Just Africa

Guinea : A Month and a Day Later

It has been a month and a day since the brutal stadium attacks in Conakry claimed the lives of a reported 157 people and injured 1,253 more. Only 3,000 of a 97,000 labor force reported to work yesterday with thousands staying at home to memorialize the violence experienced and to make a stand for stability in the nation. A Human Rights Watch report published recently claimed that the violence perpetrated by the “Red Beret” elite Presidential Guard of current President Captain Moussa Dadis Camara was premeditated, rather than spontaneous.

The extent of the violence that occurred on the 28th and continues to occur daily today in Guinea is still unknown, though the effects of these gross human rights infractions will be felt by the country in the years to come. A Human Rights Watch report has claimed that the stadium attacks were premeditated. They might also have possibly been fueled by ethnic tensions against the Peuhl people according to firsthand accounts. Soldiers were reported to have shouted, “You say you don’t want us, that you prefer Cellou [the leading Peuhl opposition candidate, Cellou Dalein Diallo]… we’re going to kill all of you. We will stay in power.”

The composition of the army and its link to Captain Camara remains unclear. It has been speculated that some soldiers were speaking English during the attacks, indicating that the Red Beret force might not solely be composed of Guineans, but have been gradually joined by soldiers from the surrounding nations of Liberia and Sierra Leone. In the weeks following the stadium attacks, probes into Captain Camara’s involvement orchestrating the terror at the stadium has brought the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Haile Menkerios, to Conakry. Though Captain Camara was not physically present at the protest, the head of his personal bodyguard, Lieutenant Abubakar “Toumba” Diakité, was. Mr. Menkerios and Mr. Ban Ki-Moon will be setting up trials to bring the perpetrators of the violence to justice, supporting efforts by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The assembled crowd at the stadium attempted to use nonviolent means to pressure Captain Camara to announce that he would not be running in scheduled fair and free elections next year. The violence experienced, particularly by the women, in response to nonviolence was shocking to survivors of the attacks. Rapes have started to be reported by victims and witnesses and their stories indicate a despicable level of brutality seen in the light of day. A report by NPR on October 20th cited Corinne Dufka, senior West Africa researcher with Human Rights Watch, saying,  "What was new about the sexual violence on Sept. 28 and in the days after has been the public nature of it — the stripping of women, raping them, putting the barrels of guns inside their vaginas. This type of thing has been extremely shocking to Guineans — a very, very conservative society that have simply never seen this type of thing before." Many women were captured by the Red Beret and gang raped over a period of several days before being released. With peace  and stability still not restored in the country, there is no way of telling the extent to which HIV/AIDS has spread as a result of the rapes

This savage brutality came two days before Secretary Clinton’s signing of a UN resolution protecting women against sexual violence in conflict. The timing of the legislation seemed fortunate in focusing the world’s attention on the situation in Guinea. However, the call for humanitarian action was largely ignored by the international community and continues to be a second priority to securing political stability and launching judicial hearings to find those responsible. Though those imperatives are important for the healing of Guinean society, the immediate health of the population cannot be overlooked. More must be done for the victims of the massacre and for the victims of ongoing crime still perpetrated by the Red Berets daily in frequent car jacking and theft.
By Martine Randolph

What's in a day?

    This blog hits the web just after last week’s International day for the Eradication of Poverty, and the weekend’s U.N. day, and World development information day. But in case you are worried about having missed October’s other gems including World Animal day (Oct 4), World Post day (Oct 9) and World Food Day, (Oct 16), November offers some important U.N. recognized days: World Freedom Day (Nov 9), International Day for Tolerance (Nov 16), Africa Industrialization Day (Nov 20), World Television Day (Nov 21).
    The number of International and World days of is wide and varied. Once the realm of witty agendas and planners, the internet has provided an explosion of quirky calendars with everything from days of World Peace, to International talk like a Pirate Day. I admit to being a skeptic, and in this vein I’ve often looked at the innumerable number of days of this or that as a kind of white noise, water cooler talk for those seeking to add additional meaning to the everyday. Even those “important” days on topics like international peace, or refugees seemed an all too convenient podium for rhetoric, like a nice easy lob over the plate in the world press softball league so that anyone can get a hit and look good. Simply put, they represented more words and talk, when what is always needed is more action.
Since beginning my internship my views on the matter have changed radically.
    The world of international news and the District especially is always a flutter with memos, documents, and press releases. In the deluge of competing interests and headline news these days provide they are both a small podium above the fray and an important incentive with which to pressure administrations to take positions. Words may be just words, but in the advocacy world they are fodder for accountability campaigns. Many organizations took advantage of World Food Day to mobilize letter-writing campaigns to Senators and Congressman regarding Congresses’ Global Food Security Act of 2009, introduced to the Senate last spring by Senators Lugar and Casey.
    This is another important aspect of the international days of awareness. They offer the opportunity to carve out time to discuss, educate, inform and reflect on the issues they represent. After all, in our busy world, what’s in the agenda is law right?
So if the weekend’s international U.N. day remains at the very least the subject of water cooler talk, this week, this is still a good thing. The U.N. needs to be discussed. What of its role in Africa? How effective are its missions in Sudan and the DRC? What is the U.S.’s role as chair of the Security Council? If you do find an interested audience or an opportunity to debate these important issues, be sure to take advantage of the resources available on the web. Just as important as taking advantage of the opportunities to educate and advocate provided by these days is the responsibility to be informed in order to act. Africa Action’s L.E.A.D. campaign follows this very premise by providing a number of resources and opportunities to take action in learning, educating, and acting daily. These resources are available at http://www.africaaction.org/campaign_new/index.php. So when the next day of whatever comes across, let it be more than that day’s trivia fact. When someone asks you “What’s in a day?” take time to L.E.A.D.

Vital Voices: Civil Society in Guinea

In the mid 1950s, Martin Luther King, Jr. pushed for a substitution of  “tired feet for tired souls” to spur the Montgomery boycotts. With the brutality of the September 28th attacks in Guinea already behind us, it is difficult to take the focus off of the exhaustion of our souls in the fight for peace and fair governance.

Though the public health facilities reported the death toll at 56, official reports cite that 151 people were killed and at least another 1,200 were injured in stadium protests in Conakry led by the opposition. Brewing ethnic tensions may be keeping many away from hospitals, leaving additional wounded still uncounted. Women who have been victims of rape are in most need of counseling, which is currently underprovided. The renewed global commitment to protecting these women was made tangible by a unanimous vote on a UN resolution on sexual violence in conflict zones that occurred two days after the stadium attacks. The urgency for the implementation of this resolution is clear.

International schools in Conakry closed their doors on the 27th of September and most non-essential personnel of the diplomatic corps and international organizations have left Conkry. Guinean schools were re-scheduled to begin their academic year on October 15th, though it is not likely that they will open their doors in such a political climate

Yesterday marked the end of a two-day strike in the country called by trade unions to protest Camara’s leadership and successfully and nonviolently brought Conakry to a standstill as citizens stayed indoors and brought mining production, a major source of income, to a halt.

Politically, the situation continues to be difficult to navigate. Celou Dalein Diallo is the leader of the main opposition party and is currently in France recovering from injuries sustained at the stadium protests. Sidya Toure, a former prime minister, is the head of another opposition party, the Union of Republic Forces. The URF rejected Camara’s call for unity at the beginning of the month. Camara continues to express that though he is uncertain of whether he will stand for re-election, that his natural rights as a Guinean citizen should not obstruct such a decision. Given the outbreak of violence on the 28th, Toure and Guinean civil society find this to be an unacceptable possibility.

Pressure from the international community, though slightly late on the uptake, needs to grow from here with only four days left before the opposition’s deadline for Camara to announce his commitment to not be involved in the upcoming election cycle in January 2010. The EU’s development commissioner, Karel de Gucht has already begun calls for Camara to be held accountable for crimes against humanity.

My soul’s exhaustion is mostly caused by the anxiety of what may happen if actions taken to secure Guineans’ right to freely choose their own representation do not begin to gain more decisive momentum before Saturday. With my mother poised behind blue helmets but with little concern for self when faced with others’ suffering, the anxiety is heightened. With the prospect of the breakout of ethnic tensions—though quite unlikely—given how her Tutsi features translate in an environment hostile to the Fulani, my mind is all the more occupied. But the call for stable governance precedes this. The argument for civil society’s right to hold leaders accountable to promises made as they ascended to power is worth fighting for. After his successful coup in December, Camara promised to not stand for re-election stating, "We are patriots, not hungry for power. We don't intend to stay in power forever." The international community must show its respect for Guinean civil society through “tired feet” supporting humanitarian efforts in the country and by looking towards Saturday as a strict deadline.

By Martine Randolph, Africa Action

A Step in the Right Direction for Sudan?

On September 29th, 2009, the Associated Press reported that women and girls who escaped from the fighting in Darfur have become victims of rape within refugee camps, a disturbing trend found in countries torn apart by war. Refugee camps that should symbolized hope, freedom, and peace have become Darfari women’s nightmare. Getting water and firewood outside of the refugee camps in Chad is a known risk factor for women. When confronted with reports of rape within the Chad refugee camps, U.N. officials refused to comment. The next day, UN officials, led by Secretary of State Clinton, signed a resolution that condemned sexual violence in war zones.

Clinton stated,  “The United Nations had a special obligation to protect women and children, war's most vulnerable and violated victims." Yet, officials still refuse to acknowledge incidents in the Chad refugee camps.   The UN is not only to blame. The government spokesperson for Chad, Mahmat Hissene, stated, "Before the refugees came, we did not have rape cases in Chad; rape cases started when the Sudanese came. If there are cases of rape in the camps we cannot prevent them. The government is not responsible for security in the camps."  

In addition, through a lack of UN support, the United States is also complicit.

Therefore, the UN is posed with a difficult situation:  The Chadian government, the host of the majority of refugees in the region, blames the victims of violence. And while it is noble the U.S. signed a resolution that condemns sexual violence, more actual action is necessary to provide security for women in the region. Rape should not be an expected occurrence in one’s daily routine. 

The U.S. should take decisive action against sexual violence in refugee camps and support UNAMID so that the peacekeeping force can fulfill its mandate and those perpetrators of violence are held accountable. It is imperative that the United States keeps its promise, and protects these women.

W.A. Flooding and Climate Change in Africa

      It has been a wet summer in West Africa as severe flooding has taken a huge toll on the region. The Horn of Africa underwent a similar situation in 2006 when extreme droughts through the end of 2005 were followed by unseasonably heavy rains, which resulted in widespread flooding. At the time, Simon Mechale, the head of Ethiopia’s disaster agency, characterized the devastating flood problem as "the worst that has been observed in a generation." 1 This year, U.N. officials estimate some 600,000 people across West Africa have been hit by heavy flooding, killing at least 25 in Ghana and seven in Burkina Faso. Africa is already infamous for its natural flood and drought cycles 2. The effects and degree of these natural disasters has grown over the decades due largely to the effects of global warming and continued poor land use. This imbalance will make subsistence farming, upon which millions of Africans depend, even more precarious. It will also exacerbate famine and disease.  Oxfam and Christian Aid relief estimate climate change is increasingly hampering the efforts of millions to escape poverty and that 182 million people in Africa are at risk of dying as a consequence of climate change by the end of the century 3.
    Although a number of relief organizations have brought to the fore the effects of global warming and climate change on Africa, the dire situation has largely been ignored. This cannot continue. World leaders should not only work to address the underlying causes (as demonstrated in the G-20’s commitment to end Fossil-Fuel subsidies by 2020) 4 but continue working toward helping poor countries that are struggling to mitigate the effects of global warming. African Governments face difficult decisions regarding balancing job creation with environmental conservation. The international debate over conservation is often a touchy one for developing nations, largely because they feel that the developed world benefited from a time of unbridled carbon-fueled industrial development. As the world’s leading nations and the U.N. work to fight global warming, they must reach out to include leaders of the developing world, especially Africa which is suffering the harshest consequences with the least ability to withstand it. Embracing the input of third-world leaders offers not only a more consolidated approach to the issue but offers a much stronger chance of actual reform.
    Unfortunately Africa’s problems with global warming cannot only be attributed to the actions and attitudes of the West. The overwhelming numbers of those affected are unfortunately part of the problem itself. According to the UN the continent is losing forest twice as fast as the rest of the world. In sub-Saharan Africa alone, only 7.5% of the rural population has access to electricity.5 The overwhelming alternative is charcoal. In fact an enormous and often lucrative charcoal industry has emerged. Roads throughout the countryside all over Africa are replete with makeshift lean-tos holding charcoal cut and burned from the local forests and bagged for sale to the city. Where Africa once boasted seven million square kilometers of forest, a third of that has been lost - most of it to charcoal. Wood and its by-product charcoal, unless radical steps are taken, are likely to remain the primary energy source for decades.
    What is needed are comprehensive education plans. Wangari Maathai, the Kenyan Nobel peace laureate, has worked hard to educate and engage citizens in her homeland through the Greenbelt movement. "One adaptation option for Africa is to keep her forests standing so that they provide essential environmental services such as carbon sinks," she said. The Greenbelt movement works to promote the planting of indigenous trees in forest catchment areas, private farms and public spaces so as to preserve local biological diversity, enhance natural beauty, and prevent soil erosion. Sensitization and mobilization seminars are held to disseminate information on the importance of tree planting6.
    Despite the success of the Greenbelt movement and others, the argument is a notoriously tough sell. For years many efforts to stall the growth of the Sahara by planting trees at its edges have been undercut (literally) by people seeking fuel for food and shelter. The long-term solutions to Africa’s plight are difficult in a region of the world where today’s considerations are of paramount importance over next year’s or even next week’s.
    The untold cost of the devastating floods in West Africa remains to be seen. Beyond the loss of property and the cases of loss of life, the flooding has ruined large amounts of food crops and land, risking food shortages and even starvation. Furthermore, flooding severely damages infrastructure in the areas affected, spoiling clean water supplies and inviting disease. Unfortunately the desperate times risk inviting more desperate measures and the cycle of extremes will continue.



1 http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=87&art_id=qw1156502520623A162

2
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/09/08/west.africa.flooding/

3 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8272603.stm

4 http://www.carbonpositive.net/viewarticle.aspx?articleID=1678

5 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8272603.stm

6 http://gbmna.org/w.php?id=13