BRIEF: Hamas and Fatah clash at Arafat rally

GAZA CITY, Gaza – On November 12, Palestinians celebrated the life of Yasser Arafat.  In Gaza City, several thousand Fatah supporters took part in the biggest rally organized by Fatah since Hamas took-over in June.  While public gatherings are banned by Hamas, they did not act to prevent the rally.  However, members of Hamas’€™ security force, the Executive Force, were positioned around the rally.

During the rally, weapons were fired.  The BBC reports that five people were killed and over a hundred wounded as members of Hamas’ Executive Force fired at the protesters.  According to the Associated Press, five people were killed and at least 31 injured; three critically.  Eyewitnesses report that members of the Executive Force detained protesters following the incident.

Hamas officials state that members of the Executive Force fired as a result of protesters throwing stones at them.  They also claim that militants affiliated with Fatah were on the rooftops and were firing at the crowd.

For more information, please see:

AFP -€“ Deadly gunfire at massive Arafat rally in Gaza -€“ 12 November 2007

Al Jazeera – Five dead in Gaza rally shootings – 12 November 2007

Associated Press – Hamas, Fatah supporters clash in Gaza – 12 November 2007

BBC – Five die at Arafat rally in Gaza -€“ 12 November 2007

Reuters – Five dead in gunfire at Fatah rally in Gaza – 12 November 2007

BRIEF: Israel arrests two Hamas lawmakers

RAMALLAH, West Bank – On November 12, the Voice of Palestine radio program reported that the Israeli military arrested two Hamas legislators.  According to the report, Mariam Saleh was arrested in Ramallah.  Saleh is the first female lawmaker to be arrested by Israel.  Israel has confirmed Salah’s arrest.  The second arrest, which remains unconfirmed, is of Khaled Tafesh in Bethlehem.

These recent arrests bring the number of detained Hamas lawmakers to 41.  In January 2006, Hamas won the parliamentary elections, winning 74 of the 132 seats.  Hamas accused Israel of trying to interfere with parliament’s ability to meet and function.  Palestinian sources report that 16 others, mostly members of Hamas, were also arrested in the West Bank city of Tulkarm.

For more information, please see:

Al Bawaba – Israel nabs two Hamas lawmakers – 12 November 2007

International Herald Tribune – Two Hamas lawmakers arrested by Israeli troops in West Bank – 12 November 2007

Reuters – Israel arrests two Hamas legislators – 12 November 2007

Yedioth – IDF arrest 2 Hamas lawmakers – 12 November 2007

NZ Demands Access to Arrested Citizens in Fiji

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

For more on the arrests, please see the Impunity Watch report here.

SUVA, Fiji – Among those swept up in the arrests for an alleged assassination plot in Fiji were two New Zealanders, IT developer Ballu Khan and Sivaniolo Naulago, an executive in Khan’s company.  Khan is currently in hospital in Fiji for beatings he received while in police custody.  New Zealand claimed that Fiji was breaching the Geneva Conventions by not allowing New Zealand’s High Commission in Fiji to visit Khan; Fiji allowed the visit to happen after this protest.  However, New Zealand has not been able to access Naulago and has not been allowed to see Khan since the first visit.

New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark told reporters: “I’m absolutely appalled at what happened to that New Zealand citizen and of course, the New Zealand High Commission was prevented from seeing him on the Saturday and he was prevented from getting proper medical care while they kept him in detention.  When our High Commission staff did get to see him [November 05], he had difficulty talking  because his face was so beaten up.  He’s been surrounded by guards at the hospital at night — including one who had been part of the assault on him.  It’s absolutely terrifying, no person should be treated like this.”

Khan’s partner, Agnes Bulatiko, observed the beating and said that, while she fears for her own safety, she will not stop fighting on Khan’s behalf.  She has been prevented from seeing him for the duration of his arrest on November 03.  Bulatiko denies that Khan resisted arrest, and says that he simply asked why he was being arrested.  Bulatiko says that all the men in their group who were stopped at the checkpoint were beaten and arrested, while the women were strip-searched before being let free.  The women were not questioned, and those under the age of 18 were not forced to strip.  Bulatiko’s brother is also among those who were beaten and arrested.

Tevita Fa, Khan’s lawyer, reports today that Khan has stopped eating.  Fa is also seeking for an independent team of doctor to examine Khan, since his request that Khan be allowed to seek medical treatment in New Zealand was denied.

For more information, please see:

Fiji Times – NZ: Voreqe looking for excuses – 06 November 2007

Fiji Times – NZ stopped from visiting Khan – 06 November 2007

Fiji Times – Khan’s partner denies claims – 07 November 2007

Radio New Zealand International – Suspect in Fiji alleged assassination case to seek medical treatment in New Zealand – 07 November 2007

Pacific Islands Report (Radio Australia) – Fiji Denies New Zealand Access to Arrested Citizen – 07 November 2007

Pacific Islands Report (Fiji Times) – Fiji ‘Plot’ Suspect Khan Still in Hospital – 08 November 2007

Islands Business – Second Kiwi in Fiji ‘murder plot’ identified – 08 November 2007

Islands Business – Weapons found, Fiji authorities allow access to detained New Zealand citizen – 08 November 2007

Radio New Zealand International – NZ conspiracy suspect stops eating in Fiji hospital – 11 November 2007

Fiji Times – Bulatiko fears for her life but will fight for partner – 12 November 2007

Sudan Talks Falter

By Elizabeth Costner
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Africa

KHARTOUM, Sudan – A high-level panel set up to resolve the political stand-off between south Sudan and the government has stopped working just days after it began.  The talks have reportedly failed due to disagreements over the oil-rich Abyei region.  The U.S. Sudan envoy, Andrew Natsios, stated that all of the differences have been resolved except for the status of the central Abyei region and the north-south border. 

The crisis began four weeks ago when the main southern party, Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), withdrew from the governing coalition.  SPLM accused Khartoum of failing to implement the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended a 20-year conflict. 

SPLM’s Vice-President, Malek Agar, told journalists that the committee suspended its work due to differences on how to deal with disputed matters and the persistence in disagreements over the CPA.  However, Agar said the suspension of work was not “the end of dialogue” aimed at ending the crisis.  The committee is now waiting for instructions from President Omar al-Beshir and south’s First Vice President Salva Kiir. 

The 2005 CPA provided for six-year transition period in which the south would enjoy regional autonomy and participate in a national unity government in Khartoum.  In 2011 southerners will vote on whether they want to be independent or remain a part of Sudan. 

Sudan’s north-south civil war was Africa’s longest and resulted in the loss of 2 million people and the displacement of 4 million.  The war was between Khartoum’s Islamic government and the mostly Christian and animist southern rebels, and was complicated by religion, ideology, and oil. 

For more information, please see:

BBC News – Talks fail to end Sudan stand-off – 11 November 2007

Reuters – North-south Sudan talks fail to reconcile ex-foes – 11 November 2007

AFP – North-south Sudan talks stumble – 11 November 2007

BRIEF: Aid Agencies fear impending winter

Refugee aid agencies fear that they will not be able to adequately help the 60,000 Iraqis who flee their homes every month.  The fear is magnified by the approaching winter, which will further inhibit the aid workers seeking access to the remote areas containing the displaced.

The difficulties that the agencies must overcome are accurately assessing the number of displaced people, what the displaced people need, and how to safely reach those in need.

The difficulty of reaching the displaced peoples is that they are less likely to flee to other nations because of the tighter border control restrictions.  The tighter control of the border has lead many people to flee to the mountains, which compounds the problem of reaching the remote areas with the necessary blankets and other needs.

The aid agencies are trying to provide the basic necessities for the displaced peoples, and if possible also provide education.

For more information, please see:

IRIN News- IRAQ: Aid agencies struggle to support over two million displaced Iraqis- 11 November 2007