By Lindsey Brady

Impunity Watch, Africa

Sierra Leone is holding its first national election today since UN peacekeepers left the country two years ago.  The responsibility for running this election lies with the Sierra Leonean National Electoral Commission (NEC).  Close to 2.6 million people are registered to vote, about half of the population of Sierra Leone who are eligible.

Last election, organized by the UN, was held in 2002 immediately after the decade-long civil war had ended.  This election is seen as a test of whether or not Sierra Leonean security forces can maintain the peace.

Sierra Leone has been peaceful up to the elections, except for a few house burnings.  Since the elections began this morning long lines have formed at various polling stations in Freetown and people in the city are impatient to cast their ballots.  The voting has been described as peaceful in rural areas.  In general the voting has been running smoothly, except that a few polling stations have opened late and heavy rain last night caused a delay in delivering voting materials.  But overall “the process seems to be well-organi(z)ed and peaceful” according to Marie-Anne Isler, the chief EU observer.

There are seven candidates for the presidency and over 500 candidates for the 112 parliamentary seats.  President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah stepping down after serving two terms, amidst anger over a failure to supply jobs and possible corruption.  The two front-runners for presidency are considered to be Ernest Bai Koroma of the opposition All People’s Congress (APC) and current vice-president Solomon Berewa of ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP).  The presidential candidate must secure 55% of the vote to avoid a run-off.  If a run-off is necessary it will likely take place in early September.

There are international observers present for today’s elections, including a seven person team from the European Union.  The EU has awarded approximately $275 million (200 million Euro) to Sierra Leone for the period of 2007-2013 to rebuild under the European Development Fund.

Sierra Leone is still recovering slowly from the civil war.  Analysts warn that the conditions which fueled the war, like high unemployment and corruption, are once again prevalent.  The country remains very poor and the large youth population cannot find work, leaving them open to persuasion to join an offensive against the government.

Many remain optimistic.   NEC Chairwoman Christiana Thorpe believes that a successful election process “will indicate maturity in the democratic process and in self-governance.”  “Maybe now things are going to get better,” said Freetown resident Abubakar Kamara, before heading off to vote in the west of the city. “We must vote in peace and show the world that Sierra Leone is a peaceful country.”

Final tallies of today’s election are expected within the next 12 days.

For more information, please see:

BBC – Landmark Vote Begins in S Leone – 11 August 2007

Ireland.com – Ryan Joins Team of Election Observers – 11 August 2007

Guardian – Sierra Leone Holds Elections – 11 August 2007

Reuters – Sierra Leone Votes in Test of Post-War Recovery – 11 August 2007

AllAfrica – Sierra Leone: Elections “Will Indicate Maturity in the Democratic Process” – 10 August 2007

By Myriam Clerge

Impunity Watch, Africa

More than half a million people in Mozambique are in need of urgent food as the country faces a severe food shortage. The deputy director of Mozambique’s National Institute for Disaster Management (INGC), Joao Ribeiro, said the number of people facing famine is expected to rise from 520,000 to 600,000 between now and April 2008.

After a year of drought, cyclone Favio and flood, 30 percent of agriculture in southern and central Mozambique has diminished. Flooding killed 4700 people and left half a million homeless. Cyclone Favio displaced nearly 140,000 and malnutrition rate continue to rise in drought-hit regions.

The Mozambique government intends to find a national solution before requesting aid from the international community. According to the Territorial Administration Minister Lucas Chomera, one strategy is to take excess food from the northern region and redistribute them to the southern and central regions.

For more information please see:

Reuters – Mozambique faces food shortages left by floods – 09 August 2007

Yahoo – Over 520,000 people need urgent food aid in Mozambique – 09 August 2007

By Meryl White

Impunity Watch, Africa

In Northern Nigeria, eighteen men were arrested at a hotel and charged with sodomy. The men who had come together to celebrate a gay marriage, were arrested wearing women’s clothing as they prepared for the wedding. The arrests occurred in Bauchi city, the capital of a Muslim state which enforces Sharia law, a legal system based on “Islamic theory and philosophy of justice.” Prosecuting police officer Tadius Boboi believes that the eighteen men’s actions have broken Sharia law.

If the men are convicted of sodomy, their punishment will be death by stoning. In the past, Bauchi state has enforced the death penalty for three people who were convicted of sexual offenses. Moreover, another dozen Muslims have been sentenced to execution for adultery and homosexuality. However, none of these sentences were carried out due to prisoner appeals. Moreover, other executions were impeded as the result of pressure from international human rights organizations.

Presently, forty people in Bauchi state are awaiting amputation of one or both hands for theft convictions. Additionally, many Muslims have been sentenced to flogging by horsewhip for drinking alcohol.

In Nigeria, homosexuality is considered a taboo by society. Furthermore, the law treats same sex marriage and homosexuality as illegal. Recently, the Nigerian government has also been trying to pass a law introduced by former President Olusegun Obasanjo which would ban gay rights organizations. Gay rights activists and human rights groups have called for the rejection of this law.

For more information, please see:

Pink News – Nigerian Men Could Face Death Penalty for ‘Gay Marriage’ – 10 August 2007

AP – 18 Men Charged with Sodomy in a Nigerian Muslim Court Could Face Death if Convicted – 10 August 2007

BBC – Gay Nigerians Face Sharia Death – 10 August 2007

By Myriam Clerge

Impunity Watch, Africa

Islamist insurgents are being blamed for the death of a young girl and woman killed after a land mine exploded. The landmine marks the latest incident of attacks targeting a government convoy, official or building.

Francois Fall, the UN Somalia envoy, visited Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, where the National Reconciliation Conference has been in effect since July 15. The Conference, aimed at creating a peace process in Somalia, has been delayed twice due to attacks from Islamist insurgents who opposed the conference. Fall announced his support to the overall purpose of the Conference. Fall also promised that the UN and international community would provide whatever technical assistance is needed to maintain peace.

Fall further encouraged the chairman of the conference to allow all clans in Somalia to attend. Reports say that many of the key players in resolving the violence plaguing Somalia have not attended the Conference nor plan to attend. Some of the most prominent anti-government factions have boycotted the conference.

The most dominant clan in Mogadishu, the Hawiye, and Islamists were invited to attend the conference but rejected the invitation stating that they would not attend the conference until Ethiopian troops leave the country. The Ethiopians have stated that they will leave when the African Union (AU) peacekeeping force is big enough.

The AU has been unable to gain a foothold in the country. So far only 1,600 Ugandans are in Somalia as part of the AU force, Burundi which promised to send 2,000 troops has again delayed their deployment, and communication and transport equipments promised by the US and France have yet to arrive.

Without the key players, critics argue that very little has been resolved. One delegate at the conference has expressed his concern that if those who are fighting the government are not in attendance and not on board he sees nothing tangible will result from the conference. In fact, eight of the eleven point agenda has been discussed.

Despite criticism, the conference has seen some promising advances: elders of the five major clans exchanged copies of the Koran as symbol of forgiveness and the Somali government has promised to accept any resolution established by the conference.

For more information please see:

BBC – Burundi delays Somali deployment – 07 August 2007

Reuters – Somalis still talking, but peace elusive – 07 August 2007

YAhoo – U.N. envoy makes surprise Somalia visit – 07 August 2007

By Impunity Watch Africa

US legislators and activists are calling for the release of a key Sudan rebel leader and humanitarian coordinator who served as a link between relief organizations and insurgents.   Sudanese officials stated yesterday that they would release the leader, Suleiman Jamous, if they were given guarantees that he would not rejoin armed rebels in Darfur.   Many are skeptical that the government will abide by their pledge not to re-arrest Jamous.  However, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon is expected to be in Khartoum on Saturday, and it is likely that his presence would deter any action.

Jamous, aged 62, is suffering from abdominal bleeding and is in need of a colonoscopy and biopsy, according to a UN medical report.  Jamous was the humanitarian coordinator for the Sudan Liberation Army for three years before being arrested more than a year ago by rival rebel chief Minni Minawi.  Jan Pronk, then the UN special representative to Sudan, negotiated with Minawi to have Jamous moved to a UN medical facility in Kidugli, near Darfur, on June 24.  This was done on the understanding that he would be released in four days.  Sudanese officials then blocked UN requests for Jamous’ safe passage and have kept him under virtual house arrest with a military vehicle parked outside a hospital in Kordofan, since the UN moved him there without permission last year.

Many insist that Jamous’ presence and participation in the wake of peace talks in Arusha, Tanzania, is necessary to keep western rebel groups unified, which has proven to be a major challenge in the past months.   Eric Reeves, an academic who has written widely about Sudan, stated that Jamous’ presence “would be extremely important, and he can play a conciliatory role.  But it is just for that reason that [the] Khartoum [government] keeps him in prison.”  One of the biggest rebel groups, SLA-Unity, threatened to boycott the talks if Jamous was not allowed to attend, however they eventually relented.

American actress Mia Farrow, an advocate for peace in Sudan, wrote a letter to Sudanese President al-Bashir on Sunday offering herself as an alternative prisoner to Jamous.  In her appeal, Farrow wrote: “I am therefore offering to take Mr. Jamous’s place, to exchange my freedom for his in the knowledge of his importance to the civilians of Darfur and in the conviction that he will apply his energies toward creating the just and lasting peace that the Sudanese people deserve and hope for.”

For more information, please see:

Washington Post – Activists Urge Sudan to Release Key Rebel – 08 August 2007

AllAfrica – Rebels Unite for Talks, Key Leaders Still Absent – 06 August 2007

AllAfrica – Mia Farrow Offers Her Freedom for Darfur Rebel – 06 August 2007

CNN – Farrow Offers Jail Time for Rebel – 06 August 2007