwanda’s capital have killed one and injured thirty.  Five of the injured remain in the hospital in serious condition.

Two of the attacks were in the town center and the other was in the international bus station.  Although it is unclear whether or not the explosions were coordinated, each one occurred within a thirty-minute timeframe.

“Three grenades exploded in Kigali … resulting in the death of one person and the injury of thirty,” said police spokesman Eric Kayiranga.  “Among them were women and children.”

Kayiranga said that the motive is not yet known.  He did say, however, that even 16 years after 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered, Rwanda has maintained its genocide ideology.

The police have two men in custody.

“Two suspects are being held by the national police.  We are still investigating what is behind this,” Kayiranga said.  “There is a possibility of it being FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda), or criminals, or an accident.  It can be any of that.  We can’t confirm that for now.”

The FDLR is an ethnic Hutu rebel group.  The group’s leaders are responsible for the 1994 genocide.

The political temperature in Rwanda has been on the rise as the country prepares for elections in August.  It is not clear, however, if there are any links between the elections and the explosions.

Opposition parties have been complaining of harassment.

Human Rights Watch said that attacks against opposition party members has escalated.  Amnesty International expressed concern that the recent attacks on opposition party members are aimed at discouraging opposition groups.

Generally, Rwanda has little crime with occasional bombings.  In the past two months, however, four people have been killed by a string of grenade attacks.

For more information, please see:

Reuters – Grenade Attacks Kill 1, Wound 30 in Rwandan Capital – 21 February 2010

BBC – Rwandan Capital Kigali Hit by Deadly Grenade Attacks – 20 February 2010

Washington Post – Police: Grenade Attacks in Rwanda’s Capital Kill 1 – 20 February 2010

ICC: Crimes Against Humanity in Guinea

By Kylie M Tsudama

Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

CONAKRY, Guinea –  An International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation has revealed that Guinea’s military junta committed crimes against humanity during last year’s massacre of more than 150 opposition supporters.

ICC Deputy Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda went on a three-day mission to Conakry.

“As the Deputy Prosecutor of the ICC, I end this visit with the feeling that crimes of the order of crimes against humanity were committed,” she said.  “On the basis of the information that we have received from this visit, we will pursue our preliminary investigation.”

Bensouda spoke of “atrocious crimes” that had been committed, adding “men in full uniform attacked civilians, they killed and wounded.  In full daylight they mistreated, violated and submitted women to unprecedented sexual violence.”

Guinea security forces attacked the protestors, shooting, stabbing, and beating them, and publicly raping women at a protest rally opposing the military junta at Conakry Stadium on September 28.

On Thursday, Bensouda promised families of the victims that they would have justice.

The UN has found that Captain Moussa Dadis Camara had “direct criminal responsibility” for what happened.  He was the junta chief at the time of the attack.

The Guinean people have high hopes that the ICC will bring justice, but the ICC has no police power to arrest those who are responsible for the attacks.  It must rely on the police in each individual country.

According to Bensouda, however, “If the Guinean authorities are not seen to be doing something… [then] the ICC will do it.  The bottom line is that there will not be impunity.  The victims of these crimes will have justice one way or another.”

Captain Moussa Dadis Camara is now in exile in Burkina Faso.  Prime Minister Jean Marie Dore is the transitional authority overseeing the country’s movement from a military government to democratic elections.

“The judiciary is a problem in Guinea, the way it is organized, the training of the magistrates and some of their behavior presents problems between the Guinean authorities and their internal and external partners,” said the Prime Minister.  “If we are honest, there are difficulties to overcome so that Guinea is up to the job of properly judging those responsible for what happened on 28 September.”

Guinea could set an example if it is willing to bring the main perpetrators to justice.

“These few days working in Guinea confirmed that Guinean institutions and the ICC can work in a complementary way: either Guinean authorities can prosecute the main people in charge themselves, or they will turn to the court to do it,” Bensouda said.

For more information, please see:

AFP – Guinea Massacre a Crime Against Humanity: ICC – 20 February 2010

Al Jazeera – ICC Outrage Over Guinea Massacre – 20 February 2010

Reuters – ICC Finds Crimes Against Humanity in Guinea – 20 February 2010

BBC – Guinea PM Says Judiciary Incapable of Judging Killers – 19 February 2010

BBC – No Impunity for Guinea Massacre, Says ICC – 18 February 2010

Impunity Watch – Guinea to Probe Violence Against Protestors – 10 October 2009

Sudanese Government to Sign Formal Peace Deal with Darfur Rebels

By Jennifer M. Haralambides
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

KHARTOUM, Sudan – Sudan government has signed the beginning of a ceasefire agreement with one of the main rebel factions in the volatile Darfur region.

The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) agreed to sign the deal which includes a framework for further talks and for the cancellation of death sentences for around 100 figures.  When the conflict in Darfur began in 2003  there were two major rebel groups, the JEM and the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA).

This agreement is seen as an important step toward peace even though one of the SLA has not entered into the talks.   The framework agreement will hopefully be formally be signed on Tuesday in Doha, Qatar.  The deadline for signing this final agreement is March 15.

Jem rebels are involved in negotiations with the government

“Today we signed an agreement between the government and JEM in Ndjamena, and in Ndjamena we heal the war in Darfur,” Said President al-Bashir during a speech on aired on state television.

According to JEM spokesman and aid to Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, this agreement starts with an immediate ceasefire, but is not a permanent peace accord.   It includes a framework for further talks where issues such as the sharing of power and wealth, and the return of internally displaced people and refugees will be discussed.

“it is a significant step for peace in Darfur . . . . It is a considerable achievement for both parties,” said JEM spokesman Ahmed Hussein.

The Sudanese official in charge of the Darfur peace process, Ghazi Saleh al-Din, said other groups will hopefully also be included.

“It does not exclude other movements.  I think we can try to emulate the agreement which we signed with JEM and try to speed up the process so that we can try to a final agreement as soon as possible,” he said.

Although the seven-year war between forces loyal to the government and rebels in Darfur has lost steam in recent years, the United Nations estimates over 300,000 deaths throughout the worst years of the conflict.    Roughly 2.5 million people are still displaced.

For more information, please see:

BBC – Key Darfur Rebels Sign Ceasefire Deal – 21 February 2010

CNN – Sudanese Government to Sign Formal Peace Deal with Darfur Rebel – 21 February 2010

Sudan Tribune – Sudan, JEM to Sign Darfur Peace Deal Within Three Weeks – Official – 21 February 2010

The New York Times – Darfur Rebels Agree to Truce With Sudan – 20 February 2010