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PEACE & SECURITY REPORT
IPSI's Peace & Security Report (PSR) is a concise weekly e-publication intended to keep busy students, academics, advocates, and practitioners in the conflict management community briefed on pertinent global news, events, and trends. Meticulously researched and written by IPSI, the PSR empowers us all to take a step back from our immediate deadlines each Friday and gain a greater understanding of the week's global events.
Special Announcement: Happy New Year from the IPSI team! After a short break for the holidays, the PSR will return to publication on January 14th. |
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| Featured Article
Democracy index 2010: Democracy in retreat
Economist Intelligence Unit
 The global record in democratisation since the start of its so-called third wave in 1974, and acceleration after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, has been impressive. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit's measure of democracy, one-half of the world's population now lives in a democracy of some sort. However, there has been a decline in democracy across the world since 2008. The decades-long global trend in democratisation had previously come to a halt in what Larry Diamond (2008) called a "democratic recession". Now democracy is in retreat. The dominant pattern in all regions over the past two years has been backsliding on previously attained progress in democratisation. The global financial crisis that started in 2008 accentuated some existing negative trends in political development. READ MORE >> |
Africa
CENTRAL AFRICA: Fears of LRA Christmas violenceOver the past two years, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a Ugandan rebel group, launched brutal attacks against civilians in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Central African Republic (CAR), and Sudan. Aid groups fear that this year could see a repeat of such attacks. The UN Security Council supported a proposal by the AU to set up joint patrols and border guards to combat the LRA and prevent another massacre. The UN will also commit 900 peacekeepers to the effort. Comment: The LRA has been murdering and abducting civilians throughout Central Africa for over 20 years. International efforts to defeat the rebels repeatedly failed, often leading to vicious reprisals against civilians; however, this is the first time that the UN has specifically detailed peacekeepers to defending civilians against the LRA. (IRIN, Mail and Guardian, Radio Netherlands, AFP)SUDAN: NCP prepared to accept outcomeWith the referendum less than a month away, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir said on December 13 that the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) is prepared to peacefully accept the outcome of the January 9 referendum. The same day, however, the Sudan Constitutional Court agreed to hear a case challenging the voter registration process for the referendum. The Sudanese People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), the ruling party in South Sudan, dismissed the filing as an NCP-backed attempt to stall the referendum. A statement by Ugandan Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa over the weekend opposed any delay, and the Rwandan commander of the UN peacekeeping force said that they are ready for the security challenges presented by the referendum. Comment: Bashir's comments offer some measure of hope for a peaceful resolution as both sides appeared to be headed toward a showdown, regardless of the result. Unfortunately, given the filing of the legal challenge, his comments may not be heartfelt or widely shared. Both sides and international partners only have a few weeks left to finish preparations for the referendum, which could end decades of dispute between the North and South or inversely ignite further violence. (Sudan Tribune, Sudan Tribune, Daily Nation, New Times) ZAMBIA: Great Lakes states meet to discuss conflict mineralsA regional summit of heads of state from across Central Africa opened on December 15 to discuss the illegal use of minerals. Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir had been invited, but decided at the last minute not to attend. He instead attended a conference on federalism held in Ethiopia, which is not a signatory to the ICC. Comment: Conflict minerals are a key security concern affecting states across the region, so cooperation in solving the issue is necessary and welcome. Zambia is a signatory to the Rome Statute, so under international law would have had to arrest Bashir if he attended the summit. Officials in Zambia played down the ICC warrant and stated that they would not arrest Bashir if he attended. (Lusaka Times, AFP, Sudan Tribune, Africa Review)
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Americas
BRAZIL: Court calls for human rights abuse investigationThe Inter-American Court of Human Rights condemned Brazil on December 14 for the forced disappearance of 62 alleged leftist militants of the Araguaia movement during its military dictatorship. Brazil must overturn an amnesty law, passed in 1979, which barred prosecution of both government agents and leftist militants for crimes committed during 1964-1985. According to the human rights court, the amnesty law is incompatible with Brazil's commitments under the American Convention on Human Rights. Brazil must investigate, prosecute, and punish those involved in the Araguaia case, and make amends to surviving relatives. Comment: The guerrilla movement was crushed by military operations between 1972 and 1975. Around 20 members of the group survived. One of them is Jose Genoino, who headed the ruling Workers' Party of President Lula da Silva and President-elect Rousseff. Both presidents have supported reconciliation rather than prosecution of former soldiers involved in the disappearances. (AP, Reuters, La Nacion)HAITI: International community calls for election resolutionAccording to international ambassadors, Haiti's electoral council invited candidates to appeal the results of the contested presidential election in efforts to control escalating unrest. The announcement was made by envoys of the U.S., France, Canada, Brazil, Germany, Spain, UN, EU, and the OAS in hopes to encourage use of legal avenues for a credible electoral process. U.S. Senator Patrick Leachy, who oversees aid appropriations for Haiti, called on December 12 for a halt in aid to Haiti until the election crisis is solved. U.S. Secretary of State Clinton supported the senator's opinion and urged Haitian authorities to resolve the crisis. Comment: Protesters shut down the capital last week over the elimination of highly favored candidate Michel Martelly. Thousands of people were unable to cast a vote, and incidents of violence and voter intimidation were confirmed by observers throughout the country. The U.S., which paid $14 million of the $29 million election price tag, expressed concern over the results. (BBC, AP, Reuters) U.S./MEXICO: Committee addresses border issuesA U.S.-Mexico committee met for the first time on December 15 to address border management issues and violence in in an effort to minimize the use of lethal force by U.S. and Mexican federal law enforcement officers on migrants crossing the border. A joint declaration - noting recent events along the border - highlighted shared urgency to address the matter. Both countries pledged to support various projects aimed at improving ports-of-entry and border crossing in several states. Comment: The committee was created by Presidents Obama and Calderon in May 2010. The U.S./Mexican border has experiences growing violence over the last two years due primarily to drug and immigrant trafficking. (Miami Herald, Milenio, AFP)
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East Asia
AUSTRALIA: 28 die in asylum boat sinking28 asylum seekers, including children, were killed after their boat sank off Christmas Island, Australia on December 15. The refugees were Iraqi, Iranian, and Kurdish and were believed to be making their way to Australia via Indonesia. The boat approached the island early on Wednesday, but a failed engine and heavy seas reportedly crashed it against jagged cliffs on the coast. 44 survivors were rescued. Christmas Island lies in the Indian Ocean about 1,600 miles from the Australian mainland, but only 190 miles south of Indonesia. Comment: Approximately 6,400 asylum seekers from countries including Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka have arrived by boat in Australia this year, up from 2,726 last year. (BBC, Bloomberg, Sydney Morning Herald)NORTH KOREA/SOUTH KOREA: North warns against military drillsNorth Korea announced on December 13 that U.S.-South Korea military cooperation would drive the peninsula to a nuclear war. The South Korean military announced on Thursday that it plans to hold drills early next week on the Yeonpyeong Island, site of the North Korean attacks last month. The pre-scheduled drills were delayed after the attacks. Also, on December 15, South Korea conducted its largest nationwide civil defense drill in 35 years, where citizens took shelter underground and jets simulated a North Korean air strike. Comment: Tensions in the peninsula rose considerably after Pyongyang attacked the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong on November 23. North Korea has issued threats in the past; however, in light of the recent attacks, South Koreans are no longer considering the North's threats as empty. (BBC, Washington Post, Yonhap)PHILIPPINES: Rebels kill 10 soldiers before truceSuspected communist rebels from the New People's Army (NPA) killed ten Philippine soldiers on December 14 as they headed back to their camp in Northern Samara in preparation of a Christmas truce. This was the deadliest attack by the NPA this year. Comment: The NPA has about 5,000 armed followers and strongholds in impoverished rural areas. The uprising, which started in 1969, has killed thousands and is one of the longest running insurgencies in Asia. (AP, Channel NewsAsia, Philippine Star)
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Europe & Central Asia
KOSOVO: Council of Europe calls for investigation into 1999 organ smuggling ringThis week, the Council of Europe called for an investigation into allegations that Kosovar guerrillas ran a black market organ smuggling operation in 1999. The Kosovo Liberation Army has been accused of executing groups of Albanians to harvest their kidneys. Kosovo's Interior Minister denied the claims; Kosovo law forbids the transplant of organs. Comment: Patients from Canada, Germany, Poland and Israel allegedly received the organs paying between €80,000 and €100,000 each. An Israeli citizen, Moshe Harel, was allegedly involved in identifying, recruiting and transporting victims and "ensuring the delivery of cash payments prior to surgery." (Radio Free Europe, The Telegraph, Sydney Morning Herald)RUSSIA: Hundreds arrested in ethnic clashes across RussiaOn Wednesday, as many as 1,700 people were arrested to prevent riots after a week of rising ethnic tensions. A Russian soccer fan was shot to death during a fight with North Caucasians on December 6, igniting clashes across the country. Rioters are upset because all suspects except for the shooter were released from custody. Comment: On December 11, Russian protestors blocked one of Moscow's busiest streets and held signs commemorating the victim. The same day, Russians rioted near the Kremlin and attacked people of non-slavic looking decent, injuring 34. (RIA Novosti, BBC, Deutsche Welle)SWEDEN: Suicide bomber strikes StockholmOn December 11, a suicide bomber detonated himself in Stockholm, injuring two. The suspect was armed with a car bomb as well as a suicide vest with pipe bombs and a backpack full of nails. The suspect parked the car on the street and walked about 200 meters before detonating his vest and the car almost simultaneously. Possible targets were a nearby train station or a busy department store in the area. Comment: Two Swedish news agencies received threatening emails shortly before the bombs were detonated, criticizing Sweden for their role in Afghanistan and calling for mujahadeen throughout Europe to rise up. The suspect was unknown to Swedish security forces. Europe has been on high alert for much of the fall and has been anticipating attacks such as this. (The Local, The Local, New York Times)
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Middle East & North Africa
IRAN: Suicide attack hits mosqueOn December 15, two suicide bombers detonated themselves near the Imam Hosssein Mosque in the Iranian city of Chabhar, killing at least 40 and wounding over 90 people. The militant Sunni Muslim group Jundullah claimed responsibility for the attacks and said they were in response to the execution of its leader, Abdolmalek Rigi, who was hanged in June. Comment: Jundullah operates along Iran's border with Pakistan. The group has carried out numerous suicide bombings in recent years. In July 2010, two suicide bombers from Jundullah killed more than 25 people in Zahedan. In November 2010, the U.S. State Department designated Jundullah a terrorist organization. (Al Jazeera, BBC, AP)IRAQ: UN lifts sanctionsThree UN Security Council resolutions on December 15 lifted international sanctions on weapons and civilian nuclear power that were imposed 19 years ago on Iraq. The council also decided to end the controversial oil-for-food program, which helped Iraqis cope with the sanctions after the 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Iraq will now be able to pursue a civilian nuclear program in efforts to bring closure to the Saddam Hussein era. Comment: During the meeting, Iraq was praised by U.S. Vice President Biden and the UN secretary general for the efforts of its democratically elected government. However, Iraq must make final peace with neighboring Kuwait through a negotiated agreement on war reparations; Kuwait demands that Iraq pay another $22 billion. (Al Jazeera, AP, BBC)ISRAEL/PALESTINE: No peace talks without U.S. offerOn December 15, Arab foreign ministers rejected further Palestinian-Israeli peace talks without a "serious offer" from the U.S. for resolving the conflict. The decision comes after the U.S. abandoned any attempts to persuade Israel to freeze settlement building. According to the Arab League ministers, any negotiation track between Palestinians and Israelis is futile and ineffective. Comment: The Arab ministers decided to bring up the settlement issue to the UN Security Council with a resolution that would confirm its illegal nature. The ministers have called upon the U.S. not to veto the resolution. U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell voiced on the same day that "substantive" talks with Israel and the Palestinians will salvage the peace talks in upcoming months. (Al Jazeera, AP, BBC)
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South Asia
INDIA: Chinese Premier visits IndiaOn December 15, Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao arrived in India for a three day visit. Jiabao said, "I hope that my visit will enhance mutual trust between China and India, and spur greater progress in cooperation and exchanges between our two countries." He added that India was a "great neighbor." Bilateral talks with Prime Minister Singh are expected to cover issues of trade and key security and strategic issues. Comment: China and India, both rising economic powers, are home to 40 percent of the world's population. The countries fought a war in 1962, and relations remain uneasy over the border dispute stalemate. China's close relationship with Pakistan has also been a point of contention despite booming trade between the two countries. Jiabao's visit comes a month after President Obama visited India. (CNN-IBN, Indian Express, Reuters)NEPAL: Royalists protest over former crown prince arrestSupporters of the monarchy protested across Nepal on December 15 against the arrest of former crown prince Paras Shah over an alleged shooting incident. Shah is accused of opening fire on the daughter and son-in-law of the deputy prime minister. He is the first from the royal family to be arrested in Nepal. Comment: Nepal's Parliament voted in 2008 to abolish the monarchy. The arrest caused shock in a country where the king was once revered as the reincarnation of a Hindu god and the royal family was seen as being above the law. (AFP, Hindu, IANS)PAKISTAN: Pakistan most dangerous place for journalistsAccording to a study by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), eight journalists were killed in Pakistan this year, making it the deadliest country for journalists in the world. Globally, 42 journalists were killed with 40 percent of the deaths taking place in combat and other dangerous circumstances. The CPJ study stated, "Suicide bombings and crossfire in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Thailand, and Somalia accounted for the unusually high proportion." Comment: The CPJ study does not include journalists who died from illness or those who were killed in accidents unrelated to hostile action. (AFP, Reuters, Washington Post)SRI LANKA: Sri Lanka denies ban on Tamil anthemOn December 13, a Sri Lankan Minister denied that the government had banned the Tamil version of the national anthem. The Minister stated that President Rajapaksa decided to keep both versions because no agreement could be reached in the cabinet meeting held to discuss the matter. The statement was released after newspaper reports on December 12 stated the government had decided to scrap the Tamil version. Sri Lanka's constitution currently recognizes only the Sinhalese version and is ambiguous about the Tamil one. The national anthem in Tamil is sung only in the north and east of Sri Lanka, where most Tamils live. Comment: The Sri Lanka government defeated the Tamil rebels in May last year; however, Tamils are yet to be incorporated into mainstream Sri Lankan society. Critics state that the government's recent move, if true, would impose an unfamiliar language on the Tamil minority further marginalizing them. (BBC, Times of India, Washington Post)
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Bologna Symposium
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Six weeks until the Early Decision application deadline for IPSI's 2011 Bologna, Italy Symposium
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IPSI Speaker News
IPSI Speakers Dan Smith and Janani Vivekananda: Adapting to climate change: the 'how' is just as important as the
'how much'
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