By Jennifer M. Haralambides
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

CAPE TOWN, South Africa – Mo Ibrahim, a Sudanese born telecommunications entrepreneur, who is promoting leadership in Africa, launched his foundation’s 2009 Index of African Governance, which has tracked development on the continent.

The foundation released its third annual report on leadership in Africa, and for the first time it covers all 53 African countries.  The rankings are based on a number of indicators including security, crime, corruption, health, and education. The four main categories the index uses to measure governance are safety and security, human rights, sustainable economic opportunity, and human development.

Results from the index motivated Ibrahim to condemn the killing of pro-democracy protesters in Guinea.  Captain Moussa “Dadis” Camara, who seized control of Guinea in December 2008, will be running for president during the January 2010 election after he previously promised he would not run.  Many are protesting his candidacy, and violence has surrounded these protests.

The results of the index also sparked reference to Madagascar, where a military-backed politician over took the elected president in March and is also promising elections.

On the flip side of the study, Southern Africa ranked as the continent’s best-performing region.  These good marks are due to the stable democracies in the region.

“The rest of Africa, where coups are taking place, should look at southern Africa and see how these guys are getting their act together,” said Ibrahim in a telephone news conference from Cape Town, where the index was launched.

On the top end of the study, Mauritius is shown to be the best-run country.  This contrasts Somalia, which has had practically no central government since 1991 and therefore remains at the bottom of the ranks.

In an effort to promote leadership and end impunity, Ibrahim will award an annual $5 million dollars to the continent’s best leader.  Last year Botswana’s former president, Festus Mogae, won the award.

The index was launched in 2007.  Ibrahim acknowledged that inaccuracies existed within the data because the statistical offices need to be strengthened.  He also mentioned that the 2009 index does not reflect the global financial crisis which may also affect the statistics.

For more information, please see:

AFP – Southern Africa “Best Governed on Continent” – 5 October 2009

AP – Group Condemns Guinea Shootings, Madagascar Coup – 5 October 2009

Daily Monitor – Mo Report Praises Uganda in Human Rights Observance – 5 October 2009

Reuters – Mauritius Scores Highest in African Governance Survey – 5 October 2009

Mo Ibrahim Foundation website (to view the index)

By Kylie M Tsudama
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

NAIROBI, Kenya – The Kenyan government has said that it will cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in its probe of abuses during the post-election violence.  While the names have not yet been published, it is believed that it includes ministers and prominent businessmen.

The ICC announced on Wednesday that it would pursue trials against the suspects because Kenya failed to meet its September 30 deadline to set up its own tribunals.

The violence following the December 2007 elections was among the worst in decades.  Fighting was triggered by accusations that the presidential election was rigged.  Ethnic clashes ended when a unity accord was agreed to.  About 1,500 people were killed and 300,000 were displaced during the two months.

Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo welcomed the ICC decision.

“It was a statement by the top organ of the country that the government will cooperate with the ICC,” he said.  “The ICC can sit in Kenya and we do not have to surrender anyone we just need to arrest them, put them in cells and take them before the court when that time comes.   Unless Parliament repeals the International Crimes Act or Kenya withdraws from the Rome treaty, there is really no choice but to help Mr. Ocampo in his work.”

“But the government has no intention of repealing the law or quitting the treaty since it is in the process of reforming the country into an icon of governance,” he added.

Earlier this year the Kenya government declined to accept a bill that would have set up tribunals.  Parliament believed that it would amount to political interference.

Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary General, handed over the names of the top suspects to the ICC in July.  He was responsible for mediating the talks that led to the unity government between President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo said he will prosecute those “most responsible” for the violence and leave Kenya to investigate any others.

For more information, please see:

Daily Nation – Ocampo’s Secret Evidence on Kenya – 03 October 2009

AFP – Kenya to Cooperate With ICC on Unrest Trials – 02 October 2009

BBC – Kenya Backs Poll Violence Trials – 02 October 2009

AllAfrica – Kenya: Govt to Hand Over Ministers to Hague – 01 October 2009

Bloomberg – Annan Will Visit Kenya Next Week to Review Political Changes – 01 October 2009

By Kylie M Tsudama
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

MOGADISHU, Somalia – Three aid workers from Action Against Hunger (ACF), a french aid group, were released Saturday.  The three men were from Pakistan, the United States, and Zimbabwe.

They were being held in Somalia since July, according to humanitarian agents and Somali sources.  The men will be reunited with friends and family once they have received medical checks, although they are said to be in good health.

The three men who were captured were headed to Nairobi via the southern town of Luq.  They were kidnapped on July 17 boarding a plane in Mandera, Kenya and taken into nearby Somalia.  It is reported that ten gunmen facilitated the kidnapping.

Rebel Islamist movement Hezb al-Islam official Sheikh Ali Hussein said that the organization facilitated the aid workers’ return but had nothing to do with their kidnapping.

“A small plane flew the hostages out of the airport at Luq after they were freed by their kidnappers,” he said.

Somalia’s radical Shebab movement also denies having a hand in the kidnappings.

According to Hussein, a ransom was paid for the workers.  A local elder has reported that the aid workers were returned for a sum of 2.5 million dollars.

The kidnapping of foreigners in Somalia is rampant and cross-border raids are common in the area.  Because the Kenyan security forces are so poorly funded there is little that they can do to police the vast area.

Kidnappings for ransom have risen in the past few years.  Journalists and aid workers are most often targeted as they are the most vulnerable.

For more information, please see:

AFP – Three Foreign Aid Workers Held in Somalia Since July Freed – 03 October 2009

AP – Militant: 3 Aid Workers Freed in Somalia – 03 October 2009

BBC – Aid Workers Released in Somalia – 03 October 2009

Reuters – Somali Gunmen Release 3 Foreign Aid Workers – 03 October 2009

Xinhua – Aid Workers Released in Somalia: Islamist Faction – 03 October 2009

By Jared Kleinman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

The HAGUE, Netherlands– Charles Taylor called prosecution allegations that he was involved in ritual sacrifice and cannibalism “racist” in Thursday’s testimony. The accused former Liberian president also dismissed his trial as an extension of regime change policies of the United States and the United Kingdom. In Taylor’s second day responding to the testimony of prosecution witness and former member of Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) Joseph Marzah, Taylor denied allegations that he buried a pregnant woman at the back of his house as a ritual sacrifice to obtain power in Liberia. Witness Marzah also testified that he feasted on human beings together with Taylor while Taylor served as Chief of Operations for the NPFL. Taylor dismissed the allegations against him as being “racist.” “It is not true. But you know, there is something deeper to this whole thing. I don’t care what the prosecution says but this is racist, it is as racist as it ever gets,” Taylor said in an angry voice.

Taylor expressed to judges that his trial is part of a wave of regime change policies by western powers especially the United States and Great Britain. “I did know that certain countries like the United States and United Kingdom were against me and were seeking regime change in Liberia. I am brought here by Britain and America,” Taylor said.  “At this particular time in the world when there was Iraq and regime change, it was good to go into Africa, snatch one little leader from a small country, let’s set an example of him to show there is no impunity.” “Listen, there is nothing that is just about this, I have no control over it, I am going through it, and I will go through it. There is nothing legal about this,” Taylor said. “Until I go to my grave, there is nothing just about this. The big powers have executed their powers, they have brought me here.”

Witness Marzah had also testified that Taylor gave orders for the execution of Superman, a Liberian commander of Sierra Leone’s rebel group Revolutionary United Front (RUF). Witness Marzah said Taylor gave orders to have Superman’s hand cut off and his heart removed. Witness Marzah and Taylor then feasted on Superman’s heart, Witness Marzah said in his testimony. Denying Witness Marzah’s allegations, Taylor said that “there was no hand, no nothing taken to my house. I am not aware of how Superman was killed, when or how. It is not true.” Taylor called Witness Marzah’s entire testimony a “complete set-up and it is as programmed as this.”

The Special Court for Sierra Leone is currently on recess. When court resumes on October 26 2009, Taylor will continue with his direct testimony.

For more information, please see:

All Africa – Taylor Calls Prosecution Allegations Against Him Racist; Says His Trial Is Part Of a Western Regime Change Policy– October 1st

Impunity Watch – Taylor Continues to Deny – 01 October 2009

All Africa – Taylor Says He Did Not Order Rebel Attack on Freetown; Calls Zig Zag Marzah A ?Liar?– September 29th

Impunity Watch – Taylor Denied More Allegations in Court – 27 September 2009