Police Kill Farmer During Clash

By Cintia Garcia

Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

LIMA, PERU—On Friday, a farmer, Quintino Cerceda Huilca, was shot in the head and killed by police during a clash in the highland region of Apurimac. Congressman Richard Arce, who represents the region, confirmed the death caused by police officers attempting to clear the road.

Mining company in Las Bambas is not abiding by the environment plan. (Photo Courtesy of America Economia)
Mining company in Las Bambas is not abiding the environment plan. (Photo Courtesy of America Economia)

An estimated 200 villagers protested the Chinese company, MMG Ltd’s $10-billion Las Bambas copper mine, for changing its environmental plan. The protestors had been blocking the road leading to Las Bambas copper mine for nearly a week. They were met by police dressed in riot gear. A community lawyer stated that about 21 to 34 local community members were injured, including some with bullet wounds. In addition to the injured, 12 protestors were arrested. Peru’s interior ministry released a statement claiming that they lamented the death of the farmer. The office also stated that 20 policemen were injured during the clash and the matter is under investigation. This was the first death related to a mining protest.

A community spokesman stated, “The community has never disagreed with the project. They are not anti-mining. The issue is that they cheated us, they lied to use. The ore was going to go through a pipeline, not trucks that are polluting the fields.” The remote community claims that an estimated 300 trucks pass through the area every day affecting their way of life, including their livestock. In addition, some of the demonstrators have stated that some of their communal land had been used without permission to construct a paved road leading to the mine.

Peru’s economy has grown within the past year due to copper production. La Bamba mine is expected to make Peru the second largest copper producer in the world. La Bamba alone produced 35,000 tonnes of copper in August.

Reuters—One Killed in Peru Protests Against Las Bambas Copper Mine—14 October 2016.

America Economia—Al Menos Una Persona Muere Durante Protesta Contra Minera de Cobre La Bambas en Peru—15 October 2016.

Peru Reports—Peru Police Kill Protester Near Las Bambas Copper Mine—15 October 2016.

TeleSur–Mining-Related Clash with Police Leaves One Dead in Peru—15 October 2016.

Calais Children Make Journey to Britain

By Sarah Lafen

Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, Europe

LONDON, England — The first group of children to leave the migrant camp popularly known as “the jungle” in Calais, France has traveled to Britain to be reunited with relatives.  On Monday, 14 children ranging in age from 14-17 left the camp and were brought by government officials and charity workers to a Home Office immigration facility in Croydon, which is in south London.  The children were held there before being reunited with family at various locations, including local churches.

A minor arrives in Britain via bus after leaving the Calais camp (Photo Courtesy of the LA Times)
A minor arrives in Britain via bus after leaving the Calais camp (Photo Courtesy of the LA Times)

These children are allowed to be reunited with family in Britain under a law called the Dublin Regulation, which allows children with close relatives in Britain to seek asylum there even if they also have asylum elsewhere.

Aid groups praised the transfer of the children after warnings that keeping the children in the Calais camp might put them at risk of being trafficked.  Rowan Williams, the former archbishop of Canterbury who has aided the efforts to transport the children to Britain, believes that Britain has “…the beginnings of some sort of response to what is still a hugely troubling and very, very urgent situation.” Williams urges that Britain can “offer secure environments for these children” as well as “a place of safety.”

The French and British interior ministers, Bernard Cazeneuve and Amber Rudd, have agreed to speed up the process of transferring children from the Calais camp to Britain.  While it is unknown exactly how many unaccompanied minors are living in the camp, the Red Cross estimates there to be about 1,000.  178 of these children have been identified as having relatives in Britain, however some are being held back from being transferred to Britain for bureaucracy reasons.

In a slightly separate process, Britain has been collaborating with French authorities to identify children who can be brought to Britain under an amended British immigration law known as the Dubs amendment.  Under this amendment, Britain will agree to take in “vulnerable unaccompanied child refugees” who arrived in the European Union prior to March 20, even if they do not have familial ties to Britain.

It is expected that dozens of more children will make the journey to Britain this week so they can be reunited with relatives.  Britain’s effort marks the beginning of its commitment to welcome migrant children into its borders before the Calais camp is permanently destroyed.

 

For more information, please see:

BBC — Families Speak of Their Joy at being Reunited with Calais Children — 17 October 2016

The LA Times — A Journey Through ‘Hell’: First Wave of Migrant Children from Calais Arrives in Britain — 17 October 2016

Reuters — First 14 Unaccompanied Children from Calais ‘Jungle’ Reach Britain — 17 October 2016

The Washington Post — 14 Migrant Children Arriving in UK from Calais Migrant Camp — 17 October 2016

 

Hospitals in Zimbabwe Stop Surgeries Amid Drug Shortage

By Samantha Netzband 

Impunity Watch, Africa Desk Reporter

HARARE, Zimbabwe– A country wide shortage of drugs used in surgery has caused two hospitals in Zimbabwe to suspend all elective surgeries.  Both the United Bulawayo Hospital (UBH) and the Harare Central Hospital have suspended surgeries because of the shortage.  The shortage of drugs includes pethidine (a sedative), injectable morphine, fentanyl, adrenaline, metoclopramide, sodium bicarbonate and antibiotics.

Zimbabwe: major hospital suspends surgeries amid drug shortage

Doctors do surgery in Zimbabwe. (Photo Courtesy of Africa News)

The shortage of drug comes during Zimbabwe’s continuing economic downturn.  80% of the countries citizens live in poverty, and their is political unrest regarding upcoming elections.  United Bulawayo Hospital serves a population of over 1 million people, meaning that a large number of the Zimbabwe population will be affected by this hospitals cessation of elective surgery.

Health ministry permanent secretary Gerald Gwinji originally down played Harare Central Hospital’s suspended elective surgeries.  He claimed that the shortage was due to an administrative glitch.  Health minister David Parirenyatwa has said the shortage is actually the governments fault.  Mismanagement of the drugs has lead Zimbabwe to get 92% of its medication from external sources.  Parirenyatwa has also said that because of the poor management of the countries health sector there are increased national security risks.

Country officials are unsure of when the shortage will end, and more hospitals may suspend elective surgeries.  United Bulawayo Hospital is located in the eastern part of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second largest city.  It is one of two major referral centers for the southern part of the country.

 

For more information, please see: 

Africa News – Major hospital suspends surgeries amid drug shortage – 15 October 2016

All Africa – Zimbabwe Second Major Hospital Suspends Surgeries – 15 October 2016

Zimbabwe Daily – Hospitals Hit by Painkiller Shortage, Suspends Surgeries – 14 October 2016

 

 

 

Syrian Network for Human Rights: Detailed Account of the Russian-Syrian Attacks on the Neighborhoods of Eastern Aleppo after 25 Days of the Second Cessation of Hostilities Statement
I. Introduction and Methodology
SNHR team documented the breaches by the parties to the conflict after the second Cessation of Hostilities statement was approved on 12 September 2016. We highlighted these beaches in three reports in which we documented no less than 242 breaches where the Syrian regime and its ally the Russian regime perpetrated the most and greatest of these breaches.
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Syria Deeply: Weekly Update: Diplomatic Differences And Rebel Infighting

WEEKLY UPDATE
Ocotober 14, 2016
Dear Readers,Welcome to the weekly Syria Deeply newsletter. We’ve rounded up the most important stories and developments about Syria and the Syrians in order to bring you valuable news and analysis. But first, here is a brief overview of what happened this week:Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution calling on it, as a Syrian government ally, to halt its bombing campaign in rebel-held eastern Aleppo. The Syria Civil Defence, a group of volunteer rescue workers, said more than 150 people were killed in Syrian and Russian airstrikes on Aleppo this week.As the battle for Aleppo rages, the U.S. called for an investigation into possible war crimes committed during the Syrian conflict. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also asked the Security Council to officially refer the war crimes investigations in Syria to the International Criminal Court.This weekend, Russia and the U.S. are set to resume Syria peace talks in Lausanne, Switzerland; it will be the first meeting between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov since Washington broke off negotiations on Oct. 3.As foreign powers discuss diplomatic differences on Syria, on the ground rebel coalitions have also begun to crack. Extremist group Jund al-Aqsa announced that it would join the former al-Qaida affiliate, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham. The announcement came just as the Syrian government and its allied forces advanced in Hama province, recapturing five villages.The pro-government advance followed the withdrawal of Jund al-Aqsa and Ahrar al-Sham fighters from the Hama frontlines, where they had been fighting in a joint offensive since August. The two extremist groups turned on each other this week, clashing in Idlib province and the Hama countryside.

Weekly Highlights:

Seven Experts to Watch on Sieges in Syria

In the next installment of our “Experts to Watch” series, we highlight seven experts spreading news and analysis about the horrific conditions inside Syria’s besieged cities.
A Syrian boy arranges peppers at a market in the rebel-held area of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on September 19, 2016, after humanitarian relief failed to enter the city under seige. AFP/KARAM AL-MASRI

Syrian Girls Say Building Minds Will Help Build Futures

Marking this year’s International Day of the Girl, Fiona Duggan, of the children’s charity Theirworld, writes about the aspirations of Syrian girls she met in Turkey – a country where more than 60 percent of refugee girls are out of school.
Ethar Kassab, 15, from Aleppo, is in 10th grade and attends a Syrian school in Gaziantep. After school, she attends a club run by a group of Syrian engineers and physics teachers that teaches children how to operate and program robots. Rosie Thompson/ Theirworld

War in Translation: Giving Voice to the Women of Syria

Translating the words and voices of Syrian women is an act of witness that involves smuggling stories out of the embattled country in the hope that they will live on, writes Syrian writer and translator Lina Mounzer.
Syrian women walk in between destroyed buildings in the government-held Jouret al-Shiah neighbourhood of the central Syrian city of Homs on September 19, 2016. AFP/LOUAI BESHARA

Additional Reading:

Top image: Syrians gather by the rubble of a house destroyed by Syrian forces’ shelling in the town of Azaz, on the outskirts of Aleppo, in September 2012. AP/Muhammed Muheisen, File