A Voice for the Voiceless

Hundreds of stakeholders were prompted to meet at Windhoek for a four day national conference to seek solutions to the string of horrible and cruel forms of violence that is plaguing Namibia. 350 delegates representing government, civil society, traditional leaders and religious groups came together on Tuesday to find a solution to the thorny issue of gender-based violence.

The meeting came together two days after the latest incident in which a young woman was murdered and her head, legs and arms were savagely hacked off. The remaining parts of her body was dumped in a bin on the road between Okahandja and Windhoek.

Marlene Mungunda, Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, says these incidents show that Namibia is fighting a vicious enemy. She stated that the problem called for “watertight strategies.”

The police have been criticized for failing to arrest perpetrators committing gender-based violence, especially those committing crimes that are gruesome and shocking to the public. The minister made a passionate appeal to the Namibian police and other law enforcers to assure that the perpetrators of gender-based violence, particularly those committing bizarre murders, are arrested.

Namibia is among countries in the SADC region that have good legislation on children and women’s rights. However, the effective implementation of these laws is being doubted in some regions.

Norman Tjombe, Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) Director, said, “Gender-based violence is Namibia’s main human rights problem.” Tjombe singled out rape and said 60 rape cases out of 100, 000 persons in the country are recorded every year. While society has viewed rape as an incident where the female is always the victim and the male the perpetrator, shockingly one out of 14 victims is a man or a boy.

The conference is being held under the theme “Unifying Action to Eliminating Gender-Based Violence in Our Society.”

For more information please see:

AllAfrica – Namibia: Meeting to Thrash Out Gender Violence – 19 June 2007

AllAfrica – Namibia: Mungunda Calls On ‘Supernatural’ to Help Fight Violence – 20 June 2007

AllAfrica – Namibia: Violence Conference Begins Huge Task – 20 June 2007

The Special Court for Sierra Leone, a UN-backed court, issued its first verdicts today, convicting three former junta leaders of war crimes.  The court found the three defendants – Alex Timba Brima, Brima Bazzy Kamara, and Santigie Borbor Kanu – guilty of 11 of 14 charges, including terrorism, the use of child soldiers, enslavement, rape, and murder.  No judgments were issued on the charges of sexual slavery and inhumane acts related to sexual violence, and all three were acquitted of “other inhumane acts” related to physical violence.  The three defendants were commanders of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), former government soldiers who split from the army and sided with the RUF rebels during the conflict.

Corrine Dufka, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, said that today’s verdict marks a watershed.  “It’s the first time that an international court has issued a verdict on child recruitment.”  David Crane, the founding prosecutor for the Sierra Leone court agreed.  “It’s a huge moment for children around the world who have been oppressed in these conflicts.  This particular judgment sets the cornerstone forever – those who recruit children into armed force are criminally liable.”

The Special Court for Sierra Leone was established following the end of fighting in 2002 to prosecute the worst offenders.  It is estimated that half a million people were the victims of killings, systematic mutilation and other atrocities during the 1991-2002 conflict.  To date, the court has indicted twelve people, including former Liberian president Charles Taylor who is accused of backing the rebels.  Three of the suspects have since died and the location of one is still unknown.  Taylor is currently facing trial in The Hague due to fears that the case would trigger violence.  Taylor is also linked to abuses in his own country, but Liberia has opted for a truth and reconciliation commission rather than a court.

For more information, please see:

ABC – Sierra Leone court delivers first war crimes verdicts – 21 June 2007

CNN – Sierra Leone war crimes court convicts 3 – 20 June 2007

USA Today – 3 convicted of Sierra Leone War Crimes – 20 June 2007

Chronicle Journal – Sierra Leone court convicts three junta leaders of war crimes in civil war – June 2007

Mail & Guardian – Sierra Leone court delivers first war-crimes verdicts – June 2007

Yahoo News – Sierra Leone court to deliver first war crimes judgment – June 2007