By Myriam Clerge
Impunity Watch Reporter, Eastern and Southern Africa

EL ASHA, Somalia – The security situation in Somalia continues to hamper relief efforts. The presence of Ethiopian troops has only worsened the safety conditions and African Union soldiers along with Ugandan peacekeepers have been unable to stem the violence. Almost 6,000 people have been killed in fighting this year. After meeting with the UN Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes, President Abdullahi Yusuf and new Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein have agreed to place security as their number one priority.

Yesterday, even as Holmes and Somali officials were discussing the growing crisis, eight people were killed in Mogadishu and the town of Jowhar. Holmes repeated sentiments issued by UN head Ban Ki-Moon earlier this month, that UN peacekeepers would not be viable since they can only keep the peace, not create it.

According to the UN, roughly 60% of Mogadishu’s residents left their homes and the World Food Program (WFP) estimates it feeds 21,000 people a day. Last month, UN officials described the situation in Somalia as the worst humanitarian crisis in Africa and not much has changed since Holmes’ visit this week. If anything, the conditions are worse. This month alone, 200,000 people left their homes to escape the incessant violence.

During Holmes’ four-day visit, he stopped by Afgooye, located west of Mogadishu, where nearly 200,000 people are living in squalid camps on the side of the road. Seeing the dire conditions first-hand, Holmes urged more assistance for the world’s worst developing humanitarian crises.  Holmes concluded his visit to the Horn of Africa by calling on the international community and humanitarian agencies to respond to the Somali crisis and urging the Somali government to work with them.

Aid agencies have made attempts to combat the crisis but both sides, the government and insurgents, have made their efforts difficult. Insurgents have stolen loads of food and piracy has plagued the distribution process. The capital, Mogadishu, has many security checkpoints and aid agencies are stopped continuously and at times charged money. Furthermore, in October the mayor of Mogadishu, former warlord Mohamed Dheere, detained the head of the WFP for five days, causing WFP to temporarily suspend food distributions to at least 75,000 people.

For more information, please see:

BBC- UN Says Somalia needs more help – 3 December 2007

AllAfrica.com- UN- Atrocities Fuel Worsening Crisis in Horn of Africa – 3 December 2007

Reuters: Africa- UN aid chief appeals for more help for Somalia  – 3 December 2007

Yahoo News- UN aid chief urges Somalia action as new cabinet unravels – 3 December 2007

By Myriam Clerge
Impunity Watch Reporter, Eastern and Southern Africa

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – Yesterday, the UN Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs, John Holmes, concluded a one-week tour of the Horn of Africa, which included Somalia, Eritrea and Ethiopia. Holmes visit only reiterated the desperate and devastating conditions that are continuously issued in news reports. Somalia and Ethiopia’s Somali region, Ogaden, are in desperate humanitarian need, mainly the result of “serious international crimes.”

Conflict between the Ethiopian government and the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), a rebel movement that claims it is fighting for self-determination for the region, continue to mount. For several months the ONLF has urged the UN to investigate allegations of man-made famine and genocide. According to Human Rights Watch, governmental officials, such as Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, are ignoring the rampant violations of human rights. Reports and interviews by the humanitarian group has found that the Ethiopian troops are burning villages, sexually abusing women and girls, imposing trade and commercial blockages, and stealing livestock, a vital asset for the predominantly pastoralist community.

Despite such claims and the urge by Human Rights Watch for the UN to follow-up on the allegations, Holmes responded by passing the request to the Ethiopian government. After his visit to the region, Holmes said the humanitarian crisis in Ogaden is not catastrophic and could be averted, although 953,000 are in need of help. After meeting with Meles, Holmes received assurance from governmental officials that the needs of the people will be addressed.  Following the meeting, allegations were released that troops were employing terror tactics such as hanging civilians to crackdown on insurgents. The ONLF spokesman, Abdulrahman Mahdi, says Holmes visit was “stage-managed” by the government to hide the truth that 99% of the people in the country-side are starving and soldiers were killing people “like goats.”

Prime Minister Meles dismisses all claims of a humanitarian crisis, saying a crisis “didn’t exist. Doesn’t exist. Will not exist” in the region. The Ethiopian government accuses the ONLF of being terrorists funded by Eritrea, its rival and neighbor.

For more information, please see:

AllAfrica.com- UN- Atrocities Fuel Worsening Crisis in Horn of Africa – 3 December 2007

CNN- Ethiopians Says Soldiers Killing Villagers ‘Like Goats’ – 29 November 2007

AllAfrica.com – UN Presses Country t o Probe Ogaden Allegations – 30 November 2007

BBC- Ethiopia Assures No Ogaden Famine  – 28 November 2007

Yahoo News- Ethiopian Rebels Claim Army Hanging Civilians in Ogaden – 29 November 2007

KHARTOUM, Sudan – Gillian Gibbons, the British teacher jailed in Sudan last week for naming a class teddy bear Muhammad, was freed this morning after serving four of her fifteen day sentence.  The crime under Sudan’s Islamic Sharia law could have resulted in punishment of up to 40 public lashes, six months in prison, and a fine. 

Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir pardoned Gibbons after a meeting this morning with two British Muslims from the House of Lords.   A senior presidential adviser said al-Bashir insisted that Ms. Gibbons received a “fair trial” but that she was pardoned as a result of efforts by the British Muslim delegation.

Ms. Gibbons had been in custody for a total of eight days and was transferred to the British embassy in Khartoum.  In a statement made this morning, Ms. Gibbons said “I have great respect for the Islamic religion and would not knowingly offend anyone and I am sorry if I caused any distress.”   

For more information, please see:

BBC News – Teddy row teacher freed from jail – 3 December 2007

Guardian Unlimited – Briton Pardoned in Sudan Islam Insult – 3 December 2007

KHARTOUM, Sudan – Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir will meet with a British delegation on Monday to discuss a possible pardon for the teacher imprisoned in Sudan for allowing her students to name a teddy bear Muhammad.   

Gillian Gibbons was sentenced on Thursday to 15 days in jail and subsequent deportation for insulting Islam.  The following day hundreds of people protested what they viewed as a lenient sentence for a crime that can carry a punishment of up to six months in prison and 40 public lashings.  Following the demonstrations, Gibbons was transferred to a new secret location. 

The influential Council of Islamic Scholars in Sudan have protested a release of Gibbons, saying it would “wound the sensibilities of Muslims in Sudan.”  “If the government retracts this judgment … this would be a very bad precedent and it would have very bad consequences on the reputation of the state … not only in Sudan but also outside Sudan” said Council Spokesman al-Sheikh Mohammad Abdel Karim. 

For more information, please see:

International Herald Tribune – Sudan’s president to discuss possible pardon in bear-naming case – 2 December 2007

Guardian Unlimited – Teddy row peers to meet president – 2 December 2007

Christian Science Monitor – Teddy Trouble: Hopes Rise for British Teacher Jailed in Sudan – 2 December 2007

Canada.com – U.K. lawmakers to meet Sudan president over teacher – 2 December 2007

THE HAGUE, Netherlands – Last night the border deadline passed between Ethiopia and Eritrea. For several months, both Ethiopia and Eritrea have accused the other of violating the 2002 border resolution which ended the 1999-2000 war that took the lives of roughly 70,000 people. The United Nation decision granted the disputed town of Badme to Eritrea. The terms of the resolution required that the countries physically mark the boundary by the end of this month or the International Boundary Commission would draw it on maps themselves and let it stand.

As of last night, neither side agreed to an altered border decision. Therefore the commission issued a statement that the 2002 border it set “continues as the only valid legal description of the boundary”. The commission is now dissolved but a United Nations peacekeeping force (UNMEE) of 1,700 troops will remain in the area until 2008 since both sides have armed troops positioned in the demilitarized buffer zone.

The United Nations and the United States have urged both sides to exercise restraint and remain calm during these tense moments.

For more information please see:

BBC – Eritrea- Ethiopia Deadline Expires – 30 November 2007

Yahoo News – Ethiopia, Eritrea Can’t Agree on Border – 30 November 2007