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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. |
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Featured Article
 Two years since the defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Sri Lanka is further from reconciliation than ever. Triumphalist in its successful "war on terror", the government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa has refused to acknowledge, let alone address, the Tamil minority's legitimate grievances against the state. The regime destroyed the Tigers by rejecting the more conciliatory approach of prior governments and adopting the insurgents' brutality and intolerance of dissent. Now, contrary to the image it projects, the government has increasingly cut minorities and opponents out of decisions on their economic and political futures rather than work toward reconciliation. As power and wealth is concentrated in the Rajapaksa family, the risks of renewed conflict are growing again. Partners, especially India, Japan, the U.S., UK, European Union (EU) and UN, should send a strong message against increasing authoritarianism, condition aid on transparency and restored civilian administration in north and east and support accountability, including an international inquiry into alleged atrocities by both sides in the war's final stages. |
Africa
GUINEA: Armed assailants attack President's house
On July 18, armed assailants attacked President Alpha Conde's house with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades, and although the presidential guard was able to repulse the attacks, two were killed and five were injured in the incident. Conde, who was in his residence at the time, escaped unhurt. Up to 80 people, including 37 soldiers, were detained in connection with the attacks. Among those arrested are the former Army chief and other high ranking personnel from the previous two military regimes. Comment: Conde was elected in November 2010 in the country's first democratic elections. The Guinean military is notorious for its lack of discipline and the country has taken few steps towards army reform. Guinea is currently suffering from rising living costs and increasing discontent over slow infrastructural development. (AllAfrica, Associated Press, BBC, Reuters Africa)
MALAWI: 18 killed in protests, Army deployed
The Malawian Health Ministry stated that 18 people were killed and 44 were injured in the anti-government protests that started on June 20. The Army was deployed to patrol the streets in the capital Lilongwe and in the cities of Blantyre and Mzuzu. On July 21, four private radio stations were taken off the air even as state-run radio and television channels continued to criticize the protests. Protesters are demanding the ouster of President Bingu wa Mutharika, accusing him of leading the country into an economic crisis. Comment: The protests are driven by the rising cost of living and acute shortages of fuel and electricity. Malawi has enjoyed peace and stability in the past decade; however, the country is dependent on foreign aid and suffers from high unemployment. 40 percent of its population lives in poverty. Malawi's largest donor, the UK, suspended aid earlier in July citing human rights abuses and economic mismanagement by the current Government. (BBC, Financial Times, Maravi Post, News24, Reuters)
SOMALIA: UN declares famine in Somalia
On July 20, the UN declared famine in two districts in southern Somalia -- Bakool and Lower Shabelle - which are under the control of the Islamist group, al-Shabab. On July 21, al-Shabab denied there was a famine in the region and accused the UN of propaganda. The spokesperson for the group stated that aid agencies were banned from operating in areas under their control. This is contrary to their announcement earlier this month which allowed aid agencies to resume humanitarian assistance in the region. Aid agencies had suspended activities in early 2010 amid security fears after the al-Shabab accused them of being un-Islamic. Comment: The UN has declared a famine in Africa for the first time since the 1980s citing that over 3.7 million Somalis are at risk. According to the UN, if the emergency is not handled swiftly, the famine will soon affect all eight districts in the country. (BBC, Economist, Washington Post)
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Americas
ARGENTINA: Government welcomes Iranian offer in 1994 bomb probe
The Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a statement this week declaring its willingness to cooperate and aid in the investigation of a 1994 Jewish center bombing in Buenos Aires which killed 85 people; Iran denies involvement in the attack. Although no formal communications have taken place between the two governments, Argentinian officials stated Iranian cooperation would be "unprecedented" and "positive." Argentinians have long suspected those responsible to be high level Iranian diplomats, including Ahmad Vahidi, Iran's current defense minister. The Argentinian government has persuaded Interpol to issue warrants for their arrests, an action Iran disagrees with. Comment: The 1994 bombing has long remained a mystery with no significant information provided by the Argentinian government on the cause or culprits, resulting in much frustration by the Argentinian people. Then president and current senator, Carlos Menem, who has family ties to Syria, is accused of interfering with the investigation by steering investigators away from his businessman friend who was implicated in the attack. (Tehran Times, Washington Post, BBC, Guardian)
CHILE: President Allende's death ruled suicide
The death of former Leftist president, Salvador Allende, has officially been declared a suicide; his body was exhumed to help resolve a decades-old debate over whether he committed suicide or was killed during the coup that led to General Augusto Pinochet's rise to power. The report claims he shot himself with a gun gifted to him by Fidel Castro as Pinochet's troops burst into the presidential palace. While some leftist leaders, including Castro, have claimed he was murdered by insurgents, Allende's family has long believed his death to be a suicide. Comment: The inquiry into Allende's death began in January as part of an investigation into 725 unresolved human rights complaints against Pinochet's 1973-1990 military dictatorship. More than 3,100 people were reported killed or missing and are presumed dead during the dictatorship years. (Buenas Aires Herald, AFP, Herald Sun, Santiago Times)
VENEZUELA: Chavez returns to Cuba for chemotherapy
President Chavez was granted permission from the National Assembly on Saturday to return to Cuba to complete the second part of his cancer treatment. He was previously scheduled to travel to São Paulo, Brazil, but announced late Friday he was headed to Cuba instead. As details of his illness have remained undisclosed, it appears Chavez is continuing to place his loyalty and trust in Cuban officials to provide only limited information about his illness and treatment. Chavez signed a decree delegating select duties to his Vice President and the Planning and Finance Minister in his absence. Comment: The official establishment of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) has been postponed due to Chavez's health issues. The organization, which aims to replace the Organization of the American States (OAS), was scheduled to be born at the Third Latin American and Caribbean Summit on Integration and Development on July 5 - 6 in Venezuela. Chavez still intends to seek re-election in 2012. (BBC, Latin American Herald Tribune, NY Times, El Universal)
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East Asia
BURMA: Suu Kyi attends father's memorial service
On Tuesday, Aung San Suu Kyi participated in the 64th annual Burmese memorial service honoring the deaths of eight Burmese independence fighters, including her father General Aung San. Festivities were held in the capital city of Yangon, with a short march from the headquarters of the National League of Democracy (NLD) to the Martyrs' Mausoleum. Varying reports cite between 2,000 and 3,000 pro-democracy supporters turned out for the event, making it the largest public gathering since 2007. Comment: According to Nyan Win, an official NLD spokesman, Suu Kyi said that negotiations between the NLD and the government regarding the peaceful observance of the holiday were a sign that negotiations between the two parties could be successful. Government police were present throughout the event, but allowed participants to engage in activities after leaving their bags at security checkpoints. (CNN, AP, Irrawaddy, Mizzima)
CAMBODIA/THAILAND: Troop withdrawal order temporarily delayed
On Monday, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) instituted a demilitarized zone around the contested Preah Vihear temple, ordering the withdrawal of all Cambodian and Thai armed forces. The next day, outgoing Thai Prime Minister Vejjajiva called for talks between both nations prior to the withdrawal of any troops. Cambodian officials welcomed the proposal on Wednesday, noting that Thailand is awaiting the appointment of a new Prime Minister and will likely be currently unable to direct enough attention to the Preah Vihear temple issue. Comment: Neither side appears to be willing to withdraw their troops first, since both have called for the presence of Indonesian observers to monitor the mutual withdrawal of both countries armed forces as a precursor to any troop movements. However, both nations currently appear to be satisfied with the ICJ's ruling designed to end the military buildup in the region and prevent future outbreaks of violent conflict. (Xinhua, Phnom Penh Post, Bernama, Bangkok Post, AP)
CHINA: Chinese experts blame Xinjiang unrest on "terrorists"
Conflicting reports describing why Chinese police opened fire on Uighur ethnic minorities in Xinjiang province began to circulate on Monday. Initially, it was reported by Chinese media that 14 "religious extremists" were killed when they attacked a police station during a riot in Hotan. Then on Wednesday, government officials raised the death toll to 18 persons, adding two female Uighur hostages and two policemen as causalities; a Chinese think-tank based in the region indirectly pointed to ties with Islamic "terrorist groups" in Pakistan as the purported driving force behind the attack. The leader of the World Uyghur Congress[sic], Rebiya Kadeer, who is currently in exile in the United States, has denied that any of the Uighurs involved in the protest were armed. An alternative description of the event from anonymous Uighur sources, blames Chinese authorities for opening fire on a peaceful protest against a police crackdown. Comment: Due to tight restrictions on access to verifiable sources and information, it has been difficult for reporters to independently verify reporting on this event. The Chinese government's response -- blaming the violence on regional or ethnic separatist movements -- follows the standard modus operandi used in Beijing to describe incidents of ethnic conflict in China's periphery. (Reuters, Times of India, AP, China Daily, BBC)
REGIONAL: Guidelines to South China Sea accepted ahead of ministers meeting
On Wednesday, China and the ASEAN countries finally agreed on an initial set of 'guidelines' for addressing cooperation in the South China Sea after nearly ten years of debate. The decision came while representatives from each nation were attending preliminary talks for the annual ASEAN meeting, set in Bali this year. China's assistant foreign minister, Liu Zhenmin, said, "This is an important milestone document on the cooperation among China and ASEAN countries," referring to the Declaration of Conduct (DOC) originally signed in 2002. Comment: Although diplomats praise the agreement as a sign of progress, they recognize that a conclusion to the various territorial claims of each nation is far from being resolved. When Minister Liu was questioned about regional security issues in relation to the decision, he chose to emphasize plans for future economic cooperation between ASEAN and China. (Reuters, Bangkok Post, GMA News, ASEAN)
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Europe & Central Asia
SERBIA: Last war crimes fugitive sought by UN arrested
Goran Hadzic, the former leader of ethnic Serbs in Croatia during the Yugoslav wars and the last war crimes fugitive wanted by the UN, was arrested Wednesday in the Fruska Gora region north of Belgrade. He is being held in the detention center at the Belgrade special court for war crimes and will be extradited to The Hague today. Hadzic, 52, was a key figure in the breakaway Krajina Serb republic during the Croatian war of the early 1990s. He was indicted in 2004 by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on 14 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection with the murders of hundreds of people, including the 1991 Vukovar massacre of around 250 mainly Croat civilians, and the deportation of tens of thousands of Croats between 1992 and 1993. Comment: Hadzic was the ICTY's most wanted criminal after the arrests of former Bosnian Serb army chief Ratko Mladic in May and former Bosnian Serb president Radovan Karadzic in 2008. EU officials welcomed Hadzic's arrest, calling it "a further important step for Serbia in realizing its European perspective." The arrest of all 161 war crimes suspects indicted by the ICTY is a condition for Serbia to move closer towards European Union membership. (RIA Novosti,BBC,Deutsche Welle,RFE/RL)
TURKEY: Erdoğan threatens to suspend ties with EU over Cyprus presidency
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Erdoğan threatened to freeze relations with the EU if Greek Cyprus holds the bloc's rotating term presidency as scheduled in the second half of 2012. Ankara, which refuses to recognize the Cyprus government, is calling for an accord to end the island's 37-year division between its Greek and Turkish communities before Cyprus takes over the EU presidency. Comment: Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded the north in response to a military coup on the island backed by Greece. Turkey is the only state that has recognized the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state. Cyprus has repeatedly used its EU membership to hamper Turkey's EU accession efforts for the past five years. After talks in Geneva on July 7, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities accepted his offer for an enhanced UN mediation role in talks aimed at reunification, adding he expected both sides to reach convergence on core issues by October. (Hurriyet Daily News,Sofia Echo,Deutsche Welle,RIA Novosti,EU Business)
REGIONAL: 6.2 earthquake hits Ferghana Valley
A 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit Central Asia's Ferghana Valley on Tuesday, causing panic and damaging many buildings in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The earthquake's epicenter was 42km southwest of Fergana, Uzbekistan, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. In Uzbekistan, at least 13 people were killed and 86 injured, and one death was reported in Tajikistan. In Kyrgyzstan, the quake caused black-outs and widespread damage to buildings in over a dozen villages in Batken province. Local authorities were reported to have been unprepared for the situation. Comment: The Ferghana Valley is one of Central Asia's most densely populated and ethnically diverse areas, cutting through mostly mountainous territory in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It is also one of the world's most active seismic zones. In 2008, a 6.6 earthquake in southern Kyrgyzstan killed 75 people. Many areas contain old, degrading Soviet infrastructure that makes them especially susceptible to damage. (Central Asia Newswire,Central Asia Online,RFE/RL,RTT)
Researched/Written by Mark Simeone |
Middle East & North Africa
IRAN: U.S. spy plane allegedly shot down near Qom
On Wednesday, a member of the Iranian Majlis (Parliament's) National Security and Foreign Policy Commission reported the Iranian military shot down a U.S. drone near a nuclear facility in Qom province. U.S. officials reported there was "no indication or information that a U.S. drone was downed." Comment: Over the last seven years, Iranian military officials have reported the downing of several pilotless drones. FNA confirmed a U.S. drone was shot down in January 2007 while attempting to cross the Iran-Iraq border near the Southwestern city of Dasht-e-Azadegan. (CNN, TehranTimes, Fars, Haaretz, AHN)
ISRAEL: French ship intercepted and activists deported
On Tuesday, the Israeli navy escorted the Gaza-bound flotilla ship Dignite al Karama to Ashdod port, after a failed attempt to flout the Israeli naval blockade. The ship -- carrying 10 activists, three journalists, and three crew members -- changed path to Gaza after it originally set to sail to Egypt from Greece. On Wednesday, 15 foreign members of the ship were deported and one Israeli remained in the country. Comment: Israeli forces continue to tighten security operations aimed at stopping weapons from entering Gaza; however, humanitarian missions and local fisheries are also affected by the blockade. Last year, a humanitarian flotilla bound for Gaza was met by military forces, which led to nine dead and dozens injured. (Ynet, Aljazeera, CNN, JTA)
SYRIA: Qatar withdraws Ambassador after an embassy attack
On Monday, the Qatari embassy in Damascus closed and withdrew its Ambassador, Zayed al-Khayarine, after it was reportedly attacked twice in the previous week by pro-government protesters enraged by Aljazeera's coverage of the recent turmoil in Syria. The Syrian government has been critical of Aljazeera's reporting, accusing the Qatar-based broadcaster of "dishonesty and exaggeration," while covering the anti-Asad protests since last March. Comment: On Wednesday, there were reports that the Syrian government had officially apologized to Qatar. Alternatively, no similar apologies were reported after the U.S. and French embassies were attacked in Damascus last week. (PressTV, Reuters, France 24, Aljazeera, DailyStar)
TUNISIA: Teenager killed amid growing protests
Security forces opened fire on anti-government protesters on Sunday in front of an army compound in Sidi Bouzid, the city were the Tunisian uprising started seven months ago, killing a 14-year-old boy. A growing number of protesters are calling for the resignations of current cabinet members, although elections for the Tunisian Constituent Assembly, which were scheduled for July 24, have been postponed until October. Comment: Last Tuesday, Prime Minister Sebsi accused unnamed political parties of inciting the recent public violence. In an attempt to control the growing violence, the Interior Ministry ordered a curfew indefinitely in Sidi Bouzid. (Aljazeera, Amnesty, WSJ, BBC, ArabNews)
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South Asia
AFGHANISTAN: British transfer power to Afghan security forces
On Wednesday, British troops handed over the control of Lashkar Gah, in Helmand province, to Afghan security forces. This follows a number of similar power transfers from NATO forces to Afghan troops in recent days. Many believe that the transition will counter recent Taliban gains, after numerous attacks in the past weeks. NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen noted that the "transition means that the Taliban will be attacking their own countrymen in the future because Afghan security forces will do the combat and of course the Taliban doesn't like that." Comment: Lashkar Gah suffered numerous attacks this week including a deadly attack on Monday that killed seven policemen. In another power transfer this week, General Petraeus stepped down as ISAF commander on Monday, handing power to General John Allen. Not only a test of Afghan security force capabilities, these power transfers are also critical to ensuring a successful withdrawal of coalition troops by 2014. (BBC, Pajhwok, Washington Post)
INDIA: Chief Minister implicated in illegal mining scandal
This week, Indian anti-corruption organization Lokayukta implicated Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa in an illegal mining scandal. Santosh Hedge, an ombudsman for Lokayukta, will release a final report on July 23, in which he claims that Minister Yeddyurappa and four senior ministers from the BJP were involved in illegal mining. Claims have also been made that Yeddyurappa's sons benefited from the operation. Comment: Graft claims are rampant in India and investigations into such scandals have increased in recent years. Iron ore mining is a lucrative business, and illegal mining is a significant challenge. Previous reports, including one filed by Hedge in 2008, indicate that mining malpractice has occurred across party lines for the past few years. (Hindustan Times, NDTV, Times of India)
PAKISTAN: U.S. arrests two men suspected of being ISI operatives
On Monday, the FBI arrested two men in the U.S. for failing to register themselves as foreign government agents. The men, Ghulam Nabi Fai and Zaheer Ahmad, both hold U.S. citizenship and are suspected of funneling over $4 million of ISI funds through the Kashmiri American Council in order to influence the U.S. stance on Kashmir. The Pakistan Embassy in Washington denied any connection to Fai and Ahmad. Comment: Fai has ties to numerous U.S. Congressmen and prominent Indian officials - who have now come under scrutiny for their ties to Fai and the KAC. On Friday, Kashmiri separatists will hold protests in objection to Fai's arrest. (BBC, Hindustan Times, Times of India)
Researched/Written by Kamila A. Badat
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IPSI Symposiums
View a slideshow of photos from the 2011 Bologna Symposium at the Johns Hopkins University SAIS Bologna Center!
Read the 2011 Participant Blog updated daily throughout the Symposium.
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