Conference To Take Place in Goma, DRC

By Meryl White
Impunity Watch Reporter for Western and Central Africa

GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo –  In attempts to end the conflict in the east of the country, the Democratic Republic of Congo government has announced a peace conference. The government has invited all parties to the table, including rebel leader, General Laurent Nkunda. The nine day conference is set to commence on December 27, 2007. The conference will take place in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.

Vital Kamerhe, head of the National Assembly and a deputy from the Sud-Kivu region stated that the conference seeks to “bring an end to the war…and to create the basis for a durable peace.”

As a pre-condition for the talks, Gen Nkunda, has asked the Congolese government to disarm the Rwandan Hutu rebels that he claims are attacking ethnic Tutsis.

This week alone, the United Nations has predicted that over 60,000 people have fled the North Kivu region to escape the fighting. Hundreds of victims, hungry and suffering from disease, have fled toward Minova, a town in South Kivu. There are currently 800,000 civilians displaced by the ongoing war, according to the UN.

The Democratic Republic of Congo army has reported on Tuesday they had pushed back Laurent Nkunda’s rebels in North-Kivu after six hours of intense fighting. The current conflict has resulted in nineteen deaths.

For more information, please see:

AFP – “DR Congo troops push back insurgents; 19 dead”  –  18 December 2007

BBC – Dr Congo Invites Rebels to Talks  –  18 December 2007

AFP – Congolese authorities announce Kivu peace conference   – 18 December 2007

BRIEF: Nauru Seeks Meetings With Australia on Facility Closure

YAREN, Nauru – Australia announced last month that it plans to close its detention facility on Nauru, sparking concerns for Nauru’s economic well-being.  Naruru Foreign Minister, David Adeang, said that the Australian facility provides 20% of Nauru’s GDP.

Since its bankruptcy in 2002, Nauru has become increasingly dependent on Australian aid, and much of Nauru’s annual aid package from Australia is tied to the facility, which former Australian official Mark Thompson characterized as “an unmitigated bribe”.

Nauru MP Kieran Keke said in a statement last week, “The financial arrangement with Australia, combined with initiatives like the resumption of phosphate mining, has helped turn the country around from the brink of economic collapse […] We sincerely hope the Australian government will continue to support our efforts to upgrade our health and education programs, to name just two.  Restoring important infrastructure like the power system is also a priority for us.”

The Nauru government is now seeking to meet with Australia to discuss how Nauru will adapt when the facility is shut down.  Australia has not yet given a time frame for the closure.

For more information, please see:

Impunity Watch – Rudd Gov’t to Close Nauru Detention Facility – 26 November 2007

The Age – Nauru fears gap when camps close – 11 December 2007

Radio New Zealand International – Nauru opposition calls for Australian support as camps set to close – 13 December 2007

Sydney Morning Herald – Australian govt exit worries Nauru MP – 13 December 2007

Radio New Zealand International – Nauru Government seeks early meeting with Canberra to discuss cost of camp shut down – 17 December 2007

BRIEF: Kidnapping in Somalia

BOSASSO, Somalia – French journalist Gwen Le Gouil was kidnapped in Puntland, Somalia. According to conflicting reports either three or five armed men abducted the journalist two days ago after he arrived in the city from Mogadishu. Le Gouil, an Albert Londres award winner for his report on humanitarian workers in Sri Lanka, was researching a story on human trafficking in Somalia when the attack occurred.

The kidnappers have demanded $70,000 (£35,000) ransom for Le Gouil’s release. According to Puntland’s deputy Governor Yusuf Mumin Bidde, government officials and elders were dispatched to Puntland to negotiate with the abductors. However, reports speculate that Le Gouil has been moved to Marero, after kidnappers opened fire on negotiators today.

Once known for its stability, Puntland, a port town of Bosasso, has been the center of recent kidnapping, hijacking and piracy.

In the meantime, there are reports that Somalia pirates attacked an Italian-owned cargo ship, MV Jolly Turchese, today. The Italian Ministry has not received any information or communication from the ship, and Andrew Mwangura, director of the East African Seafarers Assistance Programme, says the information is sketchy. Mwangura believes the ship was headed to Kenya’s Mombasa port after delivering cargo through the Suez canal when it was attacked off the coast of Somalia. Presently it is unknown if the ship and its crew were captured or if they escaped.

For more information please see:

BBC- French newsman ‘safe’ in Somalia – 17 December 2007

Reuters: Africa- Suspect pirates attack Italian ship – group – 17 December 2007

Reuters: Africa- Gunmen kidnap French journalist in North Somalia – 16 December 2007

AllAfrica.com- Somalia: French Journalist Kidnapped By Armed Men – 17 December 2007

Brief: Catholic Priest Stabbed in Turkey

Italian Priest Adriano Franchini was stabbed following mass by a 19 year old assailant.  The attacker observed mass with the priest’s congregation but became violent and angry following a brief conversation with the Priest.  The stabbing was in the stomach and the injuries were not life threatening.

The stabbing follows a line of similar cases where Christians have been attacked in Turkey.  The recent string of attacks on Christian leaders began in February 2006.  A 16 year old shot a Catholic priest, while he was kneeling in prayer, in response to the European newspaper caricatures of the Muhammad.  There has been many more killings and attacks against priests and clerics in all regions of Turkey.  Recently, the gruesome killing of three Christians who throats were slit has undergone investigation to determine whether police officers aided the killers. (See story)

Christians comprise less than one percent of Turkey’s population.  However, the Christians are committed to staying in Turkey despite the attacks.  A catholic bishop remarked, “our will to remain here is stronger after these attacks. However, while the Turkish population is generally good, such events attest that there is a sick branch in the big tree of the local population.”  (AP)

For more information, please see:

AP- Priest Attacked, Hurt in Turkey- 17 December 2007

Guardian Unlimited- Priest stabbed after Sunday mass in Turkey- 17 December 2007

VOA News- Italian Catholic Priest Stabbed in Western Turkey- 16 December 2007

BRIEF: US Reacts to Azeri Reporter’s Jailing

NAKCHIVAN, Azerbaijan – US Deputy State Secretary Daniel Fried has expressed concern over detention of a journalist working for US-funded radio station in Azerbaijan. Fried’s statement on Saturday comes a week after the United States said it was “deeply disturbed” by imprisonment of Ilgar Nasibov, calling it a sign of deteriorating media freedom in the country.

Nasibov was jailed on December 6 after turning up at court expecting to be released after being cleared of defamation suit brought by Nakhchivan City Police Department Deputy Chief. Instead, a judge tried Nasibov without counsel, and sentenced him to serve three months in jail.

Azerbaijan is the leading jailer of journalist in Europe and Central Asia and has the fifth-highest number of reporters behind bars worldwide. It is also among the places where press freedom has deteriorated the most over the last five years according to Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) research.

For More Information, please see:

TODAY.AZ – Daniel Fried: “Strong countries do not send their reporters to jail” – 15 December 2007

Press TV – US condemns Azeri reporter’s arrest – 9 December 2007

AFP – US ‘disturbed by imprisonment of journalist in Azerbaijan – 8 December 2007

CPJ – Tenth Azerbaijani jounalist imprisoned – 6 December 2007

CPJ – Backsliders – 2 May 2007