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PEACE & SECURITY REPORT
IPSI's Peace & Security Report (PSR) is a concise weekly e-publication intended to brief busy students, academics, advocates, and practitioners in the conflict management community 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
Week Two of The Bologna Symposium: "What an awesome week it has been!" *click on the photo above for a complete slideshow of Symposium photos. The 2012 Bologna, Italy Symposium on Conflict Prevention, Resolution, & Reconciliation is officially underway at The Johns Hopkins SAIS Bologna Center! This week, the participants learned international mediation theory and practice from Dr. Joyce Neu and negotiation skills from Dr. Wilbur Perlot, Dr. William Zartman, Betty Bigombe, and the Honorable Gareth Evans. Catch-up on this week's events:
As always, you can read all about the Bologna Symposium by visiting the event webpage. |
Africa
LIBERIA: Draft bill to establish War Crimes Court
On Tuesday, Grand Bassa County Representative Jeh Byron Brown presented a draft bill calling on members of the Liberian House of Representatives to pass a law establishing a war crimes court. Rep. Brown emphasized the ultimate purpose of the crimes court is "to avert the potential re-occurrence of [their] national nightmare by taking practical steps to restrain the aggressors." The bill also seeks to achieve comprehensive peace and national reconciliation by prosecuting accused perpetrators of atrocities during Liberia's civil wars. Comment: The Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommended the prosecution of ex-warlords and generals who allegedly committed grave crimes during the 14-year crisis. The bill has been sent to the Judiciary, and Ways, Means and Finance committees to report to plenary in the shortest time possible. (All Africa, All Africa, Liberian Observer, The Inquirer)
MALI: Northern factions clash in Gao
On Wednesday, at least 20 people were killed in clashes between local Tuareg rebels, the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), and al-Qaeda-linked Islamists, the Unity Movement for Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), vying for control in the northern town of Gao. Tensions came to the forefront after the MNLA accused Islamists of encouraging local youths to march in protest of a local councilor's killing blamed on MNLA forces. News sources reported that MUJAO fighters had officially taken over the headquarters in town. Comment: The transitional government in Bamako has done little to ameliorate the situation in the north since the March coup d'état. The MNLA and MUJAO disagree over the implementation of secular versus Sharia law respectively. The UN Security Council said it is ready to support military intervention by Mali's neighbors once a detailed plan is proposed. (AFP, Afrik, France 24, Reuters)
RWANDA: UN Security Council to release report on Rwanda's support for DRC rebels
On Tuesday, the UN Security Council agreed to publish a controversial document implicating Rwanda's defense minister and several top military officials in backing an army mutiny in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo in April this year. Officials state that there is "overwhelming evidence" that the Rwandan army provides military equipment, weapons, ammunition and general supplies to M23 rebels, a group of several hundred mutinous DRC soldiers who quit the DRC army over salaries and poor conditions. Experts say the decision to support the defection came as part of Rwanda's on-going battle against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) Hutu rebels in eastern DRC. Comment: In anticipation of the report's release, Rwandan Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo on Monday strongly denied Rwanda's involvement in backing M23 rebels, stating the accusations are "disingenuous." Both Human Rights Watch and DRC accused the U.S. of trying to block the publication, allegations strongly denied by U.S. officials. (AFP, BBC News, Reuters, Washington Post)
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Americas
COSTA RICA: Anti-corruption, austerity and tax marches
Several thousand people marched on Tuesday against the Legislative Assembly austerity plan, accusing it of disproportionately affecting the poor. The plan allows for harbors to be privatized and diminishes labor rights for low-income public sector workers. The marchers organized for a variety of reasons, including the reinstatement of the Caja Costarricenses del Seguro Social (CCSS) health plan, in opposition to the "Fiscal Plan B" government fiscal plan, in support for workers' rights, and in opposition to government corruption. According to unofficial estimates, 90 percent of secondary schools workers were absent on Tuesday, as organized by the Association of Teachers of Secondary Education (APSE). President Chinchilla stated that the impact of the marches was minimal. Comment: Fiscal Plan B, which introduces taxes on a list of 90 new food items, was presented alongside cuts to government spending on social programs and finances for public workers. These austerity measures are part of the government's plan to balance Costa Rica's budget. (El Pais, Prensa Libre, El Pais, Costa Rica Star)
HONDURAS: Operation Lightning extended for 90 days
Operation Lightning, the controversial measure that allows the military to act as police officers by searching and detaining citizens without a warrant, was extended for 90 days by the Council of Ministers on Tuesday. Honduras suffers from a murder rate of 82 per 100,000 people, which is over double the rate of Europe during the Dark Ages' worst years. Hondurans are mostly tolerant of Operation Lighting in the interest of restoring peace and security in the country; however, Congressman Sergio Castellanos, who voted against the measure, stated, "The [Honduran] Constitution had to be gutted and emasculated to accomplish this tragic act...our country has become the butcher shop of Latin America." Levels of violence in Honduras have remained high since Operation Lightning began, yet there is a reported gradual decrease. Comment: Corruption in the Honduran police and military forces remains a large issue. Many of the people who supported the military dictatorship a generation ago remain in uniform. A recent poll by The Economist found that most Hondurans do not see democracy as the best form of government, and 27 percent favor an authoritarian system of government if it would subdue the violence. (Tiempo, In These Times,El Heraldo, La Prensa)
PARAGUAY: President Lugos impeached by parliament
Paraguay's lower house impeached President Lugos and voted 76 to 1 to remove him from office on Friday; Vice President Federico Franco ascended to the presidency immediately following the vote. Lugos called it a "parliamentary coup" and joined peaceful oppositionists. Congress stated that he failed in his duties to maintain social order after a bloody land eviction in Curuguaty earlier this year that left 6 police and 11 peasant farmers dead. Many South American countries have strongly criticized the government shake up; some are pulling ambassadors, while others are halting economic flows with Paraguay. Lugo will present a resolution in front of the Supreme Court today stating the unconstitutionality of Parliament's actions and calling on the Organization of American States (OAS) to investigate the case. Comment: The Liberal Party, Lugo's former allies, withdrew support last Thursday making conditions ripe for Friday's impeachment trial. The Liberal Party is composed of mostly landed elites, which supported Lugo in the last election in exchange for the Vice-President nomination; however, support waned as Lugo's government was accused by elites of sympathizing with land reformers. In Paraguay, conflicts over polarizing land issues usually pit landed elites against landless peasants. Traditional land owners are resistant to land reform efforts to improve Paraguay's economic and social performances, despite development experts' advice to the contrary. Lugo was the first president of Paraguay in 60 years not belonging to the Colorado Party. (Reuters, AVN, La Nacion, COHA, Viva Paraguay)
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East Asia
SOUTH KOREA: Use of North Korean flag in military drills flares tensions
The use of the North Korean flag to designate a target in U.S.-South Korean live fire exercises on Monday solicited a stern response from North Korea, whose Foreign Ministry described the act as "reckless" and a "grave military action" demonstrative of hostile U.S. intentions. So long as the United States continues to exhibit hostility, the spokesman maintained, North Korea would continue to develop its nuclear program to strengthen its own defense. Comment: The joint training exercise, which was conducted on the 62nd anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, was the largest yet held by the two militaries. The regular operations have proven a frequent source of hostility between North Korea and South Korea, who are still technically at war. (Washington Post, CNN, Bangkok Post)
REGIONAL: China rejects Vietnamese legislation regarding Spratly Islands
The National Assembly of Vietnam's passage of the "Law of the Sea" - a maritime law which claims sovereignty over regions of the South China Sea - prompted Chinese officials to dismiss the legislation as "illegal and invalid." In an official statement, China's Vice Foreign Minister articulated that "Vietnam's Maritime Law, declaring sovereignty and jurisdiction over the Paracel and Spratly Islands, is a serious violation of China's territorial sovereignty. China expresses its resolute and vehement opposition." Comment: The South China Sea is referred to as the "East Sea" in Vietnam, and is a location of conflicting territorial claims for several Southeast Asian nations. It represents a key trade route and potentially holds large reserves of petroleum. (Reuters, NY Times, Gulf News, Vietnam Net)
REGIONAL: South Korea, Japan to sign landmark defense treaty
Confirmation of South Korea's intentions to sign a mutual defense agreement with Japan was given by an unnamed spokesman from the foreign ministry on Monday. Citing a growing security demand in the region after North Korea's missile test in April, as well as the growing influence of China, South Korea officials acknowledged the need for the two nations to cooperate militarily in the event of a potential crisis. The General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) will allow both countries to more easily share intelligence on North Korea's military developments. Comment: South Korea and Japan have had an uneasy diplomatic relationship since the early 20th century, agitated by lingering discontent with Japan's historical legacy in the region. (Defense News, Korea Herald, Xinhua, Yonhap)
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| Europe & Central Asia
BALKANS: Clashes at Kosovo battle site, no acquittal for Karadzic
One day following Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic's failure to be cleared of all charges against him at The Hague war crimes tribunal, more than 50 people were injured today in clashes between police and Serbs who were visiting a historic battle site in Kosovo. About 70 Serbs were visiting Gazimestan, near the capital Pristina, site of a 1389 battlewhere the Ottoman Empire defeated the Serb army. The clashes took place after police said the Serbs were disturbing public order and turned them back. NATO peacekeepers said Molotov cocktails had been thrown at the Serb buses. On Thursday, Judges at the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal said prosecutors did not provide enough evidence to support one of the two genocide counts against Karadzic, although he still faces 10 counts of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Comment: The 67-year-old, who has been defending himself, denies the charges and has claimed he did not know what was taking place on the ground during the conflict. Prosecutors have expressed concern that he is trying the same delay tactics as former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic. Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority broke away from Serbia in 1999 and declared independence in 2008, a move that Serbia has so far refused to acknowledge. A number of incidents have occurred close to the border in the past year, with shots fired at the site of a Serb roadblock in Zvecan earlier this month. (BBC, BBC, NY Times)
SPAIN: Two Eta members arrested in London on terrorism charges
According to Scotland Yard, two Spanish men who are members of the Basque separatist group Eta were arrested in west London today over alleged terrorist offences. Antonio Troitino, 55, was arrested over offences in Spain, while Ignacio Lerin, 39, was arrested under the Extradition Act. The men are believed to have been on the run in the UK for some time. Comment: Troitino was convicted of 22 murders in the 1980s as a member of the Basque separatists' Madrid cell, and sentenced to more than 2,700 years in prison; however, he was released amid a storm of controversy after 24 years in jail. Troitino had been sought since April 2011 when a Spanish court reversed its decision to release him from prison. Lerin, also known as "Belea," had been a fugitive since 2007. The Telegraph said he is considered one of ETA's most dangerous terrorists. Five suspected Eta members have been arrested this week in France, Spain, and Britain as part of a joint crackdown on the group, the Spanish ministry announced. (BBC, Guardian, UPI)
UZBEKISTAN: Withdrawal from CSTO
On Thursday, Uzbekistan announced that it has suspended its participation in a Russia-dominated security pact of ex-Soviet nations, The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a move that reflected tensions inside the grouping. The CSTO's spokesman, Vladimir Zainetdinov, said Thursday that it received a note from Uzbekistan declaring the suspension of its involvement in the seven-nation alliance. Zainetdinov would not comment on possible motives behind the move. The grouping also includes Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. Comment: Russia has touted the CSTO as an ex-Soviet response to NATO, but the pact has remained amorphous and weakened by differences among its members. The pact members created a joint rapid reaction force that held sporadic maneuvers, but its numbers were small and its mission unclear. Uzbekistan has refrained from contributing its troops to the force in an apparent reluctance to give Russia too much clout (RIA, Boston.com, Moscow Times)
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Middle East & North Africa
EGYPT: Mohammed Morsi announced as President-elect
On Sunday, Morsi was proclaimed Egypt's first democratically elected president with 51.73 percent of the vote. Keeping with his promise, Morsi formally resigned from the Muslim-Brotherhood political party and reassured the people that he will be an inclusive president to all Egyptians. He has already started a string of meetings with political parties and youth groups who played a part in last year's uprising, including minority Christian leaders. Morsi is expected to take his oath of office this Saturday, but the location of the official event is unclear. The Supreme Council of the Armed forces has promised to hand over power to the president by July 1. Comment: Questions regarding Morsi's authority are still prevalent, considering the ruling military council had previously limited the powers of the president and controls legislative, budgetary, and veto powers. Along with dealing with political uncertainty, analysts say President Morsi must set his sights on promoting stability and restoring the economy, which suffered greatly in the aftermath of Egypt's uprising due to a decline in foreign investment and tourism. (Al Jazeera, Reuters, BBC, Daily News Egypt)
SYRIA: UN investigators report mass human rights violations
On Wednesday, UN investigators released a report to the United Nations Human Rights Council claiming both Syrian government and rebel forces have committed human rights violations "on an alarming scale" throughout the country in the past three months. The investigators report that the government and its militia forces have killed civilians and used illegal forms of detention and torture, while opposition forces have executed and tortured government soldiers and supporters. This comes a day after President Assad declared to his cabinet that Syria is "in a state of war." Additionally on Wednesday, gunmen raided and attacked a pro-government television station near Damascus, unleashing explosives and gunfire that killed seven. The UN is preparing another international meeting regarding Syria on Saturday in Geneva, including the P-5, Turkey, Iraq and Kuwait. Comment: UN envoy Kofi Annan said the motivation for the meeting was to reinstate the full implementation of the six point peace plan and to support "principles for a Syrian-led political transition." The UN investigators speculate that a growing number of Syrians are being targeted for their religious affiliation, instead of being targeted solely for either pro or anti-government ties. (BBC, Al Jazeera, Reuters, AP)
REGIONAL: Syria shoots down Turkish plane that breached national airspace
On June 22, Syria shot down a Turkish fighter jet in international airspace, claiming that it violated its airspace, while Turkey maintains that the unarmed RF-4E jet unintentionally strayed across Syria's border. On Tuesday, Turkey discussed the incident with NATO's North Atlantic Council, which has condemned it "in the strongest terms" and shown solidarity with Turkey. Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan claims that Syria's reaction was both deliberate and hostile, and declared that Syrian military forces approaching Turkish borders will be seen as a security threat and treated as a military target in the future. On Wednesday, Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zubi claimed that Syrian forces might have confused the Turkish jet with an Israeli aircraft. Comment: Al Jazeera correspondent Anita McNaught reports that Syria decided to shoot down the plane in retaliation for Turkey interfering with the country's internal affairs; this includes Turkey allowing the Free Syrian Army to use its border to launch attacks and turning a blind eye to weapons smuggled into Syria. NATO has not mentioned any plan for retaliatory action. (Al Jazeera, Hurriyet Daily News, Reuters)
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South Asia
BANGLADESH: At least 95 dead and thousands stranded after heavy flood
Earlier this week, the southeastern coastal region of Bangladesh faced heavy monsoon rains causing multiple landslides and killing at least 95 and stranding over 150,000. The floods and landslides cut off communications between the region and the rest of the country, as well as shut down road, rail, and air routes. On Thursday, the police, army, and fire departments have called off rescue missions as reports of missing people have stopped. Comment: Chittagong, which is the second-largest city of the country and located in the southeastern region, recorded over 15 inches of rain in a 12 hour period on Tuesday. The death toll is expected to rise. (BBC, Washington Post, CNN)
PAKISTAN: Pakistani soldiers beheaded by the Taliban at the Afghan border
On Sunday, the Pakistani military and at least 100 members of the Pakistani Taliban from Afghanistan engaged in a border skirmish resulting in six Pakistani soldiers killed. On Monday, several Pakistani soldiers had gone missing; intelligence officials believed they were captured by the militants and likely killed. Their death was confirmed on Wednesday when the Taliban released a video showcasing 17 soldiers' heads. Comment: The Pakistan Taliban has claimed responsibility for the cross-border attack and state that there are more attacks to come. The Pakistan Taliban has been hiding in safe havens in Afghanistan, and this incidence has further marred relations between the two countries. Pakistan lodged a protest with NATO and Afghan forces for failing to eradicate militants' safe havens. (DAWN, BBC, Al-Jazeera, AP)
REGIONAL: Burmese and Bangladeshi leaders to meet and discuss Rohingya refugees
Burmese President Thein Sein will visit Bangladesh from July 15-17 to meet with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Hasina Begum. One of the topics of discussion between the two leaders will be the Rohingya refugee crisis. Bangladesh has recently refused a request by the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees to host the refugees fleeing from ethnic violence in Burma. Comment: The Rohingya are a minority Muslim group living in both Bangladesh and Burma; however, in Burma they are considered foreigners by the larger Buddhist group. (Irrawaddy, NJ Daily News, Australia News Network)
Researched/Written by Nishat Jafreen
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IPSI News
 Gareth Evans, currently in Bologna with IPSI, writes the following op-ed: To the Brink and Back with Iran ___________________ |
IPSI News
UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and IPSI Faculty Juan Mendez was asked this week to investigate the alleged torture of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed: UN asked to probe Guantanamo torture of 9/11 chief ___________________ |
IPSI Leadership
Cameron M. Chisholm Dr. I. William Zartman
Dr. P. Terrence Hopmann
Alexander Little
George Foote
Pamela Aall
Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah
Betty Bigombe Dr. Francis Deng
Jan Eliasson
Gareth Evans
Dr. Ted Robert Gurr
Amb. Jacques Paul Klein
Peter Kyle
Dr. Jean Paul Lederach
Jeffrey Mapendere
John Marks
Susan Collin Marks
Dr. Joyce Neu Dr. Valerie Rosoux
William Stuebner
Dr. Ruth Wedgwood Dr. Craig Zelizer About Us >> ___________________ |
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