Ethiopia: Government Repression Undermines Poll
(Nairobi) – Ethiopian government and ruling party officials intimidated voters and unlawfully restricted the media ahead of the May 23, 2010 parliamentary elections, Human Rights Watch said today.
UN move to withdraw from Chad puts thousands at risk
An imminent UN Security Council resolution to withdraw peacekeeping troops from eastern Chad will put the safety of thousands of refugees and other vulnerable groups at risk.
An imminent UN Security Council resolution to withdraw peacekeeping troops from eastern Chad will put the safety of thousands of refugees and other vulnerable groups at risk, Amnesty International warned today.
The resolution, sparked by a demand from the Chadian government earlier this year that the United Nations mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) leaves the region, is likely to be adopted by the UN Security Council by Wednesday.
“The Security Council’s decision to withdraw peacekeepers is premature and dangerous. It will increase insecurity in the area and undermine attempts to provide emergency humanitarian assistance,” said Erwin van der Borght, Amnesty International’s Africa director.
“MINURCAT has demonstrated it is able to play a significant role in bolstering security and human rights protection in eastern Chad. This is not the time for the Chadian government to pull the plug on MINURCAT and the Security Council should stand up for the vulnerable women, men and young people in the region.”
Amnesty International currently has a team on the ground in Chad looking into the human rights situation of displaced people and refugees. There are approximately 250,000 Darfuri refugees, 165,000 displaced Chadians and hundreds of thousands of other Chadians living in the region where MINURCAT troops have been deployed.
|The proposed resolution lays out a timetable for an immediate reduction of UN troops in the region, leading to the complete withdrawal of troops by the end of the year.
The Chadian government has insisted it will ensure the protection of vulnerable people in the region without UN assistance. However, it has provided no plan about how it intends to immediately replace the UN mission.
Meanwhile, little has been done by Chadian authorities or UN officials to involve refugees, displaced Chadians or the local population in discussions about the crucial issue.
“It is wholly unacceptable that this resolution is taking place before the Chadian government has shown it has a concrete plan in place to provide security, and it is deeply disturbing that those whose rights are on the line have essentially been cut out of the debate.”
“None of the important benchmarks previously recommended by the UN Secretary-General and endorsed by the Security Council have been met. The fact that the UN is being pushed out of the country long before the mission has succeeded sets a very worrying precedent for human rights protection and undermines the UN’s authority and credibility,” said Erwin van der Borght.
The UN resolution was provoked by a demand from the Chadian government for the UN to withdraw when the mission’s mandate was up for renewal on 15 March 2010. Two short extensions were granted through to 15 May and then to 26 May while negotiations were ongoing between the Chadian government, the government of the Central African Republic, and UN Security Council members.
According to reports, the draft Security Council resolution calls on the Chadian government to submit a plan to the UN by the end of July detailing how it will ensure ongoing support for a new Chadian police force, the Integrated Security Detachment (Détachement intégré de sécurité, “DIS”), which was set up with UN financing, training and logistical support. However, there does not seem to be a timetable for any other measures expected of the Chadian government.
The reduced number of UN troops remaining in the country during the phased withdrawal will no longer have a wide mandate to protect civilians. That will be the full responsibility of Chadian authorities but there is no indication as to whether they will live up to that responsibility.
Amnesty International is also concerned at how the resolution will affect the UN mission to protect human rights in the northwestern region of the Central African Republic.
It will be impossible for the UN to maintain its presence in the Central African Republic without the logistical support and infrastructure offered from UN bases in Chad. The resolution therefore mandates a withdrawal of UN troops from the Central African Republic.
The UN must continue to protect civilians in Chad (Appeal for Action)
Abandoned Again? Chad forces the UN out of the country (Livewire blog, 24 May 2010)
Africa: Civil Society Urges Support for ICC
(Johannesburg) – A group of 124 organizations from more than 25 African countries released a declaration today calling on African governments to advance accountability for grave international crimes at the review conference for the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Uzbekistan: Burglary at Rights Group’s Office
(New York) – The Uzbek government should conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the theft of human rights organization Ezgulik’s computer hard drive, do everything possible to ensure its return, and prosecute those responsible, Human Rights Watch said today.
Sudan: Bashir Inauguration Should Be No-Go Zone
(New York) – Governments that are committed to justice for atrocities committed in Darfur should not attend the inauguration of President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan on May 27, 2010, Human Rights Watch said in a letter released today. This includes the 111 states that are parties to the International Criminal Court (ICC), as well as the United States and o
US: Court Ruling Revokes Protection for Bagram Detainees
(Washington, DC) – A US federal appeals court ruling today that bars the courts from hearing the claims of detainees arrested outside of Afghanistan and brought to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan leaves them without legal recourse against unlawful detention and other abuses, Human Rights Watch said today.
Letter to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the Presidential Inauguration of Omar al-Bashir
To Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Dear Secretary Clinton:
We write with regard to the upcoming presidential inauguration of Omar al-Bashir, scheduled for May 27, 2010, and to express our strong view that no diplomatic representative of the United States government should attend the inauguration.
India: Protect Children in Maoist Conflict
(New York) - India should take immediate steps to protect children caught up in its conflict with Maoist rebels, in light of a report today by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Human Rights Watch said.
Egypt: Drop Charges Against Human Rights Defenders
(New York) – The Egyptian authorities should immediately drop the apparently politically motivated charges against two leading human rights defenders and a blogger, Human Rights Watch said today.
Russia: Reverse Conviction of Human Rights Defender
(Moscow) – The Russian authorities should free the human rights defender Aleksei Sokolov and carry out an independent and effective investigation into the miscarriage of justice that led to his incarceration, Human Rights Watch said today.