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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. 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 
2014 IPSI Summer Symposiums continue!
Bologna Symposium participants simulating
 

The 2014 Summer Symposiums in The Hague and in Bologna continued this week with intensive trainings on building careers in peacebuilding, trauma healing, amnesty issues, transitional security, building DDR processes, and UN intervention strategies; not to mention a three-day simulation on Syria, a site visit to the ICTY, and a Skype conversation with the lawyer who prosecuted Charles Taylor! Here's how you can be a part of these incredible programs:

 

Bologna Symposium on Conflict Prevention, Resolution, & Reconciliation 

Dr. Craig Zelizer coaches peaceleaders in Bologna

 

The Hague Symposium on Post-Conflict Transitions & International Justice

Participants at the ICTY
Site visit and briefing at the ICTY
Africa  

CAMEROON: Boko Haram kidnaps wife of Cameroon Vice PM

Cameroon's Information Minister announced on Sunday that Boko Haram had attacked the home of Vice Prime Minister Amadou Ali in the town of Kolofata. The Vice PM managed to escape, but his wife was abducted and three people were killed in the cross-border attack. A local religious leader and a mayor were also kidnapped from the same town over the weekend. Comment: This was the third Boko Haram attack in Cameroon since Friday. The number of cross-border attacks by the group has increased in recent weeks due to Cameroon's attempts to aid international efforts to combat Boko Haram in Nigeria. Cameroon's Communications Minister announced later on Sunday that the Cameroonian army had taken back control of Kolofata. Reports came in on Wednesday that Cameroon's president Paul Biya had dismissed two senior army officers, allegedly in response to Sunday's attack. (Al Jazeera, BBC, Reuters)

 

NIGERIA: Female suicide bomber kills six in Kano

A female suicide bomber blew herself up on a college campus in the northern city of Kano on Wednesday. The bomber targeted youths looking at a notice board for national youth service at Kano State Polytechnic. Six people were killed and another six critically wounded. Comment: This was the fourth attack by a female suicide bomber in the area in less than a week. On Sunday, a female suicide bomber killed herself while targeting police officers, and on Monday, two female suicide bombers blew themselves up at a trade show and a petrol station in Kano. Although there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack on Wednesday, Boko Haram has repeatedly bombed Kano in recent weeks. On Tuesday, police arrested three Boko Haram suspects in Katsina state, one of whom was a ten-year-old girl strapped with explosives. (Al Jazeera, Reuters, The Star)

 

REGIONAL: West Africa Ebola outbreak becomes deadliest ever

The Ebola outbreak has killed 729 people in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, making it the deadliest outbreak since the disease was discovered in the 1970s. On Monday, Nigeria saw its first recorded case when Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian-American man, collapsed upon his arrival at the Lagos airport and then died on Friday.  Health officials are also increasingly at risk; a senior Liberian doctor and Sierra Leone's top Ebola doctor both died this past week. Comment: Nigerian health authorities are in the process of tracking 30,000 people who may have been exposed to the virus, and they have quarantined the Lagos hospital where Sawyer died. Liberia closed its borders and its schools, while Sierra Leone declared a public health emergency. U.S. agencies increased their assistance to the affected countries, and the EU allocated extra funds to address the crisis. (AllAfrica, Al Jazeera, BBC, Reuters)

 

Researched/Written by India Adams

Americas 

ARGENTINA: Government Unable to Reach Agreement with Bondholders

After seven hours of meetings in New York on Wednesday, Argentina's Economic Minister Axel Kicillof and representatives from "hold out" investors were unable to come to an agreement for a repayment plan for bonds purchased from Argentina's 2001 default. Most sources have reported this as a default, but Kicillof claimed it is not a default because of Argentina's willingness to pay the interest on their bonds. An emergency meeting was held at noon in New York on Thursday, but still no agreement was met. Kicillof blamed U.S. judge Thomas Griesa for Argentina's state of "limbo" because Griesa froze Argentina's bond payments. Comment: This is the second time in 13 years that Argentina has defaulted on their debt, the last being in 2001 when the government defaulted on an estimated USD 100 billion. At the default, "vulture funds" bought a sizeable portion of Argentine debt, but did not accept Argentina's restructuring plan. On June 30, 2014, Argentina was given an extension to July 30, 2014 to come to an agreement with the "vulture funds." (BBC, BBC Mundo, Buenos Aires Herald, Reuters, Wall Street Journal)

 

CANADA/RUSSIA: Canadian Prime Minister issues sanctions against Russia

Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement on Tuesday articulating that the Canadian federal government will follow the new sanctions that the European Union and the U.S. announced against the Russian government. Harper explained that President Putin neglected to cease support for armed rebels in Ukraine, which Harper believes to be a peace and security concern. The new Canadian sanctions will affect the Russian government and groups closely tied to Russia. Comment: Prime Minister Harper's support of the U.S. and European Union's sanctions supplements his announcement last week that Canada will strengthen sanctions on arms manufacturers, financial institutions, and energy firms with Russian ties. (The Globe and Mail, The Moscow Times, Wall Street Journal)

 

COLOMBIA: Santos holds security meeting in Buenaventura after attack

Rebels blew up an electricity tower in Buenaventura on Monday evening, and Colombian authorities attributed the attack to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The attack left an estimated 450,000 residents without power, and at least one key pylon was destroyed. Mayor Bartolo Valencia placed military personnel to secure the site so workers could fix the cut-off lines, but sources say the repairs could take up to three days. President Santos arrived in Buenaventura on Wednesday to hold a security summit, where he warned rebels that continued attacks on civilians could lead to the end of the peace talks in Havana. Comment: The attack in Buenaventura occurred just days after an attack on an aqueduct attributed to the FARC that left between 14,000 to 60,000 people without potable water in Meta. In addition, Human Rights Watch issued a report on Wednesday detailing abuses of residents in Tumaco, which the organization attributes to FARC. (BBC, Miami Herald, Los Tiempos, Wall Street Journal)

 

UNITED STATES: House Republicans vote to sue Obama

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives voted 225 to 201 to sue President Obama, claiming that he exceeded his constitutional authority. Although House Republicans mentioned other instances in which Obama overreached his executive authority in issuing executive orders without Congressional approval, the lawsuit will focus the delay he enacted on an insurance deadline for his healthcare law. House lawyers will be responsible for drafting the lawsuit. Comment: This is the first time that either the House of Representatives or the Senate has taken legal action against a President for exceeding executive powers. Obama responded that this is a "political stunt." (BBC, CNN, LA Times, Reuters)

 

Researched/Written by Rebecca Hession
East Asia 

CHINA/HONG KONG: British parliament launches inquiry into Hong Kong affairs

Thirty years after the reunification of China, the British parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee has launched an inquiry into Hong Kong's affairs. The inquiry seeks to reevaluate how the British foreign ministry monitors implementation of the 1984 London-Beijing agreement that laid the foundation for the return of Hong Kong to China in 1997. The 1984 agreement provided Hong Kong a degree of autonomy under the "one country, two systems" policy, which held that while there would only be one China, distinct regions like Hong Kong could retain their capitalist economic and political systems. On Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei responded to the British parliament's actions in a written statement, reminding Britain that "as Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of China, affairs of Hong Kong are purely China's domestic affair." Hong further added that "China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes Britain's practice." Comment: Earlier this month, former Foreign Secretary William Hague presented a British government report on Hong Kong that expressed "serious concerns" about press freedom and censorship in the former colony. Chinese officials have been ruffled by Britain's interest in Hong Kong's democratic developments and, most recently, the State Council issued a White Paper urging "foreign forces" not to meddle in China's affairs. (The Telegraph,The Times of India, Reuters)

 

NORTH KOREA: North Korea and Hamas negotiate arms deal

Reports circulated over the weekend that the militant Palestinian group Hamas is attempting to broker an arms deal with North Korea for missiles and communications equipment. Officials believe Hamas already deposited the initial cash down payment to secure the deal and is waiting for North Korea to begin shipping the weapons to Gaza. According to Western security officials, the deal is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and is being managed by a Lebanese-based trading company with ties to Hamas' Beirut Office. Experts believe that North Korea is an "obvious place to seek supplies" given Pyongyang's close ties with other militant Islamist groups in the Middle East, further noting that the Hamas group must refresh weaponry following weeks of fighting with Israeli forces. Comment: North Korea-Hamas cooperation turned public in 2009 when a cargo plane carrying 35 tons of weaponry was forced to make an emergency landing at Bangkok airport. Investigators later confirmed the equipment was ultimately destined for Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. Furthermore, North Koreans boast a sophisticated network of tunnels running throughout the demilitarized zone with South Korea, which leads Israeli military commanders to believe Pyongyang gave Hamas direction in building the Gaza Strip tunnel system, which allows Hamas to move weapons through the area undetected by Israeli drones. North Korea denounced allegations linking Pyongyang to militant groups in the Middle East as "sheer fiction." (Korea Joongang Daily, The Straits Times, The Telegraph)

 

CHINA: Clash between Uighur protestors and police forces in Xinjiang Province

A clash between Chinese security forces and the ethnic Uighurs in the Xinjiang province on Monday left dozens dead or injured. Information regarding the incident is tightly restricted, but the World Uyghur Congress based in Germany estimates 13 police officials and 20 Uighurs were killed. State-owned news agency Xinhua described the incident as a "violent terrorist attack that was organized, premeditated and carefully planned." However, Uighur groups contend rioting broke out in several counties only after the police used excessive force against protesters outside offices in Shache (termed Yarkand in the Uighur language) County. Overseas Uighur advocacy groups contend the recent "people's war on terror" campaign provoked unrest by tightening constraints on Muslim Uighurs living in Xinjiang, including restricting individuals from wearing veils in public and observing the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Tensions between Uighurs and Chinese security forces were further exacerbated this month after a Uighur family of five was reportedly killed during routine head scarf checks. Comment: Xinjiang is an autonomous region in northwest China that is home to a majority of China's Uighur Muslims. Uighur groups are said to be responsible for this year's wave of violent attacks, and many Uighurs been targeted in the year-long terror campaign termed the "people's war on terror" launched in early May. (Al Jazeera, New York Times, BBC)

 

Researched/Written by Alex Rued
Europe & Central Asia

FRANCE: French government offers asylum to Mosul's Christians

In a joint statement made on Monday, foreign minister Laurent Fabius and interior Minister Bernard Cazeneue of France, condemned actions of the Islamic State (IS) and offered asylum in France for Mosul's Christians forced to flee their homes. Fabius and Cazeneue also said that the French government provided aid to displaced people, who are now seeking refuge in Kurdistan. The statement reads: "We are in constant contact with local and national authorities to ensure everything is done to protect them." On Saturday, France's far right opposition party, the National Front, organized a rally in Paris in support of Iraqi Christians. Comment: IS fighters seized a large portion of northern Iraq last month. According to sources, Mosul had a Christian community of 35,000 before the IS advanced. The UN reported that just 20 families from the Christian minority now remain in the city of Mosul. Last week, The United Nations Security Council denounced the persecution of minorities in Iraq and warned that such actions can be considered as crimes against humanity. (BBC, Reuters, Aljazeera)

 

SPAIN: No agreement among Spain and Catalonia

On Wednesday, a two-hour meeting between Catalan President Artur Mas and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy ended without an agreement over the Catalan independence referendum. The meeting was the first face-to-face encounter in a year. The encounter was seen by analysts as a chance to break the political deadlock; however, Alicia Sanchez-Camacho, head of the Premier Mariano Rajoy's People's Party in Catalonia, told reporters during a press conference that Rajoy assured Mas that the scheduled vote for independence is "illegal" under the constitution of Spain. Meanwhile, Mas said that Catalonia would like to hold the vote in a legal manner, with the backing of the state. Mas added that even though there is no current agreement, the dialogue would remain open. Comment: Spain's1978 Constitution limits regional government's ability to hold referendums on self-determination. According to the constitution, referendums on sovereignty should be held nationally not regionally. In April, the National Parliament turned down a request by Catalonia to hold "consultations" on independence. Mas scheduled the referendum for November 9, 2014 asking voters if they want Catalonia to be a state and, if this state should be independent. According to sources, 45 percent of the Catalonian population supported independence in April. (Thelocal, Heraldtribune, Independent)

 

REGIONAL: Russia-Ukraine-OSCE talks in Belarus

On Thursday,a face-to-face meeting between the three-party contact groups, Ukraine-OSCE-Russia, was held in Minsk, Belarus. The parties discussed how to ensure safe access to the Malaysian Boeing MH17 crash site for international investigators and the release of hostages held by the two sides. According to sources, the parties also discussed ways to resolve tensions in eastern Ukraine. The contact group included the former President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma, Russia's Ambassador to Ukraine Mikhail Zurabov, and Heidi Tagliavini a representative of the current OSCE President in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko initiated the meeting on Wednesday, asking Belarus president Lukashenko to host the trilateral meeting between Ukraine-OSCE-Russia. In a telephone conversation with German Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Markus Ederer, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin expressed hope that the meeting would produce positive results. Comment: On Thursday, Ukraine's military announced a one-day cease-fire to allow international experts full access. The statement issued by the Ukrainian Counter-Terrorist Operation's press center said the military would not take offensive action but will "respond to direct attacks." The fighting in eastern Ukraine prevented representatives of the OSCE from reaching the crash site until July 31. (CNN, BeltaItar-tass)

 

Researched/Written by Ellen Galdava

Middle East & North Africa 

LIBYA: Fighting in Tripoli leads to uncontrollable fire

Libya's government has requested international assistance to put out an uncontrollable fire that erupted after a militia-launched rocket hit a fuel tank outside Tripoli International Airport on Sunday. Tripoli airport has been under siege for the last two weeks, while rival factions, the Zintans and the Islamist Libyan Revolutionaries Operations, have been fighting for control over the transportation hub. On Monday, the fire spread to a second fuel tank, and reports indicate that a third container was set ablaze Tuesday at the National Oil Company (NOC), Libya's largest fuel depot. Local firefighters were close to extinguishing the first tank, but were forced to withdraw because of nearby militia violence. The government called for a temporary ceasefire to address the burning fuel tanks, and on Wednesday, the battling groups agreed to briefly halt fighting. Italy has promised to aid Libya in extinguishing the fire, but has yet to propose a course of action to remedy the situation. Libya may be faced with a humanitarian crisis, as the number of deaths nears 100, and local hospitals and warehouses have been ransacked by the militias causing medicine for the injured to be widely unavailable. Comment: Western nations are concerned over the violence in Tripoli and have begun to evacuate their workers from the city. The U.S. closed its embassy, while the UK's embassy will operate with a reduced staff. On Sunday, British embassy staff evacuating via Tunisia was attacked by gunfire, though no deaths were sustained. Western nations, including France, Germany and the Netherlands, have warned their citizens to evacuate. (Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, BBC, The Telegraph)

 

IRAQ: The battle with the Islamic State continues 

On Monday, the Iraqi Army made some progress toward its dual goals of protecting Baghdad, while simultaneously recapturing Islamic State-occupied territories. In the Fadhiyya district of Jurf al-Sakhrat, a town 60km outside of Baghdad, the Iraqi government launched an anti-jihadi raid. The attack, which commenced at 0100hr, was aimed at jihadist targets and killed 17 people. Three of the dead were civilians, but the remaining casualties have not been confirmed as members of the Islamic State. The loss of the town would be detrimental to the government's control over Baghdad, as it contains one of the two main roads that link Baghdad to the Shiite heartland in the south. Comment: Baghdad was threatened again on Tuesday when the Islamic State blew up a highway bridge leading north of the city. Militants used a suicide truck bomb to blow up the bridge, thereby cutting a vital supply route used by the Iraqi army. According to sources, this will make retaking the town of Tikrit even more difficult. (Al Arabiya. Al Arabiya, Al Jazeera, Reuters)

 

ISRAEL/GAZA- Bombing raids continue in Gaza          

Airstrikes launched in Gaza on Tuesday by the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) aimed at defeating Hamas, continued to adversely affect the Palestinian civilians living there. The only power plant located within Gaza was shelled by the IDF, damaging the steam generator, setting the fuel tanks on fire and rendering the facility useless. Municipal authorities fear that neighboring water pumps could be affected and are urging water rationing. Gaza residents previously used Israeli-supplied electricity to run their cities, but recent fighting has damaged eight of the 10 existing power lines. After the power plant was shelled, airstrikes continued to intensify, killing over 100 Palestinians by the day's end. Comment: Aside from Wednesday's 100 deaths, current estimates put the number of individuals killed during the two-week conflict at 1,300 Palestinians and 56 Israeli soldiers. After 100 Palestinians were killed Tuesday, The West Bank, Gaza's Palestinian counterpart, proposed a 24-hour ceasefire deal to prevent more civilian losses. Spokesman Yasser Abed Rabbo of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), who claimed to speak on behalf of Hamas, offered the deal he claimed was imminent. Hamas quickly denied that they had agreed to this ceasefire proposal through an auto recording of Hamas' military leader Mohammad Deif, who proclaimed, "There is no ceasefire without the stop of the aggression and the end of the siege." (Al Arabiya, Al Jazeera, BBC)

 

Researched/Written by Jessica Atlas

South Asia

AFGHANISTAN: Suicide bomb kills campaign manager of Ashraf Ghani

On Tuesday, a suicide bomb attack killed Hashmat Karzai, the cousin of current president Hamid Karzai and the campaign manager of presidential candidate Ashraf Ghani. According to sources, the suicide bomber came to Hashmat's house disguised as a guest, where Hashmat Karzai was greeting visitors on the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. In his fort-like home outside Kandahar City, as Hashmat leaned in to hug the attacker, the explosives detonated, instantaneously killing Karzai and his bodyguard. The local government of Kandhar began an investigation into the attack. Currently, no terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Ghani condemned the act of the enemies of Afghanistan on social media. Comment: According to sources, the attack on Hashmat is part of a deterioration of security in the south of Afghanistan. Taliban fighters have recently launched major offensives in the region. In the Zhari district, a few kilometers outside Kandahar city, Afghan police and army units have been battling as many as 250 insurgents for the last three days. The Taliban overran 12 police posts, ten of which have been reclaimed by Afghan forces. (Aljazeera, WSJ, TheGuardian)


AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN: Pakistani troops clash with militants at Afghan border

According to military officials, Pakistani security forces thwarted an attack Tuesday night from Afghanistan. Pakistani troops returned fire after approximately 70 militants attacked a border post in Pakistan's lower Dir region, leaving six militants dead and nine wounded. The remaining militants reportedly returned to Afghanistan. Pakistan's foreign ministry formally requested that Kabul eradicate "terrorist sanctuaries" in the nation and lodged a protest with the Afghan envoy urging the nation "to take effective steps to stop the use of Afghan territory for repeated cross border fire and physical attacks by terrorists." Comment: Afghanistan and Pakistan share a 2,250 km border and attacks from both sides are frequent. This latest attack came a month after Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's approved a major military operation to "eliminate insurgent safe havens." Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif first offered peace talks with the Pakistani Taliban, but later pursued military action focused on the North Waziristan region after militants attacked the Karachi airport. An estimated 800,000 individuals have fled North Waziristan and, according to the military, 570 militants and 34 soldiers have died. (Dunya News, ABC News, The Express Tribune)

 

REGIONAL: Asylum seekers transferred to detention center

South Asian asylum seekers were finally transferred into the Curtin Detention Centre in the outback of Western Australia on Sunday after being held at sea for nearly one month. After the boat departed from India several weeks prior, the Australian navy intercepted the vessel carrying 157 migrants.  Of those on board, 24 have been traced to refugee camps in Tamil Nadu, a southern Indian state, while another 40 are thought to be persons reported missing from fishing villages in Sri Lanka. A total of 50 children were onboard the intercepted ship. Australia practices a conservative policy towards immigration, wherein Prime Minister Abbott pledged to send all intercepted ships back to their launching points. The government made the decision to transfer the migrants into Australia after human rights lawyers attempted to block deportation by appealing to the High Court.  On Monday, following the transfer of migrants to the detention center, the High Court decided to drop the case because conditions have improved for the asylum seekers. It is believed that the majority of passengers are Indian citizens seeking economic refuge and therefore do not fit the requirements needed for asylum status. India has agreed to take back all of their citizens, and has apprehended the two men who owned the boat the migrants traveled on. India is still considering whether they will take back the Sri Lankan residents who were living in Indian refugee camps prior to escaping by sea. Comment: Approximately 16,000 individuals in 220 boats arrived in Australia in the first seven months of 2014, hoping to receive asylum status. Typically Australia does not use detention centers located on their mainland, but rather places migrants in offshore facilities to process them. These detention centers are primarily located in Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific Island of Nauru. (Al Jazeera, CNN, New York Times, Reuters) 

 

Researched/Written by Christy De Long

August 1, 2014
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In This Issue
Featured Article
Africa
Americas
East Asia
Europe & Central Asia
Middle East & North Africa
South Asia

Experiential Education


 Doctors are educated in both theory and practice before they ever enter the operating room.  Why should peacebuilding be any less professional?

 

 

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