The xenophobic violence in South Africa dominates my Google Reader this morning. Foreign refugees and workers are either fleeing the country or setting up makeshift camps--and are not only rejecting public apologies, but are vowing to fight back if attacked again. Local, provincial, and national governments are grappling with the best way to deal with both the displacement and imperative the end the violence and ensure long-term peace. President Thabo Mbeki, who remained silent on the growing crisis for nearly two weeks, called the violence an “absolute disgrace” in a speech marking yesterday’s Africa Day commemoration.
Newspaper editorials from around the African continent provide compelling critiques of the violence: The Monitor, a newspaper in Uganda, writes, “South Africa is looking ugly again,” and blames the ANC for creating unrealistically high expectations for change under democracy and majority rule. (Perhaps a new indicator for democratic consolidation should be the degree of skepticism citizens have towards politicians’ campaign promises.) While the editorial notes that the ANC government has made strides in post-apartheid economic growth, it also warns that, due to the massive scale of poverty, special attention should be paid to the urban poor in order to ward off disgruntlement-turned-violence.
The East African, out of Kenya, seems betrayed at South Africans’ rejection of their continental brothers and of the ideals of their own Rainbow Nation. The editors write, “The black South African is generally a bitter person, emotionally scarred by the brutal apartheid system. It could indeed take a generation or more for South Africans to recover from the after-effects of apartheid. But attacking fellow black Africans will not bring about quick healing; instead, it will alienate the Rainbow Nation from neighbouring countries to which it owes so much in the fight against apartheid.”
In Zimbabwe, our good friend Bobby Mugabe told a ZANU-PF rally that Zimbabwe will “never be a colony again,” invoking the same rhetoric he uses every time his rule is under attack. (Seriously, if you read his speeches from throughout his career, you’ll find new meaning in the phrase ‘broken record.’) The implication is that the MDC is back by Western interests, and a MDC electoral victory would amount to the reinstallation of colonialism. Mugabe also promised land to Zimbabweans living in South Africa if they return…and I’m wondering, after decades of his land ‘policies,’ if there’s really anyone left to steal it form?
Violence continues to two fronts in Sudan, with fears of renewed civil war between the North and the South, and government retaliation against Darfur for the rebel attack on Khartoum.
Uganda set up a special war crimes court with a mandate to try the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army for atrocities committed during its 20 year insurgency. LRA leader Joseph Kony has repeatedly demanded the withdrawal of an International Criminal Court indictment before he will sign a peace accord.
Slow progress, but progress nonetheless, continues in Burma, as representatives of 50 nations met in Rangoon to discuss international access and aid to cyclone victims.
Need something slightly more positive? Check out this UNICEF article on efforts to help Chadian refugee children living in camps in Cameroon.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday...
More election trouble is brewing, this time in Angola: Human Rights Watch issued a press release calling the country’s closure of the field office of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) an ominous sign of “growing government intolerance of human rights scrutiny and other criticism in the run-up to September’s elections.” The Angolan government claims the office is no longer necessary due to the consolidation of peace and democratization, but HRW observers beg to differ.
Former vice president of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Jean Pierre Bemba was arrested in Belgium on a war crimes indictment by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Bemba’s militia was called on by the president of the Central African Republic (CAR) in 2002 and 2003 to counter a rebellion. Bemba’s counterinsurgent strategy? Rape, torture, degradation, and looting of civilians and insurgents alike. Bemba nearly won the presidency of the DRC in 2006, but was defeated in a run-off.
A Somali news source reports attacks by Islamist insurgents against government troops in Mogadishu, as well as against suspected pirates in the coastal town of Hobyo. The waters off the coast of Somalia are notorious for pirates, despite a US naval presence, due to the 17-year lack of functioning central government.
Sudanese refugees in Uganda are resisting repatriationby the UN High Commission for Refugees following the collapse of peace talks between the Ugandan government and the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). The refugees fear renewed attacks by the LRA, which is currently across the border in the DRC, would force them to flee once again. The LRA is infamous for attacking, looting, and burning civilian villages throughout the region, as well as abducting women and children to become soldiers or sex slaves.
The Nation, a Kenyan publication, takes a harsh stance against the xenophobic mob violence in South Africa, accusing the government--as well as others on the continent--of fueling the violence through lack of decisive action. Citing a Swahili proverb that warns “if you fail to seal a crack, you will certainly have to rebuild the wall,” the editorial says that the South African government ignored signs that xenophobia was becoming a serious problem. South African news sources continue to assess the damage of the nationwide attacks, both material and human, even going as far as calling it “ethnic cleansing.”
MDC and ZANU-PF run-off campaigns are underway in Zimbabwe. Mugabe threatened to expel the US ambassador for “meddling” in the country’s internal affairs--he must’ve borrowed a Chinese political rhetoric book--telling supporters at a rally, "I am just waiting to see if he makes one more step wrong. He will get out." As discussed by MF in a previous post, Ambassador James McGee has braved police obstruction and intimidation to gather evidence of government-sponsored violence against civilians.
As the military government in Burma slowly acquiesces to international assistance to cyclone victims, aid workers are pressuring the junta for full access to the devastated region. While allowing international aid workers into the country, the government continues to deny American and French naval ships stocked with supplies to dock and unload.
And finally: A Washington Post article on the impact of the food shortage on UN peacekeeping efforts.
Former vice president of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Jean Pierre Bemba was arrested in Belgium on a war crimes indictment by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Bemba’s militia was called on by the president of the Central African Republic (CAR) in 2002 and 2003 to counter a rebellion. Bemba’s counterinsurgent strategy? Rape, torture, degradation, and looting of civilians and insurgents alike. Bemba nearly won the presidency of the DRC in 2006, but was defeated in a run-off.
A Somali news source reports attacks by Islamist insurgents against government troops in Mogadishu, as well as against suspected pirates in the coastal town of Hobyo. The waters off the coast of Somalia are notorious for pirates, despite a US naval presence, due to the 17-year lack of functioning central government.
Sudanese refugees in Uganda are resisting repatriationby the UN High Commission for Refugees following the collapse of peace talks between the Ugandan government and the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). The refugees fear renewed attacks by the LRA, which is currently across the border in the DRC, would force them to flee once again. The LRA is infamous for attacking, looting, and burning civilian villages throughout the region, as well as abducting women and children to become soldiers or sex slaves.
The Nation, a Kenyan publication, takes a harsh stance against the xenophobic mob violence in South Africa, accusing the government--as well as others on the continent--of fueling the violence through lack of decisive action. Citing a Swahili proverb that warns “if you fail to seal a crack, you will certainly have to rebuild the wall,” the editorial says that the South African government ignored signs that xenophobia was becoming a serious problem. South African news sources continue to assess the damage of the nationwide attacks, both material and human, even going as far as calling it “ethnic cleansing.”
MDC and ZANU-PF run-off campaigns are underway in Zimbabwe. Mugabe threatened to expel the US ambassador for “meddling” in the country’s internal affairs--he must’ve borrowed a Chinese political rhetoric book--telling supporters at a rally, "I am just waiting to see if he makes one more step wrong. He will get out." As discussed by MF in a previous post, Ambassador James McGee has braved police obstruction and intimidation to gather evidence of government-sponsored violence against civilians.
As the military government in Burma slowly acquiesces to international assistance to cyclone victims, aid workers are pressuring the junta for full access to the devastated region. While allowing international aid workers into the country, the government continues to deny American and French naval ships stocked with supplies to dock and unload.
And finally: A Washington Post article on the impact of the food shortage on UN peacekeeping efforts.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Saturday News: I love anything that uses the phrase "political gobbledygook."
Zimbabwe: Morgan Tsvangirai returned to Zimbabwe today to campaign for the June 27 runoff election. In a press conference shortly after his arrival in Harare, Tsvangirai accused Mugabe and ZANU-PF of trying to “decimate” the MDC, but said that he is confident of victory despite the absence of a free and fair electoral process. He also called on the SADC to deploy peacekeeping forces by June 1, to quell pre-election violence and intimidation by the Mugabe’s self-described “warlike” campaign strategy. Regional activists will commemorate tomorrow’s Africa Day--which marks the founding of the Organization of African Unity, now the African Union--with a “Stand Up for Zimbabwe” campaign.
ZA: Xenophobic violence has resulted in the displacement of 10,000 foreigners in Cape Town, with the continuation of the attacks prompting extensive finger-pointing and fueling debates on South Africa’s political and economic dilemmas. (Scroll down about half way for the discussion of “political gobbledygook.”) The New York Times editorial board took a harsh stance towards President Thabo Mbeki, for the current crisis as well as many other presidential insufficiencies and missteps, and postures that likely-presidential candidate Jacob Zuma will not provide the “enlightened leadership” the country and the continent desperately need.
Sudan: The head of the UN mission in Sudan said the town of Abyei is “totally devastated” following clashes between the Sudanese military and the SPLM. (See previous posts for background.) In Khartoum, President Omar Hassan al-Bashir presided over a ceremony proclaiming victory after last week’s attack by Darfur rebel group JEM. In a particularly gruesome attempt to save face after the surprise attack, “he strolled past a 200-yard-long photo gallery, a grotesque display of burned and dismembered bodies, allegedly those of the rebels. Each image was underlined with the same caption in Arabic: ‘summary of failure.’” (See previous posts for background on the attack.)
Haven’t had enough? Violence is on the rise (from an already-substantial level) in the Central African Republic, and the humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia continues to deteriorate.
ZA: Xenophobic violence has resulted in the displacement of 10,000 foreigners in Cape Town, with the continuation of the attacks prompting extensive finger-pointing and fueling debates on South Africa’s political and economic dilemmas. (Scroll down about half way for the discussion of “political gobbledygook.”) The New York Times editorial board took a harsh stance towards President Thabo Mbeki, for the current crisis as well as many other presidential insufficiencies and missteps, and postures that likely-presidential candidate Jacob Zuma will not provide the “enlightened leadership” the country and the continent desperately need.
Sudan: The head of the UN mission in Sudan said the town of Abyei is “totally devastated” following clashes between the Sudanese military and the SPLM. (See previous posts for background.) In Khartoum, President Omar Hassan al-Bashir presided over a ceremony proclaiming victory after last week’s attack by Darfur rebel group JEM. In a particularly gruesome attempt to save face after the surprise attack, “he strolled past a 200-yard-long photo gallery, a grotesque display of burned and dismembered bodies, allegedly those of the rebels. Each image was underlined with the same caption in Arabic: ‘summary of failure.’” (See previous posts for background on the attack.)
Haven’t had enough? Violence is on the rise (from an already-substantial level) in the Central African Republic, and the humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia continues to deteriorate.
Friday, May 23, 2008
End-Of-The-Week Highlights
Zimbabwe: Vice-President Joice Mujuru and her husband are said to have objected to the use of violence to intimidate voters before the runoff election next month. The Zimbabwe Independent reports that the objections were raised to Mugabe in a ZANU-PF politburo meeting on Wednesday. Though difficult to verify, if the Mujurus did in fact express discontent over their party’s incendiary campaign tactics, it gives credence to other reports of divisions among the ranks of the ZANU-PF--a serious threat to Mugabe’s power.
The Institute for War and Peace Reporting writes that the central committee of the ZANU-PF recently replaced the director of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) to ensure that the media stays “on message.” Daily soap operas and other programs have been replaced by documentaries and news coverage glorifying Mugabe.
Former Bishop of Harare Nolbert Kunonga was excommunicated from the Anglican Church, along with several allied priests, for continued support of Mugabe’s violent and oppressive tactics against the wishes of the Church.
MDC presidential candidate Morgan Tsvangirai is set to return to Zimbabwe this weekend. Tsvangirai left the country in early April due to threats to his life, and a previous attempt to return was thwarted by an assassination plot. Tsvangirai has been subject to numerous beatings and detentions at the hands of Zimbabwean security forces throughout his public career.
ZA: Xenophobic attacks in South Africa are spreading at an alarming rate, resulting in a mass exodus of foreigners fleeing the violent mobs. The Western Cape province is readying a defense force to quell the attacks, which seems like a much more reasonable response than asking citizens to combat the mobs themselves. That has to be in the top ten Common Sense Rules to Good Governance: The answer to vigilantism is not vigilantism. In some places, that’s called street warfare.
Darfur: Armed men on horseback ambused a UN peacekeeping force from Nigeria, attacking the troops with AK-47’s and rocket-propelled grenades and stealing their weapons.
The Institute for War and Peace Reporting writes that the central committee of the ZANU-PF recently replaced the director of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) to ensure that the media stays “on message.” Daily soap operas and other programs have been replaced by documentaries and news coverage glorifying Mugabe.
Former Bishop of Harare Nolbert Kunonga was excommunicated from the Anglican Church, along with several allied priests, for continued support of Mugabe’s violent and oppressive tactics against the wishes of the Church.
MDC presidential candidate Morgan Tsvangirai is set to return to Zimbabwe this weekend. Tsvangirai left the country in early April due to threats to his life, and a previous attempt to return was thwarted by an assassination plot. Tsvangirai has been subject to numerous beatings and detentions at the hands of Zimbabwean security forces throughout his public career.
ZA: Xenophobic attacks in South Africa are spreading at an alarming rate, resulting in a mass exodus of foreigners fleeing the violent mobs. The Western Cape province is readying a defense force to quell the attacks, which seems like a much more reasonable response than asking citizens to combat the mobs themselves. That has to be in the top ten Common Sense Rules to Good Governance: The answer to vigilantism is not vigilantism. In some places, that’s called street warfare.
Darfur: Armed men on horseback ambused a UN peacekeeping force from Nigeria, attacking the troops with AK-47’s and rocket-propelled grenades and stealing their weapons.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Wednesday News Update
South Africa: Johannesburg-based Business Day writes that the tone of the xenophobic attacks on foreign migrants and refugees is increasingly one of ethnic conflict, as attackers issue a “nationality test” to potential victims.
Zimbabwe: In a new report, the International Crisis Group warns that violence in Zimbabwe is likely to escalate, perhaps even as far as a military coup to prevent opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai from assuming the presidency.
Sudan: Heavy fighting between the Sudanese military and the southern Sudan People’s Liberation Movement continued Tuesday in the Abyei region, resulting in at least 21 deaths and over 100 injuries.
Burma: A New York Times editorial today calls for the US and France to begin airdropping aid to the victims of Cyclone Nargis if the ruling military junta does not grant entry to international relief workers soon. “No one wants a confrontation,” writes NYT, “but the world cannot sit by while tens of thousands more people die.” The issue of relief delivery against the wishes of the government continues to spark heated debate in the international community regarding the principles of the “Responsibility to Protect” doctrine (R2P).
Kenya: Eleven women accused of witchcraft were burned alive by a vigilante mob. A local official condemned the attack, saying, "People must not take the law into their own hands simply because they suspect someone." Such incidents relate to larger problems of gender violence and discrimination…perhaps to be discussed in another post.
Global Peace Index: Check out fellow blogger Actus Rei’s assessment of the 2008 Global Peace Index.
Zimbabwe: In a new report, the International Crisis Group warns that violence in Zimbabwe is likely to escalate, perhaps even as far as a military coup to prevent opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai from assuming the presidency.
Sudan: Heavy fighting between the Sudanese military and the southern Sudan People’s Liberation Movement continued Tuesday in the Abyei region, resulting in at least 21 deaths and over 100 injuries.
Burma: A New York Times editorial today calls for the US and France to begin airdropping aid to the victims of Cyclone Nargis if the ruling military junta does not grant entry to international relief workers soon. “No one wants a confrontation,” writes NYT, “but the world cannot sit by while tens of thousands more people die.” The issue of relief delivery against the wishes of the government continues to spark heated debate in the international community regarding the principles of the “Responsibility to Protect” doctrine (R2P).
Kenya: Eleven women accused of witchcraft were burned alive by a vigilante mob. A local official condemned the attack, saying, "People must not take the law into their own hands simply because they suspect someone." Such incidents relate to larger problems of gender violence and discrimination…perhaps to be discussed in another post.
Global Peace Index: Check out fellow blogger Actus Rei’s assessment of the 2008 Global Peace Index.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
News for the Glasses-Half-Empty
Zimbabwe: "The threats of xenophobic attacks pose less danger than the threats of persistent hunger, political violence and shortages of just about everything” in Zimbabwe, says a mother of moving her family to South Africa.
Sudan: “One of the great foreign policy risks right now,” writes Nicholas Kristof, “is that Sudan’s north-south war will start up again.” Fighting erupted in the oil-rich Abyei region, called “Sudan’s Kashmir” by the Enough Project due to its unresolved and disputed status, forcing up to 50,000 people to flee and threatening the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended over 20 years of civil war. In addition, Save Darfur continues to document reprisals by the Sudanese government against Darfuri civilians following the JEM attack on Khartoum. (See previous posts for background.) Kristof writes, “My fear is that the Darfur conflict will be remembered just as the prologue to an even bloodier war that engulfs all of Sudan.” Sobering.
Burma (Myanmar): The government said today that the country faces a severe food shortage if the rice crops destroyed by a hurricane are not replanted within 3 weeks. Maybe you should’ve thought about that before you denied both international and domestic aid to the region. Idiots.
Sudan: “One of the great foreign policy risks right now,” writes Nicholas Kristof, “is that Sudan’s north-south war will start up again.” Fighting erupted in the oil-rich Abyei region, called “Sudan’s Kashmir” by the Enough Project due to its unresolved and disputed status, forcing up to 50,000 people to flee and threatening the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended over 20 years of civil war. In addition, Save Darfur continues to document reprisals by the Sudanese government against Darfuri civilians following the JEM attack on Khartoum. (See previous posts for background.) Kristof writes, “My fear is that the Darfur conflict will be remembered just as the prologue to an even bloodier war that engulfs all of Sudan.” Sobering.
Burma (Myanmar): The government said today that the country faces a severe food shortage if the rice crops destroyed by a hurricane are not replanted within 3 weeks. Maybe you should’ve thought about that before you denied both international and domestic aid to the region. Idiots.
Monday, May 19, 2008
News: What is it about Mondays?
Somalia: The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that over 2.6 million—35% of the country’s population—face near-famine conditions caused by the rapid increase in food prices and a regional drought. Compounding the situation, Somalia now has over 1 million internally-displaced persons (IDPs) due to the ongoing conflict between the transitional government and insurgents.
Zimbabwe: US Ambassador James McGee defied multiple police attempts to prevent his convoy from investigating post-election violence in Zimbabwe. McGee’s convoy was stopped repeatedly by police, who threatened the ambassador and other diplomats with physical violence and detainment. The MDC accused the military of plotting to assassinate its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, alleging that 18 snipers are poised to pursue a hit list of 40 prominent MDC leaders. Tsvangirai left Zimbabwe in April due to assassination threats, and canceled his return to the country this weekend, when he planned to begin his campaign for the upcoming runoff election.
Sri Lanka: Clashes between the Tamil Tigers and the military left 78 dead this weekend, as the government continues its drive to “crush” the insurgency by the end of the year. The Tamil Tigers have fought for an independent state for their marginalized ethnic group since 1983, and atrocities committed by both sides resulting in a total of 70,000 deaths. Today, three Nobel Peace Laureates called on the UN to reject Sri Lanka’s application for membership for the UN Human Rights Council. Desmond Tutu, Jimmy Carter, and Adolfo Perez Esquivel oppose the candidacy due to Sri Lanka’s poor human rights record.
South Africa: Xenophobic violence is nothing new to South Africa, but the problem is rapidly worsening. Attacks on foreigners and refugees presents quite a dilemma for the still-new post-apartheid democracy, as people grow frustrated with their poor quality of life and resentful of foreigners perceived as competing for jobs and resources.
Burma: The government agreed to allow Southeast Asian aid workers into areas affected by Cyclone Nargis, but will continue to restrict those from the rest of the international community. In this video, Guardian reporter Helen Pidd describes the difficulties and risks of undercover journalism in the country.
Zimbabwe: US Ambassador James McGee defied multiple police attempts to prevent his convoy from investigating post-election violence in Zimbabwe. McGee’s convoy was stopped repeatedly by police, who threatened the ambassador and other diplomats with physical violence and detainment. The MDC accused the military of plotting to assassinate its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, alleging that 18 snipers are poised to pursue a hit list of 40 prominent MDC leaders. Tsvangirai left Zimbabwe in April due to assassination threats, and canceled his return to the country this weekend, when he planned to begin his campaign for the upcoming runoff election.
Sri Lanka: Clashes between the Tamil Tigers and the military left 78 dead this weekend, as the government continues its drive to “crush” the insurgency by the end of the year. The Tamil Tigers have fought for an independent state for their marginalized ethnic group since 1983, and atrocities committed by both sides resulting in a total of 70,000 deaths. Today, three Nobel Peace Laureates called on the UN to reject Sri Lanka’s application for membership for the UN Human Rights Council. Desmond Tutu, Jimmy Carter, and Adolfo Perez Esquivel oppose the candidacy due to Sri Lanka’s poor human rights record.
South Africa: Xenophobic violence is nothing new to South Africa, but the problem is rapidly worsening. Attacks on foreigners and refugees presents quite a dilemma for the still-new post-apartheid democracy, as people grow frustrated with their poor quality of life and resentful of foreigners perceived as competing for jobs and resources.
Burma: The government agreed to allow Southeast Asian aid workers into areas affected by Cyclone Nargis, but will continue to restrict those from the rest of the international community. In this video, Guardian reporter Helen Pidd describes the difficulties and risks of undercover journalism in the country.
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