Act to protect civilians, UN experts urge Burundi Government (29.11.2016)

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The fact that armed militia are openly intimidating people demonstrates, “the unwillingness or the inability of the Government to protect civilians,” the Committee wrote in a decision issued under its early warning and urgent action procedure.

GENEVA, Switzerland, November 29, 2016 – The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has called on the Government of Burundi to take prompt and effective action to protect civilians, including allowing the immediate admission of a UN police contingent* to monitor the security and human rights situation in the country.

The fact that armed militia are openly intimidating people demonstrates, “the unwillingness or the inability of the Government to protect civilians,” the Committee wrote in a decision issued under its early warning and urgent action procedure. CERD also expressed deep concern regarding a Civil Service questionnaire issued on 8 November that asks public servants to state their ethnicity.

“Such a survey, given Burundi’s history of virulent ethnic conflict, could spread fear and further mistrust among the population, and could be hugely dangerous if misused,” said CERD Chairperson Anastasia Crickley.

Acting under its early warning procedure, CERD also voiced deep concern at reports of killings, summary executions, disappearances and torture; the frequent use of hate speech by Government officials; and the growing number of Burundians fleeing the country.

The Committee deplored Burundi’s increased lack of co-operation with the international community and called on the Government to re-engage with the UN Human Rights Office. CERD also urged the Government to abide by Burundi’s human rights obligations, including those arising from the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

CERD established its early warning procedure in response to the conflicts of the early 1990s, including in the Great Lakes region, as a way of preventing  problems or crises from escalating into conflicts and above all to prevent the wounds of old conflicts from re-opening,” said Ms. Crickley. “That is why we expressed alarm in August this year and this is why we are raising our voice again”.

“Burundi is at a dangerous junction. We therefore call on the Government to step back from any actions that risk stoking ethnic conflict and that could even be a precursor to mass atrocities,” said Ms. Crickley.

Somalia: FIEIT visits Galmudug to urge timely completion of voting for Lower House (24.11.2016)

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Cadaado, 24 November 2016 – Members of the Federal Indirect Electoral Implementation Team (FIEIT) visited the Galmudug state capital today to push for timely completion of ongoing elections for seats in the federal parliament’s House of the People.

The FIEIT team met with senior state officials to discuss the status of the elections in Galmudug, which so far has filled 21 out of its 36 allocated seats in the lower chamber.

“Our visit today is to assess how the elections are going on in Galmudug. We are here to ensure that the process is finished on time, by 30 November this year. We want to encourage them to do keep doing the good work and where there are concerns, then we would address and find solutions,” said FIEIT Chairman Omar Mohamed Abdulle.

Mr. Abdulle said FIEIT would adhere to the election timetable it released in September. He said the timely completion of the electoral process would enable the country to have a new government and federal parliament before the end of 2016.

FIEIT is pressing state-level governments and electoral bodies to expedite voting for the remaining seats in the House of the People that have not yet been filled. A two-thirds quorum of members is needed in both houses of the federal parliament to hold a presidential election in the legislature, according to Somalia’s 2012 Provisional Constitution. The Upper House has crossed that threshold with 43 of its 54 seats already having been elected.

“We hope to have at least two-thirds of the members of the Lower House before the November 30 deadline. We now have a total of 145 members, if we get 35 more members, the country would have an institution that can sit and decide on issues,” Abdulle added.

His remarks drew support from the Vice President of Galmudug, Mohamed Hashi, who assured the FIEIT team that the state’s remaining 15 members would be elected before the end of this month.

“We did a lot of work to resolve disputes. We hope to finish the election of the remaining members of the Lower House by Monday or Tuesday next week,” said Mr. Hashi.

In other election news, the FIEIT and the Independent Electoral Disputes Resolution Mechanism (IEDRM) issued a joint press statement announcing they are investigating cases of electoral malpractice following allegations of corruption, intimidation and manipulation in the ongoing electoral process.

The two electoral bodies warned today that stern action will be taken on cases where proof of electoral malpractice is confirmed.

“When investigations confirm that serious malpractices have occurred, the FIEIT and the IEDRM will take appropriate and decisive actions,” said the two bodies in the statement. “Such actions will include nullification of the election results and disqualification of candidates who have committed the malpractices.”

The statement also expressed concern about the failure of some clans to comply with the 30 percent quota established by the National Leadership Forum (NLF) for women’s representation in the parliament. In the case of Galmudug, only three of the 21 members elected to the House of the People thus far are women.

“This rule needs to be respected in all the upcoming elections. Failure to fulfill this requirement will result in action by the FIEIT and IEDRM against the offending clans both in past and upcoming elections,” the statement warned.

Both electoral bodies urged all stakeholders to abide by the rules and regulations of the electoral process as defined and agreed by the NLF.

Somalia – Severe drought and food insecurity (25.11.2016)

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  • The severe drought conditions are worsening in Somaliland and Puntland and also expanding to central and southern regions in Somalia. The rainy season from October to December has so far been poor as with the past five rainy seasons which were all below average or had failed completely. Crop and pasture losses are widespread, water shortages common, and people’s traditional coping mechanisms exhausted.
  • Two out of five Somalis are already acutely food insecure, according to the UN. Almost 1.4 million people are now in an acute food and livelihood crisis or emergency, not able to meet their daily food requirements, while another 3.9 million require livelihood support. Over 320 000 acutely malnourished children are in need of urgent support.
  • Over half of food insecure people (58%) at crisis or emergency level are internally displaced, resulting from the combination of climatic shocks, armed conflict, fragility, lack of governance and basic services prevalent in Somalia.
  • The President of the Federal Government of Somalia issued an appeal to all Somalis and the international community to support drought-stricken communities, joining other recent appeals by the regional authorities of Somaliland, Puntland and Jubaland. However, aid agencies face major funding challenges, curtailing all but the most basic life-saving activities.
  • Drought conditions are expected to intensify even further in the traditional lean season from January to March until the next rainy season expected in April 2017.

Burundi: Sonnette d’alarme de l’OLUCOME sur la détérioration de l’économie (24.11.2016)

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Somalia: FEIT and IEDRM planning coordinated action against serious electoral malpractice (24.11.2016)

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AMISOM and SNA Senior Commanders agree on new plans for joint operations against Al-Shabaab (23.11.2016)

ALJAZEERA Somali AMISOM

Mogadishu, 23 November 2016Senior military officers of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the Somali National Army will undertake major military operations to liberate areas still under Al-Shabaab control.

The plans for the offensive against the militants were firmed up during a three-day meeting in Mogadishu, chaired by AMISOM Force Commander Lt. Gen. Osman Noor Soubagleh.

In attendance was the Deputy Chief of Defence Forces of the Somali National Army (SNA) Maj. Gen. Ali Bashi Mohamed. “We are going to plan and come up with a common operation, fighting side by side against Al-Shabaab,” Lt. Gen. Soubagleh said.

The SNA Deputy Chief of Defence Forces said the meeting had further strengthened cooperation between the join forces, in countering militant insurgency. “We agreed to work closely to flash out the enemy from the country. There has never been a better time for SNA and AMISOM to come together like now,” General Ali Bashi noted.

The commanders will reconvene soon to finalize plans for joint operations.

Key issues discussed in the three day meeting included strengthening the SNA, in preparation for AMISOM’s exit from Somalia in 2018.

Dr. Omar Abdulle Alasow, the senior International Humanitarian Law/ Human Rights Advisor to AMISOM made a presentation to the senior military officers on the international rules governing the use of force in AMISOM and SNA military operations including the implementation of the Human Rights Due Diligence Policy (HRDDP) on UN support to non-UN security forces.

AMISOM has put in place mechanisms for preventing, mitigating and strengthening compliance of International Humanitarian Law, to reduce the risks of grave human rights violations by troops. “It also has policies designed to investigate and take necessary disciplinary measures against erring uniformed personnel,” Dr. Omar noted.

UN human rights body appoints Commission of Inquiry on Burundi (24.11.2016)

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The Commissioners appointed today include Fatsah Ouguergouz (Algeria), Reina Alapini Gansu (Benin) and Francoise Hampson (United Kingdom). Mr. Ouguergouz will serve as the Chair of the three-member Commission.

NEW YORK, United States of America, November 24, 2016 – Following a decision of the United Nations Human Rights Council, in which it setup a commission of inquiry to investigate human rights violations and abuses in Burundi, including whether they may constitute international crimes, the President of the body has appointed the Commission’s Chair and members.

According to a news release, the Commissioners will “provide the support and expertise for the immediate improvement of the situation of human rights and the fight against in impunity.”

Established for a period of a year at the Human Rights Council’s 33rd session (September 2016), the Commission has also been mandated to identify the alleged perpetrators of violations and abuses, since April 2015, with a view to ensuring full accountability.

The Commissioners appointed today include Fatsah Ouguergouz (Algeria), Reina Alapini Gansu (Benin) and Francoise Hampson (United Kingdom). Mr. Ouguergouz will serve as the Chair of the three-member Commission.

In discharging its duties, the Commission has been authorized by the Human Rights Council to engage with national authorities, UN agencies, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) field presence in the country, as well as other stakeholders, including the civil society, refugees, authorities of the African Union (AU) and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

The Commission will be present an oral briefing to the Human Rights Council at its 34th and 35th sessions, in March and June 2017, respectively, and a final report at an interactive dialogue at the Council’s 36th session in September 2017.

Burundi was thrown into fresh crisis more than a year ago when President Pierre Nkurunziza decided to run for a controversial third term that he went on to win. To date, it has been reported that hundreds of people have been killed, more than 250,000 have fled the nation, and thousands more have been arrested and possibly subjected to human rights violations.

Joint Statement on the Roadmap Agreement for Sudan (21.11.2016)

Peacekeeper Sudan

Norway joins international partners in welcoming signatures of the AU Roadmap for peace talks in Sudan.

KHARTOUM, Sudan, November 21, 2016 – “The representatives of the Troika (Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States), Germany and the European Union welcome the signing of the Roadmap Agreement by the Justice and Equality Movement, the Sudan Liberation Movement-Minni Minnawi, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), and the National Umma Party. In signing the Roadmap Agreement, these groups have taken an important first step in ending the conflicts in Sudan and moving towards a process of dialogue as a basis for lasting peace in their country. We welcome the support of the Roadmap by other members of the Sudan Call alliance of opposition groups.

We also commend the Government of Sudan for signing the Roadmap Agreement on 16 March 2016, and subsequently clarifying its commitments regarding the inclusion of other relevant stakeholders in the National Dialogue and to continue to uphold any decisions reached between the opposition signatories and the 7+7 Mechanism, the steering committee of the National Dialogue.

We recognize that the opposition expressed valid concerns which have been noted by the African Union High-level Implementation Panel (AUHIP). We believe these constitute legitimate agenda items for any preparatory meetings.

The Roadmap Agreement constitutes a valuable step towards ending the wars in Sudan. We urge the signatories to lose no further time in agreeing to a cessation of hostilities and modalities for humanitarian access in Darfur and the Two Areas.

In parallel, we encourage opposition parties in Sudan to seize this opportunity to come together inside a process of dialogue to achieve a political settlement addressing the challenges that continue to face their people. And we appeal to the Government of Sudan to take all necessary steps to ensure a conducive environment for this process to succeed.

We wish to underscore the significant efforts of the AUHIP in helping to achieve this Roadmap Agreement, and we call on the signatories to engage constructively and sincerely to build on the Roadmap in order to realize a peaceful and stable Sudan.”

Burundi: Footage allegedly shows Imbonerakure militiamen marching in a parade (Youtube-Clip)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kXuX2J84vg

US Ambassador Stephen Schwartz letter to H.E. Mr. Adbikarim Hussein Guled on the Electoral Process in the Galmudug (20.11.2016)

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