Latest Darfur Clashes Bring Heightened Insecurity and Humanitarian Concerns

By Jared Kleinman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

KHARTOUM, Sudan— The joint African Union-United Nations mission in Darfur has urged the Government and one of the leading insurgent groups in the western Sudanese region to stop fighting in response to the recent eruption of clashes between the two sides despite a peace process intended to end the conflict.

The latest fighting between Government troops and forces of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) resulted in an unknown number of casualties and displaced people, the mission (known as UNAMID) reported.

The recent clashes have led to displacements in eastern Jebel Marra in South Darfur and North Darfur states, and in western Jebel Marra and the Jebel Moon region in West Darfur state, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in an update on 2 March, stressing that accurate information from the ground was very scarce because of lack of access.

OCHA spokesman Sam Hendricks said media reports about the number of casualties in the recent fighting were unreliable. “There is no way to find about casualties. There is no access to areas affected by the fighting,” he said.

The insecurity caused by these clashes has also prompted humanitarian agencies to suspend activities in some areas.

The rebel Sudan Liberation Army, Abdel Wahid Nour faction (SLA-Nour), which refuses to join peace talks with the Sudanese government until a full cessation of hostilities is implemented, has accused government forces of attacking its positions east of Jebel Marra.

“There were random air attacks on villages,” Al-Sadeq Al-Zein Rokero, an official with SLM-Nour faction, said. “The situation is very tragic. This may be the most violent attack by the Sudanese armed forces.”

Sudan’s army spokesman, Al Sawarmi Khaled, denies that there has been any government military action. “The armed forces are present in the area to preserve order. They did not clash with Abdel Wahid’s forces.”

The US State Department cast doubt on this denial in a statement expressing extreme concern “about reports that Government of Sudan forces are conducting offensive operations against … [SLA-Nour] positions in the Jebel Marra area of Darfur that have reportedly caused significant civilian casualties, displacement, and the evacuation of humanitarian organizations”.

The statement called on both parties “to refrain from further violence and to allow the Joint African Union-UN Mission in Darfur access to Jebel Marra to assess the humanitarian situation and restore stability”.

Estimates indicate that the conflict has resulted in the deaths of some 300,000 people. At least 4.7 million residents of Darfur have been have been affected by the conflict, with a majority of them living as internally displaced persons (IDPs) or as refugees in neighbouring Chad.

For more information, please see:

AFP – Sudan Tribal Clash ‘leaves 26 dead’ – 6 May 2010

UN News – UN Urges Calm in Darfur as Fresh Clashes Erupt Despite Peace Process – 4 May 2010

IRIN – No Access After Darfur Clashes – 3 March 2010

 

Settlers Accused of Burning West Bank Mosque

By Meredith Lee-Clark
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

LUBBAN ASH-SHARQIYA, West Bank – Arsonists set fire to a mosque in a town ten kilometers south of Nablus on May 4. The mosque was largely destroyed by the attack, and Israeli settlers are widely suspected of setting the mosque on fire.

Israeli forces are continuing to investigate the arson, and said they have not yet found any evidence linking the attack to settlers. Still, the mayor of Lubban Ash-Sharqiya told journalists that local residents had seen the settlers in the village streets before the attack. Lubban Ash-Sharqiya is near three Israeli settlers: Eli, Maaleh Levona, and Shiloh.

Tensions have been high in the Nablus area since Israeli settlers allegedly vandalized a mosque in nearby Hawara a month ago; the Star of David and the name “Mohammad” was written in Hebrew letters on the walls of the mosque. Earlier this week, an olive orchard in Hawara was set on fire. In December, another mosque in Yasuf, also in the Nablus area, was set on fire and a message in Hebrew was left. Though the Israeli police have begun investigations into these attacks, there have been no arrests.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has warned that such attacks could be irreparably harm the peace process. In a statement released on May 4, Abbas said that such attacks were “criminal,” and that the most recent arson “represented a threat to the efforts to revive the peace process,” because the Israeli army protects illegal settlers.

Since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a six-month freeze on settlement construction in the West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem, radical Israeli settler groups have adopted a “price tag” policy, calling for aggressive action to any action by the Israeli police or military to curb unauthorized settlement expansion or construction. On May 3, Israeli authorities destroyed several structures in the Shavei Shomron settlement, which had been built in violation of the settlement freeze.

For more information, please see:

The Washington Post – Mahmoud Abbas Warns Fire at West Bank Mosque Could Imperil Peace Talks – 5 May 2010

Al-Jazeerah – Illegal Israeli Settlers Burn Al-Lubban Mosque in the West Bank – 4 May 2010

Herald Sun – Settlers Torch West Bank Mosque – 4 May 2010

New York Times – Emotions in West Bank Run High After Mosque Fire – 4 May 2010

Italian Police Fine Woman For Wearing a Face-Covering Niqab in Public

By Elizabeth A. Conger
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

NOVARA, Italy – Italian police stopped a Muslim woman in the city of Novara in north-western Italy for wearing an Islamic face-covering veil.  The police told AFP that the woman, who was visiting the post office with her husband, was issued a 500 euro fine for wearing the veil. This marks the first application of a by-law instituted by the city in January banning the wearing of clothing preventing immediate identification in public.

Mayor of Novara, Massimo Giordano, said that the by-law was designed to deter women from covering themselves with the veil in public. He said:

“There are still some people that refuse to understand that our community in Novara does not accept and does not want people going around wearing the burka.”

According to the BBC, the city of Novara is run by the anti-immigration Northern League.  The Northern League is a powerful junior coalition partner in Prime Minster Silvio Berlusconi’s national government, and currently has a bill before parliament which would outlaw the wearing of Islamic face veils in public.

The twenty-six-year-old woman stopped by police was described as a Tunisian national. After her husband refused to allow her to be identified by male officers, a female police officer was called in to make the identification.

Since 1975, the Italian government has had national anti-terrorism laws which prohibit the wearing of any mask or clothing that makes identification of the wearer impossible.  However, the law permits exceptions for “justified cause”, which has been interpreted by Italian courts to include the wearing of facial coverings for religious purposes – including the wearing of Islamic veils. Novara, and two other municipalities in northern Italy, have used the 1975 laws as the legal basis upon which they have banned Islamic veils.

The Novara by-law reflects similar efforts to ban veils which have been taking place across Western Europe. A ban on wearing masks and veils in public has recently passed the Belgian lower house and is set to go before the Senate. If approved, it would be the first national measure to ban Islamic facial coverings in Europe.

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Italy Fines Muslim Woman Over Veil – 4 May 2010

BBC International – Police stop Muslim woman wearing veil in Italy – 3 May 2010

The Guardian – Muslim woman fined for wearing burqa in northern Italy – 3 May 2010

 

Guantanamo Hearing Suggests Khadr was Tortured

Brenda Lopez Romero
Impunity Watch reporter – North America desk

GANTANAMO BAY — Lt. Col. Jon Jackson, Omar Khadr’s military lawyer, was able to get some damaging testimony during his cross-examination of witnesses that indicated Mr. Khadr was abused and mis-treatmented.

An Army master sergeant, “Interrogator #2,” acknowledge that that he was aware of the Army’s field manual that cited as an example of torture “forcing an individual to stand, sit or kneel in abnormal positions for a prolonged period of time.”  Lt. Col. Jackson recounted prior testimony by a medic personnel, Mr. M, that indicated Mr. Khadr’s arms had been shackled at his forehead level.  Then Interrogator #2 stated that “[i]t could be” a similar position to that one stated in the field manual.  What set them apart was that an “air lock technique” forced detainees to stand with their arms’ straight out without being shackled and Mr. Khadr’s hands held at forehead level, not straight out, and was shackled.

If Col. Patrick Parrish, the military judge, hearing Mr. Khadr’s case is convinced that he suffered abuse prior to giving statements during interrogation, then Col. Parrish could be persuaded that Mr. Khadr was unreasonably coerced

Interrogator #2 testified that in Bagram they could play music in loud volume.  Interrogator #2’s also testified that Khdar was “sedated” during an interrogation.

When Lt. Col. Jackson asked if interrogators were allowed to use “stress positions,” Interrogator #2 stated that they were clear to use “safety positions.”

Lt Col. Jackson then asked, “Well, first it was called stress positions, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, sir,” Interrogator #2 answered.

Lt. Col. further inquired, “Is there a difference?”

“No, sir,” Interrogator #2 responded.

“Interrogator #1,” the lead interrogator for Khadr, is expected to testify for the defense and it is expected he will acknowledge threatening Khadr with rape.

For more information, please see:

The Miami Herald – Guantánamo hearing: Canadian teen was sedated when first questioned – 4 May 2010

The Star – Khadr questioned by sergeant later court martialed, court told – 4 May 4, 2010

The Washington Independent – Defense Gets Interrogator to Suggest Khadr Was Tortured – 4 May 2010

Somali Pirates Hijack Yemeni Cargo Ship

By Ahmad Shihadah
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

ADEN, Yemen – Somali pirates have seized a cargo vessel off the coast of Yemen, and are believed to be holding the crew of nine Yemeni sailors, Yemen’s Defense Ministry website said Tuesday.

Citing sources at the Interior Ministry, the website said the pirates took over the ship after it sailed from Mukalla port en route to Aden. It was carrying various products and a crew of 9 Yemeni sailors was onboard. Meanwhile, the sources said that information had surfaced that the ship was seen at Somali Qarta’a port.

“The ship with the license registration name of Al-Asa’a carrying various merchandise along with nine Yemeni sailors on board has been moved by pirates to Karta area in the northern coast of Somalia,” the report added.

The Gulf of Aden, off the northern coast of Somalia, has the highest risk of piracy in the world. Every year about 25,000 ships use the channel south of Yemen between the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea.

For more information, please see:

Reuters – Somali Pirates Hijack Yemeni Cargo Ship – 4 May 2010

Saba Net – Somali Pirates Seize Yemeni Ship – 4 May 2010

People’s Daily Online – Yemeni-Owned Commercial Ship Hijacked By Somali Pirates – 4 May 2010