A Voice for the Voiceless

Egyptian Guard Killed in Shootout with Traffickers

By Kevin Kim
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

RAFAH, Egypt – An Egyptian border guard was killed on Friday in a shoot out with people traffickers who were trying to smuggle African migrants into Israel.

Mohammed Abdel Mohsen al-Guindi, 21, was killed when gunfire broke out after the group refused to surrender. The migrants fled across the border and the traffickers managed to escape. Egyptian authorities are currently searching in the area for suspects.

The border between Egypt and Israel has become a major transit route for Egyptians and foreigners to cross into Israel to smuggle goods, including people. The border is also used for east European prostitutes heading to work, voluntarily or involuntarily, as well as for African migrants and asylum seekers, and for smugglers of illegal weapons and drugs.

The migrants who crossed the border on Friday are likely part of influx of African asylum seekers seeking entry into Israel, where more than 2,500 of them entered illegally in the past two years. Several hundred of those are Sudanese refugees from war-torn Darfur, but most are coming to Israel looking for jobs. As a result, dozens of Africans have been arrested in recent months as they sought to cross the border, and at least three migrants were killed in the process.

On the day after the incident, Egyptian border guards arrested another 11 African migrants who were trying to cross illegally into Israel. Five were injured when guards opened fire to stop them and four were wounded while trying to jump over barbed wire along the border. One was shot in the knee.

For more information, please see:

New York Times – Egyptian guard killed in clash with smugglers at Israeli border– 23 December 2007

Reuters – Egypt says smugglers kill soldier at Israel border – 22 December 2007

AFP – Egypt policeman dies in shootout with people traffickers – 22 December 2007

International Herald Tribune – 11 African refugees arrested before crossing into Israel; 5 injured – 22 December 2007

Tahitian Lawyer Investigated in Connection With Missing Journalist

By Sarah C. LaBelle
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Oceania

PAPE’ETE, French Polynesia – Investigators searched the offices of Jean-Dominique des Arcis and seized documents believed to be related to the 1997 disappearance of journalist Jean-Pascal Couraud.  Des Arcis used to work with Couraud, and recently gave conflicting reports of what happened around the time of the disappearance.

Couraud, former editor of Les Nouvelles de Tahiti (a Tahitian newspaper), disappeared in 1997, and authorities declared it a suicide at the time.  In October 2004, however, former spy Vetea Guilloux testified during France’s Clearstream scandal that Couraud was in fact killed by drowning during a horrendous interrogation by the Polynesian Intervention Group (GIP).  [GIP was a police unit under the command of then-president Gaston Flosse to monitor the government’s political opponents.]  Guilloux changed his testimony a few times, first saying that he was present at the interrogation, and later saying that he had only overheard two GIP colleagues, Tino Maraa and Tutu Manate, boasting about it.  He then retracted the murder claim altogether, only to reiterate during his appeal that Couraud had been murdered.

There have been rumours that Couraud was killed because he had information on then French president Jacques Chirac’s involvement in “questionable dealings” related to the Clearstream affair, according to the New Zealand Herald, while other rumours give a series of articles that portrayed Flosse in an unflattering light as the reason for Couraud’s disappearance.

In response to Guilloux’s testimony, Couraud’s family filed a murder complaint against unknown persons for Couraud’s death.  Couraud’s brother Phillipe told the New Zealand Herald that he does not believe his brother’s death was ordered by either Chirac or Flosse, but that he believes Jean-Pascal was accidentally killed during GIP questioning.

The probe was about to be closed this November because the first investigative judge did not find any evidence of murder.  Couraud’s family appealed this finding, and a new investigative judge will be appointed to continue the inquiry.  Phillipe Couraud said, “We really think things will change and we will get to the end of this.  In the file, what we have are a lot of declarations of people who were not friends but colleagues [of the alleged killers], who have heard people from the GIP telling the story of the assassination.  […]  Twelve people came to see us and said ‘hey, your brother has been killed by these people.’ “

Reporters Without Borders has been calling on the French government to get to the bottom of the case:

“Recent developments suggest the inquiry into [Couraud’s] presumed death can now move forward.  It is urgent, morally and legally, that all elements in this case are revealed.  The French authorities must not provide an argument for those who think French Polynesia is a place where shady deals are done or the law can be flouted.”

For more information, please see:

Radio New Zealand International – Reporters Without Borders calls for Couraud case to be probed – 13 December 2007

Scoop (Reporters Without Borders) – France Urged To Act In Case Of Missing Journalist – 16 December 2007

Radio New Zealand International – Lawyer’s office searched in case of missing French Polynesian journalist – 20 December 2007

New Zealand Herald – Journalist’s death poses questions, 10 years on – 23 December 2007

Bahraini Protesters Arrested

By Vivek Thiagarajan
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East

MANAMA, Bahrain- Police arrested the Shiite demonstrators protesting against the Sunni government.

The riots began on Monday marking the ten year anniversary of the death of a prominent Shiite civil rights leader.  The majority of the Bahrainis are Shiite, however, the ruling family is Sunni.  This has lead to a clash between the two groups as the financial and economic disparity between the groups has continued to grow.  The Shiites have continually complained about the fact that they have been discriminated against by the Sunni government.

The protestors voiced their opinions this week.   The response by the government has been to dramatically increase security. The government immediately tried to halt the rally through using gas grenades, killing one protester.  Reportedly Friday following morning prayers, Security Forces arrested many of the protesters of the Haq Movement for Liberty and Democracy.

The group issued a statement regarding the worshipers being arrested on Friday.  “They were faced brutally by the Special Forces, which entered the mosque … while pursuing the rest who fled towards the nearby Water Garden park. Tear gas was fired on the people in the park.”  (Guardian Unlimited)

The government has responded that it was just trying to keep the peace during a volatile time.  The heightened security has solely been a response to the out of control mob, which has destroyed public property and burned a police car.

The Security Forces have extended its quest to going to the homes of the opposition leaders to arrest them in their homes.  They have placed the northern villages under siege and have roughly handled the citizens in their search to detain suspects.

For more information, please see:

Albawaba- Demonstrators reported in Bahrain- 23 December 2007

Guardian Unlimited- Violent Clashes Erupt in Bahrain- 22 December 2007

International Herald Tribune- Bahraini police stage security sweeps following clashes- 22 December 2007

Reuters- Bahrain arrests activists after week of unrest- 22 December 2007

Israel Expands Settlement Plans

By Laura Zuber
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

JERUSALEM, Israel – The proposed budget for the Construction Ministry includes $25 million dollars earmarked for the building of 740 new apartments.  The Construction Ministry budget includes funds to build over 500 apartments in the Har Homa settlement in East Jerusalem and 240 apartments in the Maaleh Adumim settlement in the West Bank.

At the conference in Annapolis in late November, Israeli and Palestinian Authority leaders agreed to renew the 2003 peace roadmap.  In the 2003 roadmap, Israel promised to freeze settlement growth.  Rafi Eitan, the Minister for Jerusalem Affairs, told local radio that Israel never promised to halt construction within the municipal borders of Jerusalem, which, according to Israel, includes East Jerusalem which was annexed during the 1967 War.  Also, Israel claims that since that any future agreement would include Maaleh Adumim as a part of an Israeli state, building in that settlement is permitted as well.  Eitan stated that Maaleh Adumim is an “integral part of Jerusalem in any peace accord.”

The international community and Palestinian leadership have expressed disagreement with the settlement building plans.  The announcement comes shortly before another peace meeting between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.  Senior Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat, accused Israel of trying to sabotage the renewed peace efforts.  Erekat called Israel’s move as “destructive”.

In addition, senior Hamas officials signal that the group is prepared to reach a truce with Israel.  Ahmed Yusef, a polical advisor to Ismail Haniya, stated that Hamas is ready to “reach a truce with Israel” so long as the siege on Gaza is lifted and Israel halts it policy of assassinations.  However, Israeli Prime Minister Olmert, has ruled out a ceasefire agreement with Hamas, describing the conflict as a “true war”, and that it will continue.

For more information, please see:
AFP – New Israeli Settlement Plans Unveiled on Eve of Peace Talks – 23 December 2007

Al Jazeera – Israel Funds More Settlement Growth – 23 December 2007

Associated Press – Israel Building Plans Could Spur Fury – 23 December 2007

BBC – Israel Confirms Settlement Plans – 23 December 2007

Chicago Tribune – Olmert Rules  Out Truce Talks With Hamas – 23 December 2007

Ha’aretz – Israel Expands Plans to Construct New Homes in E. J’lem, W. Bank – 23 December 2007

International Herald Tribune – Israel Plans New Homes on Occupied Land – 23 December 2007

Washington Post – Israel Unveils Settlement Plans on Peace Talks Eve – 23 December 2007

Somalia Receives Additional Peacekeepers

By Elizabeth Costner
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Africa

MOGADISHU, Somalia – 100 peacekeepers from Burundi deployed to the Somalia capital today, only hours after fighting between Islamist rebels and government forces killed at least four civilians.   The deployment of additional peacekeepers has been repeatedly delayed, and the 1,600 Ugandan troops who began work in March have been in desperate need of support.  The peacekeeping force is meant to be at a strength of 8,000. 

Burundi’s government pledged 1,700 troops that were scheduled to deploy in July, but the deployment was repeatedly delayed.  An army spokesman said the rest of the contingent of two battalions of 850 soldiers each should be on the ground within the next two weeks. 

The Ugandans have been restricted to guarding Mogadishu’s sea and air ports and presidential palace, and providing security for top government officials.  Their limited numbers have been unable to stop the increased fighting in the capital, which has led to the deaths of many civilians.  Just last night fierce battles broke out when Islamist insurgents attacked government troops and their Ethiopian allies.  A mortar shell landed in a home, killing two people and another resident was killed in crossfire. 

Somalia has faced lawlessness since 1991 when warlords ousted military dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.  There have since been 14 attempts to restore effective rule but the latest has been weakened by the Islamist-led insurgency.   

On Saturday the African Union’s Peace and Security Council issued a statement describing the Somalia conflict as one of the most serious challenges for peace and security on the continent.  The statement called on the international community to provide greater political will and resources.  The fighting has killed an estimated 6,000 people and displaced more than a half million residents. The AU Peace and Security Council have agreed to meet again in mid-January to discuss future plans for the Somalia peacekeeping mission before it expires. 

For more information, please see:

BBC News – Burundi troops join AU in Somalia – 23 December 2007

Reuters – Burundi Peacekeepers deploy in Somali capital – 23 December 2007

International Herald Tribune – 5 Somalis killed in overnight attack; Burundian peacekeepers deploy in Mogadishu – 23 December 2007

VOA News – African Union: Somalia Conflict Threatens Peace and Security in Africa – 23 December 2007

Reuters – AU seeks fresh initiatives to end Somali conflict – 22 December 2007