A Voice for the Voiceless

Amnesty International Report on Eve of 40th Anniversary of West Bank Occupation

June 5 will mark the 40th anniversary of the 1967 War between Israel and its Arab neighbors.  Before the end of the war, Israeli military forces occupied the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza.  Throughout the occupation, Israelis and Palestinians experienced 40 years of economic hardships and fierce fighting between themselves and each other.

In its report, Amnesty International outlined several human rights violations that are currently being committed by both sides of the continuing conflict.  Most of the report focused on Israel’s failure to follow international law in regards at its obligations as an occupying power.  The primary criticism was the building of the security barrier between Israel and the West Bank and the management of border crossing.  The report also criticized various Palestinian organizations for targeting Israeli citizens, including settlers. 

The report recommended that an international organization be created to monitor the parties’ compliance with international law and suggest corrective measures in cases of noncompliance.  In addition, the international watchdog should ensure the accountability of Israel and Palestine to humanitarian law and should investigate and prosecute violations.

The Israeli government has rejected Amnesty International’s report and claims that it is one-sided.  The Israeli government states that it has not violated international law and that it has the right to defend itself against Palestinians intent on terrorizing Israelis.

The Report:
Amnesty International:  “Enduring Occupation”  June 2007. 

For more information please see:

BBC:  “Amnesty Seeks Mid-East Watchdog”  4 June 2007. 

ME Times:  “Israel Rejects Amnesty Criticism Over Barrier”  4 June 2007. 

Person smuggling network caught in Western Sahara

         The Moroccan police made 14 arrests related to a major smuggling ring in Western Sahara. The arrests were made after a shootout which occurred in the city of Dajla in southern Western Sahara. It was the result of a three month investigation to discover a major gang responsible for smuggling immigrants into the Canary Islands. The group’s leader, however, escaped by boat to Mauritius.
       

        The person smuggling industry to the Canary Islands has been a problem which has always plagued the islands. However, lately gangs have gotten involved in the industry and there has been a six-fold increase in the smuggling industry. Last year, over 30,000 immigrants were caught trying to illegally immigrate into the Canary Islands. The number of illegal immigrants arrested in a single weekend can reach 700.       

        The smuggling industry has thrived as gangs have preyed upon desperate people who are seeking to get into the European Union through Spain. It has caused the death of many immigrants en route, and threatened the lives of survivors through severe hypothermia and dehydration because of the poor traveling conditions. The passenger’s goal is to get a job and support their relatives at home, yet the gangs fleece the migrants.

           The gangs usually charge a very high rate for the migrants forcing the migrants to sell all that they own to gain passage on the ship. Following the initial payment, the gangs usually try to exhort more money from the passengers to guarantee better conditions on the boat or a better chance or immigration. Finally, when the passengers have traded everything they have they reach Spain and hope not to be arrested. If they are caught, they are repatriated back to their original countries, restart the process to procure the riches of Europe.

Typically Spanish. Moroccan police break up immigrant network in Western Sahara. 29 May 2007.

International Herald Tribune. Gangs profit from Smuggling of Illegal immigrants into Europe. 20 March 2007.

Africa Cast. Spain repatriates 750 migrants. 21 May 2007.

Niger’s Government Dissolves

By Meryl White
Impunity Watch, Africa

Niger is one of the five poorest countries in the world. It is situated in the southern region of the Sahara Desert. This arid nation has experienced a history of coups and elections since its independence from France in 1960. On Friday, June 1, 2007, Niger was once again without a government when Prime Minister Hama Amadou’s cabinet lost a no-confidence vote brought by parliamentary opposition. Sixty-two delegates in a 113-seat national assembly voted Amadou out of office. He was the leader of the ruling National Movement for a Society of Development (MNSD) since 1998.

The vote was prompted by a fraud case at the education ministry where two former ministers were involved in embezzling foreign funds that were intended for impoverished schools. Between 2002 and 2006, more than $9 million of European Union Aid was allegedly taken in the corrupt scandal.

While Amadou immediately resigned from his position on Friday, he was shocked that four groups allied to the MNSD voted against his government. He said, “After surviving four no-confidence votes, the government has fallen.” Moreover, he stated, “It’s a total surprise, given that the government has a big majority.”

President Tanja now has to pick a successor for the position of prime minister or dissolve parliament and call for new elections within 45 days. Opposition leader Mahamadou Issoufou said, “We would like him to make the right choice in order to give Niger a prime minister who will promote good governance and fight corruption and the embezzlement of public goods.”

For more information, please see:

BBC – Niger Vote Dissolves Government – 01 June 2007

International Herald Tribune – Niger’s Government Dissolves After No Confidence Vote – June 2007

Yahoo – Niger Government Falls After Losing Confidence Vote – June 2007

Iraqi Refugees Turn to Desperate Means

    The UN estimates that 1.2 million Iraqi refugees have entered Syria since the beginning of the Iraq war.  However, the Syrian government’s numbers put the number of refugees to be higher.  As violence increased in Iraq in the recent months, there has also been an increase in unaccompanied women refugees and women-headed households entering Syria.  These women, many supporting families, are living in a country where the cost of living and unemployment rates are both increasing.  Many of these women find that their only marketable asset is their bodies.  They face a difficult choice – engage in prostitution or be forced to return to Iraq.   

     Prostitution is a forbidden topic by the Syrian government.  However, in recent months the government has been acknowledging this growing problem.  The Syrian government is sympathetic to these women and is careful not to deport them.  However, little else is being done to help these women or to offer alternatives to prostitution.

For more information please see:
NY Times:  “Desperate Iraqi Refugees Turn to Sex Trade in Syria”  29 May 2007.

No Changes in Somalia

By Myriam Clerge

Impunity Watch, Africa

“Once again Somalia has failed to emerge from the upheaval[s].” This thought sums up the present circumstances in Somalia. The country is still unable to feed its people and there continues to be war. The humanitarian crisis in Somalia has not reached this stage since clan warfare nearly 16 years ago. This time the war is between allies of the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) and Ethiopian forces- in support of the Transitional Federal Government.

Roughly 430,000 to 350,000 have fled from Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, since the fighting began. According to the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund, one million Somalis are in need of aid and protection and 71 % of the population is malnourish.

To make matters worse, pirates have hindered the transport of food and aid to displaced Somalis. Earlier in the month, a ship carrying tons of UN relief refused to leave the port of Kenya because of piracy. On Tuesday, pirates released a vessel and its crew after the cargo owners agreed to pay the $100,000 ransom. The United Nations has appealed for international support to secure the waters off Somalia.

Besides humanitarian aid the United States objective is to prevent Somalia from becoming a safe haven to terrorist. Somalia has been without an affective government for 16 years. Although the Ethiopian forces overthrew the Union of Islamic Courts, the US is fearful extremist of the Islamic Court may harbour members of al-Qeada.

Ethiopia has vowed to retain troops in Somalia until African Union forces are at an effective level. Five Somali civilians died and three were injured yesterday after an attack on a convoy forced Ethiopian soldiers to open fire. As Islamists increasingly adopt guerrilla tactics, the likelihood the fighting will end soon seems daunting.

For more information please see:

BBC – Five Die in Somalia Convoy Attack – 30 May 2007

Yahoo – Somali Pirates Release Ship, Crew – 30 May 2007

BBC – Somalia – ‘A Depressing Prospect’ – 14 May 2007

BBC – Country profile: Somalia – 6 March 2007