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The Horrors of the South Sudan Civil War
By Tyler Campbell
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa
JUBA, South Sudan – A report released this Tuesday by the African Union has shed light onto the unbelievable scale of the atrocities committed during the two-year civil war in the new country of South Sudan. Wide spread reports of murder, rape, mutilation, torture, and even forced cannibalism make the report a disturbing and depressing window into the short history this country has faced.
South Sudan came into existence in 2011 when 99% of the population voted to separate itself from North Sudan. President Salva Kiir Mayardit and his vice president, Riek Machar, held the new nation together for two years. Both leaders were representatives of their respective ethnic groups, the President, a Dinka, and the Vice President, a Nuer. Then, unexpectedly, in the summer of 2013 President Kiir abolished his cabinet and fired his vice president.
Kiir’s action sent shockwaves through the country and within days it had descended into full civil war between the two major ethnic groups, the Dinka and the Nuer. This August the fighting was halted when the two leaders, president and former vice president, came together and signed a peace deal. In theory ending the civil war. However, this shocking report threatens to shatter the fragile peace between the two groups.
The report from the African Union found “sexual and gender-based violence” and “extreme cruelty” in the practices of both sides during the war. Even more alarming is the report that most of the atrocities were carried out against civilians not involved in the fighting. These atrocities include mass rape against all ages, the beating and then burning of civilians based only on tribal facial marks, and the forced cannibalism of civilians by soldiers. Places of worship, hospitals, and places of protection were also attacked.
The report from the AU ruled that there were reasonable grounds to find that war crimes were committed and human rights violated. However, the AU was not yet willing to rule that genocide had been committed, even though the lines of the conflict were drawn between two distinct ethnic groups.
A lot is still yet to be decided and resolved. The AU report gave some advice on what is to happen next with the young country. First, it stated that the government was certainly at fault for what had happened. The reports by President Kiir that the fighting began because of an attempted coup do not seem to have any basis in fact. Second, the AU suggests that neither Kiir not Machar play any role in a transitional government.
It still remains to be seen if the peace agreement formed by the two sides will be completely effective. Both sides still remain hostile against one another, constantly accusing the other of breaking the peace deal. The AU report, which was written a year ago, was only just released because of fear it would incite more violence. This still remains a distinct possibility.
For more information, please see:
The New York Times – Rape and Cannibalism Cited Among South Sudan Horrors – 28 Oct. 2015
The Guardian – South Sudan civil war inquiry details torture and forced cannibalism – 28 Oct. 2015
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An Eritrean Migrant was Brutally Beaten by Israeli Mob
By Brittani Howell
Impunity Watch Reporter, The Middle East
JERUSALEM, Israel – Last Sunday, an Eritrean migrant was shot and then brutally beaten by a mob. The Eritrean migrant, Habtom Zerhom, was mistaken as a second attacker in an incident at a bus station in Beersheba.
Zerhom took cover in the bus station amid the chaos. A security video shows Zerhom crawling in all fours around a kiosk when he was shot. A security guard, mistaking Zerhom as an additional attacker, ran at Zerhom and opened fire.
While Zerhom lay on the floor, a mob of people began to kick him and through things at him. The mob then rammed him with a bench, as Zerhom lay on the floor helpless. Israeli police officers and a few passers-by attempted to protect Zerhom from the mob.
Meir Saka, a passer-by who tried to protect Zerhom, told Channel 10 TV, “It doesn’t matter if it was a terrorist or not. It was a man lying on the ground that couldn’t move. I couldn’t sleep at night, from seeing him, his blood.”
According to doctors at Soroka Medical Center, Zerhom died from the bullet wound in combination with the injuries he sustained from being kicked repeatedly. One man who had participated in the mob attack told Israeli Army Radio that, “If I had known he wasn’t a terrorist, believe me, I would have protected him like I protect myself.” He continued, I didn’t sleep well at night. I feel disgusted.”
Israeli police announced that there will be an investigation to determine who was involved in the mob attack against Zerhom. Luba Samri, Israeli police spokeswoman, stated “It should be noted that the police see this in a very severe light and will not allow people to take the law into their own hands.”
The mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, in response to the bus station shooting, told all licensed gun owners to carry their weapons to assist an overstretched security force. This has drawn complaints from critics, who argue that this aids to an already charged atmosphere. A Palestinian official, Hanan Ashrawi, stated, “They are creating a mentality of lynch mobs and of course feeding the culture of hate and racism.”
Currently, there are as many as 34,000 Eritrean migrants in Israel. Israel has refused to give them refugee status, and instead classifies them as migrant workers but has not deported them because of the dangerous situation in Eritrean.
For more information, please see:
CNN – Netanyahu After Mob Beating: ‘No One Will Take Law into his Own Hands’ – 19 October 2015
Reuters – Eritrean Mistaken for Gunman Killed in Israel Bus Station Attack – 19 October 2015
The New York Times – Fatal Beating of Eritrean Prompts Soul-Searching in Israel – 19 October 2015
The Washington Post – Israel Probes Mob Assault on African Bystander Shot Amid Latest Violence – 19 October 2015
Bangladesh Rejects Islamic State Claim of Responsibility for Dhaka Attacks
By Christine Khamis
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia
DHAKA, Bangladesh—
Assailants threw homemade bombs into a crowd gathered for Ashura, a Shiite Muslim holiday, on Saturday. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks, but the Bangladeshi government has since rejected their claim.
The assailants threw a set of homemade bombs into a crowd of around 20,000 Shiites as they gathered at Hussaini Dalan, a historical Shiite landmark, for a procession through Dhaka’s old quarter. One person was killed and over one hundred people were injured in the blasts. Despite the bombing, thousands continued the procession.
Police recovered two other undetonated bombs from the scene of the attack. They have detained two suspects in connection with the bombings.
Bangladeshi authorities believe that the Islamic State had no involvement in the bombings. The spokesman for the Dhaka police, Muntashirul Islam, stated that the police had linked any militant group to the bombings.
Bangladesh’s prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, states that international terrorist groups cannot function in Bangladesh. Ms. Hasina believes that the violence comes from opposition like Jamaat-e-Islami and the Bangladeshi National Party. Officials from the Awami League, Ms. Hasina’s political party, support her belief and state that the Islamic State does not exist in Bangladesh. Ms. Hasina and the Awami League believe that the Dhaka bombing was carried out to incite panic among citizens.
However, according to SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks radical Islamic propaganda and other information, the Islamic State has taken responsibility for the bombings. SITE Intelligence Group reported that a social media statement released by the Islamic State said that “soldiers of the Caliphate in Bangladesh” detonated the bombs in a temple of “polytheists in the city of Dhaka, during the holding of their polytheist rituals.” The statement has not been independently confirmed.
Tensions have been running high in Bangladesh for weeks in the wake of reports of impending terrorist attacks. The United States government and some other foreign governments recently reported that they had gathered intelligence indicating that a terrorist group linked to the Islamic State was planning to attack foreigners in Bangladesh. Some foreign embassies have even issued warnings to their citizens residing in Bangladesh against walking outside or attending gatherings.
The bombings are the third round of violent acts for which the Islamic State has taken credit in the past month. During that time, two foreigners, an Italian man and a Japanese man, were shot and killed in Bangladesh.
The Ashura procession, in which Shia Muslims mourn the martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, has occurred annually for over four centuries without violence. The bombings were the first time that Shiite Muslims, a minority group, were targeted in Bangladesh. Shiites have historically not been discriminated against and attacks against them are rare.
For more information, please see:
The Indian Express – Bangladesh Rejects Islamic State Claim of Attack on Shiites – 25 October 2015
BBC – Dhaka Blasts: One Dead in Attack on Shia Ashura Ritual – 24 October 2015
The Guardian – One Killed and Scores Wounded in Attack at Shia Site in Bangladesh Capital – 24 October 2015
International Business Time – Bangladesh Bomb Attack: ISIS Claims Responsibility for Blasts That Killed 1, Injured Over 100 in Dhaka – 24 October 2015
New York Times – ISIS Claims Responsibility for Attack in Bangladesh – 24 October 2015