By Jared Kleinman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

YAMBIO, Sudan – The Ugandan organization, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) continues to ransack, pillage and destroy villages in the Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and southern Sudan.  The LRA’s latest attack occurred August 29th resulting in 42 deaths, more than 60 wounded and over 24,000 displaced civilians mainly in Panyangor and Kongor.  Last month the UN humanitarian coordinator in Southern Sudan reported that the LRA’s attacks have resulted in over 2,000 people dead and more than 250,000 displaced people since January.

The LRA has increasingly moved from its new base in the DRC into adjacent Southern Sudan and the CAR displacing more and more people from their homes in what is now a multinational conflict.  The Lord’s Resistance Army, led by international fugitive Joseph Kony is notorious for abducting girls and boys to use as sex slaves and soldiers respectively. The attacks also include ransacking homes, churches and health facilities; stealing food, and killing innocent civilians.  These successive and constant attacks have caused widespread panic and fear as thousands remain stranded and even more vulnerable to future attacks.

David Gressley, Regional Coordinator for Southern Sudan at the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) explained that these inter-tribal conflicts are mainly over land boundaries and control over resources within those boundaries.  Though the conflict is over resources, there has been a “major increase in the number of civilians killed, particularly women and children. And it seems that the women and children are not just killed in crossfire but have been targeted,” said Gressley.

The erratic movements by Kony’s men are somewhat inexplicable and leave many questioning what his latest moves could be designed to reach.  David Matsanga, Kony’s former chief negotiator cannot understand the motives behind these expanding attacks.  “That’s why I’ve quit,” said Matsanga.  “Where Kony is fighting from is different from where I went to negotiate this agreement. I negotiated this agreement for the people of Uganda. If he is fighting, he is fighting for something that I don’t understand.”

Kony reportedly wants the International Criminal Court to drop his outstanding arrest warrant before he signs any treaty.  It has been speculated that his new rampage has been forged to create international pressures for new negotiations.  According to that theory he is killing more people so he can get his name cleared off the international crime docket.  The exact motives behind the LRA’s recent rampage remain unknown. What is clear is that the LRA has increased its areas of attack continuing to cause thousands to be displaced, scared and vulnerable in the Southern Sudan, Eastern DRC and Eastern CAR.

For more information, please see:

United Nations News Service – Senior UN Official Warns Of Deadly Dangers Facing South – 11 September 2009

Newstime Africa – Ugandan Rebel Group, LRA, Expands Its Terror Campaign – 28 August 2009

United Nations News Service – Ugandan Rebels Drive Thousands From Their Homes In Southern Sudan – 21 August 2009

By Jonathan Ambaye
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

NIAMEY, Niger–  Niger opposition leader Mahamadou Issouf risks becoming yet another alleged victim of Niger President Mamadou Tandja’s recent efforts to control those opposing his bid to change the country’s political structure.  In an attempt to secure his third term in office, President Tandja has made controversial political changes which include his current attempts to change the constitution and dissolving the country’s parliament.

Issouf the leader of the opposition party, The Niger Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS), was freed on bail while still facing corruption charges he believes to be politically motivated and a consequence of President Tandja’s “corrupt” agenda.   With legislative elections scheduled for October 20, Issouf and other opposition leaders believe Tandja will continue his assault on anyone who opposes his attempts to extend his office term by three years.  Another opposition leader who is an example of President Tandja’s political agenda is Marou Amadou.

Amadou is a Niger human rights defender and President of the United Front for the Safeguard of Democratic Gains. On August 10, 2009 he was detained by the Niger Judicial police and accused of an “offence against the security of the state.”  This charge comes a month after a television broadcast by a local news station of Amadou declaring the Niger army’s ability to go against the President’s illegal order that dissolved the parliament.  Amadou cites language in Article 13 of Niger’s Constitution that states, “no one shall be obliged to carry out an obviously illegal order.”  The same day of this broadcast Amadou was detained by the police.  Some of the charges brought against him included “provoking disobedience towards the defense and security forces,” plotting against the authority of the state” and undertaking to demoralize the armed forces.”  All of these charges can carry with them the penalty of capital punishment.

Many others like Amadou and Issouf, who oppose Tandja’s political agenda, are experiencing the same treatment by law enforcement.  Many believe that the number of arrests will only get higher as the election nears.

For more information, please see:

BBC – Niger Corruption Case “Political” – 15 September 2009

All Africa – Tandja Cracks Down on Opponents – 15 September 2009

All Africa – Mamadou Tandja Finally Opts for Dictatorship – 27 May 2009

FrontLine – Niger: Detention of Human Rights Defender Mr. Marou Amadou – 17 August 2009

By Jennifer M. Haralambides
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

MOGADISHU, Somalia – One of Somalia’s most wanted al-Qaeda militants was killed today when foreign special forces in helicopters attacked a car.

The wanted man is Kenya-born Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, who is 28 years-old.  He was wanted for the alleged building of the truck bomb that killed 15 people at a Kenyan hotel and for an attempted missile attack on an Israeli airline as it was leaving Kenya’s Mombasa airport in 2002.

A Somali government sources said the militant was in the car with other foreign insurgents from the al Shabaab rebel group when they were hit in the Barawe District, which is 150 miles south of the capital city, Mogadishu.  Washington says that the al Shabaab group is an al-Qaeda’s faction in Somalia.

It is still unclear exactly who is responsible for this attack.  Foreign nations have conducted air-strikes in the past to capture or kill suspected militants. A United States official claimed that the U.S. special forces carried out this attack early in the morning on Washington time, and that they believed the operation was a success.  The U.S. is not new to air-strikes as U.S. missiles killed reputed al-Qaeda commander Aden Hashi Ayro last year.

Earlier reports said troops wore uniforms with French insignia and that the helicopters took off from a nearby warship flying a French flag, although a French military spokesman denied his country’s forces were in any way involved.

“There was no French operation,” said spokesman for the armed forces’ general staff, Admiral Christophe Prazuck.

Witness said that solders dragged away two men, and two bodies were left in the road after the attack.

Although Nabhan has long been on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Most Wanted list, the Pentagon has declined to comment on “any alleged operation in Somalia.”

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera – ‘Foreign Troops’ Strike Shabab Car – 14 September 2009

AP – Witnesses: Foreign Troops Kill 2 in Somali Town – 14 September 2009

BBC – Foreign Troops Launch Somali Raid – 14 September 2009

Reuters – Helicopter Raid Kills Wanted Militant in Somalia – 14 September 2009

By Jennifer M. Haralambides
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

HARARE, Zimbabwe –  The European Union (EU) delegation visit to Zimbabwe declares that more needs to be done before the relationship between the EU and Zimbabwe can be normalized.

Although meetings with President of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai went well, there needs to be more progress regarding human-rights abuses, freedom of the media, and the implementation of the Global Political Agreement (GPA).

Gunilla Carlsson, Swedish International Development Minister, said that the targeted sanctions against Zimbabwe would not be lifted until the human rights issues were resolved.

The European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Karel de Gucht said that the EU fully supports the efforts of the unity government partners to reach an agreement.  He says that Mr. Mugabe told the delegation that he is committed to the GPA.

“We also think we can come to completion if both sides agree on benchmarks; on a road map, also how to come to on the one hand full completion of the GPA and on the other hand normalization of the relations between Zimbabwe and the European Union. But we are doing this in good spirits,” said de Gucht.

The GPA was signed a year ago by Mugabe, Tsvangirai, and Arthor Mutambabra.  Tsvangirai is the leader for the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and Mutambabra leads the breakaway faction of the MDC.  Since the signing, there have been many delays in the implementation of the deal.

Prime Minister Tsvangirai blames President Mugabe for these delays, saying that he is not doing enough on his part to have the sanctions lifted, which are blocking their relationship with the EU.

At a rally marking the 10th anniversary of the MDC party, Tsvangirai said he would not stand by as Mugabe, “continues to violate the law, persecutes our members of parliament, spreads the language of hate, invades or productive farms . . . ignores our international treaties.”

This particular visit by de Gught and Carlsson were the first EU visits since the EU began the targeted sanctions in 2002 against members of Mugabe’s government for alleged human rights violations.

For more information, please see:

BBC – Zimbabwe’s PM Alleges Persecution – 13 September 2009

The Vancouver Sun – Tsvangirai Criticizes Mugabe Party During EU Visit – 13 September 2009

VOA – EU Says Normalization of Relations With Europe Up to Zimbabwe – 13 September 2009

The Independent – EU Won’t Let Mugabe Off – 14 September 2009