The spread of genocide in Africa

Buried underneath the now-familiar headlines of brewing crises in the Middle East is one that deserves front-page attention: the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has warned that spillover from the violence in Darfur threatens to recreate the 1994 Rwandan genocide in eastern Chad. More than 200,000 Darfuris have fled conflict by crossing the border into neighboring Chad, and the Sudanese government-backed Janjaweed militia has followed them, killing hundreds and leaving up to 110,000 homeless, according to the BBC. The familiar pattern of violence in Darfur, in which government-backed militias attack villages, often inspiring copycat killings, seems to becoming replicated in Chad. A UNHCR representative chillingly reported that "We are seeing elements that closely resemble what we saw in Rwanda in the genocide in 1994." Similar conflict threatens to spread into the Central African Republic (see map), threatening to raise the specter of a genocidal, regional conflagration. This prospect makes it all the more imperative that the Sudanese government be forced to accept a UN peacekeeping force to suplement the weak AU force currently in operation in Sudan. Click here to sign a petition urging President Bush to take firm action to compel Sudan to accept a UN force.

Disease a Risk Post-Flood UN Reports

After many months of drought conditions rains finally returned to Burundi this past September, only they returned with a vengeance, uprooting crops in the loose, dry soil and placing all else under water. Besides the closing of schools and the loss of homes due to the flooding there are far more pressing issues to deal with such as death from diarrhea and cholera (mostly a water-borne illness from improperly treated sources). Picutred left is a young boy in Gatumba, a city close to the capital of Bujumbura.

The floods have put an added strain on an already tense situation in the small country in central Africa. As a result of large crop loss international aid organizations such as the UN World Food Programme have encouraged others to committ "to [providing] food aid for 2 million Burundians, almost one third of the population, between now and the next harvest later this year."

I'm reminded of the massive flooding of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina in that, while the situations are unique to their own circumstances, natural disasters often exacerbate problems already inherent within a society. Here, we were reminded that while de jure segregation may be something of the past de facto (perhaps the more sinister of the two because it persists despite the law) segregation still lingers as there is no denying that those affected most severely by the flooding were disproportionately African-Americans in poorer sections of the city. In Burundi, there is no telling quite yet just what the outcome will be but unless others makes a long-term committment to aid the troubled population things could spin violently out of hand as people compete for scarce resources.

Getting information out there...

Here is a really cool video, presenting information on Darfur through a musical medium:



Challenge for the week: Educate yourself--give yourself, at the least, a baseline of knowledge on the topic of genocide in our world today.

Protect the People: Genocide or No Genocide

More than one month past its due date, "Plan B" for US policy toward Sudan has yet to be revealed. The "three tiered plan" for coercive measures looms mysteriously as activists and humanitarian aid groups demand action. The Washington Post acknowledges that the US has taken "quiet" actions with aspects of Plan B, such as deploying US Army Colonels to the border between Chad and Sudan. Yet as J. Stephen Morris, the Africa Program Director at Center for Strategic Studies, suggests, the US has avoided explicitly revealing the plan. Last week, the US endorsed the Treasury Department's plan to block commercial bank transactions that connect to Sudan. Still, the US government withholds details of Plan B, thus denying Darfur substantial, sustainable action. Why are we waiting?

Andrew Natsios, the Presidential Envoy to Sudan, is waiting for the Sudanese government to cooperate with Kofi Annan's December 2006 Addis-Ababa Plan, which proposed the deployment of a UN-AU hybrid force to Darfur. I wonder: what motivation, at this point, does the Sudanese government have to stop? Without Plan B pushing Sudan toward action, why would the government suddenly decide to listen to the West?

Conveniently, as the United States government is under increasing pressure to dish out the brilliant Plan B that's been buzzing vaguely for a few months now, Andrew Natsios has allegedly declared that the "situation" in Darfur is no longer a genocide. Yet he does acknowledge the 2006 surge in violence, targeting of humanitarian aid workers, and deteriorating political situation threatening the peace and stability of North and South Sudan and, thus, the region. The humanitarian situation is rapidly deteriorating, according to Natsios himself.

It is our responsibility to hold our government accountable for acting to prevent systematic civilian murder. Removing an unpleasant term does not solve the problem, nor does it alleviate the urgent need for a Plan B.

Click here to sign a petition asking the Bush Administration to take action.

Be mine, bloody valentine

Happy Valentine's Day. You've probably already bought chocolates for your loved ones, and eaten some yourself. And you probably didn't give a thought to how it was connected to human rights, peace, and political stability in Africa. Maybe its time we start asking some questions about the chocolate industry.

Where does the chocolate come from? Who harvests it? Approximately 70% of cocoa is grown in West Africa; Ivory Coast is responsible for about 40% of that. In fact, the chocolate industry is central to the West African economy. There's a catch, though. The chocolate industry is, according to an article in today's LA Times, "a magnet for child slavery." Poor families sometimes sell their children as indentured servants to cocoa farmers. The children work in poor, often abusive, conditions. In 2002, the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture reported that some 284,000 children worked in West Africa's chocolate industry. Of those children, 200,000 work in the Ivory Coast. Not all are slaves, some are paid and some work on family farms. The article also mentions that chocolate is similar to the diamond industry in that it helps fund political instability in some West African countries, particularly Ivory Coast.

The chocolate industry has made some efforts to certify cocoa producers who don't use child labor but such efforts have not been very successful. So what can we do this Valentine's Day to share our love with these children? As the article points out, boycotting chocolate would be useless since so much of the West African economy depends on it. We can, however, buy Fair Trade chocolate. Fair Trade certified confectioners pay their workers a fair wage and provide them with safer working conditions. Plan ahead for next Valentine's Day and make the day extra-special for your loved one by buying Fair Trade chocolate and improving the life of a child.

The Ten Commandments in Northern Uganda?

Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord's Resistance Army, has declared that he wants to rule Uganda according to The Ten Commandments. However, while the commandments dictate "you shall not murder," Kony and his followers murder countless innocent civilians and abduct thousands of children. Girls become sex slaves while boys become killing machines. Kony also claims to be fighting for the Acholi people, although they are the ones suffering the most as a cause of the rebel movement. Kony has never clearly articulated what he is fighting for, only that he believes firmly in the Ten Commandments. Meanwhile, he uproots families, destroys the idea of childhood, and kills without mercy. His cousin, Alice Lakwena, was the original catalyst for the LRA, as she led the Holy Spirit Movement. Lakwena passed away in Kenya a month ago, however Kony continues the violence she began in the 80's. The disconnect between Kony's belief in the Ten Commandments and his actions could not be greater, yet the violence continues today. He has agreed to come to the table to discuss peace, and we can only hope that these talks will result in an effective ceasefire and bring peace to a region that has known violence and despair for far too long.

Where is the Love?

Happy Valentine's Day!

So on this day of love an romance what are you doing? Something special with someone special, perhaps? Well, what if that someone special was dead? What if you were afraid to go out for fear of being murdered? Not such a happy day then.

This would be the life in Darfur for millions of people.

As you spend time with your special someone this Valentine's Day, take action to help those who don't have the ability to do so. The Genocide Intervention Network has started a new hotline: 1-800-GENOCIDE. Call for free and you can be connected with any of your elected officials. The hotline will give you some speakign points about Darfur, but you have the ability to talk to your politician to institute change. Try it out.

For more information visit www.1800GENOCIDE.com.

Somalia and the Fear of Thoughts

The United Nations Commission for Human Rights released a statement today condemning the actions of the government of Somalia for imprisoning 3 members of the press. Ghanim Alnajjar, working for the Commission wrote “Three journalists - Yusuf Abdi Gabode, Ali Abdi Din and Mohamed Omar Sheikh Ibrahim - employed by the Haatuf Media Network have been arrested and detained as a result of their work in "Somaliland." Sadly, this is not the first time the government of Somalia has detained members of the press.

A free press is imperative for the dissemination of ideas and information, and when that freedom is infringed upon; it opens the doors for great atrocities to be committed. Alnajjar notes that “Threats to journalists and media outlets constitute serious violations of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A free an independent press which does not fear any party is crucial to restoring peace and security in Somalia.” If the press can not operate without fear of government reprisal, then the news will not be accurately reported. A free and informed society is the best preventative measure against the violation of human rights.

The original article can be found here

ENOUGH

The Center for American Progress and International Crisis Group are collaborating in a new initiative,ENOUGH: the Project to End Genocide and Mass Atrocities. The first in the series, titled "The Answer To Darfur" and featuring Gayle Smith (Center for American Progress), John Prendergast (ICG), and Colin Thomas-Jensen (ICG), calls for a "coherent and synchronized strategy." How can nations overcome global complacency to reach such a strategy? The featured speakers propose a "3P" Strategy: Protect the Vulnerable, Punish the Perpetrators, and Promote Peace.

"Protect the Vulnerable" is a common goal of Darfur activists. Punishing the perpetrators, one might argue, is important only after the people have been protected. Promoting Peace. What exactly does this mean? Weren't we promoting peace while thrusting the Darfur Peace Agreement in May 2006 at noncomplying rebels? Is this the same kind of peace promoted in 2005 when the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed between the North and South? While both sides did sign, whether progress is being made is questionable, and in 2009, the South will have the opportunity to vote for secession.

Prendergast and Jensen recognize that long-term peace requires a sustainable, inclusive political process. To act consistently with our favorite phrase "Never Again," we must consider human rights first, of course. This must be followed up, however, with sound, long-term action to establish stability. Herein lies the real challenge.

Political dissension in Burundi? You bet...

Today, Voice of America News reports that the CNDD-FDD Party, which is predominately Hutu and rules the politics of the nation of Burundi, has disposed of its leader Hussein Radjabu (pictured right). The CNDD-FDD combines the political interests and military interests of a major rebel group during the civil war in Burundi.

Party leaders met yesterday as a response to mounting pressure considering the government's handling of the attempted coup and the accused torture of those arrested as part of the investigation which I mentioned in my last post. Radjabu has characterized this meeting as illegal since he did not give his prior consent to the proceedings. Further, his complaint hinges on the fact that he had agreed to address growing dissension within the party later in February. Jeremy Ngendakumana has been named Radjabu's successor.

Not knowing all of the circumstances surrounding his ouster I do not feel informed enough to offer an opinion on whether or not his removal was warranted or even legally legitimate per Burundian law. However, as the article mentions many attribute the lack of respect for human rights in Burundi to actions undertaken during his term and charges have been made of corruption in his seeking to oppose directly politicians who are not in line with his view.

What Ever Happened to "We Remember. Never Again."?

Holocaust denial has begun to become the mainstream. It's sad, but it's true. Men and women all over the world are questioning the validity of the Holocaust. Even government officials raise their eyebrows at the subject of the Holocaust. What has caused this resurgence? Well, I honestly couldn't tell you. I have my theories as I'm sure you do as well. What I can tell you is that Holocaust denial is dangerous. It is a poison that threatens to spread its way around the world. If we do not remember or believe that the Holocaust ever happened, how do we expect to raise our voices against the atrocities happening in Sudan? We can't, because we wouldn't believe that it was happening. Remembrance and saving those in Sudan are intricately connected. If we don't remember, we are less inclined to speak up for the Darfurians and send them aid. Remembrance of the Holocaust is becoming less important as we focus on Sudan. That's alright. We need to focus on Sudan but we can not forget that as a people we made a promise to remember the atrocities of the Holocaust and that we would fight against future atrocities. All I ask is that you not forget. If someone questions the validity of the Holocaust, then they might as well be questioning the validity of the situation in Darfur. Look at the photo of the child. Can you deny that?

The Wicked Problem of Genocide

Two days ago, I attended a showing of the musical, Wicked, in Chicago. It was electrifying, but the best part of the show was its message. Elphaba, the main character, discovers the evils of the world she lives in and speaks out, refusing to stand by as injustice perpetuates. Because of the government's control on the truth that the people perceive, Elphaba is labeled as wicked. When Colin Powell spoke out about genocide in Africa, he was not given the best treatment. In fact, he resigned in the next election. Coincidence? A new book has been released, discussing the media's impact on Rwanda. The question is, if we didn't learn from the Holocaust, and we didn't learn from Bosnia or Rwanda, will we learn from Darfur?

Here are some Wicked lyrics that will inspire the challenge for the week:

Something has changed within me, Something is not the same, I'm through with playing by the rules of someone else's game, Too late for second-guessing, Too late to go back to sleep, It's time to trust my instincts, close my eyes and leap.

Challenge: don't go back to sleep, don't let the politically charged media hold you back from getting the information you want to know about a world that allows genocide. Write an op-ed, demand more from your newspapers and other news sources. Without education and awareness, we will never put an end to this. I'm through with playing by the rules of the someone else's game. Are you?

Book Release article:
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/February2007/05/c4750.html

Yeah, but do they mean it? It sure looks like they do…

If you read the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which is the only international legal definition of the crime, you’ll quickly realize that the whole thing hinges on intent. Genocide is only genocide when the perpetrators intend to commit it.

There seem to be some people out there right now who think that genocide is not happening in Darfur. One of their main points is that there is no clear evidence that the Government of Sudan or the Janjaweed have the intent to exterminate the people of Darfur.

This is always one of the most difficult parts of dealing with genocide. Not every case can be as cut-and-dry as the Holocaust, when the Nazis essentially stated “we want to kill all the Jews.” Aside from some statements made by individual Janjaweed soldiers, there is no such clear evidence coming out of Darfur today.

Maybe someday we’ll have better historical evidence of what President Bashir and his henchmen want to accomplish in Darfur, but for the time being, I’d like to introduce the concept of implied intent. The people - at all levels - committing the atrocities in Darfur would have to be brainless to realize that if they don’t stop doing what they’re doing in Darfur, the people there will eventually cease to exist. The fact that they have done nothing to stop this process makes it pretty clear to me what their intentions really are.

Mr. Hu Goes to Africa

After the recent African tour of China's president, Hu Jintao, it must be difficult for Omar al-Bashir, his Sudanese counterpart, to contain his glee. Mr. Hu came to Khartoum bearing many gifts, including a free loan to build Mr. Bashir a new palace, and a promise to build two schools. Most delightfully for Sudan's autocratic ruler, however, these gifts come without the good-governance and respect-for-human-rights clauses often insisted upon by Western nations. Indeed, in his only reference to the genocide in Darfur, Mr. Hu declared emphatically that "Any solution needs to respect the sovereignty of Sudan."

China's willingness to support genocidal but resource-rich regimes is extremely worrying. In his whirl-wind eight-nation tour, Mr. Hu dished out gifts and loans, all the while touting their unconditional nature. While this approach avoids the neo-colonial overtones of conditional Western aid, it also bolsters brutal governments and threatens the prospects for good governance in Africa, without which the threat of genocide will remain.

In her post of 5 February, fellow Memory to Action contributor Alexa Woodward makes the case for divestment in order to pressure China to reduce its support for the Sudanese government. Divestment by American universities and companies is undoubtedly an important step towards this goal. Ultimately, however, governments must signal to China that the pitfalls, and consequences, of supporting brutal regimes are greater than the potential rewards. You can help by writing your senator and congressman- click here to find out how.

Power's Response

Last Thursday, Samantha Power visited Pomona College's campus to speak to the students and faculty. I had a chance to ask her the question I was grappling with in my last post about the difficulty between peace and accountability within Uganda. She spoke about the power of the International Criminal Court to serve as a deterrent. Yet for Ugandan civilians, the investigation by the ICC could mean sacrificing a potential peace. I asked her about this troubling decision and if the ICC withdrawing its investigation would undermine the legitimacy of the court. She responded by explaining that the power of the ICC is evident because Joseph Kony would not consider coming to the table to discuss peace if the ICC did not exist. The presence of the ICC and its potential indictment of Kony has catalyzed Kony's decision to talk peace. Thus, the ICC has demonstrated its significance and the power it can wield. Power also believes that Luis Moreno Ocampo prioritizes the victims and will be likely to abandon its investigation of Uganda in order to bring peace to the region. Power introduced this new perspective which takes a more positive outlook on this difficult choice between peace and accountability, yet abandoning the investigation would still set a scary precedent that war criminals can assume control and obtain immunity.

China and Darfur: Divest!

China has the power to influence the Khartoum government to allow a UN peacekeeping force or an expanded African Union force to protect millions of people in Dafur.


Why China?


China has expansive investments in Sudanese oil, and 80% of Sudan's national profit depends two Chinese companies, Sino Petrol and CNPC. With pressure from the Chinese government, Khartoum may succumb to international pressure to allow peacekeeping forces to operate on behalf of the more than 3 million displaced persons who had fled violence.

So far, China has been the greatest block on the UN security council for the deployment of peacekeepers. We can pressure China by asking our universities to divest from these oil companies (often times stagnant funds are arbitrarily invested through brokers, so many universities do not even know who they are supporting!)

for more info on divestment and to see other cities and states who have divested, visit: www.sudandivestment.org

Rising Action

The Genocide Intervention Network has released a poll indicating that the genocide in Darfur has climbed to the top of Americans' priority lists. More than half of the people surveyed indicated that, even in light of U.S. relations abroad (Iraq, North Korea, Iran...), America should make humanitarian crises a top priority. Almost 60% said they had heard a fair amount about the genocide in Darfur, and about half of those surveyed support sanctions and moderate military strategies to be implemented against the Sudanese government.

These statistics, which can be found here, indicate that Darfur activists have finally been successful at putting Darfur on the map of the average American. Yet, it took us four years and 400,000 lives to make this progress. Now it is our duty to use these newly discovered, "widespread" opinions and translate them into effective legislative action. For additional blogging on the new poll, see the GI-Net's MySpace blog.

Still, it is important to consider the larger picture. GI-Net's poll also found that approximately 80% of Americans believe that genocide education should be mandatory in public schools. Meanwhile, student activists are mobilizing to strengthen their position.

What does it all mean? Our generation is learning. We are witnessing the slow response of a complacent international community to a genocide. We are learning not just to take action, but we are beginning to discover the kind of action we need to take. GI-Net, for example, was created by two college graduates of Swarthmore College in 2005. Our generation is learning to stay actively engaged with global events, and we are learning to take action. Let the lesson of Darfur guide us in the future as we actively pursue "never again."

Place for torture in Burundi?

Hello again. This week I turn to an issue that has been recently examined in the United States: the place of torture in modern states, an issue that Ana will be contributing to as it pertains to the debate domestically. Here's the rundown: on July 31, 2006 Alain Mugabarabona was arrested, among others, for having confessed to being the leader behind an attempted coup d’état; the next day, the former Vice-President of Burundi Alphonse-Marie Kadege (pictured left) was also arrested. I mention these two among the others who were arrested for specific reasons: first, Mugabarabona because of his associations with the FNL-Incanzo Party, a former Hutu rebel group; second, Kadege as a Tutsi member of UPRONA (Union pour le Progrès national, or Union for National Progress). While detained it is believed that they were tortured, Kadege being bound at the hands and feet and whipped with a leather belt.

What I find interesting about this is that in this instance, members of both sides of the "racial divide" in Burundi were arrested and subject to torture at the hands of their own government. What motivations did the government have? Mugabarabona had already confessed his involvement in the attempt and was himself a Hutu (the same ethnic background of the slim majority of members of the government of Burundi, including its president). Kadege, a Tutsi, had been high up in the government and of the same background of those in the relatively well represented minority of the heads of government in Burundi.

Here is an example of how the line between whom is targeting whom and which ethnic group is being victimized becomes ever blurrier. A further question: what drove members of both ethnic classifications to band together in an attempt to overthrow their government? Surely, something must have driven them to see beyond race, an issue which some would assume would divide them.

In the end it seems to me that in this particular case the issue is less about race and more about the government's wish to maintain its control by those means it chooses. Granted, modern states reserve the right to maintain their sovereignty but they do not reserve the right to target their own citizens for acts which would demoralize or bring them bodily harm or distress. The state is legitimate only so long as it is accorded the blessing of those it governs. By resorting to torture, assuming the allegations brought against it are true, the government of Burundi has added further tension to an already fragile situation within its borders. No matter how injurious the deeds committed against it are deemed no government has the right to torture its own citizens or any other, for that matter: there is no place for torture, neither in Burundi nor elsewhere.

I invite you to read the following for more information:

http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/08/04/burund13916.htm

And this blog by Richard Wilson who has written about Burundi at commentisfree.

After the Killing is Done: Justice?

Genocide, by its very nature, is never a spontaneous occurrence and people need leaders to make them kill and turn them into perpetrators. Today, Darfur’s agony is thanks largely to the work of two men: Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and the leader of the Janjaweed, Musa Hilal. More than anyone else, these men can be held accountable for the extermination of the people of Darfur.

They remind me of Radovan Karadzic, president of the Republika Srpska, and his general Ratko Mladic and the death and destruction they brought to Bosnia in the early 90s. Karadzic and Mladic have been indicted for genocide and other crimes against humanity, but today remain at large. Why? Because to the Serbs of the Former Yugoslavia they are folk heroes. To live safely as fugitives amongst their own people is no challenge, especially when the rest of the world isn’t trying to catch them.

The killing in Darfur will end either in the destruction of its people or with some far-off peace. When it does, people will have to be held accountable for genocide. Will Bashir and Hilal ever see trial or a prison cell or the hangman’s noose? I doubt it. History doesn’t show a good record for bringing genocidaires to justice and these two and all of their servants will probably remain in power or live safely and comfortably among their fellow “Arab” Sudanese until the ends of their lives unless the world starts to talk about justice and mean it.

Turn Memory and Words into ACTION.

Rwandan president, Paul Kagame, spoke to fellow presidents of African nations, urging them to put intentions into action. The action he refers to specifically deals with science and technology. But more intrinsically, Kagame is urging the movement of Africa forward in today's global society, leaving behind warfare and destruction. This article gives me hope, and I hope it does the same for you.

This week I challenge you to take your words, your thoughts, or even perhaps your own memories into action. It can be a small action or even drawing up a plan and timelines for yourself, but do something--it is necessary for the wellfare of Darfur citizens.

Here is the article:
http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=3380&language=1