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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
IPSI "South China Sea" Simulation 
South China Sea Simulation
 

Continuing our mission to professionalize the way in which peacebuilders are educated to be effective in the real world, the International Peace and Security Institute designed and facilitated a new original interactive negotiation simulation titled "South China Sea" on August 12, 2014.

 

The simulation focused on the current South China Sea dispute involving China, numerous ASEAN member states, and the international community. Participants had the opportunity to take on roles as country representatives and to negotiate at a hypothetical ASEAN Regional Forum, with the aim of drafting a communiqu� indicating regional cooperation. The simulation's active learning model allowed participants to leave the exercise with a better understanding of South China Sea dispute and with improved negotiation and conflict resolution skills. 

Africa  

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Rebels reject PM and refuse to join government

The Seleka rebel group announced on Monday that they rejected the choice of Mahamat Kamoun as the new Prime Minister of the Central African Republic and that they would not take part in a national unity government. The rebels claimed that they were not consulted about the choice of prime minister and that they are considering rethinking the ceasefire deal signed last month. Kamoun was appointed by interim President Catherine Samba-Panza and is the country's first Muslim prime minister.  Comment: Kamoun now faces the task of forming a consensus government and working with Samba-Panza to guide the country toward elections next year. The Seleka rebels' rejection of Kamoun as prime minister complicates the implementation of the peace agreement signed last month in an effort to end the sectarian violence. (BBC, Reuters, VOA)

 

MOZAMBIQUE: Government passes amnesty law for Renamo opposition leader

On Tuesday, Mozambique's parliament passed a law granting amnesty to Renamo opposition leader Afonso Dhlakama. According to lawmakers, amnesty would allow him to leave his hiding place in the bush, sign a peace accord with President Armando Guebuza, and run in an election to be held on October 15. The amnesty law is part of a larger peace deal that Renamo and the ruling Frelimo party agreed to on Monday. Comment: The two sides fought each other in a violent civil war that ended in 1992 with the signing of the Rome Peace Accords; however, beginning two years ago, Renamo resumed low-level hostilities against the government. It is not clear if or when Dhlakama will come out of hiding to meet with President Guebuza, but if he does, the amnesty law protects him from being arrested or facing prosecution. (AllAfrica, News24, Reuters)

 

SOUTH SUDAN: UN threatens sanctions as transitional government deadline passes

On Tuesday, the UN Security Council threatened South Sudan's leaders with sanctions if they do not bring an end to the current conflict. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry also condemned South Sudan this week for failing to meet the August 10 deadline to establish a transitional government.  Representatives of the Security Council, who are in Juba this week, met with President Kiir on Wednesday and are due to meet with rebel leader Riek Machar. Comment: The UN has continuously warned of impending famine in South Sudan as the fighting continues to worsen the humanitarian situation. On Tuesday, the U.S. announced that it would provide an additional USD 180 million in aid to help address the food crisis. These funds will bring the total U.S. contribution up to USD 636 million. The stop-and-start peace talks began again last week, but little progress has been made so far. (Al Jazeera, BBC, Reuters)

 

REGIONAL: Ebola death toll passes 1000; WHO approves use of experimental drugs

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the death toll for the Ebola outbreak reached 1,069, as of yesterday. A third Ebola-related death was reported in Nigeria on Tuesday, as the outbreak continues to spread across West Africa. The WHO has also classified Kenya as a "high-risk" country for the spread of the disease. On Tuesday, the WHO announced that it was backing the offering of unproven drugs or vaccines to people infected or at risk, but cautioned that supplies would be limited. Comment: Canada announced on Wednesday that it would be sending up to 1,000 doses of an experimental vaccine to West Africa to help the WHO fight the epidemic. Despite these developments, the international and local responses have not been able to keep up with the spread of the disease, which the WHO has declared an international health emergency. On Monday, President Koroma of Sierra Leone criticized the international community, saying that he was "disappointed...in their delay in responding towards the fight against the deadly Ebola virus in Sierra Leone." (AllAfrica, Al Jazeera, BBC, Reuters)

 

Researched/Written by India Adams

Americas 

COLOMBIA: Rebel attacks increase; military sends more troops to eastern province

On Tuesday, Colombian police chief Rodolfo Palomino offered a reward of USD 26,600 for information on a recent surge in attacks that the government attributes to rebel forces. In addition to offering the reward, Colombia's Minister of Defense said the military will send more troops to the department of Arauca, a stronghold of the left-wing rebel group National Liberation Army (ELN). Three separate attacks occurred on Tuesday, including the blowing up of the Colombian Bicentenario pipeline in Fortul and the shooting of local politician Pedro Antonio Bohorquez in Saravena. Authorities do not yet know if members of ELN or FARC conducted the attacks. Comment: In the last two weeks, gunmen have killed nine people in Saravena, and 13 oil workers were injured in an attack on an oil camp in Arauca in June. Colombian armed forces stated in July that they had killed eight ELN rebels in Arauca in response to the rise in attacks on citizens by the guerrilla. The ELN is the second largest guerrilla group in Colombia, with an estimated 2,500 members.  (BBC, Reuters, El Tiempo)

 

HAITI: Gunmen raid prison, free hundreds of prisoners

Gunmen raided a prison in Croix-des-Bouquets on Sunday, wounding two guards and helping 329 of 800 inmates escape, including convicted rapists, robbers, and kidnappers. Police believe that the motive behind the raid was to free Clifford Brandt, who was charged in 2012 for being the alleged head of a kidnapping ring. Haitian National Police Chief Godson Orleus told reporters on Monday that authorities are scouring the country for the escapees, including the use of checkpoints and reinforcing the border with the Dominican Republic. Orleus was quoted as saying that the breakout is "regrettable but not uncommon." He also stated that Haitian police coordinated with police in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic for help if the escaped inmates try to flee abroad to Haiti's neighboring countries. Sources report that Haitian authorities believe that the attack was conducted from within the prison, and the government offered USD 22,372 for information leading to Brandt's capture. Jamaican authorities reported Wednesday that no escaped Haitian inmate has reached Jamaica, but that the police force is now "on the lookout." By Monday, Haitian police recaptured 10 inmates; however, Brandt is still reportedly at large. Comment: The prison in Croix-des-Bouquets is Haiti's newest prison, and the Canadian government funded and lauded its construction and running. This is the biggest jailbreak in Haiti since the 2010 earthquake wrecked the National Penitentiary and freed 4,500 prisoners. On Saturday, there were "cryptic warnings" on Twitter of a breakout through a Clifford Brandt parody account. (BBC, Jamaica Observer, Miami Herald)

 

VENEZUELA: Nightly border closure takes effect

According to General Vladimir Padrino Lopez, Venezuela's decision to close its border with Colombia at night took effect on Monday and will last for a 30-day trial. Each night, the closure will last from 2200hrs to 0500hrs local and will deny passages over the 2,200km long border by air, river, and land. Venezuela also sent 17,000 soldier to the border, and claims that this closure will minimize the amount of smuggling, particularly of the 100,00 barrels of gasoline that Venezuela estimates is smuggled each day and sold illegally in Colombia (up to 14 percent of Venezuela's gasoline production). Comment: According to reports, Venezuela has the "world's cheapest gasoline" and subsidized prices for certain foodstuffs, which leads to people illegally smuggling them into Colombia. Colombian Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin announced on Wednesday that Colombia did not agree to the nightly border closure, contrary to what Venezuela claims. Holguin does not believe that the new policy will "have the desired effect of diminishing food and gasoline smuggling," and will instead negatively affect citizens who cross the border daily for work. (BBC, LA Times, Miami Herald)

 

Researched/Written by Rebecca Hession
East Asia 

CHINA: Police and Tibetan protesters clash in western Sichuan

According to Tibetan news reports, Chinese police opened fire on Tibetan protesters in the Ganzi autonomous prefecture (known also as Kardze) of the Sichuan Province. Police reportedly fired live ammunition and tear gas at the estimated 100 Tibetans gathered in protest outside the local Chinese administrative office. According to reports, the Tibetans were calling for the release of a village elder who was detained Monday after supporting a government-restricted traditional prayer ceremony. The International Campaign for Tibet, a UK-based organization working to ensure Tibetans' human rights, reported that the autonomous prefecture "is now under tight control, with local Tibetans including the elderly and children subject to interrogation." Comment: The Ganzi autonomous prefecture experienced similar violence after a 2008 Tibetan uprising.  The Sichuan, Gansu and Qinghai provinces have witnessed an estimated 131 Tibetans setting themselves on fire in response to government restrictions. (New York Times, Global Post, Reuters)

 

NORTH KOREA/SOUTH KOREA: South proposes new round of family reunions

On Monday, South Korea proposed talks with the North to consider another round of reunions between Koreans separated after the Korean War. The message delivered to the North suggested that Seoul and Pyongyang hold a high-level meeting on August 19 at a border village. Pyongyang did not directly respond to the proposal; however, the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea (CPRK), which is the agency responsible for North-South relations, urged Seoul this week to abandon upcoming military drills with the U.S., warning failure to do so would put the Korean Peninsula on "the brink of war." According to Yonhap News Agency, the Chinese Foreign Ministry supports the talks, encouraging both Seoul and Pyongyang to take "goodwill actions" to ease tensions through dialogue. Comment: Citizens divided by the Korean Peninsula are prohibited from visiting one another, as well as exchanging telephone, letter or email communications. The last round of reunions occurred in February after both nations reached an agreement to allow hundreds of individuals to meet their relatives for the first time since the war over six decades ago. Tensions have flared since this last high-level meeting; North Korea continues to conduct numerous missile tests, while the CPRK has made derogatory claims about President Park Geun-hye. (Yonhap News Agency, The Asahi Shimbun, New York Times)


 

REGIONAL: China reacts to Australia-U.S. naval ties

On Tuesday, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop met with U.S. counterpart John Kerry to sign a deal that would increase the U.S. military presence in Darwin, Australia from 1,150 to 2,500 US Marines by 2017. The agreement, which is part of the Obama administration's "rebalance" in U.S. relations with the Asia-Pacific region, would also increase Australian-U.S. cooperation on ballistic missile defense systems. In an attempt to assuage China's concerns over a boosted U.S. presence in the region, Foreign Minister Bishop defended the deal as a move to ensure "regional peace and security," rather than an attempt to contain China. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry echoed Foreign Minister Bishop's sentiment, reiterating that the U.S. does not "seek conflict and confrontation" with China. Comment: At this weekend's Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Forum, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi voiced concern that U.S. interests in the Asia-Pacific region-specifically the South China Sea-might "confuse the region," saying reportedly of the U.S. that "countries out of the region can reasonably voice their concern," but Beijing disagrees with them "for coming to the region finger-pointing." On Monday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel arrived in Sydney before Secretary Kerry to confirm that partnerships and treaty obligations in the Asia-Pacific region are important to the U.S., saying "we are a Pacific power, we aren't going anywhere." (BBC, China Daily Asia, Manila Times, Channel News Asia, The Guardian)

 

Researched/Written by Alex Rued
Europe & Central Asia

FRANCE: France delivers weapons to Kurdish forces in Iraq

On Wednesday, the office of President Francois Hollande announced that France would supply weapons to Iraq's semiautonomous region of Kurdistan. According to sources, Baghdad approved delivery of weapons to the Kurdish forces. The office of the French President said, "France intends to play an active role by supplying, in coordination with its partners and Iraq's new authorities, all the necessary assistance." Statements also said that the international community must mobilize to assist the Iraqi Kurdish people. Comment: According to sources, the statement suggests that Paris will not wait for a formal endorsement of the arms' shipments from other European Union member states. On Tuesday, France's Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius urged his European Union (EU) counterparts to urgently discuss the matter in Brussels. A EU spokesman said a meeting of foreign ministers would take place in the coming days. The Islamic State (IS) gained control of large parts of Syria and Iraq in recent months. The United Nations said that tens of thousands of civilians, including members of the Yazidi sect from Kurdistan, are trapped on Mount Sinjar by IS fighters. The U.S., Britain and France have been delivering humanitarian aid to the Yazidis trapped in the north. (WSJ, BBC, The Guardian)

 

TURKEY: Erdogan wins presidential elections

On Sunday, for the first time in Turkey's history a president was elected by a popular vote. More than 53 million Turks were eligible to vote, and the turnout was 74.13 percent. Current Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan won the election with 51.79 percent of the votes cast. According to the Turkish election board, opposition leader Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu received 38.44 percent, and Selahattin Demirtas, a young Kurdish politician, received 9.76 percent. The international election monitors who visited a limited number of polling stations said that Sunday's vote was "generally organized in a professional and efficient manner." Election monitors also added that unbalanced campaign coverage strongly favored Erdogan. Comment: Turkey's constitution states that the new president should not be affiliated with any political party.  Erdogan left his leadership position in the Justice and Development Party (AKP). The party will hold its congress on August 27 to select the new prime minister, who will also be the new party head. AKP spokesman Huseyin Celik said that no specific name for the premiership was discussed during Monday's meeting. (The GuardianAl JazeeraTurkishPress)

 

RUSSIA/UKRAINE: Russian aid convoy advances near Ukrainian border

On Tuesday, approximately 262 vehicles carrying nearly 2,000 tons of aid left a military base near Moscow going to Luhanks, in the Eastern Ukraine. Russian media showed cargo, including grain, baby food, and medicine for civilians trapped by fighting in the area held by pro-Russian rebels. On Tuesday evening, a spokesman for Ukrainian President Poroshenko declared that the convoy would not be allowed to pass the Ukrainian border due to the fear of a direct invasion disguised by humanitarian aid. After Kyiv's denial of entry, the convoy supposedly stopped in the Voronezh area, 500km from Moscow. Later on Tuesday, Ukrainian spokesman suggested that the cargo would be allowed to enter Ukraine only under the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) supervision. ICRC representative Andre Loersch said on Wednesday that there was no exact information on the content of the convoy, its location, its arrival time or the route. Comment: A spokeswoman for the UN's human rights office, Cecile Pouilly, said in a statement on Tuesday that the UN's estimate shows that the overall death rate from the conflict increased to at least 2,086 people as of August 10, compared to 1,129 on July 26. Pouilly added that at least 4,953 people have been wounded since mid-April. (Interfax-Ukraine, Reuters, BBC, AP)


Researched/Written by Ellen Galdava

Middle East & North Africa 

IRAQ: The United States begins airstrikes against the Islamic State

On Monday, President Obama ordered the United States Military to bomb parts of northern Iraq captured by the militant Islamic State (IS). Fighter jet missions began after the Islamic State attacked Kurdish Peshmerga forces attempting to defend Kurdistan's capital city, Erbil. The United States began their operation by bringing in humanitarian aid via air drops to help the estimated 40,000 Yazidis trapped in the Sinjar mountains, who IS has threatened to kill. The U.S. airstrikes targeted four IS checkpoints along with IS vehicles in the mountain region. Obama announced that U.S. attacks would be limited in scope, but has yet to announce an end date to them. On Tuesday, a U.S. official announced that they would consider deploying more troops to help rescue the Yazidis in northern Iraq. At this point, there are approximately 130 troops stationed in Erbil, while a few hundred are in the country acting in an advisor capacity. Comment: A joint mission Monday between the Kurdish Peshmerga and the Iraqi air force rescued as many as 5,000 of the trapped Yadizis. The mission also brought in supplies to the Yazidis, who face death through starvation and dehydration. On Wednesday, the Islamic State abducted 100 Yazidi women and children and forcibly brought them to the captured city of Mosul. Although the Kurds have asked the U.S. to expand their efforts into conducting rescue missions for the religious minorities in the mountains, the result of U.S. assessments indicate that any rescue mission is unlikely, as the situation is not as dire as previously thought. (Al Jazeera, BBC, CNN)

 

ISRAEL: New ceasefire goes into effect

After a new 72-hour ceasefire went into effect on Sunday at midnight, the Israeli delegation agreed to resume peace talks in Cairo on the condition that fighting remained frozen. The Israeli delegation, which had left Friday when talks fell apart, arrived again Monday morning for a second attempt at brokering a deal. The Palestinian delegation includes representatives from groups outside Hamas, and delegates also are present from the Islamic Jihad and Fatah, who govern the West Bank. Fighting resumed when the first ceasefire expired, and airstrikes and rocket exchanges continued until the new ceasefire went into effect at midnight. Both sides respected the ceasefire until late Wednesday when Hamas began launching rockets from Gaza, to which Israel responded with limited airstrikes. Despite the exchanges, Israel and Hamas later agreed on Thursday to extend the ceasefire by five days. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri stated these talks would be "the last chance" to reach an agreement with Israel. Comment: During this ceasefire, humanitarian efforts resumed that had ended last Friday when the first truce expired. Aid workers, now able to move around freely, brought in 369 truckloads of goods including food, animal feed, and medical supplies. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians still struggle to get access to shelter, water, and power. The IDF destroyed 16,700 homes, and the UN estimates that rebuilding Gaza's infrastructure could cost up to USD six billion. (Al Jazeera, BBC, CNN, CNN)

 

EGYPT: Former president speaks out

On Wednesday, during a rare public appearance, former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak spoke out and denied to the public that he was responsible for the killing of protesters in the 2011 Arab Spring uprising. His long silence ended during his court hearing, where he was tried on charges of supporting the killing of protesters. Mubarak holds that he was not complicit in these killings and rather contended that what he did was "for the good of the nation and the people of my nation." The outcome of the trial is set to be revealed on September 27. Comment: This week, the Egyptian courts also banned the Muslim Brotherhood's political wing, The Freedom and Justice Party, which was once led by the former Egyptian President, Mohamed Morsi. When he was ousted in 2013, the military classified the group as a terrorist organization. (Al Jazeera, CNN, Reuters, Telegraph)

 

SYRIA: Chemical deposits nearing complete neutralization

On Wednesday, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons announced that the majority of Syria's remaining chemical weapons were neutralized. The U.S. ship, the Cape Ray, completed its mission to neutralize 581 metric tons of methylphosphonyl difluoride, the main chemical used to create nerve weapons such as Sarin and Soman. The ship was also tasked with neutralizing the 20 metric tons of sulfur mustard it has aboard. Once the sulfur mustard, which is a blistering agent, is neutralized, all declared Syrian chemical weapons outside of the country will have been neutralized. Comment: During the Syrian conflict, the Assad regime allegedly used chemical weapons against its citizens. In a 2013 international deal, Syria agreed to give up all of its chemical weapons. By June, a Danish ship arrived to collect the first deposits of chemical weapons to begin the neutralization process. Once all the chemicals are neutralized, they are expected to arrive in Finland and Germany where they are to be completely destroyed. (CNN, New York Times, Reuters

 

Researched/Written by Jessica Atlas

South Asia

AFGHANISTAN/U.S.: Amnesty International denounces U.S. military operations in Afghanistan

On Monday, the human rights group Amnesty International published a report about the ongoing investigation of civilian casualties and denounced the U.S. military, which has allegedly allowed soldiers to go unpunished for killing civilians. The report focused on cases from 2009 to 2013 when U.S.-led NATO troops killed 1,800 civilians, most commonly in airstrikes and night raids. During that time, the military has taken only six cases to trial. The findings of the investigation criticized the failure of the military justice system and a lack of American troop accountability. Amnesty International official Olaf Blomqvist stated that the conclusion of the report highlighted the "shocking lack of justice and the impunity in cases where people were allegedly killed by U.S. and NATO forces." Families of thousands of victims attended a conference in Kabul to recite their firsthand experience of loss. Amnesty International alleges that uninvestigated war crimes are going without punishment. President Karzai welcomed the investigation stating that his principal focus had been to end the killing of civilians. Comment: The U.S. Department of Defense said troops go to extensive lengths to avoid civilian casualties, and that it banned soldiers from torturing prisoners. The report also mentioned that the Taliban in Afghanistan is responsible for the majority of civilian deaths in the country. (BBC, Reuters, the Guardian, Washington Post)

 

INDIA/PAKISTAN: Prime Minister Modi accuses Pakistan of aiding militants in Kashmir

On Tuesday morning, Indian Premier Narendra Modi traveled to Kashmir in his second visit to the region since his election in May. He arrived in Leh, the main town in the Ladakh region, on the eastern border with Pakistan, and addressed the army and air force awaiting his arrival. During the speech PM Modi accused Pakistan of supporting terrorism in India and of waging a "proxy war" by sending militants to attack India. Comment: Pakistan denies backing militants, and after the speech the foreign ministry and military refused to comment. The original ceasefire between Pakistan and India over Kashmir began in 2003; however, sporadic firing still exists along the border known as the Line of Control. PM Modi's visit comes amid tensions of an accusation of a ceasefire violation on Monday on the border. Both India and Pakistan fully claim the region and have fought two of their three wars for control. Pakistan responded on Wednesday calling PM Modi's comments unfortunate. (Al Jazeera, BBC, Reuters, Wall Street Journal)

 

PAKISTAN: Government prepares for protests

On Thursday morning, thousands of anti-government protesters left Lahore for a trek to the capital Islamabad in an attempt to force Prime Minister Sharif to resign. Opposition leader Imran Khan and anti-government cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri are leading the protesters in a 350km caravan. Although both leaders have not officially allied, they are sworn enemies of the government and state and have united in this cause. They expect to arrive in the capital early Friday and will assemble at Zero Point, a sprawling avenue, in Islamabad's eastern section of the city, away from residences and commercial centers. The marching protest comes after days of escalating political tensions due to a lagging economy, growing militancy, and the failure to deliver consistent electricity throughout the country. According to Khan, protesters intend to remain until PM Sharif resigns. Khan and Quadi also accuse PM Sharif of rigging the 2013 parliamentary elections. In an effort to quell the protests, PM Sharif appeared in a rare televised address to request a three member commission to investigate last year's outcome. Comment: Thursday's protest is the biggest challenge to Sharif's government yet. The government has taken extreme measures to secure Islamabad by blocking main roads that lead to government buildings and reinforcing all major highways to enter and exit the city. (Al Jazeera, BBC, Reuters, the Guardian)

 

Researched/Written by Christy De Long

August 15, 2014
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In This Issue
Featured Article
Africa
Americas
East Asia
Europe & Central Asia
Middle East & North Africa
South Asia

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