By Samantha Netzband 

Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa 

JUBA, South Sudan– Foreign aid workers were gang raped by South Sudanese soldiers in the bathroom of a hotel in Juba.  The attack that happened on July 11th is being called a turning point for foreign aid workers in the country that was considered safe until the attack.  Calls for help were made to a United Nations compound that was nearby, but there was no response.

The Terrain Hotel where the foreign aid workers were hiding before they were attacked.  (Photo Courtesy of NPR)

“The soldiers just came to the bathroom where all the girls were hiding and they just picked us out of the bathroom one by one,” says one women who was at the hotel.  Despite the violence from the civil war this unusual attack has created shock waves in the humanitarian aid community.  Some organizations are evacuating their staff while others are reducing their activities in the area.

The United Nations were not the only one’s who did not show up to save the aid workers.  The trapped aid workers also called the United States Embassy and private security firms.  The reported reason for their failure was the fact that the streets were too dangerous from clashes that were happening outside the hotel.

The aid workers were eventually rescued, but only after 5 of them had been raped for hours.  Many civilians have also reported being raped in South Sudan.  Some of these civilians were raped while under United Nations Peacekeepers watch.  The international attention brought to the gang rape of aid workers may force change that works to prevent the further spread of sexual and gender based violence in South Sudan.  While the gang rapes were happening, over 300 people were killed during 4 days of fighting.

For more information, please see: 

New York Times Live – Shock in South Sudan as foregin aid workers gang raped by soldiers – 24 August 2016

News Deeply – Aid Worker Attacks Expose Ongoing Assault of Women in South Sudan – 24 August 2016 

NPR – Gang Rape of Aid Workers In South Sudan Is A Turning Point – 23 August 2016

By Samantha Netzband

Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo—  30 civilians were killed by the Ugandan extremest group the Allied Defense Forces (ADF) in Beni, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.  The civilians were killed in the Rwangoma neighborhood of Beni which sits in an area of the Democratic Republic of Congo that has seen an increase of civilian murders since 2014.

Crosses at the site of the killing of 30 civilians.  (Photo Courtesy of BBC)

The killings are in response to increased military activity in the area.  The ADF has been involved in a number of illegal acts including drug smuggling and civilian killings.  They along with other militant groups are active around Beni and the rest of Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo because of the areas proximity to the vast Virunga National Park.

Locals came out to protest after the latest killings.  Human rights activist Jackson Kasereka said that residents were burning tires in the street in protest.

For further information, please see: 

Africa News – Suspected Uganda militia over 30 people in Eastern DR Congo – 14 August 2016

BBC – DR Congo rebels blamed for 30 civilian deaths – 14 August 2016

France 24 – About 30 civilains have been killed in a massacre in an area of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo that has been shaken by violence since 2014, the army said Sunday – 14 August 2016

Yahoo – DR Congo ‘massacre’ leaves 36 dead in troubled east – 14 August 2016

By Samantha Netzband

Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

JUBA, South Sudan –Dozens of women have been sexually assaulted by government soldiers at a United Nations camp in South Sudan. The camp has over 30,000 displaced persons. Those attacked were Nuer women who had sought shelter from the continued fighting in South Sudan.  Many have been injured and two women have died from their injuries.

Young girls at the UN Camp in Juba, South Sudan.  (Photo Courtesy of the New York Times)

It is reported that many United Nations Peacekeepers witnessed the attacks and did nothing to stop them.  Both the South Sudanese government and the United Nations did not deny the assaults that happened; and, Chantal Persaud, a spokesman for the United Nations in South Sudan, said there was at least one incident where United Nations Peacekeepers stood by and watched.  South Sudanese soldiers were allowing the women to leave the camp to gather food and perform other tasks and then attacking the women when they returned to the camp.  The rapes included gang rapes of underage women of more than 10 men each.  The assaults may also be racially motivated many of the soldiers who are assaulting the Neur women are members of the Dinka ethnic group which is diametrically opposed of the Neur group.

The United Nations has now made a statement saying that if the United Nations Peacekeepers stood by and watched as the women were assaulted there will be severe consequences.  United Nations Peacekeepers are deployed to protect civilians and are even allowed to use lethal force if necessary.  The United Nations has increase security in the camp in order to prevent further attacks from happening.

For more information, please see: 

All Africa – South Sudan: Report: Soldiers Raped Women Outside UN Camp – 28 July 2016

Breitbart – South Sudan: Soldiers Rape UN Camp Girls by the Dozen While Peacekeepers Watch – 27 July 2016

New Europe – Dozens Raped near UN Camp in South Sudan – 28 July 2016

New York Times –  Dozens of women have reportedly been assaulted and raped at U.N. camp in South Sudan – 28 July 2016

By Samantha Netzband

Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

LILONGWE, Malawi – 57 children were rescued from alleged traffickers in South Africa.  Three Malawi men had taken the 57 from Malawi to South Africa in a truck.  The children were discovered when South African authorities opened the truck up and two children fell out.  Officers pulled over the truck in the north west providence after it was speeding.  The children inside were all undocumented and ranged in age from 11 to 21; 18 were girls and 39 were boys.

The 57 children that were rescued and the truck they were transported in (Photo Courtesy of Nyasa Times)

The three men accused of trafficking the children appeared in Rustenburg Regional Magistrate’s Court on 57 counts of human trafficking.  Their case is postponed until September 13th.  The children were taken to the Department of Social Development and will be under the care of the department until things can be sorted out.

This isn’t the first time that officers have the stopped the endangerment of children in the area.  About a week ago in an area east of Johannesburg officers rescued 16 girls between the ages of 15 and 18 from prostitution.  In the case of the 57 children it was unclear the reason the children were being trafficked.  Officers equated the children’s transportation as similar to goats.

South African authorities will be working with their Malawi counterparts in order to further investigate the three men responsible for the transportation of the 57 children.

For further information, please see:

Eyewitness News – 57 Children Rescued from Suspected Human Traffickers– 26 July 2016

Nyasa Times – 57 kids trafficked from Malawi found at back of window-less delivery truck: Rescued in South Africa – 27 July 2016

Times Live – Police Rescue 57 Children Trafficked from Malawi – 26 July 2016

By: Samantha Netzband

Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

LUSAKA, Zambia—A campaign ban has been put into effect in the Zambian cities of Lusaka and Nawala by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).  The ban comes after a political rally for the United Party for National Development (UPND) turned violent on July 8^th.  A police order was issued against the rally being held, but it proceeded as planned anyways.  Police opened fire on UPND protesters when the situation became violent. One person has died as a result of the protest and a number of others are injured.  The suspension of campaigning includes “public rallies, meetings, procession, or door to door campaigns.”

 

Campaign rally in Zambia. (Photo Courtesy of Today)

 

The United Party for National Development along with the Patriotic Front are cited as being the center of the violence by creating tension as the August elections draw nearer.  Hakainde Hichilema, the leader of the UPND, says that the cancellation of campaign events is meant to save face for the current President of Zambia Edgar Lungu, a member of the Patriotic Front.  Hichilema believes that Lungu was experiencing low turnout at his campaign events.

Human rights activists are calling on members of law enforcement to take the campaign break as a time to reflect on the alleged poor treatment of the United Party for National Development.  Activists claim that the UPND has had trouble getting permits for rallies.  Police have already promised to make an inquiry into the death of the one protester.

Forum for Democracy & Development (FDD) party member Antonio Mwanza, who is running for MP, says that the parties inciting the violence should be punished: “What ECZ should do is punish the violent candidates and parties as opposed to inconveniencing some of us who have been peaceful; us who have nothing to do with the madness of violence.”

Despite the ban on in-person campaigning, campaign activities via electronic and print media will still be allowed.  However, these communications will be monitored for hate speech.  Normal campaign activities will start back up on July 18^th after a review of the the political situation. In the interim, all campaign vehicles will remain parked.parked and campaign activities will not happen in hopes of stopping the political violence.

For more information, please see: 

All Africa – ECZ Impose 10 Day Ban On Campaigns in Lusaka and Namwala – 10 July 2016

Daily Mail – Zambia Elections Body Halts Campaigning in Capital Over Violence – 10 July 2016

Sun Daily – Zambia Suspends Election Campaigning Over Violence – 10 July 2016

Today – Zambia Electoral Body Suspends Campaigns – 10 July 2016

Zambia Daily – FDD Decries Campaign Ban – 10 July 2016