By Kylie M Tsudama
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

MADRID, Spain – Although Western Sahara activist Aminatou Haidar was supposed to return home on Friday, she remains on the Spanish Canary island of Lanzarote.

“The Spanish government requested permission [yesterday] for the plane to fly over and land” in Haidar’s hometown of Laayoune in Western Sahara, said Spain’s foreign ministry spokesperson.  “Morocco granted this permission but it withdrew it just before the plane was to take off.  We were on board the plane… when the control tower called to say authorization had just been cancelled.”

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres has called on Spain and Morocco to “consider any measure that could facilitate [the] movement and end the current impasse” of Haidar, whose condition is rapidly deteriorating.

Haidar began her hunger strike on November 16, three days after her passport was confiscated and Moroccan authorities denied her entry into Western Sahara.  She went on strike in order to draw attention to her cause.  Morocco annexed Western Sahara in 1975 after Spain left.  She has frequently criticized Morocco’s annexation of Western Sahara.  Her critique prompted the Polisario rebel group to rise up for independence.  Although Morocco has pledged widespread autonomy for the country, it refuses independence as demanded by the Polisario Front.

According to Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, last week Spain’s government offered her either Spanish nationality or refugee status “as an exceptional measure.”  She declined because she plans on returning home and does not want to become “a foreigner in her own home.”

Recalling landing in Lanzarote without a passport, Haidar said “I never would have thought that the Spanish government would play such a dirty role, to do such a favor for Morocco.”

Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa de la Vega said the country is taking “all diplomatic steps with Morocco in order for her to recover her passport.”

Moroccan Ambassador to Spain, Omar Azziman, said that she can have her passport back as long as she recognizes her own Moroccan nationality.

Haidar “disowned her identity and her nationality,” said Moroccan Foreign Minister Taieb Fassi Fihri, and she “must accept, on her own, the legal and moral consequences which result from this behavior.”

For more information, please see:

AFP – Morocco Refuses to Allow Sahara Activist to Return: Spain – 04 December 2009

UN News Centre – UN Refugee Chief Urges End to Impasse Over Saharawi Activist – 04 December 2009

VOA – Western Sahara Activist in Third Week of Hunger Strike – 03 December 2009

Guardian – Fear Grows for Hunger Strike Nobel Nominee – 29 November 2009

Reuters – Saharan Hunger-Striker Refuses Spanish Passport – 29 November 2009

AFP – Spanish Nationality Offered to W.Sahara Hunger Striker – 28 November 2009

Impunity Watch – Rights Activist Arrested in Western Sahara – 14 November 2009

By Jared Kleinman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

MOGADISHU, Somalia – At least 19 people have been killed including three government ministers after an explosion tore through the Shamo Hotel in Mogadishu, the Somali capital.

A suicide bomber disguised as a woman carried out Thursday’s attack at the hotel during a crowded graduation ceremony for medical students from a local university, Dahir Mohamud Gelle, the Somali information minister, said.

The attack on Thursday was a severe blow to a country long battered by war and underscored the government’s tenuous hold on even a small area of Mogadishu. African Union peacekeeping troops protecting the government wage near daily battles with Islamic militants who hold much of central and southern Somalia and act so brazenly in the capital that they carry out public executions.

A Reuter’s reporter at the Shamo Hotel said it was packed with graduates from Benadir University, their parents and officials when a powerful blast tore through the ceremony. “Human flesh was everywhere,” he said.

“What happened today is a national disaster,” said Somali Information Minister Dahir Mohamud Gelle, who confirmed that the ministers for education, higher education and health were killed in the blast. The ministers for sports and tourism also were wounded in the attack inside the Shamo Hotel, he said.

Ali Yasin Gedi, vice-chairman of Mogadishu-based Elman Peace and Human Rights Organization, said more than 40 people were wounded, including the dean of Benadir’s medical college, who Gedi said had been evacuated by plane to neighboring Kenya.

This was not the first time that an attack has taken place in Mogadishu, “but it is the worst suicide attack ever”, said Ali Sheikh Yassin of the Mogadishu-based Elman Human Rights Organization. “This time the target was the most important people in Mogadishu; the educators and those who would take their place in the future.” Yassin said the attack had wiped out the best and brightest of the health sector. “We have reached a new low.” He said that whoever was behind this attack “deliberately targeted graduating doctors and their professors”, adding, “It is as if they want to kill any hopes of a better future”.

“A lot of my friends were killed,” another witness, medical student Mohamed Abdulqadir, told Reuters. “I was sitting next to a lecturer who also died. He had been speaking to the gathering just a few minutes before the explosion.”

The assailants hit one of Somalia’s most important efforts to extricate itself from anarchy and violence. The former medical students among the graduates came from only the second class to receive diplomas from the medical school. Before then, almost two decades has passed since anyone earned a medical degree in Somalia.

The bombing showed once again the insurgents’ ability to strike the government at will, and it will heighten frustration in the country’s fragile administration over delayed pledges of military and financial support from Western donors.

“Such an inhumane and cowardly act aimed at stalling the peace process will not deter the resolve and determination of the African Union to support the people of Somalia in their quest for peace and reconciliation,” The African Union peacekeeping force said in Thursday’s statement.

It was the worst attack in the lawless Horn of Africa nation since June when hardline al Shabaab rebels killed the security minister and at least 30 other people in a suicide bombing at a hotel in the central town of Baladwayne.

No group immediately claimed responsibility, but suspicion fell upon the militant group al-Shabaab, which has ties to al-Qaeda, controls much of the country and has carried out past suicide attacks.

For more information, please see:

Associated Press – Up to 19 Dead After Attack in Somalia – 4 December 2009

IRIN – ‘It is As If They Want to Kill Any Hopes of a Better Future’ – 3 December 2009

Al Jazeera – Ministers Killed in Somalia Attack – 3 December 2009

Reuters – Suicide Bomber Kills Three Somali Government Ministers – 3 December 2009

By Jonathan Ambaye
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa Desk

CONARKY, Guniea-Guinea’s military leader, Captain Moussa Dadis Camara was shot and wounded in an attack on his presidential convoy in the nation’s capital, Conakry.  The attack was lead by a renegade faction of Guinea’s presidential guard. Only limied Information regarding the extent of Camara’s injuries has been made available. However reports have been made that the degree of harm was not severe.
Neighboring country, Senegal sent a medical plane to Conakry to bring Camara to Dakar. Camara’s Communications Minister, Idrissa Cherif said, “ the president of the republic is still the president of the republic and he is in good health.”

The shooting occurred after Camara had left the country’s main military barracks from where he has been running the country since leading a military coup that saw him seize power over eleven months ago. Upon leaving his barracks, he went downtown to a military camp, which is where the shooting took place.

This shooting comes at a time of great division within the country’s military and nation. Camara had promised to hold elections when he initially seized power. Not only has he delayed these elections, he has begun hinting that he plans to run for office. Upon the news of his alleged plans to run for election, mass protests erupted on September 28. In response to the protests the country’s presidential guard opened fire on the peaceful protesters, killing 157 people and further causing the current unrest in the country.

As a result of the massacre, sanctions were imposed on Guinea by the European Union, and the African union. Travel bans were also imposed on members of the military junta along with other sanctions.

For more information please see:

AP – Guinea’s President Wounded In Attack – 3 December 2009
CNN – Guniea Leader Survives Attack – 3 December 2009
BBC – Guinea’s Leader Shot and Wounded By Aide – 3 December 2009
Bloomberg – Junta Leader Camara Hurt In Shooting By Aide – 3 December 2009

By Jonathan Ambaye
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa Desk

THE HAGUE, Netherlands-This past week in the Charles Taylor Trial, prosecutors were able to receive admissions from Taylor that may prove crucial to supporting their case against him for committing war crimes. Filling in for special prosecutor Brenda Hollis, who has been severely ill, was Nicholas Koumjian who lead the cross-examination of Taylor last week.

During the course of the cross-examination, Taylor admitted that he sent his Chief of Protocol, Musa Sesay, to accompany a Sierra Leonean rebel commander to Burkina Faso in 1998. Despite the admission, Taylor was sure to deny additional allegations that he helped the rebel, Sam Bockarie, transport arms and ammunition through Liberia for use by rebel forces in Sierra Leone.

Taylor explained that he sent Sesay to act as an interpreter for Bockarie during his visit with President Blaise Campaore in Burkina Faso. Taylor however agreed that Bockarie was under a UN travel ban at the time of the visit, and despite the ban, he still approved Bockarie’s passage through Liberia.  The prosecution has been trying to gather evidence to support the alleged relationship that existed between Taylor and RUF commander Bockarie. Witnesses have testified that Bockarie used to take orders from Taylor, but Taylor has repeatedly denied these allegations.

This past week also saw Taylor confirm his involvement in bringing together Sierra Leonean Rebel commanders to reconcile their differences. It is alleged that Taylor orchestrated the reconciliation between the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) with the plans for a military takeover of Sierra Leone.

Taylor denied this allegation, and further explained that his purpose of uniting the commanders was to ensure the success of the peace agreement between the government and the rebel groups. When asked why the Sierra Leonean Government was not invited to this meeting, Taylor said, “Because the government of Sierra Leone was not part of the issues between them. There was bad blood between groups and their purpose was to sort out that bad blood.”

For more information please see:

Charles Taylor Trial – Charles Taylor Helped Sierra Leonean Rebel Commanders Reconcile Their Differences, But Not For a Military Takeover of The Country, He Says- 26 November 2009

Charles Taylor Trial – Charles Taylor Says He Was A Peace Mediator– 28 November 2009

Charles Taylor Trial – Taylor Admits He Sent His Chief To Accompany A Sierra Leonean Rebel Commander To Burkina Faso – 25 November 2009