A Voice for the Voiceless

Desperately Waiting

By Myriam Clerge
Impunity Watch, Africa

Zimbabwe’s condition continues to fall as the country grips the worst crisis since its independence from Britian in 1980.  In an effort to curb the continued despair of the country, President Robert Mugabe has pledged to print more money. This strategy is not likely to help the economic condition given that printing money is a “recipe for inflation”. Economists estimate the inflation rate will likely be twice as high as the current rate of 4,500 percent.

Thousands left their jobs when the government ordered companies to operate at a loss by reducing the price of goods and services by half. Unemployment is presently at 80 percent. Along with food and oil shortages, hospitals are losing kidney patients due to the lack dialysis machines. Furthermore, pharmacies are advising AIDS patients to stock up on their drugs. Roughly 20 percent of Zimbabweans have AIDS and raw materials will soon run out. Another serious problem lies in the breakdowns of water pumps.

An estimated 4,000 Zimbabweans have headed south to South Africa. The Central Methodist Church in downtown Johannesburg has become a virtual refugee camp for 800-900 fleeing Zimbabweans.  South African President Thabo Mbeki warns that next years election in Zimbabwe must be free and fair. Political unrest continues to rise and President Mugabe’s opposition, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), gets stronger as the country falls. President Mbeki, who continues to play mediator between President Mugabe and the MDC, adds that he is confident an agreement would be met.

In the meantime, Arthur Mutambara, the leader of the MDC has decided to intensify the campaign against President Mugabe with the joint coalition of political and social organizations. Mutambara said that the country cannot rely on foreigners to emancipate and liberate it, it must have an alternate plan.

For more information please see:

Yahoo – Mbeki Says Zimbabwe’s Vote Must Be ‘Free and Fair’ – 29 July 2007

Yahoo – South African Church Shelters Desperate Zimbabweans – 29 July, 2007

Yahoo – Mugabe Says He Will Print More Money – 28 July 2007

Yahoo – We Cannot Rely on South African Leader Alone: Zimbabwe Opposition – 28 July 2007

South Korean hostage UPDATE

The Taliban has killed one of the 23 South Korean hostages.  Pastor Bae Hyung Kyu’s bullet-riddled body was found last week and was returned to his family in South Korea.  His family will not hold a funeral or memorial service until the other kidnapped men and women with him are released.

In a turn of events, however, there is speculation that the Taliban has killed a second South Korean hostage on Monday.  This comes only hours after the Afghan government said it negotiated a stay of execution for the group of hostages.  According to the governor of Ghazni province, the Taliban agreed to extend the deadline for the other 22 surviving hostages until noon tomorrow.  Afghan officials say they have not recovered a body and could not confirm the claim.  The hostages have been held since July 17.

A video possibly showing seven of the female hostages was broadcast last night on al-Jazeera television.  The women in the undated, silent video were wearing head scarves and appeared to be unharmed.

The Taliban has set many deadlines for the release of 23 imprisoned insurgents in exchange for the lives of the 23 South Korean hostages.  Reports say, however, that it is unlikely that the Afghan government will release any prisoners in exchange for the hostages, despite Taliban threats.

In March, Afghan President Hamid Karzai approved a deal that freed five captive Taliban insurgents for the release of Italian reporter Daniele Mastrogiacomo.  Karzai was later criticized by the United States and Britain, and called the trade a one-time deal.

For more information, please see:

–http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/30/world/asia/30afghan.html

–http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/07/30/asia/30taliban.php

–http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/30/asia/AS-GEN-SKorea-Afghan-Kidnappings.php

–http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article2169856.ece

–http://news.bostonherald.com/international/middleEast/view.bg?articleid=1014262

Yemen haven for refugees

Yemen has become a haven for refugees.  Thousands of refugees have fled from Iraq, Ethiopia, and Somalia to Yemen.  They have sought shelter from warfare and to begin a new life.  This massive influx of people has overwhelmed the Yemen government and is creating a possibility of a future “human disaster.”  (News Yemen) 

Since the Iran-Iraq war, many Iraqis have fled to Yemen.  They have been treated better in Yemen than in Jordan or Syria, and thus, it is an attractive destination for educated and skilled Iraqis.  The 70,000 Iraqis in Yemen have thrived.  They have been treated by the principles of Arab Unity.  This means the Yemeni government has extended “rights to work, education, and social benefits on the basis of their being Arabs.”  (YEMEN: Iraqi migrants, refugees await brighter future IRIN.)   Although the Iraqis have spurred the Yemen economy, the Yemeni government recently passed legislation requiring Iraqis entering the country to obtain a visa to slow down immigration.

The Oromos from Ethiopia have poorly treated in Yemen.  They have sought refuge from Eithopia.  “We have come to Yemen in order to escape persecution, torture and killings by the Ethiopian government,” according to Jamal Abdowaday, an Oromo leader in Sana’a. (ETHIOPIA-YEMEN: Oromo migrants fear deportation.   IRIN).  Their fear of the Ethiopian government has placed them in position without bargaining power, since their greatest fear is deportation.  This has made them susceptible to abuses.  Oromos claim local Yemenis mistreat them. “We are subject to harassment, arrests, and discrimination . . .  Our children can’t go to school. They are deprived of education… They have become like animals confined in small rooms. They can’t play in the streets for fear of being beaten or harassed by local children,” Abdowaday added.  Id.  However, the Yemen government denies these allegations and claims that it has treated the Oromos fairly.

The largest influx of refugees lately has been Somalis.  In July alone, 18,000 Somalis have fled Mogadishu.  This has lead to Somalis flooding to Yemen, creating dangerous situations for both the migrants and the Yemen government.  Recently, the UN reported that at least 367 Somalis have died trying to cross into the border.  (Voice of America.)   However, 10,000 Somali refugees enter in Yemen every year, bringing the Somali refugee court to about 64,000 in Yemen.  This influx of refugees has created a strain on the government as it struggles to provide for the refugees. 

The large numbers of refugees has become a difficult problem for the Yemen government.  It strains the nation’s weak economy, and compounds Yemen’s other problems, such as stabilizing the Sa’ana region and eradicating Yemen’s ties with terrorist groups.  Yemen has more closely monitored its media, furthering the problem for the refugees as the voices raising awareness of the refugees’ plight are being quieted.  This could create a future disaster for the refugees, if the Yemeni government cuts corners for the refugees and ignores them to focus on the nation’s other problems, because the plight of the refugees would not be focused on by the official state sponsored media.

News Yemen. Yemen faces critical troubles due to refugees influx. 28 July 2007.

IRIN. ETHIOPIA-YEMEN: Oromo migrants fear deportation. 30 May 2007.

IRIN.  YEMEN: Somali refugees protest perceived injustices. 27 November 2005.

IRIN. YEMEN: Iraqi migrants, refugees await brighter future. 1 July 2007.

Somalia News.  Somalia: Yemen deports Somali refugees. 26 July 2007.

Voice of America. UN: At Least 367 Somali Refugees Killed Trying to Cross Into Yemen. 10 July 2007.

Relief Web. Somalia: Situation Report. 27 July 2007.

UN Condemns Human Rights Violations in Sudan

By Impunity Watch Africa

The UN Human Rights Committee (HRC) has criticized Sudan for “widespread and systematic” abuses in a report issued this week.  The HRC, comprising of 18 independent experts, monitors compliance with the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, wrapped up a three-week session during which it examined the records for three countries including Sudan.  The HRC expressed concern over reports of torture, discrimination against women, and the use of child soldiers.  There are also reported violations in Darfur, including murder, rape, evictions, and attacks on civilians.

This was the first overall review of Sudan in more than ten years, and the HRC said “widespread and systematic serious human rights violations, including murder, rape, forced displacement and attacks against the civilian population, have been and continue to be committed with total impunity throughout Sudan and particularly in Darfur.” The HRC called on Khartoum to “ensure that no financial support or material is channeled to militias that engage in ethnic cleansing or the deliberate targeting of civilians.”   The committee also expressed concern over payments of “diya,” or blood money, for murder in Sudan, as well as reports of widespread torture in prisons, persistent discrimination against women, and the use of child soldiers.

The HRC is also urging the government of Sudan to cooperate with the International Criminal Court to make sure that human rights violations are investigated and that those responsible are prosecuted at the national or international level.  Currently, Sudanese police, armed forces, and national security forces are immune from prosecution under Sudanese law.   The ICC has already issued arrest warrants for junior cabinet Minister Ahmed Haroun and an allied militia leader, both accused of conspiring to commit war crimes, but Sudan has refused to turn over the suspects.

The UN estimates that 200,000 people have been killed and more than 2.5 million displaced during the conflict in Darfur that began four years ago. The government has been accused of sending Arab militias known as janjaweed, which are blamed for the worst human rights violations in Darfur including rape and indiscriminate killings.  The current AU peacekeeping force in Darfur is over-stretched and under-funded, and negotiations are currently taking place for a joint AU-UN force.

For more information, please see:

BBC – UN body criticises Sudan abuses – 27 July 2007

Reuters – UN Rights Body Urges Sudan to Prosecute War Crimes – 27 July 2007

Washington Post – UN Rights Committee Criticizes Sudan – 27 July 2007

VOA – UN Condemns Gross Human Rights Violations in Sudan – 27 July 2007

Gorillas in DRC Brutally Murdered to Convey Political Message

By Meryl White
Impunity Watch, Africa

In Democratic Republic of Congo, four endangered mountain gorillas were found brutally murdered this week in Virunga National Park. The four silverback gorillas are known to researchers as the Rugendo family. These four animals belonged to a pack of twelve gorillas which were often visited by tourists.

Park staff and WildlifeDirect officials positioned in Virunga’s Bukima camp reported hearing gunshots at 8 p.m. on Saturday coming from within the dark forest.

Since January, seven large endangered apes have been shot dead. According to conservationists, poachers were not responsible for these vicious killings because they would have taken the bodies for food or sale.

Conversely, conservationists believe that the “senseless and tragic” killings were an act of sabotage committed by a group trying to convey the political message to keep rangers out of Virunga National Park. Presently, the protected park is under pressure from “outside exploitation,” including the lucrative charcoal trade. Mark Rose, chief executive of Fauna and Flora International, stated, “Whatever the motive underlying this tragedy, the gorillas are helpless pawns in a feud between individuals.”

Deo Kujirakwinja of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) Congo programme, stated “This area must be immediately secured or we stand to lose an entire population of these animals.” According to a 2004 census, 380 gorillas, more than half of the world’s population, reside in the national park and nearby Virunga volcanoes region.

For more information, please see:

BBC – Concern Over Gorilla ‘Executions’ – 26 July 2007

BBC – DR Congo Rebel Threat to Gorillas – 21 May 2007

AllAfrica – Rwanda: Gorillas Mass Execution Reported in DR Congo – 24 July 2007