A Voice for the Voiceless

Zuma Charged with Corruption

By Myriam Clerge
Impunity Watch Reporter, Eastern and Southern Africa

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – South Africa starts the New Year off to a rough patch as newly elected African National Congress (ANC) leader, Jacob Zuma, is charged with corruption. Zuma has maintained his innocence since talks began that the prosecution had enough evidence to reinstate the corruption charges, in connection with an arms deal dating about a decade ago. Zuma faces charges of corruption, fraud, money laundering and racketeering, and will stand trial in August.

The fight for the ANC leadership was fierce and bitter as Zuma, who served as Deputy President under Thabo Mbeki, went head to head with his former boss, a veteran of the fight against apartheid. In the end, Zuma came out victorious beating Mbeki with more than 800 votes.

Taking into consideration Kenya’s reaction to the 27 December presidential election that has left more than 300 dead, Zuma has urged his supporters, angered by the corruption charges, to refrain from any violence. Zuma was quoted as saying, there should not be “any violence or burning of property, or anything like that… there are other ways, legal ways, with which to deal with such matters.”

The announcement that Zuma would be charged for corruption has withered the already fragile truce, between himself and Mbeki. Zuma insisted that he will only relinquish his post if he is found guilty in court. Given the ANC’s massive electoral majority and the end of Mbeki’s term in 2009, Zuma is expected to sail into the South African President seat.

However, if Zuma is ultimately convicted, Kgalema Motlanthe will take the position as the ANC’s new deputy leader, thus making him the frontrunner to succeed Thabo Mbeki as South African president in 2009. Zuma’s supporters, which include the Congress of South African Trade Unions, believe that the charges are politically motivated in a ruthless campaign by opponents designed to ruin him.

For more information please see:

BBC – South Africa Faces Turbulent 2008 – 7 January 2008

Yahoo News – South Africa’s ruling party begins meeting on Zuma’s graft charge -7 January 2008

Yahoo News – South Africa’s ANC to discuss Zuma graft case – 6 January 2008

Tamil Tiger Intelligence Chief Killed

By Juliana Chan
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – The Tamil Tigers’ intelligence chief was among the 34 rebels killed in northern Sri Lanka on Saturday. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said they lost the head of an intelligence unit, Shanmuganathan Ravishankar, when a military unit infiltrated rebel territory and planted a roadside bomb.

Sri Lankan officials have denied carrying out attacks inside Tiger territory.

The intelligence chief’s death comes just days after President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government announced that it was formally canceling a 2002 truce agreement made with the LTTE. Analysts expect this to lead to intensified fighting between the two sides. There has already been increased exchanges of fire in the region since the truce was canceled.

The Tamils have been fighting since 1972 for an independent homeland in Sri Lanka’s north and east.

According to government figures, 74 rebels and three soldiers have been killed in fighting since the beginning of the year, while tens of thousands of people have died since the conflict erupted in 1972.

For more information, please see:

The New York Times (Reuters) – Sri Lanka Says Kills Tiger Intelligence Head – 6 January 2008

Bloomberg – Sri Lankan Army Advances in Jaffna After Rebel Commander Killed– 7 January 2008

BBC – Tamil intelligence chief killed – 6 January 2008

BRIEF: Charles Taylor Trial Begins

THE HAGUE, Netherlands – Charles Taylor, the former president of Liberia, is on trial again today after a six-month delay.  Taylor is accused of controlling militia that killed and raped thousands in Sierra Leone.  Taylor is the first ex-African head of state to face a trial before an international war crimes tribunal. 

Video of mutliated Sierra Leonean victims was shown today and the first witness gave testimony regarding conflict diamonds.  The expert, Ian Smillie, testified as to the key role diamonds play in funding conflicts in countries that lack hard currency. 

Taylor is accused of arming, training, and controlling the notorious Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels in exchange for an unknown amount of diamonds.  The conflict in Sierra Leone resulted in the death of 120,000 and the mutilation of thousands. 

Taylor’s trial before the Special Court for Sierra Leone was moved to The Hague from Freetown due to fears over security and the threat of destabilization.  The trial opened in June, but was initially boycotted by Taylor, and was postponed after Taylor fired his first lawyer.  In August Taylor accepted a new lawyer and received a $100,000 a month defense budget, with the trial being postponed to give the new defense team time to prepare. 

For more information, please see:

BBC News – Shocking footage at Taylor trial – 7 January 2008

AFP – War crimes trial of Liberian ex-president Taylor resumes – 7 January 2008

Guardian Unlimited (UK) – Taylor war crimes trial begins – 7 January 2008

BRIEF: Libyan leads UN Security Counsel

Libyan Ambassador Giadalla Ettalhi became the president of the UN Security Council.  The selection is remarkable, because it is the first month that Libya has been allowed on the security counsel.

Libya’s past will make the council less likely to use sanctions against other nations.  “I might say that as a country that had suffered from sanctions, we will be in a very difficult position when we speak about imposing sanctions against another country,” Ettalhi said. (Yahoo News)

The presidency is a clear sign of the major steps that Libya has taken to make sure that it is made major steps protecting its citizens’ human rights.

For more information, please see:

Yahoo News-  Libya takes charge of UN council- 3 January 2008

Arab League’s Proposal to End Lebanese Conflict Receives Wide Support

By Laura Zuber
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

BEIRUT, Lebanon – On January 6, Arab League foreign ministers agreed on a plan to end the political impasse in Lebanon.  The Arab League unanimously agreed that General Michel Suleiman, the current army chief, should be elected to be the next president.  The plan proposes that the president should be the arbitrator of any tied decisions.  In addition, the plan also says that a national unity government should be formed in such a way so that “the composition does not allow any decision to be imposed or blocked by any one party.”

Lebanon has been without a president since November 23, 2007, when Lahoud’s term ended and the parties failed to elect a successor.  Initially, the parties failed to agree on a suitable candidate.  Later, when the parties agreed that Suleiman should be the next president, the parties disagreed over the details of a national unity government.  The Lebanese parliament is set to meet on January 12, for the 12th time, to elect the next president.

Saad al-Hariri, the leader of Lebanon’s parliamentary majority, welcomed the decision.  Hariri stated that the Lebanese should welcome the Arab League’s plan as an opportunity to reach a consensus and elect a new president.  Hezbollah, the main opposition party, was more hesitant to welcome the plan and wanted more clarification on the details of the next government.  Earlier, Hezbollah conditioned any possible resolution on a grant of veto power to the opposition.

While the plan does not overtly grant the opposition veto power, it does not attack Syria and it enhances the role of General Suleiman who is seen as pro-Syrian.  Also, according to Arab diplomatic sources, Syria supports the plan.  This suggests that even though the plan does not grant Hezbollah outright veto power, that an agreement may be reached.

For more information, please see:
Daily Star – Rival Lebanese Leaders Welcome Arab League Proposal to Elect Suleiman – 8 January 2008

Gulfnews – Arabs Strike Lebanon Deal – 7 January 2008

New York Times – Arab League Backs Plan to End Lebanon Stalemate – 7 January 2008

Al Jazeera – Hariri Welcomes Arab League Plan – 6 January 2008

Associated Press – Arabs Back General as Lebanese President – 6 January 2008

BBC – Arab League Backs Lebanon Plan – 6 January 2008

International Herald Tribune – Arab Plan for Lebanon Wins Broad Support – 6 January 2008

BBC – Hezbollah Sets Resolution Terms – 4 January 2008