Four Things Everyone should know about Wartime Sexual Violence

Posted by & filed under Civilians in Conflict, Gender

Angelina Jolie at the launch of the UK initiative on preventing sexual violence in conflict. Photo from Foreign and Commonwealth Office, via Wikipedia

Later this week, ministers from more than 140 countries, along with an estimated 1,500 invited delegates, are gathering in London for the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict. The summit — the largest gathering of its type — is co-chaired by British Foreign Secretary William Hague and the actress Angelina Jolie, in her capacity as the special envoy for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.

Read more in the blogpost at the Monkey Cage – by Dara Kay Cohen, Ragnhild Nordås (PRIO) and Elisabeth Wood, posted 9 June 2014.

Renewed Violence in Pakistan

Posted by & filed under Regions and Powers

SLast night, the Pakistani Taliban (otherwise known as Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP) allegedly staged a bloody attack on Jinnah International Airport in Karachi. Shahidullah Shahid, TTP’s spokesman, told Agence France-Press that the group launched the attack in revenge for the Pakistani government’s November 2013 killing of TTP leader Hakimullah Mehsud. He also claimed the group intended to send a “message” to the Pakistani government that the TTP would continue to “react” to government killings of civilians in Pakistani villages. The New York Times notes that in spite of Shahid’s promise that such attacks will continue, he also insists that the TTP is still committed to pursuing peace talks with the Pakistani government.

Read more in Erica Chenoweth’s blog post at Political Violence @ a Glance, posted 9 June 2014

The Taliban are an Organized Fighting Force

Posted by & filed under Non-state Conflict Actors, Regions and Powers

Former Taliban fighters line up to handover their Rifles to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan during a reintegration ceremony at the provincial governor’s compound. Wikimedia Commons

A new UN report blames the Taliban for a sharp rise in violence against civilians. The Taliban are an organized fighting force. They combine a relatively strong central command with a networked structure in which each of the various factions operate with considerable independence. Establishing control over certain territories has been a main rationale for the Taliban. While their military tactics have changed a lot, their ultimate objectives have not. For the Taliban, military capacity and the ability to control territory are key to their success.

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This Week in South Sudan – Week 23

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Monday 2 June New report stated that there have been more than 1106 cholera incidents in South Sudan since 15 May. South Sudan security was accused of arresting relatives of politicians supporting Riek Machar. Salva Kiir said in a media address that the citizens of South Sudan should decide whether the country should have a… Read more »

Turkey’s Ambitions in Africa

Posted by & filed under Humanitarianism

Turkish PM visits Somali camp. Photo: Worldbulletin.net

 

In August 2011 Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan took his family, his foreign minister, and an entourage of cabinet members to visit Somalia as part of a humanitarian mission to highlight the plight of 12 million Somali victims of drought. The visit was symbolically important, as Erdoğan travelled to Mogadishu, the first visit to the Somali capital by a leader from outside Africa in 20 years. Also symbolic was the timing, coming as it did during the holy month of Ramadan in which Turkey alone raised 201 million USD in humanitarian relief. The magnitude of the Somali tragedy – with the UN reporting that 3.2 million people at risk – deserves significant international attention, but even so, one can wonder what is behind the Turkish fervor to engage with Africa?Read More

How do we Maximise the Cyprus Peace Dividend?

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Kypros

A solution to the longstanding Cyprus problem could raise per capita incomes by approximately EUR 12,000, expand the size of the economy by around EUR 20 bln and add on average 2.8 percentage points to real GDP growth every year for 20 years. However, it would be naïve to suggest that such growth rates are guaranteed. Important preparatory work needs to be done to ensure that these growth rates are possible.

Read more in Fiona Mullen’s op ed in Financial Mirror, published 4 June 2014.

 

This week in South Sudan – Week 22

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Monday 26 May South Sudan army denied involvement in assaults on UN staff. The Russian President, Putin, was invited to visit South Sudan. Tuesday 27 May UNHCR announced that more than 70,000 people have fled their homes since the peace agreement was signed 9 May. UNMISS’ mandate was extended and the focus shifted from nation building to protection of… Read more »

The price of fast-track peace-making: Considering May 2014

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May 2014 appears to be a momentous month for South Sudanese politics. The government signed two peace agreements on 9th May in Addis Ababa, and the South Sudan Humanitarian Conference took place on 19-20th May in Oslo. Mobilising over USD610, the Oslo conference was a response to the crisis induced by the continuing conflict in South Sudan. Although presented… Read more »

Thailand’s Fragile Democracy

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Thai military at Chang Phueak Gate in Chiang Mai. Photo (c) Takeaway/ Wikimedia Commons, used under CC BY-SA 3.0.

The traditional elite clings to an outdated world view. But a military coup offers no solution.

​Two days after the military coup in Thailand at least 13 bombs exploded, approximately simultaneously, in the city of Pattani. Three people, including a five-year-old child, were killed, and approximately 60 people injured. On Sunday there were clashes between anti-coup demonstrators and soldiers in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. A symptomatic feature of Thailand’s enduring power struggle is a failure to address the country’s underlying political conflicts. With last week’s military coup, the Thai army has once again put the country in a precarious position. Thailand, which most Norwegians know as a peaceful and beautiful holiday paradise, is in a state of extreme political tension that carries a significant risk of long-lasting violent conflict.Read More

This Week in South Sudan – Week 21

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Monday 19 May UNICEF called for financial aid to stop outbreak of cholera in South Sudan. South Sudan government defended involvement of foreign troops in South Sudan. SPLM/A-in-Opposition accused the South Sudan government of raping women in Upper Nile. An international Donor Conference for South Sudan opened in Oslo. Tuesday 20 May Khartoum stated that… Read more »