Africa

Female suicide bomber kills nearly a dozen in Nigerian city; wounds over thirty others

By Ashley Repp 

News Desk Reporter- Africa

Damaturu, Nigeria-

This past Sunday afternoon, a female bomber, who witnesses assert looked about sixteen years of age, arrived at the city’s crowded market area in a car, and made her way into the crowds.  Local time was about 1 P.M., a busy shopping time on Sundays.  The unidentified female went to a crowded area, positioned herself, and then detonated the bomb that she was wearing underneath her clothes.  With this detonation, the bomber killed at least ten people, and wounded over thirty others in the surrounding area.

Dematuru
Photo Courtesy of BBC News

Witnesses say that after the bomb was detonated, the crowd at the market descended into panic.  Authorities were unable to collect and remove the remains of the female bomber, as a crowd had begun to collect her body parts and light them on fire.

Though no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, Sunday’s bombing bears what some say are the “hallmarks” of a Boko Haram attack.  In the past year, Boko Haram, the Islamic militant group that wishes to install an Islamic state in Nigeria, has increasingly used female bombers to carry out planned attacks.  This attack shares many of the similarities of the previous attacks carried out this year, leading authorities to suspect Boko Haram’s involvement.

Boko Haram has played a key role in destabilizing northern Nigeria with the intent of establishing an Islamic state.  The group has launched previous attacks on Damaturu.  Currently, the violence has begun to spill over into neighboring countries, including Chad, Cameroon, and Niger.  These states, along with Nigeria, have agreed to establish a regional military apparatus that will serve to combat and subdue Boko Haram.

The violence and instability have also pushed officials in Nigeria to postpone the presidential election until March 28th, 2015.  Many Nigerians, investors, as well as states in the international community question President Goodluck’s ability to adequately address and combat Boko Haram, and fear that further instability is likely to arise.  Goodluck’s rival in the presidential election is Muhammadu Buhari.  Many believe that he will take a harder line on security issues, and is better equipped to address the threat of Boko Haram due to his successful quelling of an Islamic uprising in the 1980’s.

 

For more information, please visit:

BBC News- Suicide bomber kills seven in Nigerian city of Damaturu– 15 Feb., 2015

Al Jazeera- Female suicide bomber kills ten in Nigeria’s Damaturu-15 Feb., 2015

The New York Times- Female suicide bomber kills ten in a Nigerian region racked by Islamist violence– 15 Feb., 2015

Reuters- Female suicide bomber kills ten in Nigerian bus station– 15 Feb., 2015

Somali Member of Parliament Killed In Mogadishu Ahead Of Cabinet Vote

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Immunity Watch, Managing Editor

MOGADISHU, Somalia – Al-Shabab fighters have shot and killed Abdulahi Qayad Barre, a member of Somalia’s Parliament in Mogadishu. “Abdulahi Qayad Barre was shot dead, men killed him as he left his house to go to parliament,” fellow Member of Parliament Abdukarim Hajji announced on Monday. The killing is the latest in a string of assassinations of politicians in the war-torn nation of Somalia. At least five Members of Parliament were assassinated in 20014, Barre was the first to have been assassinated in 2015. The al-Shabab rebels, an al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist organization, are fighting to overthrow the country’s internationally-backed government. The fighters claim they are targeting members of the Somali Parliament because they allowed the deployment of foreign troops in Somalia through the African Union’s peacekeeping mission known as AMISOM. Uganda, Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya and Ethiopia have contributed troops to the region.

Somalia Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke during a ceremony in the capital Mogadishu, December 17, 2014 (Photo courtesy of Reuters)

“Shebab commandos shot and killed Barre, and all the so-called MPs are a legitimate target subject to be killed or captured, to face the justice of Allah,” al-Shabab spokesman Sheikh Abdul Aziz Abu Musab said. “This [is] the fate of all non-believers.” Al-Shabab’s recent attacks in Somalia have targeted key government and security facilities in an attempt to discredit claims by the government and by African Union troops that they are winning the war.

The assassination occurred amid heightened security as lawmakers gathered to vote on whether to approve a new cabinet, after parliament first rejected the new prime minister’s last list of candidates. Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke was named prime minister in December.

Somalia’s parliament approved the new cabinet on Monday despite the assassination. The approval is considered a pivotal step in preparing Somalia to vote on a new constipation and hold presidential elections in 2016. Western donors have put considerable pressure on the Somali government to adopt a new cabinet. “The new cabinet now has little time left to deliver against the priorities that the Somali government set out in Vision 2016 and that formed the basis for international support,” European Union envoys said in a joint statement.

The United States department of State welcomed the announcement from the Somali government. “The United States welcomes the February 9 parliamentary confirmation of Somalia’s Council of Ministers. As the new Council of Ministers assumes office, we urge the Federal Government of Somalia to make swift progress in the important work that remains to realize its Vision 2016, including a constitutional referendum and national elections, a state department statement said. “Somalia’s progress toward realizing the peacebuilding, governance, and security goals is of critical importance to the people of Somalia and the broader region. The United States is committed to supporting the government and people of Somalia. We look forward to strengthening our partnership with the Somali Government and people as they work to stabilize and rebuild their country.”

For more information please see:

United States Department Of State – Confirmation of New Somalia Council of Ministers – 10 February 2015
Al Jazeera – Somalia Lawmaker Shot Dead in Mogadishu – 9 February 2015
Reuters – Al Shabaab Militants Kill Another Somali Lawmaker in Mogadishu – 9 February 2015
Reuters – Somali Parliament Approves Cabinet after Weeks of Wrangling – 9 February 2015

 

Nigeria to Postpone Presidential Elections Citing fight Against Boko Haram

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Managing Editor

ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigeria’s electoral commission has announced that it will postpone Nigeria’s presidential and legislative elections, which were initial scheduled to be held on February 14, 2015, for six weeks to give a new multinational force time to secure northeastern areas under the heavy attack from Boko Haram, an official close to the commission told said on Saturday. Millions of Nigerian voters could be disenfranchised if next week’s elections went ahead while Boko Haram continues to hold large swaths of the northeast region of the country and continues commit attacks against civilian populations which have driven 1.5 million people from their homes.

Supporters of the Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan, gather at a rally in Yenagoa, Nigeria. (Photo courtesy of the Guardian)

Electoral officials reportedly met with political parties Saturday, asking for their views on a postponement requested by the national security adviser, politician Bashir Yusuf told reporters saying the adviser argued the military will be unable to provide adequate security for the elections because of operations in the northeast.

A postponement in the elections will also allow for more time for electoral officials more time to deliver 30 million voter cards. The commission had previously stated that the non-delivery of cards to nearly half of Nigeria’s 68.8 million registered voters was not a good enough reason to delay the elections.

Civil rights groups staged a small protest on Saturday in opposing any proposed postponement of the elections. Police reportedly prevented demonstrators from entering the electoral commission headquarters in the nation’s capital, Abuja. Armed police blocked roads leading to the government building. Officials in President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration have previously called for postponement of the elections. Jonathan’s party has won every election since the end of military dictatorship in Nigeria in 1997 but the failure of the military stop the Islamic uprising, which has grown over the past 5 years, coupled with growing corruption and an economy hit hard by the recent dive in international oil prices have hurt Goodluck Jonathan, the head of state of Africa’s largest oil producer and most populous nation.

Any postponement in the vote is opposed by an opposition coalition which has fielded the former military dictator, Muhammadu Buhari, in this year’s elections. The coalition opposes the postponement despite the act that it is expected to win most votes in the northeast region of the country. Analysts say the vote is too close to call and believe it is the closest election since the end of military dictatorship in 1999.

Supporters of both candidates are threatening violence if their candidate does not prevail in the elections. An estimated 800 people were killed in riots in the majority Muslim northern regions of Nigeria after Buhari, a Muslim, lost the 2011 elections to Jonathan, a Christian from the southern region of the country.

For more information please see:

ABC News – Nigeria Postponing Feb. 14 Vote Amid Boko Haram Violence – 7 February 2015

The Boston Globe – Nigeria Postpones Elections amid Violence – 7 February 2015

The Guardian – Nigeria To Postpone Elections To Fight Boko Haram – 7 February 2015

Al Jazeera America – The Real Reason Nigeria Should Delay Elections – 5 February 2015

African Leaders call on International Criminal Court to drop against Omar al-Bashir and William Ruto

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Managing Editor

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – African leaders have called on the International Criminal Court to  drop or suspend charges against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto until African concerns about the court and proposals to amend the court’s founding treaty are considered. President Bashir is accused of failing to respond to summons to answer to charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, and has evaded arrest the issuance of an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court. Deputy President Ruto is currently on trial, facing charges of crimes against humanity for post-election violence that occurred in Kenya in 2007-08 in which more than 1,000 people were killed and more than 600,000 were displaced. Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta has argued that the case against Ruto is very weak. Kenyatta himself faced charges for crimes against humanity, but the charges were dropped by the court in December of last year. Kenyatta and Ruto were on opposing sides of the postelection violence but ultimately joined forces to lead the country in the March 2013 polls.

Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir arrives for the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) summit, held on the before the African Union summit, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Photo courtesy of The Washington Post)

African leaders made the call at the African Union Summit in Ethiopia on Saturday. The theme of this year’s summit is: “2015 Year of women’s Empowerment and Development towards Africa’s Agenda 2063.” African Union Summit brings together all the African States except Morocco which is not a member of the union. The world will be watching to see how the African Union will handle the ICC agenda and continue to respond to cases against African leaders. Some fear that the African Union members could take the drastic move of exiting the Rome Statute regime.

During Jamhuri Day celebrations in Kenya last year, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who has led Uganda since 1986m threatened to introduce a motion during the African Union Simmit co call on African states to move out of the Rome Statute treaty regime en-masse.

The African Union has faced heavily criticism from human rights groups for calling for a halt to ICC cases against African leaders, saying by doing this the African Union encourages impunity. Last year, the AU passed a resolution not to allow a sitting head of state or deputy to be prosecuted at the International Criminal Court. Some African States have been criticized for failing to respect the legitimacy of the International Criminal Court and the Rome Statute by failing to arrest President Bashir who has freely traveled to some African States.

For more information please see:

Jurist – ICC should drop cases against Bashir, Ruto: African leaders – 1 February 2015

The Washington Post – African leaders to court: Drop cases against top Africans – 1 February 2015

United Nations News Centre – In Addis Ababa, senior UN officials pledge ongoing cooperation with Africa on all fronts vital – 30 January 2015

Capital News Kenya – Uhuru heads to Addis for African Union summit – 29 January 2015

 

CAR Government Rejects Militias’ Ceasefire Deal

By Ashley Repp

News Desk Reporter, Africa

 

Bangui- Central African Republic

For over a year, the Central African Republic has been in a state of turmoil, chaos, and religious conflict.  In 2013, the Seleka group, a primarily Muslim militant organization, overthrew the government, and installed their choice of president, Djotodia.  The country’s first Muslim president, Djotodia stepped down in January 2014 in response to international pressure.  Djotodia was criticized for his inability to quell the violence and tension that had begun to spiral out of control in CAR in 2013.  Crimes included widespread rape and murder.  Compounding the issue, poverty was severe and widespread as well.

CAR ceasefire
President Catherine Samba-Panza- Photo courtesy Voices of America

 

An interim government, with President Catherine Samba-Panza at the helm, stepped in an effort to attempt, once more, to ease the violence.  Despite these efforts, the Seleka group and the anti-Balaka Christian group, have been struggling against one another, further thrusting the unstable CAR into crisis.  As a result, significant and widespread murder, poverty, and instability have dominated the lives of many CAR citizens.  Nearly a quarter of the population has fled in an effort to avoid the violence.

On Friday of last week, heads of both the Seleka group and the anti-Balaka group, met in Kenya to conduct a meeting on the possibility of a cease-fire.  This appears to be one of the first sincere ceasefire agreements between the two groups.  Previous peace talks have been low level and unsuccessful.  Though the details of the engagement are currently unknown, the two groups drafted an ‘accord,’ which calls for a ceasefire between the warring factions that have led to thousands of lives lost.

Despite the efforts of these groups to agree to a ceasefire arrangement, the CAR official interim government refuses to acknowledge the validity of the agreement between the Seleka and the anti-Balaka.  The government is refusing to acknowledge the accord, asserting that the agreement has no legal or functional basis, as it was agreed to and drafted outside of the scope of the official government and had not relationship to government peace talks and efforts.  In fact, government officials have candidly expressed their opposition to the validity of this accord, contending that it is nothing more than an arrangement between two groups that have terrorized, and held hostage, the CAR since 2013.

For more information, please visit:

VOA- Central African Republic’s government rejects militias’ cease-fire accord– 29 Jan. 2015

Reuters- Central African Republic government says rejects ceasefire deal- 29 Jan. 2015

BBC News- Central African Republic factions announce ceasefire deal- 24 Jul, 2014

Daily Mail- Central African militias agree ceasefire days mediator– 28 Jan. 2015