COTE D'IVOIRE: Trial of former Ghagbo loyalists begins

On Tuesday, proceedings began in the trial of soldiers loyal to ousted Ivorian president Laurent Gbagbo. General Brunot Dogbo Ble, former commander of the republican guard, and four other soldiers appeared in court to answer for their actions during the post-election crisis, which left some 3,000 people dead. Dogbo Ble and his co-defendants are charged with crimes including murder, rape, kidnapping, theft, arbitrary detention, and embezzlement, as well as creating militia forces. Ivory Coast has recently accused Gbagbo loyalists based in neighboring Ghana of carrying out cross-border raids to destabilize the government of President Alassane Ouattara. Comment: The opposition frequently accuses Ouattara's government of carrying out "victor's justice." None of Ouattara's supporters have been arrested for crimes committed during the post-electoral crisis. (BBC, AFP, L'Express)

NIGERIA: Gunmen kill university students

On Tuesday, unidentified gunmen invaded student residencies outside a polytechnic university in the northeastern town of Mubi in Adamawa state. The official number of dead is 25, while 40 people in total are believed to have been killed. Some sources suggest the massacre was linked to ethnic tensions during a recent student election. The town remained under curfew on Wednesday, while government troops launched house-to-house searches for the gunmen. Comment: Adamawa state has a mixed Muslim and Christian population and borders Borno state, where Boko Haram came to prominence in 2009. The Islamist group has been blamed for more than 1,400 deaths since 2010 as part of an insurgency in northern and central Nigeria. (BBC, Al Jazeera,France 24)

SIERRA LEONE: Election observers arrive

On Wednesday, a team of European Union observers arrived in Freetown to monitor upcoming elections. The presidential, parliamentary, and local council elections on November 17 will be the third since the nation's civil war ended 10 years ago. On Monday, Nigeria donated vehicles and funds to assist Sierra Leonean elections. Comment: International observation teams, including the U.S.-based Carter Center, have deployed across the country ahead of campaigning. The 1991-2002 civil war killed about 50,000 people, maimed many more, and ruined the country's infrastructure. (Reuters, Independent Online, Africa Review)

CAMBODIA: Activist Jailed
On October 1, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court sentenced prominent human rights defender and radio broadcaster Mam Sonando to 20 years in prison. Sonando, president of a rights group called the Association of Democrats and founder of radio station "Beehive Radio," had published pieces critical of the Cambodian government and was accused of masterminding a secessionist plot in the village of Pro Ma in Kratie Province. Three other people allegedly working with Sonando were sentenced to prison terms in absentia. Comment: Protestors claim the charges and evidence presented against Sonando are false and that the ruling is an example of a Cambodian government campaign to silence criticism. Government spokesman Keo Remy claimed that groups denouncing the verdict are attempting to undermine the government's authority. Sonando pleaded not guilty to the charges. (Phnom Penh Post, Reuters, Washington Post, Phnom Penh Post)

INDONESIA: Factory Workers Strike
On Wednesday, hundreds of thousands of factory workers went on a planned one-day strike in 24 cities across Indonesia. Demonstrators demanded that the government increase the minimum wage, improve job security, and revise a law that permits companies to hire temporary "outsourced" workers for one year without benefits. Although Indonesia's economy grew 6.5 percent in 2011, its factory workers receive some of the lowest pay in Asia. Comment: It is not immediately clear exactly how many workers participated in the strike as different sources provide varying numbers. For example, labor union leaders claimed more than two million joined the strike while police estimated there were 750,000 demonstrators. In January, a court determined that hiring temporary workers without benefits was unconstitutional, but as of Wednesday the labor law was still being revised. (Jakarta Globe, AFP, BBC)

PHILLIPINES: Cybercrime Law Sparks Criticism
A controversial new law in the Philippines called the "Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012" went into effect on October 3, sparking large protests and retributive cyber attacks against government websites. Intended to prevent crimes such as identity theft and fraud, the law has sparked controversy due to a provision that makes libel a criminal offense punishable by fines and up to 12 years in jail. Thus far, at least eight petitions challenging the law's constitutionality have been filed with the highest court in the Philippines. Comment: Critics also argued that the law's provisions are very vague and that the government can arbitrarily apply the rules however it wishes. Some Filipino politicians have responded to the protests by saying they would be willing to remove the offending provision from the law. (Inquirer, Philstar, AFP, BBC) 

Researched/Written by Grant Gill

GEORGIA: Parliamentary elections lead to a democratic transfer of power
On Tuesday, President Saakashvilli conceded defeat to the Georgian Dream coalition in parliamentary elections. The coalition won a 55 percent majority of the 77 seats available for the party list vote. The remaining 73 seats will be decided by first-past-the-post votes, which the Georgian Dream coalition is currently leading. Comment: With President Saakashvilli's term continuing until next year, concerns have been raised over the cohabitation between the President's party and the Georgian Dream coalition; however, the EU and the United States have supported the results of the election as a step towards Georgian democracy. Russian-Georgian relations have been non-existent since the Five Day War in 2008, but Russian Prime Minister Medvedev said the results mean "more constructive and responsible forces will appear in parliament." (Al Jazeera, BBC, Reuters)

TURKEY: 12 Kurdish rebels killed at Turkish-Iraqi border
On Tuesday, Turkish security forces killed 12 Kurdish militants when they attempted to storm a military post located at the southeastern town of Semdinli; the group had crossed over from neighboring Iraq. The militants were members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a group outlawed by Turkey and classified as a terrorist organization by the European Union and the United States. Comment: For 28 years, the PKK has rebelled against Turkey with an estimated 45,000 people killed in the fighting. The PKK recently stepped up attacks killing 144 members of security forces and 239 rebels in the past month. (Al Jazeera, MWC News, Reuters)

TURKEY/SYRIA: Mortar crosses border killing five members of family
On Wednesday, a mortar fired from Syria landed in a residential area near the center of the Turkish town of Akcakale killing a mother and her four children. Security forces previously tried to convince those living in a neighborhood near the border to leave the area for fear of stray weapon fire; however, since rebel groups were permitted to form inside Turkey, bullets and mortars have fallen deeper into the country. Comment: Prime Minister Erdogan had good relations with Assad's Syria until the revolt began last year. Tensions have risen since then, with Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu stating Turkey would take action if further damage was inflicted on the Turkish people. (The Daily Star, Reuters, Sundays Zaman) 

Researched/Written by A. Max Jones