UNICEF: CAR Rebels Still Recruiting Child Soldiers

By Ryan Aliman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

BANGUI, Central African Republic – Rebel groups continue to recruit child soldiers according to a report released by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) last week.

 

Young members of the Seleka rebel alliance were spotted patrolling near the Ledger Plaza Bangui hotel in Bangui last March 2013. (Photo courtesy of Associated Press)

Based on the UNICEF report, roughly around 2,000 children in Central African Republic (CAR) have been enlisted by various militias since last month’s takeover of the capital, Bangui.

“We have verified cases, but no precise number. What we are hearing from partners in the field is that there has been an increase in terms of the geographic scope and the magnitude of the practice. . . Children are recruited to be used as spies, porters, messengers, cooks, in addition to fighting on the front lines as well,” UNICEF spokeswoman Marixie Mercado said.

Several journalists for the Associated Press (AP) personally witnessed dozens of young boys patrolling Bangui. “They were riding in pickup trucks with other rebels and in some cases on foot patrol, always closely supervised by older, heavily armed fighters,” wrote Krista Larson, one of the AP journalists at Bangui. When approached by the AP reporters, one of the young soldiers revealed to them that he is 14 years old and joined the Seleka rebel alliance three months ago.

The UNICEF report states, however, that despite such “clear evidence of the continuing recruitment and use of children by armed groups”, Seleka officers persistently deny this practice.

In fact, the country’s new information minister, Christophe Gazam Betty, disagrees with the figures given by the UNICEF. Betty insisted that there are only about 40 child soldiers who are still with the Seleka group. “If there are combatants who are under the age of 18, there is a system in place through the United Nations,” he said. “They will be separated and picked up by UNICEF.”

Declaring it as a grave violation of international law, the UNICEF explicitly condemned the use of child soldiers.

“Recruiting children is both morally unacceptable and prohibited under international law,” said Souleymane Diabate, UNICEF’s country representative. “We have called on the new leadership in CAR to ensure that all children associated with armed groups should be released immediately and protected from further violations,” Diabate added.

The UNICEF remains hopeful that the rebels will heed the organization’s call to end the practice. In the report, the UNICEF cited previous instances where the rebel groups who make up the alliance currently in power have successfully disarmed their young members.

“Some child soldiers can be returned to their families or to other relatives. Others will be placed in foster homes where possible, though some will be given training on living independently,” Shannon Struthers, UNICEF senior adviser for emergencies, told the press as she explained the process of disarming children in CAR.

 

For further information, please see:

Associated Press – Child Soldiers Patrol C. African Republic Capital – 20 April 2013

AfriqueJet – CAR: UNICEF says CAR rebels still recruiting child-soldiers – 13 April 2013

UPI – UNICEF: Central African Republic still recruiting child-soldiers – 12 April 2013

Voice of America – UN: CAR Groups Still Recruiting Child Soldiers – 12 April 2013

On your mark, Get set, Protest! Bahrain GP Clashes Continue

By Dylan Takores
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

MANAMA, Bahrain – Protests over the Grand Prix race continued in Bahrain on Sunday when protestors set up roadblocks, complete with barricades and burning tires, in the streets leading to Manama.

Burning tires at barricades outside Manama. (Photo Courtesy of AP)

Protestors called the event a “race of blood” intended to cover up rights violations.  The activists represent the Shia majority in Bahrain.  They contend that the Sunni royal family continues to deny rights to the majority Shia population.  At the protests, many carried signs stating, “Your race is a crime” and “No, no to the race of blood.”

Confrontations occurred in numerous Shia-inhabited villages across the country in addition to the capital.  Police fired birdshot, tear gas, and stun grenades at protestors in an attempt to disperse the crowds.  In response, many threw stones back at police.

Hundreds of Shia protestors attempted to overtake Pearl Square in Manama on Saturday; the same site where protests initially began in 2011.  Police fired tear gas at the demonstrators.  Some in the crowd responded by hurling Molotov cocktails at police.  The police eventually succeeded in dispersing the crowd.

Heightened security was deployed around the event to prevent skirmishes at the race.  Armed guards in security vehicles slowed traffic to a single lane toward the entrance of the event and inspected each car.

Despite the numerous confrontations, the government refused to cancel the Grand Prix race.  According to the AFP, the confrontations have largely been limited to the Shia villages.  Crown Prince Salaman strongly contended that the race is not an attempt to cover up rights violations.  It is merely a celebration of the sport.

The government and opposition leaders tried to engage in dialogues to reach a compromise, however the government remains divided on how to respond to the protests.  The Crown Prince admitted that the talks are moving too slowly.

In contrast to the reformist views of the Crown Prince, officials loyal to unelected Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salaman al-Khalifa have hindered the dialogue process.  The loyalists fear that any negotiations and compromises may degrade their power and influence in the country.

 

For further information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Clashes as Bahrain Grand Prix goes ahead – 21 April 2013

BBC – Bahrain protests over Grand Prix – 21 April 2013

NDTV Sports – Bahrain Grand Prix ends without disruption despite protests – 21 April 2013

The Times – Protestors make presence felt before Bahrain GP – 21 April 2013

Impunity Watch – Start Your Engines: Tear Gas Fired at Activists in Bahrain – 16 April 2013

Syrian Revolution Digest: Saturday, 20 April 2013

Guarantees!

Our friends want guarantees, our enemies want guarantees, our people want guarantees, because everybody is afraid of something, everybody has something to lose. Well, the rebels have nothing left to lose, and as such they cannot offer guarantees. They have to be given something first. Shall we say: greater logistical support and a no-fly zone so they can actually control the territories that they liberate? Once that happens, rebels will have something that they are afraid of losing, meaning that they could now venture into the business of providing guarantees.

Death Toll: 82 martyrs, including 2 women and 8 children: 28 in Damascus and Suburbs; 17 in Aleppo; 13 in Homs; 10 in Deir Ezzor; 8 in Hama; 4 in Daraa; 1 in Idlib; and 1 in Raqqa (LCC).

News

Heavy clashes in Syria near Lebanese border The clashes around the contested town of Qusair, close to the Syria-Lebanon boundary, had intensified over the past two weeks amid a fresh offensive by the Syrian army and a pro-government militia known as Popular Committees, backed by the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group. The border region near the provincial capital of Homs is strategic because it links Damascus with the coastal enclave that is the heartland of Syria’s Alawites, a sect from which Assad hails, and is also home to the country’s two main seaports, Latakia and Tartus.

Syria opposition voices frustration with international backers One senior opposition figure said arms were already being sent from some countries but acknowledging this at the meeting would provide cover for countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar to openly help the rebels. “The world must know if they don’t agree on our right to receive weapons this will be the last meeting the opposition attend. We will not attend any meetings after this,” he told Reuters.

Kerry Says U.S. Will Double Aid to Rebels in Syria Mr. Kerry made the announcement at a meeting with foreign ministers from 10 European and Middle Eastern nations that was convened here to decide how to help the opposition in the bitter civil war in Syria, which has killed more than 70,000 people. A portion of the new American aid, the State Department said, will help provide additional “nonlethal” supplies to the military wing of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, an umbrella organization formed in November to unite the various rebel groups that have been trying to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad for two years.

Syria opposition must distance itself from “terrorists:” Germany“We expect from the opposition that they clearly distance themselves in Syria from terrorist and extremist forces,” Westerwelle told reporters in Istanbul at a meeting of Syrian opposition leaders and their international backers. “We are skeptical as the German government when it comes to delivering weapons because we are concerned that weapons could fall into the wrong, namely extremist, hands, but it is a matter that must now be discussed in the European Union.”

Friends of Syria call on Damascus for a solution based on Geneva communiqué U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters during a press conference that Syria’s main opposition National Coalition (SNC) had issued a declaration that focused on a political solution ‘in parallel’ of the communiqué signed June 30, 2012 under the chairmanship of former U.N.-Arab League special envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan. The only way for the Damascus regime is to come to the table and agree the international agreement, Kerry said.  Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu also echoed the words of his American counterpart. “We are calling for an immediate solution based on Geneva communiqué,” Davutoğlu said. SNC’s declaration announced April 21 firmly rejected “all forms of terrorism’” and vowed that weapons it attains would not fall into the wrong hands, as a move to appease Western countries’ worries over the gaining influence of al-Qaeda affiliated al-Nusra Front. The coalition added that it would not allow acts of revenge against any group in Syria, vowing protection of different ethnicities and confessions of the country. Kerry also insisted that the declaration was foreseeing a “plural” Syria.  Meanwhile, the group also agreed that future aid would be channeled through the rebels’ supreme military command as General Idris, Chief of Staff of the rebel forces, also briefed the foreign ministers during the meetings.

FBI: Aurora man wanted to join al-Qaida in Syria Abdella Ahmad Tounisi, 18, appeared in U.S. District Court after being arrested Friday at O’Hare International Airport as he was to get on an airplane to Istanbul, Turkey, FBI officials said in a press release. Tounisi, a U.S. citizen, was charged with knowingly attempting to provide material support and resources, namely personnel, to a foreign terrorist organization, a felony.

Special Reports

Rebels battle with tribesmen over oil in Syria’s east One dispute over a stolen oil truck in the town of Masrib in the province of Deir al-Zor, which borders Iraq, set off a battle between tribesmen and fighters from the Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda linked rebel group, which left 37 killed, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The fighting, which started in late March and lasted 10 days, was part of a new pattern of conflict between tribal groups and the Nusra Front, said a report from the Observatory, a British-based group which opposes Syria’s government and draws information from a network of activists in the country.

Damascus: The changing face of Syria’s capital President Assad was on TV this week. He denied there was any such thing as a liberated area controlled by the rebels in Syria, but the fact is that the only contact the President’s men have with large parts of the country is through the sights of a weapons system. That even applies to districts of Damascus. The regime controls the core of the city. But much of the sprawling, impoverished ring of suburbs around it is in the hands of the rebels. That is why all day, and sometimes all night, there is the crump of artillery fire from the Syrian army’s positions directed into the concrete jungles on the edge of town. The bangs are not constant. But they are regular and steady and sometimes intense.

My new paper, prepared for a briefing in Washington, D.C. that took place on January 15, 2013, is now out and is titled “Syria 2013: Rise of the Warlords.” It should be read in conjunction with my previous briefing “The Shredded Tapestry,” and my recent essay “The Creation of an Unbridgeable Divide.”

Video Highlights

The pounding of rebel strongholds in and around Damascus City continues:

Zamalka http://youtu.be/eFq8BmZlDfY , http://youtu.be/hpAxlHiwqLw ,http://youtu.be/UlKxhl5Pz7o

Daraya http://youtu.be/yjf8bc5lhmM ,http://youtu.be/2hSX-fPkh0M , http://youtu.be/7TFdWchxEyU

Nearby Moadamiyah was also targeted http://youtu.be/oVhVS3yvuCk ,http://youtu.be/PtKAnQ2_1iA

Buildings catch fire in Al-Qaboun neighborhood due to continues shelling by mortars http://youtu.be/-G4T6GkrKVY

Barzeh http://youtu.be/T2i-0tDamDE

This leaked video shows a fighter jet attacking the Alawite village of Al-Sifsafiyeh, we can hear someone in the background near the end of the clip saying “He’s bombing us, he is a defector, son of a dog.” However, the clip, even though, it was recently uploaded on this count, and is gaining new rounds on social media sites, is actually old, and the incident was actually a pilot errorhttp://youtu.be/XdbwD7GVGiw

Home-made device used by rebels in their siege of the Kuweiris Airport in Aleppo http://youtu.be/I5XDmmphLek

Rebels in Deir Ezzor City destroy an army tank http://youtu.be/214zsqjb75Y

SNHR Casualties Report: Saturday, 20 April 2013

Syrian network for human rights documented 84 victims , Saturday  20/4/2013 all across Syria,  including 9 children, 6 ladies
Damascus and countryside : 26 victims
Homs : 11 victims
Idlib : 3 victims
Aleppo : 18 victims
Daraa : 4 victims
Dier Alzoor : 13 victims
Hama : 6 victims
Qunaitra : 3 victims
========================================

Goodluck Jonathan Considers Granting Insurgents an Amnesty

By Ryan Aliman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

ABUJA, Nigeria – Last Wednesday, President Goodluck Jonathan announced a new committee that will work on an amnesty deal with insurgent groups including Boko Haram.

President Goodluck Jonathan is scheduled to inaugurate the National Security Council on Wednesday at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. (Photo courtesy of BBC News)

“Goodluck Jonathan has approved the constitution of a Presidential Committee to constructively engage key members of Boko Haram and define a comprehensive and workable framework for resolving the crisis of insecurity,” his office said in a statement.

This new Presidential committee, also known as the National Security Council, is tasked to develop a framework under a Federal Government dialogue through which disarmament of extremist groups could take place within a 60-day time frame. After the deadline, the government is expected to offer members of these groups amnesty for as long as they guarantee that they will no longer fight government troops and harm civilians.

“The 26-member committee will also develop a support programme for victims of the Boko Haram crisis as well as produce mechanisms to address the underlying causes of insurgencies,” Presidential spokesperson Reuben Abati added.

The National Security Council, which aims to put an end to the series of bombings and shootings in the northern region of the country, is based on a program similar to the one created in 2009. The 2009 program proved to be successful in quelling the insurgency in Nigeria’s oil-rich southern delta.

On the contrary, several human rights activists believe that granting extremist groups an amnesty “will not work”.

To begin with, it remains highly uncertain whether or not these groups will accept a deal with and concede to the government, they pointed out.

Shehu Sani, a well-known activist who rejected his own nomination onto the committee, told AFP that the lack of coordination among committee members may cause the program’s failure. “I suggested the need to consult the leadership of the (Boko Haram) group discreetly through some names I mentioned in order to get their input,” Sani said. “That advice was ignored. This new government approach will not get us anywhere and I don’t want to soil my reputation,” he continued as he explained his reason for turning down his nomination.

Thomas Mösch, head of Deutsche Welle’s Hausa Service, also asserted that the new program should not be expected to be successful just because the previous one was. “In the Niger Delta, we had groups that were interested in economic improvement, first of all for themselves and for their local communities. With Boko Haram it is totally different. First of all, we don’t have one group that follows a specific strategy, if they do – it is not visible. Then the core group of Boko Haram when they started with their violent attacks were taking revenge for the killings of their own leader and brothers,” Mösch said.

 

For further information, please see:

All Africa – Nigeria: Datti Ahmed Rejects Amnesty Committee – 19 April 2013

All Africa – Nigeria: As Jonathan Names Amnesty Panel, Boko Haram to Get 60 Days to Disarm – 18 April 2013

All Africa – Nigeria Pushes Amnesty Plan for Islamist Militants – 18 April 2013

IOL News – Nigeria edges towards amnesty deal – 18 April 2013

Reuters – Nigeria president considers amnesty for Islamist rebels – 17 April 2013