News: The Ripple Effect

• Sudan/Darfur: New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristoff warns in his blog that the international community’s failure to end the conflict in Darfur could lead a resumption of the North-South civil war. Kristoff also calls Bush out on “disingenuous” comments about the US role in Darfur.
• Somalia: Ethiopian soldiers killed at least 12 civilians in an apparent revenge attack after a second lethal bomb attack against Ethiopian troops. Ethiopia deployed soldiers to Somalia in 2006 to help support the weak transitional government against Islamist insurgents. Adding to the country’s woes, drought and the high inflation of food prices could soon lead to widespread starvation, resulting in a more dire humanitarian crisis that will exacerbate other conflicts playing out in the country.
• Southern Africa: A report released by Save the Children describes the hardships and horrors faced by child migrants traveling alone in the region, including beatings, forced labor, and sexual abuse. In addition to the moral and ethical imperatives of protecting children from abuse and exploitation, I think that we also need to address the issue in consideration of long-term goals for peace and stability in Africa, as these experiences in childhood will impact their adulthood. It’s a ripple effect: I once listened to a former member of the youth paramilitary wing of the Pan-African Congress in South Africa explain that he and his comrades spent their formative years as insurgents, and were given no assistance or training to adapt to life as a peaceful civilian. He partially attributed, with individual examples, South Africa’s high crime rate to the fact that many of these young men know no other way of life.
• The Holocaust: Tomorrow is Holocaust Remembrance Day. Here’s a great story from the New York Times about the recovery of a Torah scroll, part of which was buried to avoid destruction in a Nazi raid, and part of which was carried to Auschwitz.

Wednesday Zim-date

The UN Security Council was deeply divided when it met yesterday to discuss Zimbabwe’s ongoing election crisis. Though the issue was discussed in a closed meeting, sources say that South Africa, the current president of the UNSC, led efforts to block the appointment of a special UN envoy and fact-finding mission to Zimbabwe. Needless to say, Zimbabwe was quite happy with the results of the meeting. Britain takes over the presidency on May 1, and will likely raise the issue again. However, any UN action on Zimbabwe will still need to overcome the vetoes of China and Russia, who joined in South Africa’s dissent. (So predictable.)

Zimbabwe’s chief of police blames the opposition for both election fraud and the post-election violence, though the government did admit to the death of an opposition supporter at the hands of state security forces. The verification/recount/rigging/whatever of the ballots in the presidential election is set to begin tomorrow, after being postponed numerous times.

BBC published excerpts from a diary kept by a Harare resident describing the difficulties of daily life—the result of an economy run into the ground by nearly 3 decades of Mugabe’s senseless and destructive policies, and only made worse by the recent chaos over the elections. Zimbabwe’s inflation rate is the highest in the world—over 100,000%—and average life expectancy has dropped below 40. Mugabe and ZANU-PF have completely devastated the country, and it’s quite simply time for them to go.

Tuesday Zim-date: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (though not necessarily in that order)

Despite previous assurances by the ZEC that the results of Zimbabwe’s presidential elections would be released by Monday, the “verification process” for the ballots has yet to commence—whodathunkit? The UN Security Council will address the Zimababwe crisis today, and is expected to recommend the appointment of a Special Representative to monitor the violence and assist a transitional government. As the UN Dispatch writes, this is a huge blow for Mugabe, as South Africa, his long-time ally, is currently the president of UNSC.

Zimbabwe’s ambassador to the UN said that a unity government will be necessary in the near future, regardless of the outcome of the election, as neither party has the ability to control parliament. This is interesting for two reasons, at least: First, it appears that not everyone in the ZANU-PF political machine is operating in sync—one day the newspaper publishes an article calling for a unity government, the next day an article argues against it (see previous posts), and the same goes for a variety of ZANU officials. Secondly, I can’t help but wonder if the thought of getting Mugabe to commit to any kind of power sharing agreement isn’t a tad delusional.

Over 200 MDC supporters were released from jail, after MDC lawyers obtained a court order stating that the police had no basis to hold them after their arrest last week. A BBC contributor also reports that the bodies of two abducted opposition supporters were found near the southern town of Masvingo.

In an article recapping the sequence of events involving the Chinese weapons shipment, which was finally recalled by the Chinese government, the BBC remarks on the incredible victory for the civil society groups, who were able to mobilize public opinion and prevent the ship from unloading its dangerous cargo. It’s astonishingly simple—all it took was a group of outraged citizens working in concert to stand between two governments and their abusive agendas. It makes you think—look at what we’re capable of, and how much more can we do?

Seventy-seven tons of weapons. Think about how many lives were saved.

Tuesday News for the Blues

• DRC: In a shocking blow to the integrity of UN peacekeeping missions—and a serious glass-half-empty moment for human rights activists everywhere—UN troops in the DRC are accused of engaging in illegal gold-trafficking and re-arming rebel groups in the eastern DRC. The UN denies that it tried to cover-up the misconduct. In other DRC news, the International Criminal Court made public a 2006 arrest warrant for Bosco Ntaganda, known as the “Terminator,” for the conscription of child soldiers.
• Mozambique: A new Amnesty International report documents excessive violence used by police against citizens with “near total impunity.”
• Tibet: Chinese courts sentenced 17 Tibetans to jail, for sentences ranging from 3 months to life, for participation in March protests against Chinese authoritarianism. BBC reports that the number of Tibetans still awaiting trial is unknown.
• Kenya: The army is accused of torturing more than 400 people in a recent offensive to flush a rebel group from the Mt. Elgon region.

The Zim-date

• Former Zambian president Dr. Kenneth Kaunda said that British PM Gordon Brown “does not understand what he is talking about” and should refrain from criticizing and calling for sanctions against Zimbabwe. He added that the West should leave Zimbabwe to resolve its own issues—because that clearly is the proper response to rising state violence against its own people.
• Another vitriolic column in The Herald, Zimbabwe’s state newspaper and ZANU-PF mouthpiece, highlights the delusions of grandeur of Mugabe’s government. The column was written as a response to the international uproar over the attempted Chinese weapons delivery, but is all over the map, from a long and senseless rant about sovereignty to the “unjust” trial of former-Liberian dictator Charles Taylor to a supposed-SADC plan to invade and topple Mugabe.
• An editorial in the Zimbabwe Standard calls for the MDC to boycott a run-off election, should one occur, in protest of both the election fraud and the violence over the past month. I’m not overly familiar with the ins and outs of electoral politics, but it seems to me that boycotting might be counterproductive—even if the run-off is the result of fraud, and is fraudulent itself, non-participation will allow ZANU to win outright. But what do I know?
• The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) said that it will allow all presidential candidates to verify the results of the election before they are made public. I’m not really sure what this will accomplish, as the ZEC has already had ample time for all kinds of vote-rigging fun. I’m thinking it’s probably an empty gesture to feign democratic commitment.
• U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Jendayi Frazer reports that the US embassy has received documented evidence of one death, over 450 beatings, and over 1000 displacements as a result of state-sponsored violence against opposition supporters.

Sunday Morning News

• South Africa: Happy Freedom Day! President Thabo Mbeki commemorated South Africa’s first non-racial, democratic elections with a speech arguing that South Africans are not truly free so long as racism still exists.
• Sri Lanka: The Tamil Tiger rebel group bombed two military targets in north-east Sri Lanka, continuing a fresh wave of violence in the country’s 25-year civil war.
• Zimbabwe: The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) announced that it will finally release the results of the March 29 presidential elections. The ZEC chairman commented, "We trust that by Monday 28 April this process will have been concluded," he said. Read: We trust that by Monday 28 April we will have had sufficient time to tamper with and rig the ballots. South African news source IOL speculates that Zim may be on the brink of civil war, after Human Rights Watch documented the beginnings of retaliation by MDC supporters against ZANU antagonism.
• World Food Crisis: The rapidly increasing prices of basic food commodities such as wheat, rice, and corn are creating a ripple effect throughout the world, with dramatic implications for peace and stability.
• U.S. of A.: The Justice Department is arguing to Congress that the Geneva Convention protections against “outrages against personal dignity” do not have universal application to all individuals, but rather the “definition of humane treatment can vary, depending on the detainee's identity and the importance of the information he possesses.” [WaPo] Selective application of rights? Seems a tad undemocratic. Dear Justice Department, I refer you to our very own, very fabulous, Declaration of Independence: “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Perhaps it’s just me, but it seems that the universal applicability of the right to not be tortured is implied by that statement.

News: Report cards, watch lists, and a huge success for international human rights

• The Olympics: Dream for Darfur released a report card scoring the actions of corporate Olympics sponsors regarding China’s human rights record. The vast majority failed the make the grade.
• Darfur: The War Crimes Watch List is using Facebook as a tool to search fugitives indicted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity in Darfur.
• Burundi: President Nkurunziza requested assistance from the international community to help quell the latest active offensive by the FNL rebel group. Grenade and bomb attacks on the capital city killed at least 33 people this week.
• Zimbabwe: Human Rights Watch released a report further documenting increased violence by ZANU-PF militia and the military, and a New York Times reporter describes his arrest and time in captivity in Harare for the “crime of committing journalism.” The UN Security Council is set to discuss the crisis for the first time next week. Multiple news sources report that the Chinese “ship of shame,” carrying 77 tons of weapons for the Zimbabwean military was allowed to dock in Angola, but not to unload its cargo. As the New York Times comments, this is a “surprising success” for the international movement that rallied against the ship, as Angola is a long-time ally of Robert Mugabe. Kudos to my friends in ZA who participated in the protests—this is really quite a remarkable feat.

Busy Friday: Zim update, and others

Amnesty International reports that five police officers raided the offices of the Zimbabwe Elections Support Network (ZESN) with a warrant authorizing a search for "subversive material likely to cause the overthrow of a constitutionally-elected government.” The ZESN chairperson and staff members are in hiding to evade arrest. Amnesty and the New York Times also report that MDC headquarters were once again raided, resulting in the arrest of 375, including people taking refuge from increasing violence by ZANU-PF and government actors. SABC writes that the MDC supporters, including “pregnant women and children,” were herded into government trucks and taken away. MDC Spokesman Nelson Chamisa pled, “We have a dictator in this country, we have a person who is so determined to murder all of us. He is a man who is prepared to slaughter all of us - his lust for power is far more than for the love for the country and the people of this country and the continent - Please we need help!”

In an unexpected move, U.S. Undersecretary of State Jendayi Frazer, who is currently in southern Africa to work on the Zimbabwe election crisis, told reporters in South Africa that MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai was the “clear” victor in the March 29 presidential elections. She also added her support to the call for an international arms embargo. A Namibian newspaper claims that “documentary evidence” refutes China’s assertion that its arms deal with Zimbabwe was signed last year, but has not yet provided the evidence to support the allegation.

But as I said yesterday, just because the arms deal was signed last year does not mean the government of Zimbabwe did not have its eye on potential future unrest. If crazy dictators know how to do anything, it’s to use the skill of foresight to plan how to stay in power.

In other news…

• Renewed violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo region of North Kivu: UN News Service, Rwanda News Agency
• The UN is pissed off at the Joseph Kony: The Monitor (Kampala)
• A bus explosion kills 10 in Sri Lanka: BBC
• Human rights organizations launch “Justice for Darfur” campaign: HRW

(Apologies for the scant news brief—busy day, and I spent most of it so far thinking about Zimbabwe.)

Ranting Before Coffee: Morning Zim Update

The Chinese “ship of shame” was recalled to China after being denied port by every country in southern Africa. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu claims that the consignment was part of a contract "signed last year and has nothing to do with the latest developments inside Zimbabwe." Excuse me, don’t you think that Mugabe saw this coming? These elections weren’t planned in a week. If anything, ordering such a massive supply of weapons could indicate advance planning for who-knows-what. Jiang continued, "Some people in the US are always critical, positioning themselves as the world's policeman, but they are not popular in the world.” First of all, the strongest protests on this matter are NOT coming from the US (unfortunately). Secondly—I’ve got news for you honey—China isn’t all that popular in the world, either.

Even better, Jiang commented, "I'd like to stress that the Chinese Government always adopts a prudent and responsible attitude towards arms export and one of the important principles it adheres to is non-interference in the internal affairs of recipient countries." Who are you kidding? Responsible attitude? Sending 77 tons of weapons to a country renowned for its human rights abuses is neither prudent nor responsible—not to mention Chinese arms trading with Sudan, Burma, Sri Lanka, etc. Nor can you engage in such activities and claim “non-interference in the internal affairs” of the countries.

Case in point: “Jiang was asked on Tuesday about Chinese soldiers seen on the streets of Zimbabwe. She said that ‘several Chinese professors are teaching at Zimbabwean military schools. What you mentioned might be some teaching activities conducted by the schools.’” Is it just me, or is that explanation a tad difficult to swallow?

…………

Moving on.

If you’re interested in Mugabe and ZANU-PF’s propaganda efforts, check out this editorial from the state-run newspaper The Herald. Here’s a preview: “Western media have been titillated, maybe even physically aroused, by the idea of Zimbabwe going the Kenya way in both the violence and "national unity" phenomena and the MDC-T waltzing into Munhumutapa Building on the back of negotiations rather than votes.” The author does make a valid point about the philosophies and practices of ZANU-PF and MDC being diametrically opposed, though not in the manner described in the article.

More reports of violence, including photos, in the Washington Post.

Good God, y’all.

Where goes the "Ship of Shame"? (PM Zim Update)

The new Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town asked the UN to impose an arms embargo on Zimbabwe, prompted by Chinese shipments of weapons to the country and fear that they will be used to oppress civilians. A growing international chorus supports the proposition, including British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. (South African ANC President Jacob Zuma, however, does not think “we have reached a stage where we have to call for an arms embargo.”) The “ship of shame,” whichinitiated the controversy after trying to unload 77 tons of weapons and transport them overland through South Africa, has reportedly also been denied port by Namibia and Angola (traditionally an ally of Mugabe), and its whereabouts are currently unknown. (Let’s hope the report is true.) SABC reports that the U.S. Undersecretary of State for Africa arrived in South Africa today for talks on the growing crisis. The U.S. is also urging southern African states to block transport of the Chinese weapons to land-locked Zimbabwe.

Reports of state-sponsored violence and torture against supposed-opposition supporters continue to surface, and an independent candidate who won a parliamentary seat is predicting civil war should Mugabe announce he won the presidential elections.

Zimbabwe: You continue to amaze me.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) announced that a recount of 23 districts shows the ZANU-PF regaining the majority in parliament, which it lost during the original vote tally. However, there is absolutely no reason to believe that this recount is fair and accurate, considering that fraud and corruption are the general modus operandi of the ZANU-led government, and there was no oversight or transparency with the recount. The results of the presidential election still have yet to be released.

Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party is distancing itself from an article in a state-run newspaper calling for a transitional unity government, led by Mugabe, to draft a new constitution and hold elections—an idea supported by South African presidential hopeful Jacob Zuma. But Mugabe isn’t exactly the power-sharing type, and frankly, any “unity” government under his leadership would be nothing more than a farce. This is a man who doesn’t respect any law but his own—what’s the point of a new constitution if he pays no heed to the current one?—and has repeatedly vowed that the MDC will never have power in Zimbabwe. History, people. Let’s learn from it.

Non-Zimbabwe News

• Rwanda: The first hearing regarding the transfer of genocide suspects from the ICTR to the Rwandan national courts is set for tomorrow. (At some point I hope to have the time to discuss transitional justice issues such as this more in depth, but for now, keeping up with the news briefs is all I can manage.)
• Sudan: The country’s national census begins today, in preparations for next year’s elections. The census is a central element to the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended the long-running North/South civil war. However, many refugees from southern Sudan have yet to be repatriated, so the counting is already under dispute. In Darfur, a top UN official is guesstimating that the death toll from the genocide is now around 300,000.
• Burundi: The renewed conflict between the military and the rebel FNL group has escalated to shelling around the capital, with each side accusing the other of initiating the fighting and breaking the peace agreement.

Close to the point where I need to rename this blog 'WTF is going on in Zimbabwe?'

Reports of violence against opposition supporters continue to hit the wires, including a Human Rights Watch report on detention camps where people are tortured by ZANU-PF loyals, middle of the night mob attacks, harassment and abduction of journalists, and the obstruction of humanitarian efforts. The MDC says that the country is in a state of “undeclared war,” and despite Thabo’s best efforts, the ANC is starting to wake up and realize that the unrest in Zim has destabilizing potential for the entire region, and South Africa in particular. New ANC President Jacob Zuma, typically not on my list of favorite people, also addressed the crisis during his trip to Europe, using language not particularly harsh, but still stronger than anything said by Mbeki.

On a more positive note, union and other organizers have so far successfully prevented the Chinese ship from unloading its cargo of weapons intended for the Zimbabwean military. (See earlier post for background.) After being turned away from South Africa, the ship was also denied permission to unload from Tanzania and Mozambique, and is reportedly headed for Angola. The government of Namibia said that the ship has not made a request to either dock or refuel at either of their ports. The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the South African Trade and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) are calling for an international effort to prevent the ship from unloading its cargo.

The recount of the 23 districts in the parliamentary districts is moving at a slower than expected pace, raising further fears that the ZEC and ZANU are engaged in election fraud. Surprise, surprise.

News

• Somalia: A second day of fighting between Islamist insurgents and Ethiopian troops left at least 15 people dead in Mogadishu, with an estimated 81 dead over two days. The Ethiopian troops are meant to protect the secular transitional government.
• Burundi: Also experience renewed violence from insurgents—a special, stop-the-cycle-of-violence UN Envoy is visiting soon.
• New Blog: For all of you international law junkies. Check it out.

I love the smell of dictatorship in the morning...

Zimbabweans marked the 28^th anniversary of their country’s independence on Friday with protests over the continued election crisis. Amnesty International released a report cataloguing incidents of state-sponsored violence, and multiple other reputable sources, including Human Rights Watch, are warning that “torture and violence are surging in Zimbabwe,” with supporters of the opposition MDC party as the target. New Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga wants to discuss the crisis with the Kenyan Cabinet and the African Union—hopefully to apply lessons learned from Kenya’s own election crisis.

But who isn’t joining the chorus of condemnation over the rising violence? Well, yes, Thabo Mbeki, but we knew that already. Give up? It’s CHINA! Of course! China to the rescue of an endangered dictatorship, once again. A Chinese ship carrying 77 tons of weaponry for the Zimbabwean military arrived at port in Durban and received a permit from the South African government to transport the arms through the country—first, dock workers refused to unload the cargo (bravo!), then a South African court told the ship to turn around and go the hell home. (Not the exact terminology.) Luckily, South African judges have a stronger sense of moral responsibility than their president. However, the ship is reportedly bound for a port in Mozambique. Let’s hope they have the same good judgment.

The ZEC launched a recount of 23 precincts, which the MDC claims is bogus.

In other news: Renewed fighting between the government and a rebel group in Burundi once again has civilians caught in the crossfire, jeopardizing the country’s 2006 peace agreement.

News: Starting the week off with a bang, and with formatting difficulties

Zimbabwe: Militias of war veterans and others loyal to Mugabe’s ZANU-PF continue their violent tactics against people and communities suspected of voting for the opposition MDC party. And the emergency SADC summit ended with a call for the ZEC to promptly release the results of the March 29 presidential elections. (Much ado about nothing.)

Sudan: In a speech to the Canadian Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, David Mozersky of the International Crisis Group notes the substantive impact of international humanitarian efforts in Darfur, but argues that this is merely “treating the symptoms of the problem, while leaving the causes of Sudan’s multiple wars in tact.” He delineates three changes to international policy necessary for an end to the conflict: A consistent, coordinated international strategy, which has thus far been thwarted by divisions on the UN Security Council (China and Russia); an understanding of the interrelation of the conflicts within Sudan (North/South civil wars, Darfur) and within the region (Chad, CAR, Uganda, etc); costs for non-compliance—backing up the threats made in UNSC resolutions with actual consequences.

Uganda: Rebel leader Joseph Kony reportedly killed his deputy and 8 other commanders after an internal revolt.

DRC: Progress.

News

• Sri Lanka: "For us, the war in Sri Lanka is like a tsunami that won't end."
• “What Zim Crisis?” South African President Thabo Mbeki met with Mugabe in Harare ahead of the SADC summit in Zambia, which Mugabe is boycotting and sending three cabinet ministers in his place. Mugabe’s government and allies attacked Zambian president Levy Mwanawasa for convening the summit. Mbeki told reporters that there is no post-election crisis in Zimbabwe, and urged patience until the full results could be released. For the first time EVER, I have a slight amount of respect for new ANC leader and presidential hopeful Jacob Zuma (of rape and shower fame), who referred to the situation as “serious,” and called the ZEC’s refusal to release the results “unprecedented.” Further concerns over ballot tampering were raised after the ZEC secretly cleared out and then closed its national command center. Because that’s not at all sketchy.

ZimWatch 2008: One Step Closer to the Brink?

Mugabe decided to boycott the SADC summit (see today’s news brief), which his government claims is “unnecessary,” and is sending three cabinet ministers instead. Mugabe also issued a ban on all political rallies in the country. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai is seeking temporary refuge in Botswana, citing fears for his safety. Zimbabwean police arrested his attorney, reportedly on charges that he “insulted” the police during the seizure of Mr. Tsvangirai’s helicopter. Amnesty International was able to verify some claims of targeted retribution by security forces against MDC supporters, but the full scale of the violence, which the MDC claims is “massive,” has yet to be confirmed.

The longer the situation goes on, the more pessimistic I get. The international community—and especially South Africa and other SADC members—have allowed Mugabe to continue his violent and corrupt approach to governance for far too long. Thabo Mbeki needs to get over his reluctance to criticize Mugabe—sure, he was a strong ally in the anti-apartheid movement, but Mbeki and others in the ANC do a disservice to their own legacy by ignoring his human rights abuses out of a sense of loyalty.

Furthermore, the international community has the opportunity to nip this in the bud BEFORE it explodes into mass violence. We seem to only respond to crises after they’ve reached genocidal or otherwise massive proportions: Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, CAR, DRC, Burma, Tibet, Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Liberia—the list goes on and on. Mugabe needs to be pushed out of power with a heavy hand, and the SADC, UN, AU, EU, US, etc etc should unite around a comprehensive policy to do just that. The Zimbabwe crisis, and its consequent mass exodus (South African Home Affairs deports an estimated 17,000 Zimbabweans back to their home country each month), have the potential to destabilize the entire region of Southern Africa. Multiple players in the international community have a vested interest in the peaceful resolution of the elections dispute, not to mention a duty to uphold peace and human rights.

The time to act is now.

News: This is the song that never ends...

• Oh, Zimbabwe…: Mugabe is facing a confrontation at the emergency SADC summit called to address the deepening crisis in his country. He supposedly put together a “dossier” detailing his defense, including claims that the US State Department and other Western governments are sponsoring election fraud to ensure ZANU-PF is defeated. Many organizations are warning of the high potential for pre-election violence in the case of a run-off election; the Institute for War and Peace Reporting states that “there are signs that the Zimbabwean regime will launch a crackdown to ensure victory for the incumbent at all costs.”
• Uganda: LRA leader Joseph Kony refused to sign the peace agreement. Shocker.
• Ethiopia/Eritrea: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon expressed concern at renewed war between Ethiopia and Eritrea if UN peacekeeping troops are withdrawn from the region. He urged the Security Council to resolve the matter quickly, commenting that complete withdrawal could impact other current and future missions.
• Rwanda: A policeman was killed after an unknown attacker launched a grenade at Rwanda’s genocide museum, on the fifth day of the country’s official week of mourning for the 1994 genocide.
• Bangladesh: Members of the Islamic Constitutions Movement clashed with police in Dhaka. The ICM is protesting a draft law granting equal inheritance rights to women.

A Plan

Once again, wise words on Sudan from Nicholas Kristof.

News: Democracy Over Hatred (if only more often)

• This is cool: UNHCR and Google Earth joined forces. I haven’t yet spent time exploring this new tool, but it seems pretty neat…
• Kenya: A new rift developed between the president and prime minister-designate, threatening the country’s fragile peace agreement and resulting in renewed violence in Nairobi. The Kenyan case raises questions common to all conflict resolution processes—namely, even after a peace treaty is signed, how do you de-legitimize the use of violence as a political tool? If political groups continue to turn to violence when they’re displeased, how can a country ever be assured of lasting peace? What will it take to convince people that violence in an unacceptable means to their ends?
• Zimbabwe: Speaking of violence…
• Argentina: An interesting article about the new Argentine ambassador to the US, whose father was tortured and killed during the country’s Dirty War. "This is a victory of democracy over hatred."
• South Africa: Geez.

News: Manic Monday

• Zimbabwe, of course: Mugabe has once again turned to exacerbating racial tensions as a political tool, claiming that the MDC is “unleashing” white farmers to “re-occupy” land taken from them in Mugabe’s many land redistribution campaigns. This is blatant fear-mongering, using colonial and liberation rhetoric to garner support for his flailing government. Mugabe also directed his loyal “war veterans” (veterans of the independence struggle) to invade and reclaim the few remaining white-owned farms in the country. Mugabe issued a fresh order to the ZEC to withhold election results, while demanding a recount and arresting several elections officials. A New York Times reporter arrested during a raid on foreign journalists was badly injured while in detention, and required hospitalization when he was released on bail. Haven’t had enough yet? Check out these articles in the Christian Science Monitor and the New York Times.
• Liberia: Truth? What’s that? A witness at the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) says he was paid by a commissioner to lie in his testimony against an alleged rapist.
• Sri Lanka: The government bombed a suspected Tamil Tiger base, in response to the assassination of a government minister. (See yesterday’s post for the details.)
• China: The Olympic Torch Relay is being interrupted by protests everywhere it goes. Hmmmm, I wonder why that is…

Never Again, if only...

Today marks the 14^th anniversary of the beginning of the genocide in Rwanda, during which an estimated 800,000 people were killed in 100 days.

A moment of silence, please.

News: It goes on and on...

• Zimbabwe: ZANU-PF rejected an MDC offer to form a transitional unity government, stating "We can never collaborate with the MDC given that our political objectives and aspirations are as different as day is from night." Read: As different as authoritarianism is from democracy. Meanwhile, the MDC is appealing to the UN to help prevent violence before the potential run-off election, and British PM Gordon Brown is scheduled to hold private talks with South African President Thabo Mbeki to urge him to take a more active role in resolving the crisis.
• Sri Lanka: A suicide bomb in Colombo killed a government minister along with 14 others—the government is blaming the Tamil Tiger rebels, who they’ve vowed to “crush” by the end of the year. Over 70,000 people have died in fighting between the government and the Tigers since 1983—mostly civilians caught in the crossfire—and many more have disappeared.
• Tibet: An interesting WaPo article on “patriotic education” in Tibetan monasteries—Chinese officials conduct 45 days of “lessons,” then make the monks sign a paper denouncing the Dalai Lama.
• The Genocide Intervention Network is holding a Week of Action for Darfur. Check out their blog for the schedule of events.

ZimWatch: To Run-Off or Not to Run-Off?

After their politburo meeting yesterday, the ZANU-PF expressed unanimous support for Mugabe and for a run-off election between ZANU and MDC. The MDC, for their part, say that they won an out-right victory, and thus there is no need for a run-off; however, their lawyers were prevented by police from entering the courthouse to file a petition demanding the full release of the election results. They accused Mugabe’s government of deploying militias to intimidate voters and harass the opposition. Meanwhile, South African President Thabo Mbeki told the international community to wait for the release of the election results before deciding on any action. Um, ok Thabo, let’s just give Mugabe even more time to tamper with the ballots, intimidate voters, and otherwise rig the election.

Mr. Mbeki, I hereby dub you "Mugabe Appeaser #1." MA1, for short. Congratulations on being a stellar statesman.

Still Dreaming: In Memoriam

Forty years ago today, Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated in Memphis, marking one of the darkest days in American history. I hope that you can take time out of your day to read or watch his “I Have a Dream” speech, and think about Dr. King’s challenge to the country to better itself. And check out this Washington Post article about his complicated legacy.

"Here was this man whose life was committed to bridging races," Alderman said, "and in death his commemoration is largely segregated."

Food for thought.

News: Oh What a World...

• Zimbabwe: “Well, shit. These new people who won the election might put us on trial for human rights abuses. So clearly the solution is to commit MORE abuses to keep power.” Idiots.
• More on Zim: The ZEC continues to withhold election results, Mugabe continues to waver between considering a run-off, a transitional government, and flat-out rule by decree. (I’d almost bet money that he’ll go with the later. Just a hunch.) And then he says he’ll leave as long as he’s granted immunity from prosecution. Bullshit. If the MDC agrees to such terms, the ICC needs to prosecute, because you shouldn’t be able to rule a country like a tyrant for almost 30 years and get away with it.
• China: Amnesty International Appeal for Action—send a letter condemning the conviction of human rights activist Hu Jia.
• U.S.: A succinctly well-put blog on the Yoo memo, by Tom Dickinson of Rolling Stone: National Affairs Daily.
• Somalia: Rebel attacks on government forces continue, with civilians caught in the crossfire, of course. This time a passenger bus was hit by a shell.

Foreboding

More news sources are reporting the raids on foreign journalists in Harare, including the arrest of a New York Times reporter. In a statement that gave me chills, Pambazuka News posits, “This is clearly an attempt to establish a news blackout as a prelude to ...?” Police also raided the offices of the opposition MDC party.

Many cite fears that this is the beginning of a “crack down.”

Holy Shizzle...

The New York Times (and so far no one else that I can find, at least not yet) is reporting that paramilitary police in riot gear have surrounded a hotel housing foreign journalists in Harare, Zimbabwe.

"A man answering the phone at the hotel says they are taking away some reporters.

The man refused to give his name but said about 30 police entered the hotel Thursday and were preparing to take away four or five journalists."

That's a pretty bold move for Mugabe--he has a tight grip on state media sources, but arresting foreign journalists is a new thing, as far as I know. Let's just hope this isn't the beginning of something larger and more ominous.

News: Will it ever end?

• Zimbabwe: The MDC claims that there is no need for a run-off, as they won a significant-enough margin of the votes, and is asking Mugabe to resign to save the country further embarrassment. The ZEC finally released the full results of the parliamentary elections, and the MDC won a majority over Mugabe’s ZANU-PF. This is the first time that ZANU-PF lost control of parliament since it came to power in 1980. Sources close to Mugabe say that he conceded defeat to his inner circle, and is weighing his options for his next steps.
• Mozambique: A report on child trafficking.
• Chad/Sudan: Less than a month after the presidents of Chad and Sudan signed a treaty to end their “proxy war” against each other, Chad is accusing Sudan of once again supporting rebel groups in a cross-border raid.
• R2P: The ENOUGH Project discusses the possibilities of translating the Responsibility to Protect Doctrine (R2P) and the International Criminal Court into a viable framework for international peacekeeping and conflict prevention.
• China: The English-language version of the BBC website was recently unblocked by the Chinese government. The BBC responds to criticisms of its news coverage.

News!

• Zimbabwe: Zim made it onto NBC's Nightly News last night--you know that if something African makes it into Brian Williams' broadcast, something's gotta be f-ed up. (Congrats?) Business Day (Jo-burg) reports that sources within the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) revealed the operation of a secret task force, comprised of agents from the Central Intelligence Organization (CIO), established to ensure that Mugabe “wins power, stays in power, and keeps power.” Yet another organization—the South African Council of Churches (SACC)—has joined the many voicing concerns over the possibility of vote-rigging as the election results continue to be delayed. The New York Times reports that the opposition has entered talks with Mugabe’s advisers about the possibility of his resignation, but I’ll believe it when I see it. (April Fools?)
  
• Uganda: Rebel leader Joseph Kony continues to stall the peace process—perhaps he really is sick, but he hasn’t exactly established a reputation for himself as trustworthy.
• Western Sahara: The Norwegian Refugee Council decided to highlight the plight of this overlooked country and its people. Go Norway.
• DRC: And the “WTF…?” Award goes to the UN this morning, who decided to exempt the DRC military from an arms embargo. Normally this would not be a problematic proposition, but in the DRC, the military is responsible for some of the worst human rights abuses and violence against civilians in the war-torn country. Amnesty International, among others, criticized the UN’s decision.
• China: The IOC is warning China that it must provide open internet access to journalists and others during the Olympic games. China is notorious for its tight restrictions on the internet, so…this could be interesting.