Saudi-led Coalition Airstrikes Kill 29 in Yemen’s Capital City

By Brittani Howell

Impunity News Desk Reporter, The Middle East

SANA’A, Yemen – Saudi led warplanes bombed Yemen’s capital city, Sana’a, on Friday killing at least 29 people. Bombing continued in Sana’a through Sunday, becoming one of the heaviest bombardments since the coalition began.

A man is carried from the rubble of an airstrike that occurred on Saturday. (Photo Courtesy of the New York Times)

On Sunday, 10 people were killed in the province of Ibb as air strikes targeted a military compound. Coalition forces are trying to retake Sana’a from the Houthi rebels so that exiled president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi may return.

On Friday the home of an Omani ambassador was attacked during the fighting, The Saudi-led coalition denies that they attacked the ambassador’s residence.

Brigadier-General Ahmed al-Asiri, military spokesperson for the coalition, stated that he would welcome an investigation as the ambassador’s house could have been hit by a Houthi mortar shell. He stated “One would be able from the beginning to distinguish between a mortar strike and plane strike.”

Friday’s airstrikes targeted Yemen’s Interior Ministry building, but apartment buildings and under passes, of no apparent military value, were also struck.

An apartment building in the UNESCO world heritage site was struck, killing a family of nine. A neighbor, Taha al-Maghribi stated that he did not know why the family had been targeted as they had remained neutral throughout the conflict. In addition, he stated that the apartment building was not close to any military installation.

Critics of the coalition believe the airstrikes that hit the residential areas are part of a deliberate policy to terrorize the population, in hopes that citizens will turn against the Houthi rebels.

On Saturday a 100 people protested in front of the Houthi rebel’s headquarters. The protesters demanded for the release of Mohammed Qahtan, a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as for the release of others.

Five people were arrested as a result of the protest. Ahmed Moslah, a protester, stated, ”They beat us with batons and heaped insults on us.”

UNICEF, the United Nations child agency was appalled that water supplies, intended to help as many as 11,000 were destroyed in the bombing of a warehouse in Sana’a on Friday. Blame was not assigned, but it is suspected that coalition airstrikes were responsible.

For more information please see:

Al-Jazeera – Coalition-led bombings hit Yemen’s Capital – 20 September 2015

Reuters – Saudi-led Coalition Denies Attacking Home of Oman Envoy to Yemen – 20 September 2015

The Associated Press – Saudi-led Coalition Airstrikes in Yemen’s Capital Kill 29 – 19 September 2015

The New York Times – Arab Coalition Bombs Yemen’s Capital, Killing Dozens – 19 September 2015

Parties “Close to Agreement” in Colombia/FARC Negotiations

By Kaitlyn Degnan
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America 

BOGOTA, Colombia — According to Colombia Reports, the Colombian government and representatives from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, are close to reaching an agreement. FARC is a paramilitary organization that has been active in Colombia since 1964. The differences between the group and successive Colombian regimes has led to decades of violence that has claimed over 260,000 lives.

Luciano Marin Arango, head of FARC delegation to Havana peace talks. (Photo courtesy of TeleSur)

A communique from FARC’s website said that “Peace is knocking at the door of Colombia, and it requires that the armed conflict should be left behind, as something that should not be repeated anymore, to ensure the peaceful future and decent life of the new generations of Colombians.”

One of the issues on the table is the finalization of negotiations regarding victims’ reparations.

FARC also called for the “urgent” dismantle of the “phenomenon of paramilitarism.” The government also supported this. Interior Minister, Juan Fernando Cristo, speaking at a university forum in Tunja, said that FARC could support and defend their ideas, without violence, within the context of Colombian democracy as an official political party.

The final agreement would include a process for the integration of the paramilitaries into political society.

Last week the government presented a “constitutional reform for peace”, which would allow the implementation of a number of agreements reached between the two parties throughout the course of the negotiations.

FARC opposed the reform, instead calling for a Constituent Assembly. The government’s plan already has wide support from Congress, but does not have support from the rebels (who are not represented in Congress).

In his prayers during a historical visit to Cuba this past Sunday, Pope Francis said that “we do not have the right to allow ourselves yet another failure on this path of peace and reconciliation.”

In order to facilitate the peace talks, FARC declared a cease-fire on July 20, and then reaffirmed the cease-fire on August 20. The cease-fire was one sided, and Colombian forces continued to execute operations against the paramilitary’s positions in the country.

Peace talks between the two groups have been ongoing in Havana, Cuba since November of 2012. The two sides are working towards a bilateral peace agreement.

 

For more information, please see:

Prensa Latina – FARC-EP for Progress in Peace Conversations – 17 September 2015 

TeleSur – FARC Closer to Becoming a Legal Political Movement – 17 September 2015

Colombia Reports – Rebels on verge of reaching transitional justice agreement with Colombia govt: FARC – 18 September 2015

InNews – Colombia: Government Welcomes FARC Stance on Dropping Weapons – 18 September 2015

Sputnik News – UN Continues Contribution to Colombia-FARC Peace Talks – 18 September 2015

The Guardian – Pope Francis prays for peace in Colombia – 20 September 2015

This Week In Syria Deeply

WEEKLY UPDATE
September 19, 2015
Dear Readers,

Welcome to the weekly Syria Deeply update. We’ve rounded up the most important stories and developments from Syria.

Will Syria’s Druze Join Uprising After Assassination of Influential Sheikh?

Syria Deeply spoke to Druze in Sweida about the struggle to remain neutral following the death of one of their religious leaders. Still reeling from an attack by Jabhat al-Nusra earlier this summer, many are hesitant to join the uprising.

(Above: Lebanese Druze gather at a memorial service for Sheikh Walid Balous in Beirut on September 10, 2015. Photo credit: Associated Press/Hussein Malla)

“My Syrian Diary,” By A Teen Girl in Damascus, Continues with Part 39

Marah, a teenage girl from one of Syria’s besieged cities, shares her stories of life in the war. She recently moved to Damascus to continue her education, deciding to focus her college studies on prosthetics, which she hopes to use to help heal the injured in her country’s conflict. In the latest installment, Part 39, Marah begins by writing: “Damascus is a city to love… but all we are thinking of now is how to leave her.”
Find our new reporting and analysis every weekday at www.syriadeeply.org. You can reach our team with any comments or suggestions at info@newsdeeply.org.

Military Coup Days Before an Election

By Tyler Campbell

Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

 

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso – As of yesterday, Burkina Faso is officially under new leadership. The military announced it had dissolved the government and removed the sitting president days before the election, which was scheduled to take place on October 11. The presidential guard seized the president, prime minister, and other government officials during a cabinet meeting this Wednesday. It is not clear what has become of these government officials at this time.

Protestors in the Nation’s Capitol (photo courtesy of the Indian Express)

Shortly after the seizer the guard took to radio and television signals to announce that they were now in control of the country. The presidential guard had been very vocal about its disagreement with the interim government that was running the country. The guard has heavy ties with the previous president, Blaise Compaore. He had been in control for 27 years until finally being ousted by public up rising the year before. The presidential guard’s main issue with the interim government was its decision to block any members of the ex-president’s party from running in the October election. This move could likely be an attempt for ex-president Blaise Compaore to regain power, or keep control within party lines.

 

This coup has had some immediate negative consequences for the country. The boarders of Burkina Faso have been shut down. The presidential guard has also put a curfew in place. The coup and these actions by the guard have been met with heavy rioting in the nations capitol.

 

These riots have left ten dead so far. An unverified claim blamed these deaths on shots fired by the presidential guard. Along with these deaths have come an unknown number of rioters being arrested.

 

Cheriff Sy the transitional parliamentary speaker has become the unofficial leader of the opposition to this coup. After declaring himself the leader of Burkina Faso he asked its people to rise up and fight this oppositional government. Saying, “We are in a resistance situation against adversity.”

 

The U.S. and French governments have both expressed concern and condemnation about the actions of the presidential guard. However, military action by either of these nations against the coup is very unlikely at this time. This could change if the situation with ISIS continue to worsen. Burkina Faso was one of the most important allies of these two nations in their fight against Islamist extremism.

 

For now it is fully up to the citizens of Burkina Faso to once again rise up and expel an illegitimate regime, like they did in 2014. In those riots the citizens of Burkina Faso eventually ended up setting fire to the capitol building and homes of then president, Blaise Compaore. We shall see if this level of violence will be needed to overthrow the presidential guard this time around.

 

For more information, please see:

 

Huffington Post – Military In Burkina Faso Confirms Coup And Dissolves Government – 17 September 2015

 

The Guardian – Coup in Burkina Faso as military takes over country ahead of elections – 17 September 2015

 

BBC – Burkina Faso coup sparks deadly street protests – 17 September 2015

 

CNN – Burkina Faso: Military takes over after presidential guards detain President – 17 September 2015

 

The New York Times – Violent Protests Topple Government in Burkina Faso – 30 October 2014

 

 

Palestinian Hunger Striker Re-Detained After Hospital Release

By Brittani Howell

Impunity Watch Reporter, The Middle East

JERUSALEM, Israel – Mohammad Allaan, a Palestinian lawyer, was re-arrested by Israel on Wednesday after being discharged from the hospital. Allaan was in the hospital as a result of his hunger strike, protesting his incarceration

Protesters hold posters of Mohammed Allaan’s picture. (Courtesy of CNN)

Allaan, an alleged member of the Islamic Jihad militant group was detained by Israel without charges or a trial. The administrative detention allows military courts to detain militant suspects indefinitely, subject to a renewal every six months. According to the Israeli civil rights group, B’Tselem, “Israeli’s use of administrative detention blatantly violates the restrictions of international law.”

Israel states that the detention orders are necessary to protect intelligent sources in security-related cases. The Shin Bet internal security agency stated that Allaan was still, “a danger to peace and security in the region” and placed him back in custody because his health had improved.

Israel’s justice ministry alleges that Allaan is involved in “grave terrorism” which necessitates his detention. Allaan denies the allegations and denies involvement with the Islamic Jihad militant group.

Allaan was detained November 2014 and his detention was renewed in May. Allaan stopped eating on June 16 and, as a result, suffered brain damage among other medical conditions. Allaan’s lawyer, Mr. Khatib, intends to appeal the re-arrest because of the brain damage Allaan suffered. He also argues that only the Supreme Court had the authority to cancel the suspension of Allaan’s detention. The re-arrest was a result of a military directive, not a Supreme Court order canceling the suspension of the detention.

Sawsan Zaher, a lawyer for an Arab-rights group which also represented Allaan, stated, “The fact that the authorities renewed the order the moment his situation improved, without checking relevant or justifiable evidence – this means that the order is only an act of revenge.”

In July, Israel passed a law which allows force-feeding to those who are hunger-striking, if the strike’s life is in danger. The United Nations finds the law a “cause of concern” and the Israel Medical Association equates the law to torture.

Allaan was not force-fed, as the government could not find any willing doctors to do the procedure. Instead, Allaan was given intravenous fluids when his condition deteriorated.

Israeli police stated Allaan will be held in detention until November 4, which is when his detention is scheduled to end.

For further information, please see:

Al-Jazeera – Palestinian Hunger Striker Detained on Hospital Release – 16 September 2015

BBC – Israel Re-Arrests Hunger Striker Mohammed Allan – 16 September 2015

CNN – Palestinian Hunger Striker Mohammed Allan back in Israeli Detention – 16 September 2015

The New York Times – Palestinian is Rearrested and Resumes Hunger Strike – 16 September 2015

The Seattle Times – Israel Re-Arrests Palestinian Hunger Striker – 16 September 2015