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.

 

The international development community is converging on a clear consensus that countries in persistently fragile contexts, particularly affected by conflict, present deeply complex challenges with capacity development efforts. These challenges warrant priority focus on the international development agenda and continued efforts to advance collaborative partnerships.

 

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BURKINA FASO: Nation votes in legislative and municipal elections

On December 2, voters went to the polls in legislative and municipal elections, for the first time since anti-government protests last year, when student riots broke out and soldiers mutinied over unpaid wages. The wave of mutinies and violent popular protests almost toppled the administration of Blaise Compaore, who has been in power since a military coup in 1987. The unrest spread across Burkina Faso for months. Vote counting is currently underway, and the results are expected to be announced Friday. Comment: Opposition leaders hope to reverse the majority in parliament to prevent Compaore and his party from amending the constitution to allow him to run in the next presidential election in 2015. (AllAfrica, AFP, Voice of America)

 

DEMOCRACTIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO: Rebels complete pullout from Goma

On Saturday, M23 rebels completed their withdrawal from the regional capital of Goma after resisting two earlier deadlines to leave the city. On Monday, hundreds of Congolese army troops arrived back at Goma's main barracks after the rebel pullout of the area. Congolese authorities also announced the re-opening of the airport in Goma, which will allow MONUSCO and humanitarian partners to immediately fly in relief supplies. The rebels remain close to the city, and have not yet pulled back the full 20 kilometers (12 miles) agreed in a regionally brokered deal. They warned they would reoccupy the city if the government failed to meet their demands within 48 hours. Comment: The DRC's government announced it was ready to start talks "in the next few days," but that M23 should respect the agreement to withdraw the full 20 kilometers. Uganda will mediate the talks, which will begin after a full withdrawal has taken place. UN experts have accused both Rwanda and Uganda of supporting M23, an accusation both countries deny. (BBC, France 24, Al Jazeera, AFP, StarAfrica)

 

NIGERIA:  Militants kill Christians

On December 2, a group of unidentified men went from house to house in a largely Christian area of the Chibok, northern Nigeria, slitting the throats of 10 people. It is not yet clear what group was behind the attacks, but Boko Haram is suspected. The group was also suspected of being behind a series of attacks Sunday on churches and border posts with neighboring Cameroon, leaving at least two policemen dead. The following day, two heavy explosions rocked two different northern Nigerian cities, Kano and Maiduguri, which are frequently targets for deadly attacks by the group. Comment: Security forces said on Sunday they had killed a senior Boko Haram commander, Mohammed Ibrahim, one of several who had a bounty placed on his head as of last week totaling 25 million naira (USD 158,900) in his case. Boko Haram has often targeted churches in its bloody insurgency, as well as police and other symbols of the establishment in Nigeria. (Al Jazeera, BBC, AFP)

 

JAPAN: Police raid highway company

On Tuesday, Japanese police conducted raids on six NEXCO highway company offices.  The raids come after nine people died over the weekend when concrete panels collapsed in a NEXCO-administered tunnel.  The government has ordered emergency inspections of 49 other highway tunnels.  Comment: The weekend tunnel collapse raised questions regarding the safety of Japan's aging infrastructures.  Police are expected to conduct a thorough negligence probe into NEXCO and analyze footage recorded on security cameras inside the tunnel. (Channel News Asia, Guardian, Japan Times, Japan Today)

 

PHILIPPINES: Typhoon Bopha makes landfall

On December 4, a strong out-of-season typhoon made landfall in the southern Philippines.  Typhoon Bopha packed winds at a maximum speed of 120 to 150 kilometers per hour and brought torrents of rain.  The storm has resulted in hundreds of deaths and injuries as well as power losses, flooding damage, and travel disruptions.  Comment: The exact number of dead is not yet known but the toll is believed to be at least several hundred and will likely rise as rescue teams reach the remote southern villages. Relief efforts are currently underway. (BBC, Inquirer, Philstar, NY Times)

 

VIETNAM: Government protests Chinese activity in the South China Sea

On Monday, Vietnam's state energy company accused Chinese fishing boats of severing seismic cables attached to a vessel exploring for oil and gas near the Gulf of Tonkin.  Vietnam subsequently condemned China's actions and announced plans to launch sea patrols to stop foreign ships from violating fishing laws in the South China Sea.  Last month, China published a map on state passports claiming ownership of the South China Sea and announced that its vessels would board and search ships in the contested waters.  Comment:  Territorial disputes and tensions in the South China Sea continue to be a fixture of diplomatic relations in the region.  Indian officials also indicated their willingness to send vessels to protect their interests in the South China Sea.  (Vietnam News, BBC, Reuters, Sydney Morning Herald)

 

Researched/Written by Grant Gill

NORTHERN IRELAND: Rioting after flag vote

On Monday, 14 police officers, a security guard, and a photographer were injured when royalist protesters tried to force their way into Belfast City Hall. Inside, councilors were voting on which days the union flag should be displayed outside of the hall. After a motion was passed to display the flag on 17 designated days of the year, loyalists broke through rear gates of the ground before trying to force the building doors open. Protesters used golf balls and bottles to attack police. First minister Paul Robinson called the violence "totally unacceptable" and "unreservedly condemned" the protest. Comment: Before the vote, the union flag had been displayed every day for 106 years; however, a recent new majority held by nationalist councilors proposed a motion to remove the flag completely. In an attempt to reduce tension and division, Sinn Fein and the Social Democratic and Labour Party historically voted with each other in support of the Union flag. "This proves in a practical way that they acknowledge the constitutional position of Northern Ireland," announced Alliance councilor Marie Hendron. (BBC, Guardian, Huffington Post)

 

SERBIA: Bosnian Serb commanders lose appeal

On Tuesday, Milan and Sredoje Lukic failed to overturn their conviction for war crimes at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). Lawyers for Milan, sentenced to life, and Sredoje, sentenced to 30 years in prison, had argued that the court made "substantial and factual errors" and "certain oversights in the first trial regarding the identification of the appellant."  The court had sentenced the two commanders in 2009 describing their crimes as "the worst acts of inhumanity that a person may inflict upon others." Comment: The ICTY decision is likely to cause further anger in Serbia, where the population already believes the court has shown bias by targeting Serbs. Last month, the court acquitted high ranking Croatian officials and the former Kosovo prime minister in separate prosecutions of war crimes. Serbia's President Tomislav Nikolic has previously stated that the ICTY had "lost all its credibility." (Al Jazeera, BBC, Daily Times)

 

TURKEY: NATO approves Patriot missile deployment

At a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels on Wednesday, Turkey received full backing to deploy Patriot anti-missile batteries along its border with Syria. Turkey's request emerges after growing speculation that Syria could use chemical weapons on its own people, a concern rebuked by the Syrian government. After the meeting, NATO announced that all parties had "unanimously expressed grave concerns" and that it would "augment Turkey's air defense capabilities in order to defend the population and territory of Turkey." Comment: The CIA has reported that Syria has chemical weapons including mustard gas and sarin, which "can be delivered by aircraft, ballistic missile and artillery rockets." In recent months, Syrian opposition fighters have made important gains which have resulted in government mortar fire landing across the border. The move by NATO shows "a spirit of strong solidarity" according to NATO secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who also threated "to anyone who would want to attack Turkey, we say, 'Don't even think about it!'" (Al Jazeera, BBC, Reuters) 

 

Researched/Written by A. Max Jones