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.

 

This 23rd annual World Report summarizes human rights conditions in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide in 2012. It reflects extensive investigative work that Human Rights Watch staff has undertaken during the year, often in close partnership with domestic human rights activists.

 

Two years into the Arab Spring, much of the excitement of the early days of protest has waned and frustration at the slow pace of change has set in. Those now in power face a daunting task: building rights-respecting democracies that uphold the rule of law and protect the rights of all citizens, even those who are unpopular and suppressed. Governments that support human rights have an important role to play in this critical, transitional period by providing critical, principled support to post-authoritarian regimes to ensure that the promise of the Arab Spring is realized.

 

 Read Report >>

BRAZIL: Nightclub fire kills 234

A nightclub fire killed approximately 234 people in southern Brazil on Sunday (the number has been changing daily) when a band's pyrotechnics show set the building on fire. Government officials are investigating claims that many of those who died were unable to escape as only one emergency exit was available. One of the owners of the nightclub and two musicians have been arrested in connection with the fire.  The town of Santa Maria declared 30 days of mourning. Comment: The tragedy in the university town of Santa Maria comes as the country scrambles to improve safety, security, and logistical shortfalls before the 2014 World Cup soccer tournament and the 2016 Olympics, both intended to showcase the economic advances and first-world ambitions of Latin America's largest nation. (EFE News, Al Jazeera, Reuters, BBC News).

 

VENEZUELA: Deadly prison riots

Last Friday, a riot at Uribana jail in Barquisimeto left 63 people dead and dozens injured. The riot was the latest in a series of clashes in Venezuela's overcrowded prisons, where inmates allegedly obtain weapons and drugs with the help of corrupt guards.  According to local media, the clash began after Army troops went in Uribana to disarm inmates. Human rights organizations and opposition critics called this violent event, proof that the government has little control on a worsening national crisis in its penitentiaries. Comment: The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, condemned the death of the 63 prisoners and blamed the authorities, quoting that "what happened reflects an alarming pattern of violence in Venezuelan prisons." (CNN, Reuters, LA Times, Globo Vision, El Universal).

 

REGIONAL: EU-Latin America Summit

From January 26-27, the  Community of Latin American States hosted the (CELAC)-EU 2013 Summit in Santiago de Chile to address issues such as education, climate change, migration, drug trafficking, and international trade. The Summit resulted in the Santiago Declaration, a document reaffirming bi-regional commitments, and an action plan that established goals in these areas for the next summit, which will take place in 2015. The summit hosted delegations from 60 EU and Latin American countries, including 40 heads of state. Comment: The EU and CELAC have enjoyed privileged relations since the first bi-regional Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) in 1999, which established a strategic partnership represented in a growing number of trade agreements within Latin America, and bilateral agreements between Latin American states and Europe. (Santiago Times, Reuters, DW, Global Times).

 

 

AUSTRALIA: Queensland residents suffer severe damage after flood

Rainfall from tropical cyclone Oswald caused major flooding in Queensland on Monday. Waters receded on Wednesday, but now the northeastern Australian state faces food and water shortages as well as blackouts. The death toll is officially at six, but on Friday police began the search for missing residents in Bundaberg, where 20 homes were swept away. Bundaberg is one of the most affected towns; about 2,000 homes were flooded and 7,500 residents evacuated, 1,000 of whom were trapped by rising water and airlifted by helicopters. Comment: Prime Minister Julia Gillard estimates that damages will cost millions to repair. Queensland experienced severe flooding in 2010 and 2011. 30,000 homes were inundated in Brisbane and 35 people were killed in the 2011 flood. Cyclone Oswald is only the first major tropical storm of the season, and the weather bureau predicts more will follow. (BBC, AP, Sydney Morning Herald, Brisbane Times)

 

NORTH KOREA: Google Maps fill in the blanks

On Tuesday, Google Inc. released maps of North Korea (DPRK) created by "citizen cartographers" around the world who collaborated through  the program Google Map Maker, which allows all users to edit content, much like Wikipedia by compiling knowledge drawn from photographs and satellite images. The maps feature landmarks such as street signs, monuments, and even labor camps. Google is not the first to map the DPRK. Curtis Melvin worked with 38 North, a North Korea analyst website affiliated with Johns Hopkins University, to create the DPRK Digital Atlas, which includes more detailed maps of North Korea. Melvin states that Google's version is more accessible and will bring more attention to the issues within the reclusive nation. Comment: Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt recently toured DPRK in an unrelated visit. As of yet, North Korea has not responded to the map release. Most citizens of DPRK do not have internet access, and any internet usage is highly controlled. (Korea Times, WP, AP, NY Times)

 

REGIONAL: U.S. and South Korea warn North Korea against nuclear test; South Korea launches rocket

North Korea (DPRK) singled out the U.S. and South Korea (ROK) in response to a UN resolution passed last week which levied new sanctions on the North. On January 24, the DPRK described the U.S. as an enemy of North Korean people and the following day announced that physical retaliation would be taken against South Korea should any UN sanctions be enforced. North Korea also threatened to conduct a third nuclear test. On Tuesday, Seoul and Washington released a joint statement warning the DPRK that action would be taken if it engaged in nuclear activity. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the ROK launched its own rocket, joining 10 other nations who have successfully sent a satellite into space. Comment: The recent threats from DPRK are reminiscent of two acts of violence by DPRK against the ROK in 2010: the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island and the sinking the Cheonan naval ship. South Korea's rocket launch is a moment of national pride following failures in 2009 and 2010, and also in light of North Korea's successful launch in December 2012. Some suggested a double standard allowed South Korea to launch rockets without censure, but U.S. Department of State spokeswoman Victoria Nuland responded that unlike the North Korean rocket, South Korea's Naro launch complied with international nonproliferation laws and displayed no military intent. (AP, WP, NY Times, Xinhua, The Korea Herald, The Korea Times) 

 

FRANCE:  French troops capture major Malian towns

On Monday, President Francois Hollande stated that once the key Malian towns of Gao, Timbuktu, and Kidal, were no longer in the hands of rebel groups, French troops would be withdrawn and, "it would be up to African forces to tackle Islamist rebels in the northern part of Mali." Under the UN mandated African-led International Support Mission to Mali (AFISMA), approximately 4,000 to 7,700 African forces will be deployed to assist the Malian government. The Minister of Defense, Jean-Yves Le Drian, said on Thursday that the cost of the French three-week operation is accumulating close to EUR 50 million, but emphasized that it is too early to have an exact number. Comment: On January 11, France deployed roughly 3,000-3,500 troops to Mali, and starting next month, an EU mission will begin training the Malian army. Although President Hollande announced that France will "stay as long as necessary," the timing is uncertain since French troops have now recaptured the key towns. (Reuters, Reuters, BBC, Al Jazeera, France24, Le Monde,Le Monde)

 

GREECE: Protesters occupy Labor Minister's office

An admission by Greek Labor Minister Yiannis Vroutsis of existing corruption within the social security system sparked protests across Athens on January 30. Close to 300 demonstrators participated in the protests, which resulted in clashes with the police, who used teargas and batons to separate the crowds. Roughly 30 anti-austerity protesters occupied the Labor Minister's office and were subsequently detained. Comment: Since the beginning of the debt crisis, the EU and IMF have demanded that Greece take on austerity measures, which has led to demonstrations, some of which have turned violent. Last week, public transportation workers were forced to halt their nine-day strike and return to work after causing the metro system to shut down; on Wednesday, transport workers threatened to strike again if wage cuts continued. (Reuters, Al Jazeera, Euronews, Hurriyet Daily News)

 

RUSSIA: Decade-long agreement with the U.S. abandoned

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Medvedev announced the termination of an anti-crime and drug trade agreement with the U.S., arguing that it has exhausted its potential. The agreement provided Russian law enforcement agencies with U.S. financial assistance, and aimed, among other goals, to impede drug trafficking routes through Afghanistan. The Director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, Dmitry Trenin, said that the abandonment of the agreement is a step towards shifting the Russian image from an aid recipient to an aid donor and that President Vladimir Putin is trying to "reduce U.S. influence on Russia internally." Comment: This agreement between the U.S. and Russia has existed since September 2002 and is the fourth agreement to be cancelled over the past few months, signaling rising tensions between the two countries. Earlier this month, the U.S. withdrew from a working group on Russian civil society. Last year, the U.S. passed the Magnitsky Bill that prevents Russian officials who are suspects of human rights violations to enter the U.S.; shortly after, Russia banned U.S. families from adopting Russian children. (The Moscow Times, Reuters, BBC)

 

Researched/Written by Caroline Larsson

EGYPT: Civilian protests sweep the streets

Following five days of secularists protests in which 50 people died, on Monday Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi declared a state of emergency and a curfew for three Suez Canal cities - Port Said, Ismailia, and Suez. On Tuesday, the Shura Council, the upper house of Egypt's parliament, ratified a law that allows the president to deploy the country's armed forces alongside the police to arrest protestors. In a completely unrelated development, civilian protest was further bolstered by Saturday's verdicts of the February 2012 Said Football massacre that killed 74 people and left thousands injured a year ago. The verdict that sentenced 21 people to death for their involvement in the riot sparked a protest outside of a prison that killed 20 civilians and two soldiers. Comment: On Monday, opposition leaders from the National Salvation Front (NSF) boycotted negotiations called for by Morsi. The NSF has accused President Morsi, a democratically elected president, and the Muslim Brotherhood of monopolizing power. Although Morsi called for dialogue with the NSF, the group refuses to negotiate until its demands - a new government and a committee to amend the constitution - are met and that Morsi take responsibility for the lives lost from the protests. (Daily News Egypt, Al Jazeera, CNN, CNN)

 

IRAN: Monkey launched into space

On Monday, a monkey returned safely after being strapped into a Pishgram rocket and launched 75 miles into the atmosphere. This was not the first time that Iran, one of the founding members of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space formed in 1959, sent an animal into space; in 2010, the country sent a capsule containing a mouse, turtle, and worms into outer space. Defense Minister Ahmad Vihiti said that the successful launch is a promising step towards sending humans into space. The Iranian Space Agency currently has plans to send astronauts to space in 2019. Comment: The United States has said that it has no way of confirming that the launch actually happened, but if it did, it would be in violation of the UN Security Council resolution that prohibits "any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons." (PressTV, CNN, FARS News)

 

JORDAN/SYRIA: Syrian refugees flood across the border

Since the start of 2013, around 40,000 Syrian refugees have crossed the border into Jordan with nearly half have of those crossing within the past week. It is estimated that 350,000 Syrians have traveled to Jordan since the conflict began in March 2011 and 80,000 of them are currently living in the Zataari camp right outside of Amman. Hosting the Syrian refugees has cost the country nearly JD 590 million (around USD 830 million) over 18 months. Aside from Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon have taken in more than 150,000 refugees each. Comment: Syria suffered several bombings and violent clashes last week in conjunction with the defense minister's insistence on flushing out the rebels, which directly relates to the skyrocketing number of refugees. Syria's Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi decreed the formation of a committee to work on the safe return of those who were forced to flee due to violence; however, the increasing number of civilians leaving the country in recent days could indicate the population's growing concern that the violence will not end soon. Jordan and other neighboring countries will likely have to plan for the accommodation of more refugees for extended periods of time.  (Jordan Times, SANA, CNN, CNN)   

 

Researched/Written by Kevin Coughlin