By Ryan Aliman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

 KHARTOUM, Sudan – According to a press release by the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) the Sudanese national security service reportedly detained and tortured student protesters last week.

 

Members of the national security service arrested high school students in Nyala, a city in South Darfur. Although a number of these students were released a week after they were brought to custody, they claim that they were tortured and beaten up.

According to some of the students, the security officers would burn them with electric shocks using water and car batteries — a torture method they referred to as “water fire”. Officers would also use acid to burn their skin, leaving permanent marks on their bodies. Other protesters said that they were were hung upside down from the roof while being verbally insulted.

On the day the national security service released the students, the agency allegedly threatened to kill the demonstrators’ relatives if they pressed charges. One source mentioned that the security officers told them, “no one can counter us and have us arrested.”

The government denied the allegations. Instead, it insisted that the detention of the students was necessary primarily because they stole money and documents from an office located in the Hay al-Emtidad neighborhood in Nyala. Some of these documents are said to be confidential in nature; thus, would have compromised national security had these been exposed to the public.

Families of the detainees, however, believe a different reason behind the arrests and torture. When interviewed by Radio Dabanga, they said that “the real motive of the students’ arrest was because they were accused of participating in the Nyala protests during the Ramadan holiday this year, and not for stealing, as claimed by the security services.”

Students have also become frequent targets of police arrests recently due to the escalating number of student protests at the Nyala University. On Thursday, Islamist students and students supporting Sudan’s Liberation Movement led by Minni Minawi (SLM-MM) caused a riot at the university premises. Since then, not only did the university ban several student activities indefinitely, it also suspended classes in all faculties for one week.

Lawyers, activists and Nyala residents have condemned the “brutal” treatment the national security service gave the students. “The security bodies can’t continue to use this approach when dealing with protesters, as it is not acceptable after the Arab spring. The regime can’t be isolated from the demands of its people, the right to expression and demonstrations. The ANHRI rejects the repression and assassination of demonstrators, in addition to threats against the protesters’ relatives if they file reports,” said the ANHRI last week. In addition, the human rights agency called for an immediate investigation by the Sudanese government “to hold those responsible accountable and ensure justice.”

 

For further information, please see:

Radio Dabanga – Student detained by Nyala security services – 29 November 2012

International Freedom of Expression Exchange – Security forces in Sudan torture high school demonstrators – 28 November 2012

All Africa – Sudan: Nyala University Suspends Classes and Bans Student Activities – 26 November 2012

All Africa – Sudan: Students From Rival Parties Riot in Nyala – 23 November 2012

All Africa – Sudan: Students Reportedly Tortured in Nyala – 17 November 2012

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information – Torture with Acid Water: NISS tortures high school students in Nyala – 16 November 2012

By Ryan Aliman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

 JUBA, South Sudan – The Jonglei area of South Sudan is currently in a state of humanitarian emergency due to the ongoing ethnic bloodshed, according to international aid group, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) or Doctors Without Borders.

 

In a report published on Tuesday, the MSF called attention to the “devastating impact” of the ongoing violence on the lives and health of tens of thousands of people living in South Sudan’s Jonglei state.

The MSF special report, “South Sudan’s Hidden Crisis”, noted that civilians have become targets of attacks that are mainly caused by inter-communal, cattle rustling, fighting between government and rebels and a government disarmament process.

Based on the findings of the MSF, women and children make up more than 50 percent of the gunshot injury victims treated by the MSF teams. One of their patients recalled her experience last March where she witnessed children thrown into a fire. “If the child can run, they will shoot them with the gun; if they are small and cannot run, they will kill them with a knife,” she told the humanitarian agency. Children as young as four months old are among the victims, according to the report.

Cases of violence are also likely to increase as the dry season approaches.

“What we are seeing is an emergency; the lives and health of Jungle’s population are hanging by a thread. The dry season is now upon us, making movement around the area possible again, and we fear a further spike in violence, injury and displacement,” said Chris Lockyear, the MSF’s Operational Manager.

The violent clashes between South Sudan army, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and a militia group in Jonglei have also caused massive displacement and insecurity in the region. Entire communities fled their homes to escape the conflict and to seek refuge in safer towns. Due to lack of shelter, food and safe drinking water, however, they have become susceptible to diseases like malaria, pneumonia, malnutrition and diarrhea.

Another problem pointed out by the MSF report is that healthcare facilities have likewise been targeted. Hospitals and clinics are usually looted and destroyed.

As it highlighted the gravity of the humanitarian crisis Jonglei’s population faces, the MSF called on the South Sudan government, the UN, donors and other humanitarian organizations for support “to ensure that there is adequate emergency response capacity.”

“Today we are sharing the medical consequences as our teams see them on the ground,” added Lockyear. “Jonglei is in the grip of an emergency. MSF remains committed to providing neutral and impartial healthcare in Jonglei, however we fear there may be even more medical needs among people who cannot reach our clinics – due to sheltering in the bush or for fear of travelling to seek care. MSF calls on all armed groups to respect medical humanitarian facilities and staff.”

 

For further information, please see:

All Africa – South Sudan: Juba Unveils Water Project to Mitigate Conflicts in Jonglei – 28 November 2012

All Africa – South Sudan: Silent Violence of Hidden Crisis in Jonglei – 27 November 2012

CBS News – Aid group raises concern on South Sudan violence – 27 November 2012

Doctors Without Borders – South Sudan: Displacement and Destruction of Health Facilities in Jonglei State – 27 November 2012

Doctors Without Borders – South Sudan’s Hidden Crisis – 26 November 2012

 

By Heba Girgis
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

YAMOUSSOUKRO, Ivory Coast—Thousands of people in the Ivory Coast recently began to flee their homes after continuous land conflicts and residual tension left from last year’s violence after the elections. This information was reported from the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center. The Center noted that 24,000 people were displaced just this year. Further, an additional 40,000 to 80,000 are still displaced from the conflict, according to what was called “conservative estimates” by the Monitoring Center.

Just last year, the nation was pushed almost to the brink of a civil war after the disputed presidential elections that were meant to unite the divided country after an earlier conflict. The former President of the country, Laurent Gbagbo, is now on trial at the International Criminal Court for war crimes, even though both sides of the conflict are accused of committing a number of atrocities. The Hague has accused the former President of crimes against humanity after Gbagbo used security forces to terrorize citizens in Abidjan. More than 3,000 people were killed and an uncounted number of individuals were raped and mistreated.

The United Nation’s assistant secretary-general for human rights, Ivan Simonovic, mentioned that he was in the Ivory Coast in order to discuss the security situation with the nation’s authorities. He said, “I hope to discuss with governmental authorities, civil society, the victims and other actors what needs to be done to prevent a deterioration of the situation, to strengthen the protection of civilians, prevent further atrocities and improve the human rights situation in general.”

In June of this year, the United Nation’s peacekeeping mission in the Ivory Coast reported that its own forces were attacked by a number of unidentified assailants while patrolling along the Liberian border. Members of the mission said that an undetermined number of Ivory Coast citizens were killed as well as seven members of the United Nation’s peacekeeping unit.

The Monitoring Center has called for efforts to protect against future crises that might displace more Ivory Coast citizens as well as to help those who are still displaced to return to their homes and to their land. Elizabeth Rushing, the Monitoring Center’s West African analyst said, “For the vast majority of internally displaced people, who are reliant on their land to survive, these (land) restrictions have devastating consequences.” She also added that “many simply di not have enough to feed their families.”

 

For further information, please see:

Bellingham Herald – Reports: Thousands Continue to Flee Ivory Coast – 28 November 2012

San Antonio Express – Thousands Continue to Flee Homes in Ivory Coast – 28 November 2012

UPI – UN Assessing Situation in Ivory Coast – 28 November 2012

New York Times – Ivory Coast Update – 30 November 2011

By Ryan Aliman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

HARARE, Zimbabwe – Civic society organisations (CSOs) refused to accept an offer of funds from Mines Minister Obert Mpofu on the ground that this might prevent them from making the government accountable for its diamond revenues.

During a review meeting of this month’s international diamond conference in Victoria Falls, Minister Mpofu said that most of the CSO’s who criticized the country’s diamond industry were being funded by “hostile governments” and were against “national interests”.

He suggested that members of the civil society would be more approving of and cooperative with the Zimbabwean government if they were brought “on board on all issues” and a budget was prepared for them. “One who pays the piper calls the tune,” Minister Mpofu said.

“We can say all diamond producers should set aside a small levy of about 1 percent for the NGOs. As a matter of principle, to make progress we will consider some allocation from the diamond producers towards the civil society. The permanent secretary and his colleagues will work on that and I will persuade the diamond producers,” he added.

However, Minister Mpofu’s statement was met with immediate dissent and criticism from various civil society groups.

Farai Maguwu, director of a new minerals watchdog, Center for Natural Resources Governance, said accepting 1 percent of all diamond sales will “compromise [the CSO’s] neutrality.” Maguwu asserted that civil society groups need to protect and maintain their independence to be able to “criticize and pressure” the government to account for its diamond mining activities.

Other CSO’s described Minister Mpofu’s offer as an “obvious bribe”.

Centre for Community Development activist Phillip Pasirayi shot down Mpofu’s proposal saying, “we as civil society utterly reject this offer. Mpofu should be educated enough to know that civil society cannot be forced into being part of the ZANU PF patronage system. We demand accountability and we demand transparency.”

Pasirayi also questioned the motive behind Mpofu’s offer. According to him, why would the government allot diamond proceeds for civic activists “when the money is so desperately needed by other sectors of society.”

“The cash generated from diamonds should go into social services, and infrastructural development, and improving access to medical care and basic service. That is where the money should go,” Pasirayi advised.

Minister Mpofu did not take these responses well. Days after the Victoria Falls Diamond Conference, Minister Mpofu accused the CSO’s for “deliberately peddling falsehoods” and “malicious reports” on Zimbabwe’s diamond industry.

During the breakfast meeting organized by the Mines Ministry in Harare, he regarded the civic activists as “a bunch of individuals masquerading as representatives of the people” determined to undermine the government through “unjustified vilification” of the diamond industry.

“Let me warn our colleagues in civil society that if you do not want to work with us, then we will go it alone and we will be very hard on you,” Minister Mpofu threatened.

 

For further information, please see:

Associated Press – Zimbabwe: Civic groups refuse diamond money offer – 24 November 2012

All Africa – Zimbabwe: Civic Groups Walk Out After Threats By Mines Minister – 22 November 2012

All Africa – Zimbabwe: Civil Society Angered By Mpofu Diamond ‘Bribe’ – 22 November 2012

Yahoo News – Zimbabwe government stealing diamond funds: Report – 12 November 2012

Voice of America – Activists Fear Diamonds Will Fund Mugabe Power Grab – 8 November 2012

By Heba Girgis
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of the Congo—Over 100,000 refugees have fled the Democratic Republic of the Congo after a rebel takeover. The United Nations has now issued an urgent appeal to the rebels in order to get access to wounded civilians in the conflict and to the refugee camps.

A spokesperson for the rebel group, known as M23 group, said that its success operation in taking the city of Goma a few days ago is just the beginning of its efforts to take control of the country. Lt. Col. Vianney Kazarama said, “We will push on to Bukavu, then Kisangani and finally Kinshasa and overthrow the government.” Kazarama also noted that once the rebels have completely overthrown the government, they will begin the call for elections.

In the past week, the M23 rebel group has pushed its hold over the region close to the Rwanda border in order to take over the provincial capital of Goma and overthrow other government forces in other regions. Now, the rebels are reported to be moving towards the cities of Masisi and the major city Bukavi as noted by Kazarama.

The United Nations estimated about 6,700 troops backing up the government forces under a Security Council mandate to protect civilians. United Nations officials mentioned that there have been reports that many civilians face targeted killings and abductions by the rebel group. The group has vowed to oust the current government of President Joseph Kabila. Kabila has been accused of breaking a peace deal from a previous conflict in the country.

This group takes its name from a peace treaty with the government dated March 23, 2009. It was from this treaty that the group became a political party in exchange for the release of other imprisoned rebels. The leader of the group, Bosco Ntaganda, is currently wanted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court.

The advance of this group through the country has not only caused many deaths but has displaced tens of thousands of civilians. The movement has raised fears that a wider conflict may again erupt in this region. The government leaders made a statement to the rebels calling on them to “stop all war activities” and to “stop talk of overthrowing an elected government.”

 

For further information, please see:

Al-Jazeera – Rebels Reject DR Congo Peace Plan – 24 November 2012

BBC News – DR Congo Conflict: M23 Group Urged to Stop War – 24 November 2012

DW – Thousands Flee DR Congo in the Wake of Rebel Violence – 24 November 2012

CNN News – Rebels Threaten Wider Democratic Republic of the Congo Conflict – 21 November 2012