News

UNICEF: CAR Rebels Still Recruiting Child Soldiers

By Ryan Aliman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

BANGUI, Central African Republic – Rebel groups continue to recruit child soldiers according to a report released by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) last week.

 

Young members of the Seleka rebel alliance were spotted patrolling near the Ledger Plaza Bangui hotel in Bangui last March 2013. (Photo courtesy of Associated Press)

Based on the UNICEF report, roughly around 2,000 children in Central African Republic (CAR) have been enlisted by various militias since last month’s takeover of the capital, Bangui.

“We have verified cases, but no precise number. What we are hearing from partners in the field is that there has been an increase in terms of the geographic scope and the magnitude of the practice. . . Children are recruited to be used as spies, porters, messengers, cooks, in addition to fighting on the front lines as well,” UNICEF spokeswoman Marixie Mercado said.

Several journalists for the Associated Press (AP) personally witnessed dozens of young boys patrolling Bangui. “They were riding in pickup trucks with other rebels and in some cases on foot patrol, always closely supervised by older, heavily armed fighters,” wrote Krista Larson, one of the AP journalists at Bangui. When approached by the AP reporters, one of the young soldiers revealed to them that he is 14 years old and joined the Seleka rebel alliance three months ago.

The UNICEF report states, however, that despite such “clear evidence of the continuing recruitment and use of children by armed groups”, Seleka officers persistently deny this practice.

In fact, the country’s new information minister, Christophe Gazam Betty, disagrees with the figures given by the UNICEF. Betty insisted that there are only about 40 child soldiers who are still with the Seleka group. “If there are combatants who are under the age of 18, there is a system in place through the United Nations,” he said. “They will be separated and picked up by UNICEF.”

Declaring it as a grave violation of international law, the UNICEF explicitly condemned the use of child soldiers.

“Recruiting children is both morally unacceptable and prohibited under international law,” said Souleymane Diabate, UNICEF’s country representative. “We have called on the new leadership in CAR to ensure that all children associated with armed groups should be released immediately and protected from further violations,” Diabate added.

The UNICEF remains hopeful that the rebels will heed the organization’s call to end the practice. In the report, the UNICEF cited previous instances where the rebel groups who make up the alliance currently in power have successfully disarmed their young members.

“Some child soldiers can be returned to their families or to other relatives. Others will be placed in foster homes where possible, though some will be given training on living independently,” Shannon Struthers, UNICEF senior adviser for emergencies, told the press as she explained the process of disarming children in CAR.

 

For further information, please see:

Associated Press – Child Soldiers Patrol C. African Republic Capital – 20 April 2013

AfriqueJet – CAR: UNICEF says CAR rebels still recruiting child-soldiers – 13 April 2013

UPI – UNICEF: Central African Republic still recruiting child-soldiers – 12 April 2013

Voice of America – UN: CAR Groups Still Recruiting Child Soldiers – 12 April 2013

Goodluck Jonathan Considers Granting Insurgents an Amnesty

By Ryan Aliman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

ABUJA, Nigeria – Last Wednesday, President Goodluck Jonathan announced a new committee that will work on an amnesty deal with insurgent groups including Boko Haram.

President Goodluck Jonathan is scheduled to inaugurate the National Security Council on Wednesday at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. (Photo courtesy of BBC News)

“Goodluck Jonathan has approved the constitution of a Presidential Committee to constructively engage key members of Boko Haram and define a comprehensive and workable framework for resolving the crisis of insecurity,” his office said in a statement.

This new Presidential committee, also known as the National Security Council, is tasked to develop a framework under a Federal Government dialogue through which disarmament of extremist groups could take place within a 60-day time frame. After the deadline, the government is expected to offer members of these groups amnesty for as long as they guarantee that they will no longer fight government troops and harm civilians.

“The 26-member committee will also develop a support programme for victims of the Boko Haram crisis as well as produce mechanisms to address the underlying causes of insurgencies,” Presidential spokesperson Reuben Abati added.

The National Security Council, which aims to put an end to the series of bombings and shootings in the northern region of the country, is based on a program similar to the one created in 2009. The 2009 program proved to be successful in quelling the insurgency in Nigeria’s oil-rich southern delta.

On the contrary, several human rights activists believe that granting extremist groups an amnesty “will not work”.

To begin with, it remains highly uncertain whether or not these groups will accept a deal with and concede to the government, they pointed out.

Shehu Sani, a well-known activist who rejected his own nomination onto the committee, told AFP that the lack of coordination among committee members may cause the program’s failure. “I suggested the need to consult the leadership of the (Boko Haram) group discreetly through some names I mentioned in order to get their input,” Sani said. “That advice was ignored. This new government approach will not get us anywhere and I don’t want to soil my reputation,” he continued as he explained his reason for turning down his nomination.

Thomas Mösch, head of Deutsche Welle’s Hausa Service, also asserted that the new program should not be expected to be successful just because the previous one was. “In the Niger Delta, we had groups that were interested in economic improvement, first of all for themselves and for their local communities. With Boko Haram it is totally different. First of all, we don’t have one group that follows a specific strategy, if they do – it is not visible. Then the core group of Boko Haram when they started with their violent attacks were taking revenge for the killings of their own leader and brothers,” Mösch said.

 

For further information, please see:

All Africa – Nigeria: Datti Ahmed Rejects Amnesty Committee – 19 April 2013

All Africa – Nigeria: As Jonathan Names Amnesty Panel, Boko Haram to Get 60 Days to Disarm – 18 April 2013

All Africa – Nigeria Pushes Amnesty Plan for Islamist Militants – 18 April 2013

IOL News – Nigeria edges towards amnesty deal – 18 April 2013

Reuters – Nigeria president considers amnesty for Islamist rebels – 17 April 2013

HRW Requests that Saudi Authorities end Trial of Abu al-Khair

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – The international human rights group, Human Rights Watch, has urged Saudi Arabian authorities to end the prosecution of Walid Abu al-Khair. Abu al-Khair is a human rights lawyer who Human Rights Watch believes is being unfairly treated for his exercise of free speech. Abu al-Khair faces charges of “offending the judiciary,” “attempting to distort the reputation of the kingdom,” “obstructing justice,” and “trying to mislead the course of an investigation.”

Abu al-Khair is one of many human rights defenders who are being harassed by charges in Saudi Arabia. (Photo Courtesy of Gulf Center for Human Rights)

The trials of Abu al-Khair began in September 2011 after Abu al-Khair criticized the decision of a Saudi judge in connection with a client he was advocating for. The client was Samar Badawi who had been ordered to prison by Judge Abdullah al-`Othaim for “disobeying” her father. Abu al-Khair showed that the father had been abusing Badawi and that she should be transfered to a different male guardian to which the Jeddah Public Court agreed. Nevetheless, Badawi remained imprisoned for at least three more months.

Much of the evidence against Abu al-Khair has been kept from his eyes. Such evidence includes statements by Judge al-`Othaim alleging unethical conduct by Abu al-Khair during the Badawi trial.

Middle East director at Human Rights Watch Sarah Leah Whitson stated that, “The Saudi government’s prosecution of Abu al-Khair is doing far more to ‘distort’ the reputation of the kingdom than anything he has said or written.” Whitson added, “if Saudi authorities are truly concerned with the reputation of their judiciary, they should stop prosecuting lawyers who criticize the legal system’s failings.”

Currently, Abu al-Khair has been barred from traveling abroad. Other human rights defenders in similar situations to al-Khair in Saudi Arabia include Mohammed al-Bajadi, Dr. Mohammed al-Qahtani, Dr. Abdullah al-Hamid, Mikhlif al-Shammari, and Dr. Abdulkarim al-Khodr.

For further information, please see:

Human Rights Watch – Saudi Arabia: End Prosecution of Human Rights Lawyer – 20 April 2013

Fars News Agency – HRW Slams Saudi Arabia for Prosecuting Lawyer – 20 April 2013

Gulf Center for Human Rights – Saudi Arabia – Human Rights Defenders Face Judicial Harassment After They Become Targets of the Authorities – 25 February 2013

Al Akhbar – Saudi Human Rights Lawyer Charged – 6 June 2012

Provincial Elections to be Held in Iraq Today

By Justin Dorman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Many Iraqi provincial elections will be held today. Hopefully no more people will be murdered in the process. In the days preceding today’s elections, many were killed, both candidate and civilian.

On April 20th provincial elections will be held in Iraq. Many individuals have been killed in the build up to this day. (Photo Courtesy of the Guardian)

Late Thursday night, at approximately 9:30pm,  a suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowded Baghdad cafe on the third floor of a Sunni neighborhood in Amiriyah. Many young people congregated to play pool and smoke hookah not knowing that it would be their last pocket called or smoke ring blown. Approximately thirty-two individuals were killed, and more than fifty individuals were injured.

Earlier that day, an armed convoy in Mosul was attacked. A car bomb ultimately killed three soldiers and wounded five others. Also that day, a policeman was gunned down at a security checkpoint in western Baghdad. Three others were injured in the process.

A few days earlier, on April 14th, Sunni politicians were assassinated in Diyala and Saladin. Najem al-Harbi, a candidate for the Dialogue Front in the Diyala election, along with his two brothers and son were murdered in an ambush in Baqouba. The Dialogue Front which is led by Saleh al-Mutlaq, is seen as a group of political dissidents by Ayad Allawi. Harbi was imprisoned for the past couple of years on charges of terrorism. Nevertheless, he received the highest number of votes during the parliamentary elections while he was still in prison.

In Saladin, a Sunni candidate of the al-Ensaf Front was shot and killed a few hours after the special army and police ballot voting was finished. Sarhan was passing through the market in Baiji when silenced guns shot him down in a drive by.

An additional attempt was made on another Sunni politician in Baqouba when a roadside bomb was set off. The politician lived and only two of his bodyguards were wounded.

No one knows who the perpetrators are of these killings. It is unknown as to whether these are the acts of separate individuals or a group plotting together. This may be the work of those who oppose Prime Minister Maliki, as these Sunni politicians were known to be allies of his. These killings could have also ben committed by extremist Shiites or even al-Qaeda trying to cause sectarian disputes between Iraqis.

For further information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Dozens Killed in Baghdad Cafe Explosion – 19 April 2013

International Business Times – Death Toll in Baghdad Cafe Rises to 32 as Iraq Gears to Face Provincial Elections on April 20 – 19 April 2013

Guardian – Baghdad Suicide Bomb Causes Carnage – 18 April 2013

Al Monitor – Iraqi Provincial Elections Bring Wave of Violence, Assassination – 17 April 2013

 

Russian Interior Ministry Seeks Arrest Warrant for Bill Browder

By Alexandra Sandacz
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

MOSCOW, Russia – The Russian Interior Ministry recently announced their intent to seek an arrest warrant for Bill Browder, CEO of Hermitage Capital Management. The arrest warrant regards charges of “stealing” energy company, Gazprom, shares a decade ago and “interfering” in Gazprom’s policies.

However, this case has no legal basis because there were never any crim­i­nal sanc­tions for own­ing Gazprom shares.

Browder, who once led the biggest foreign investment fund in Russia, quarrels with the Russian government amidst his campaign to blacklist Russian officials involved in the death of Hermitage lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky.

Jamison Firestone, Magnitsky’s former boss and a close associate of Browder in lobbying for the blacklists, stated, “This is a pure vendetta and everyone knows it. If it was really illegal to buy Gazprom, every Western hedge fund manager in Moscow would already be on the way to the airport.”

Another Hermitage Capital representative said, “The retroactive and arbitrary application to one market participant of a criminal standard in relation to a practice that is considered lawful for all other market participants is the hallmark of a politically-directed abuse of justice in this case.”

Furthermore, “President Putin treats the law and the truth like a child in a sand­box. There are no rules. There is no law, and he thinks he can do whatever he wants. This may be true in Russia, but it is not true elsewhere in the world.”

The Interior Ministry affirmed that if Browder’s arrest is endorsed, he will subsequently be placed on the international wanted list.

The Interior Ministry continued, “As the accused Browder is evading arriving for investigative procedures, even though he has been notified about this necessity using various methods, the investigation has filed a request with a court on considering his arrest in absentia as a pretrial restrictive measure. If a court grants this request, the mechanism of declaring Browder internationally wanted will be launched.”

Hermitage Capital Management stated that the warrant “follows a coordinated Russian state propaganda campaign in the last three months, where all Kremlin-controlled TV channels, including NTV, Rossiya, and 1TV ran slanderous programs accusing Mr. Browder of murders, stealing IMF money in 1998, causing the Russian default, stealing Gazprom shares, and being a UK spy.”

Nevertheless, the Moscow court refused to issue the warrant because Mr. Browder was not given enough warning about the proceeding. The Russian Criminal Procedure Code states that arrests cannot be ordered for a person before he or she is declared internationally wanted.

The court will review the request again in a week.

This will be the second known case of an ‘in absentia arrest warrant’ concerning a Westerner in Russia.

For further information, please see:

Law and Order In Russia – Russia Interior Ministry Seeks Arrest Warrant for Bill Browder in Putin-directed Retaliation Against Magnitsky List – 17 April 2013

The Moscow Times – Browder Placed on International Wanted List – 17 April 2013

Russia Beyond the Headlines – Russia Seeks Arrest in Absentia for Magnitsky Boss Browder – 17 April 2013

The Telegraph – Russia Puts Hermitage Boss Bill Browder on Wanted List – 17 April 2013