News

U.S. Secretary of State Declares ISIS Responsible for Genocide

By Brittani Howell

Impunity Watch Reporter, The Middle East

DAMASCUS, Syria – On Thursday United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, declared that the Islamic State has committed genocide against Yazidis, Shi’ite Muslims, and Christians in Syria and Iraq. The statement came on the deadline set last year by Congress for the Obama administration to determine whether the Islamic State’s targeting of minority religious and ethnic groups amounted to genocide.

United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, declares Islamic State actions against Yazidis, Christians, and Shi’ite Muslims constitutes genocide. (Photo courtesy of the Huffington Post)

Mr. Kerry stated, “My purpose here today is to assert in my judgment, (ISIS) is responsible for genocides against groups in areas under its control including Yazidis, Christians, and Shi’ite Muslims.” He also stated that, “Daesh is genocidal by self-proclamation, by ideology, and by actions – in what it says, what it believes, and what it does.”

On Monday one chamber of the United States House of Representatives approved a unanimous resolution condemning the Islamic State for trying to eradicating minority communities. The United States is not legally obligated to take a particular action because of the finding of genocide.

Mr. Kerry stated that the Islamic State, “castigates Yazidis as, quote, ‘pagans’ and ‘devil-worshippers,’ and we know that Daesh has threatened Christians by saying it will, quote, ‘conquer your Rome, break your crosses, and enslave your women.’” He continued, “ Shia Muslims, meanwhile, are referred to by Daesh, as, quote, ‘disbelievers and apostates,’ and subjected to frequent and vicious attacks.”

In August 2014, the Islamic State rounded up thousands of Yazidis living in the Nineveh plains of north-western Iraq. The men and boys over age 14 were shot, boys under the age of 14 were forced to convert to Islam and subjected to military training. Women and girls were sold or handed to Islamic State militants as gifts.

In July 2014 the Islamic State killed as many as 1,700 army recruits, most of whom were Shia Muslims, when it captured the Camp Speicher military base outside of Tikrit, a northern Iraqi city.

Christians living in the territory have been forced to chose between converting to Islam, payment of a protection tax, jizyah, or death. In February 2015 21 Egyptian Coptic Christian migrant workers in Libya were beheaded.

Mr. Kerry also stated that “Naming these crimes is important, but what is essential is to stop them.” An Israeli Yazidi activist, Mirza Dinnayi, told CNN in an e-mail, “I am very happy to hear that (the U.S.) will recognize the genocide of Yezidi and Christian minorities.” He continued, “This is an important step to stop the suffering of the prosecuted people under the control of the extremist Islamic groups, specifically ISIS. And this is also important for my community to trust the international community again, because we were left in the hands of Islamic State.”

For more information, please see:

BBC News – Islamic State Committed Genocide, Says US – 17 March 2016

CNN – John Kerry: ISIS Responsible for Genocide – 17 March 2016

Huffington Post – John Kerry Calls Islamic State’s Atrocities Genocide – 17 March 2016

The New York Times – Citing Atrocities, John Kerry Calls ISIS Actions Genocide – 17 March 2016

2 Nigerian Villages to Sue Shell in UK

By Tyler Campbell

Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

 

ABUJA, Nigeria – Two Nigerian towns, Ogale and Bille, have decided to take on Goliath and sue the seventh largest oil company in the world, Royal Dutch Shell in a British court. This case will be different from other suites Shell has faced from Nigeria. Instead of claiming damages for spills, these two villages are seeking compensation for Shell’s neglected clean up of effected areas in the Niger Delta. It was unclear at first if Shell and its Nigerian subsidiary, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd., could be sued in the British court for events that occurred outside the county’s boarders. The decision handed down be a UK judge on Wednesday allowed the case to proceed for now.

Effects of repeated oil spills on Niger Delata. (Photo Courtesy of Deutsche Welle)

The suites from these two villages are being headed by Leigh Day, a British human rights law firm. This is not the first time Leigh Day has taken on Shell for their involvement in polluting the Niger Delta. Just last year Leigh Day won $83.5 million for Bobo, another Nigerian Village effected by pollution. Shell had only offered $50,000 to the village to settle.

 

Shell has decided to challenge the courts jurisdiction over the matter and have asked English courts to intervene. Shell is also claiming that they are not to blame for the pollution citing multiple attacks and thefts from their systems by third parties in Nigeria.

 

Shells defense is not completely unfounded. The sites by these two villages are plagued with thefts, but also suffer from old infrastructure and a lack of general upkeep. Besides neglected cleanup the village of Billie is also suing Shell for failing to protect their Nigerian properties from these break-ins and sabotages.

 

These two villages have been some of the hardest hit by pollution in the Niger Delta since the late 1950’s. Ogale, which sits on the Ogale River, relies heavily on farming and fishing and has seen their natural recourses crumble due to polluted water ways, ground water, and swamps. The Bille village also relies heavily on fishing and is made up of a number of small islands strung throughout the Niger Delta. In some cases spills have been so bad that villagers were forced to put sand bags around buildings to stop oil from flowing in.

 

For more information, please see:

 

RT – No-one listens, no-one cares’: Nigerian communities sue Shell over chronic oil pollution – 3 March 2016

The Jurist – UK court rules Nigeria towns can sue Shell in UK ­ 3 March 2016

ABC News – Nigerians Sue Shell in UK Court for Oil Spills Contamination – 2 March 2016

The Guardian – Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd – 2 March 2016

Settlement Reached for South African Gold Miners

By Tyler Campbell

Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

 

CAPE TOWN, South Africa – A case between 4,365 South African miners and two major mining companies has come to an end after 12 long years. The two mining companies, Anglo American South Africa and AngloGold Ashanti settled the suite before it went to court for 500 million Rand ($32.5 million). The miners brought the suite because of a lung disease they had contracted while working in the companies’ mines.

Gold miner working near Johannesburg South Africa. Photo Courtesy: Reuters

Heading the case was Richard Meeran a lawyer from the UK, human rights firm, Leigh Day. Leigh Day first got involved in the case in 2012 and has followed through till its completion on Wednesday. However, much still remains to be done before sick miners receive their payouts.

 

Although 4,365 miners were included in the suite it is clear that not all of them will receive compensation. The money paid out by Anglo American and Anglo Gold will be put into a trust and paid out to all those who qualify. If one qualifies how much they will receive will depend on the severity of their silicosis and their age.

 

Meeran admits that he does not expect everyone in the class action to receive compensation. The law firm did its own sampling and estimates that just over half of the plaintiffs will qualify to receive payout. According to the structure of the trust all testing and payouts must be done within six years, but Meeran believed it should all be concluded in four.

 

The miners are all suffering from a condition known as Silicosis, a condition contracted from repeated inhalation of airborne dust particles. Complications of Silicosis can lead to severe respiratory disease, ultimately leading to death. The conditions created by mining are exactly the type lead to Silicosis. The two mining companies were not being sued because of creating unsafe working conditions but instead because they failed to provide the correct protective gear for their workers.

 

Although many human rights groups have been supportive of the settlement it may be that it does not go far enough. The deal did include a payout for affected workers but did not include an admission of liability for either company. This means that the settlement will be almost meaningless for any upcoming cases against the two companies for the same disease. One of these cases that could have bolstered by an admission of liability is currently in the South Gauteng High Court, South Africa’s superior court.

 

For more information, please see:

 

City Press – Silicosis claims: Anglo has to cough up nearly R500m – 6 March 2016

The Guardian – South African gold miners awarded £22m in compensation – 5 March 2016

SABC News – Multi-million rand silicosis settlement is a victory for human rights – 5 March 2016

Bloomberg Business – Anglo American South Africa, AngloGold Agree on Silicosis Deal – 4 March 2016

Cameroon Continues Battle Against Boko Haram

By Tyler Campbell

Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

 

ABUJA, Nigeria – This Friday Cameroon reported that its military, working in conjunction with Nigerian forces, had killed 92 Boko Haram militants and freed 850 villagers from the small Nigerian town of Kumshe. This is the latest victory claimed in the fight against Boko Haram, a group that the U.S. has labeled as the most violent armed group in the world.

Photo of a raided Boko Haram camp in Nigeria. Photo Courtesy of the Guardian

It is reported that during the raid five soldiers were injured and two Cameroon soldiers were killed when a mine accidentally exploded. Besides freeing 850 villagers the multinational group also seized arms, ammunition, and what seemed to be a homemade mine production site.

While nations like Nigeria and Cameroon continue to have success against Boko Haram in traditional combat settings, guerrilla type tactics continue to be a problem. These types of attacks are reported to be responsible for the deaths of over 20,000 and the displacement of over 2 million since 2009, when Boko Haram first started their campaign.

Cameroon and Nigeria have seen some of the worst of the Boko Haram campaign but the violence has spilled over to Chad and Niger as well. In just this past year Cameroon has lost as many as 1,000 people to Boko Haram attacks and suicide bombings. The group has shown no signs of slowing down through the first two months of 2016.

Beginning in January the group attacked the northern Nigerian village of Dalori multiple times in a string of days and killed 86 and injured multiple others. February began with two suicide bombings in Cameroon that killed 12 and injured as many as 50. Boko Haram later claimed responsibility for those bombings.

Besides death and destruction the actions of this group have had other negative effects on the area. The group is known for targeting children and in response many parents have kept their children out of school for fear they will be taken. This group first gained national recognition after they kidnapped 276 schoolgirls from a Nigerian boarding school.

Nigerian president Buhari ran on a platform that promised to defeat Boko Haram by the end of 2015. Unfortunately, it does not appear that his goal was met although, he says that there have been marked improvements on the ground. Boko Haram’s switch to guerrilla style tactics and heavy use of IED’s is seen as a positive sign by the president instead of a negative.

 

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Cameroon: 92 Boko Haram fighters killed in Nigeria – 27 Feb. 2016

All Africa – Cameroon – 92 Boko Haram Fighters Killed in Nigeria – 27 Feb. 2016

The Guardian – Cameroon says 92 Boko Haram militants killed and 850 captives freed – 26 Feb. 2016

Reuters – Cameroon says its army kills 92 militants in operation with Nigeria – 26 Feb. 2016

Missiles Strike Four Hospitals in Syria

By Brittani Howell

Impunity Watch Reporter, The Middle East

DAMASCUS, Syria – Nearly 50 civilians were killed on Monday, as four hospital facilities were struck by missiles. The United Nations stated that the airstrikes were a blatant violation of international law.

The remains of the Doctors Without Borders Hospital in Maraat al-Numan. (Photo courtesy of CNN)

In the town of Azaz, near the Turkish border, fourteen people were killed and another 30 were wounded, as airstrikes struck a school and the children’s hospital. Local news footage showed ambulances unloading children on stretches at the Kilis State hospital.

The Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu accused Russia of conducting the airstrikes that hit the hospital and school, killing children. Turkey’s foreign minister called it an “obvious war crime.” Russia denied responsibility for the attacks, stating that their country does not bomb indiscriminately and does not target civilians. The United States State Department, however, claimed the Syrian regime for the attacks.

Unicef, the United Nations children’s agency, stated, “We at Unicef are appalled by reports of attacks against four medical facilities in Syria – two of which were supported by Unicef.” It continued, “One is a child and maternal hospital where children were reportedly killed and scores evacuated.” “Apart from compelling considerations of diplomacy and obligations under international humanitarian law, let us remember that these victims are children,” Unicef continued.

Another attack occurred on Monday at Maarat al-Numan, in the Idlib province, as a Doctors Without Borders hospital was struck by missiles four times within minutes. According to Doctors Without Borders, seven people were killed with another 8 people missing and presumed dead. Of those killed, five were patients, one was a caretaker, and one was a hospital guard. The eight unaccounted for are staff members, patients also may be missing, however it is not clear how many.

Massimilian Rebaudengo, Doctors Without Borders’ head of mission, stated, “This appears to be a deliberate attack on a health structure, and we condemn this attack in the strongest terms possible.” He continued, “The destruction of the hospital leaves the local population of around 40,000 people without access to medical services in an active zone of conflict.”

Doctors Without Borders claimed that the Syrian government was responsible for the airstrikes in the Idlib province. The Syrian ambassador to Russia accused the United States led coalition for the attacks in Idlib. The United States stated that the coalition did not conduct any military operations in the area.

Riad Hijab, the head of the high negotiations committee, stated on Sunday, “Everyday, hundreds of Syrians die from airstrikes and artillery bombardment, poison gas, cluster bombs, torture, starvation, cold and drowning.” He continued, “The Syrian people continue to live in terror and in utter despair after the international community failed to prevent even the gravest violations committed against them.”

According to Physicians for Human Rights, 697 health care workers have been killed in 336 attacks on medical sites over the course of the Syrian conflict. The vast majority of attacks are carried out by the Syrian government and its allies according to Physicians for Human Rights.

For more information, please see:

CNN – Syria: At least 22 Killed in Strikes Against 2 Hospitals, Sources Say – 16 February 2016

Reuters – Missiles in Syria Kill 50 as Schools, Hospitals Hit; Turkey Accuses Russia – 16 February 2016

Al-Jazeera America – Deadly Airstrikes Destroy Three Hospitals, School in Syria – 15 February 2016

The Guardian – Airstrikes Hit Two Syrian Hospitals, with Turkey Condemning ‘Obvious War Crimes’ – 15 February 2016

The New York Times – Syrian Hospitals Hit as Battlefield Grows More Chaotic – 15 February 2016