LACK OF SECURITY IN HAITIAN DISPLACED PERSON CAMPS LEADS TO ESCALATING SEXUAL VIOLENCE
By Erica Laster Impunity Watch Reporter, North America
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Nearly 1 million people remain homeless in Haiti, living in the squalid displacement camps while they await permanent housing. The lack of patrols, security measures, and simple utilities such as doors, make the camps dangerous for women. The United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti has been accused of avoiding the camp interiors “generally (staying) on the perimetre of camps,” instead of going into the areas where women’s lives are actually at risk, especially at night,” says rape coordinator Annie Gell.
Each day, women and young girls fight to survive from rape, attacks or sexual violence into prostitution. Last week, MADRE (a women’s advocacy group) testified in front of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
Bureau des Avocats Internationaux’s coordinator of the Rape Accountability and Prevention Project in Port-au-Prince, Annie Gell stressed the need for and lack of security in the displaced persons camps. The Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Women’s Rights (MCFDF) has been in place since 1994, and continues to address the issue of gender based violence in Haiti.
Testimony provided to the United Nations stressed the importance of patrolling and security forces among the displaced persons camps in Port-Au-Prince. According to Gell, there are “More women coming forward to report rapes and GBV.” While she acknowledged that the large number and size of camps made it difficult to monitor and protect women due to overcrowding, she also emphasized that “a lot of people are moving out of camps because they’re so insecure, so dangerous.”
In large part, UNPOL’s (trained peacekeeping forces) and the National Haitian Police play a large role in safety. Gender unit officer, Marie Francoise Vital Metellus, told IPS the UNPOL’s purpose is to patrol camps and assist victims of gender based violence.
Grassroots groups are promoted as the solution to many of these problems.
One such organization is KOFAVIV (Commission of Women Victims for Victims), a grassroots Haitian organization which provides support and aid to victims and survivors of rape and sexual violence. KOFAVIV is one of the many groups which supported the testimony of women activists at a March 25 hearing before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
These groups have been consistently disappointed with the United Nations inability and refusal to work with grassroots organizations to confront the sexual violence prevalent in the camps. The UN “is not working with the grassroots groups.” Gell is quoted as saying, “We’re (thus) hoping … that the commission will reinforce that the grassroots groups’ voices must be included in planning sessions to end sexual violence.”
This is especially important because of the need for prosecution tools in the country. In Haiti, suspects actions have no consequences.
Photo Courtesy of Ecosalon.com. For More Information Please Visit:
IPS – Women Turn Spotlight on Haiti’s Silent Rape Epidemic – 29 March 2011
MADRE – International Human Rights Hearing on Rape Epidemic in Haiti – 23 March 2011
Advocates Testify at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights – 25 March 2011
Ex-Congressman Arrested For “FARC Politics”
By Patrick Vanderpool
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America
BOGOTA, Colombia – According to media reports. a former congressman was arrested by the Technical Investigation Team of the Prosecutor General’s Office for alleged “FARC politics.” Pedro Nelson Pardo, former representative for Guainia, is accused of having ordered the extortion and corruption of the Colombian electorate during a congressional race in 2002. It is alleged that Pardo had an agreement with the rebel group to carry out this plan.
Pardo was taken into custody in Cunday in the department of Tolima and will be quickly transported to the Prosecutor General’s Office in Bogota. Pardo will then appear before the Criminal Court after which the court will determine whether or not to award him security protection which is subject to there being charges filed against him.
Pardo’s arrest comes shortly after the Supreme Court of Colombia opened an investigation into former congressman Luis Fernando Almario for his alleged ties to paramilitary groups while in office. In that case, Almario has been implicated in the murder of Colombian politician Diego Turbay Cote. Almario was also detained by law enforcement in February 2008 over accusations of “FARC politics.” He was subsequently released in May 2009. Almario has continuously denied the allegations, claiming that he is “a victim of the [rebels].”
Last year, Colombia’s Inspector General’s Office compiled a list of charges against Senator Piedad Cordoba in relation to allegations that she collaborated with the FARC outside of the parameters of her role as a hostage release negotiator. The investigation flows from evidence allegedly found in dead FARC leader “Raul Reyes” files. The evidence is alleged to support the notion that Cordoba was involved in “FARC politics,” specifically emails that discussed issues that were not elements of Cordoba’s humanitarian aid objective.
These cases illustrate the possibility of a widespread and systematic system of corruption in Colombian politics.
For more information, please see:
Colombia Reports –Ex-Congressman Captured for “farcpolitics” – 1 April 2011
Colombia Reports –Supreme Court Opens “Parapolitics” Investigation into Ex-Congressman – 24 March 2011
Colombia Reports – “FARC-Politics Charges Announced against Piedad Cordoba – 13 April 2010
Massacre in Ivory Coast Town Leaves Up to 800 Dead
By Daniel M. Austin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa
DUEKOUE, Ivory Coast – The International Committee of the Red Cross (Red Cross) reports that a massacre has taken place in western Ivory Coast. The Red Cross estimates that at least 800 people were killed in this attack while the United Nations claims over 330 people are dead. During the past week violence has increased in many parts of Ivory Coast as followers loyal to president-elect Alassane Ouattara have captured parts of the country held by forces loyal to former president Laurent Gbagbo.
The massacre took place in the town of Duekoue on March 29 and left hundreds of people dead. According to Red Cross spokeswoman Dorothea Krimitas, the massacre was a result of “inter-communal” violence. The killings came at a time when forces loyal to Mr. Ouattara were sweeping through the region heading towards the city of Abidjan.
There is disagreement about who is responsible for the killings and exactly how many people died. The Red Cross is not sure whether this attack was undertaken by forces loyal to Mr. Ouattara or Mr. Gbagbo. Each side has accused the other of perpetrating the attack. Kelnor Panglun, a Red Cross spokesman who has been to Duekoue said “It’s truly horrific. We don’t have any information about the authors of these killings.” Alternatively, Guillaume Ngefa, the deputy human rights director at the U.N. mission in Ivory Coast claims that 220 people were killed by force loyal to Mr. Ouattara while at least 100 people were killed by forces loyal to Mr. Gbagbo. On Sunday, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on Mr. Ouattara to launch an investigation into the attack.
Violence in Ivory Coast has fluctuated since the disputed November election but this past week has seen a spike in the number of people killed and injured. According to the Caritas charity website, between March 27 and 29 at least 1,000 people have been killed or disappeared. Along with these deaths, up to a million people have been forced to flee their homes since the election. This has led to a massive humanitarian crisis for both Ivory Coast and its neighbors. In Liberia, Ivory Coast’s neighbor to the west, up to a 120,000 Ivorians have crossed the border overwhelming U.N. refugee camps that have been set up.
Contributing to the violence and unrest, during the past five days forces loyal to Mr. Ouattara have successfully captured over 80 percent of Ivory Coast. While Mr. Ouattara has made gains, power and legitimacy is slipping away from Mr. Gbagbo. Reports claim several of his military generals have defected to the opposition or fled the country. Moreover, he has lost control of critical infrastructure including the Abidjan airport.
For more information, please see:
BBC – Ivory Coast: UN presses Ouattara over Duekoue massacre – 2 April 2011
CNN – Red Cross: 800 killed in Ivory Coast town – 2 April 2011
The Sydney Morning Herald — 800 dead in Ivory Coast massacre – 4 April 2011
The Times of India — UN chief presses Ouattara over Ivory Coast massacre – 3 April 2011
Goldstone Questions Findings of UN Report
By Eric C. Sigmund
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
JERUSALEM, Israel – Richard Goldstone, author of the infamous “Goldstone Report” condemning Israel for committing war crimes during its 2008-2009 offensive against Hamas, told news agencies Saturday that the study’s findings may be inaccurate. New investigations conducted by the Israeli government into alleged violations of international law by members of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) challenge the report’s conclusions that indiscriminate and disproportionate use of force by the IDF was a part of a state sanctioned policy of retribution. Commenting on the findings of Israel’s investigation, Goldstone announced “If I had known what I know now, the Goldstone Report would have been a different document.
In 2009, Goldstone was appointed chairman of a U.N fact-finding mission created by the U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to investigate alleged violations of human rights and humanitarian law by Israel. The 575 page report documented various counterinsurgency strategies and detention methods and concluded that Israel had committed “actions amounting to war crimes.”
Despite quick endorsement of the report by the UNHRC, Israel strongly rejected the findings as unsubstantiated and biased against the Jewish state. Now Israel is calling for the U.N. to formally cancel the findings of the report. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Goldstone’s retraction noting “[t]he fact that Goldstone backtracked must lead to the shelving of this report once and for all.” Sami Abu Zuhri, spokesperson for Hamas, however, demanded the implementation of the report despite Goldstone’s reservations.
Goldstone explained that the study’s conclusions may have been affected by Israel’s initial lack of cooperation with the UN investigation. The lack of cooperation between the investigative body and the government of Israel made it difficult contends Goldstone, to verify U.N. data and contextualize the use of specific uses of force. Goldstone further noted that since the publication of the report, Israel has taken steps to limit the use of dangerous weapons, like white phosphorus, in civilian areas.
While the evidence provided by the government of Israel suggests that certain individual members of the military may in fact be guilty of misconduct, there is no indication that the government deliberately targeted civilians for attack and detention. Government officials assured the international community that those individually responsible for violations of international law would be brought to justice but expressed that the damage from the report “has already been done.”
For more information please see:
Jerusalem Post – Moshe Ya’alon Urges UN to Retract Goldstone Report – Apr. 3, 2011
Jewish Telegraph Agency – Israel Launching Drive to Void Goldstone Report – Apr. 3, 2011
Ynet.com – Soldiers: Goldstone Damage Already Done – Apr. 3, 2011
CNN World News – Author of Israel-Hamas Report: Would Reconsider Findings – Apr. 2, 2011