The Genocide Monitor: Jan. 23, 2008

• Darfur: Musa Hilal, a Janajaweed leader who is targeted by UN and US sanctions, has been promoted to become the assistant to the minister of federal affairs in the government of Sudan.
• Darfur: Banditry caused 13 World Food Programme trucks to be stolen between September and December 2007.
• Democratic Republic of Congo: A new study finds that 45,000 civilians have been dying per month for the last decade, yielding a total of 5.4 million deaths. These are the highest morality levels in a conflict since World War Two.
• Kenya: As violence continues to devastate the country, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrived in Kenya to head the negotiations between President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga.

Spotlighted Conflict: Darfur

Situation on the Ground

Victims of violence in approximately 65 internally displaced persons camps throughout the Darfur region continue to be exposed to and affected by atrocities (PDF), according to Amnesty International. Amnesty's report stressed how security has been further deteriorating, yet civilians are still living in a protection vacuum as women are still getting raped when they go to collect firewood. 

Acts of violence have continued as government planes again bombed areas in Jabel Moun after which rebel forces reportedly shot the plane down.

Furthermore, banditry and arbitrary abductions of humanitarian convoys are still hindering aid efforts. From September to December 2007, 13 World Food Programme trucks were stolen or attacked. 

In this context, the Sudanese government has promoted Musa Hilal, a leader of the Janjaweed militias, to become the new advisor to the minister of federal affairs. Human Rights Watch criticized this appointment, saying "rewarding him ... is a slap in the face to Darfur victims and to the UN Security Council." President Omar al-Bashir has continued to defend the Janjaweed leader, saying he has contributed greatly to the security in Darfur. A number of Darfur rebel groups and even President Bashir's senior presidential assistant, Minni Minawi, have criticized this move.

Peace Process

After taking meetings with the government of Sudan and the main rebel groups of the region, the Untied Nations and African Union envoys remain upbeat about prospects for reconvening peace talks. However, they still have not gotten the support of the Justice and Equality Movement and one of the main leaders of the Sudanese Liberation Army, Abdel Wahid al-Nur. Other factions of the SLM, such as Ahmed Abdelshafi's group, also met with the envoys and issued statements rejecting holding peace talks, saying rebel groups still need to unite themselves first.

International Response

The head of UN peacekeeping, Jean-Marie Guéhenno, has begun a four-day visit to talk to Sudanese officials about outstanding issues about the full deployment of UNAMID. Though the peacekeeping force has become operational, there are still only 9,000 out of the promised 26,000 deployed on the ground.

The US State Department criticized the government of Sudan for appointing Musa Hilal, who has been subject to both US and UN sanctions, to a senior government position. President Bush complained that international efforts to bring peace in Darfur have been moving too slowly, with the United States pushing to accelerate the process. The Sudanese Foreign Minister, looking to improve bilateral relations with the United States, said Khartoum will be discussing with Washington ways to end the crisis in Darfur.

Area of Concern: Eastern Burma

As the Burmese government continues to obstruct activities of humanitarian organizations like the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Burmese army has significantly expanded its military infrastructure by displacing and replacing villages and farms with army camps and roads, according to the Free Burma Rangers.

The UN Security Council has been criticizing Burma for its slow progress on democratic reforms and to meet its demands from October of releasing political prisoners and facilitating a genuine dialogue with the opposition. The Security Council also said an early return of the UN Special Envoy to Myanmar may promote progress. However, some believe that this is not enough and that the UN needs to do more.

A senior US diplomat said Burma is "going downhill on all fronts" as it refuses to take any positive steps at all, and called for its regional neighbors to further pressure the regime.

Area of Concern: Democratic Republic of Congo

The International Rescue Committee found (PDF) that war, disease, and malnutrition are killing 45,000 civilians every month in a humanitarian crisis that has caused the deaths of 5.4 million people in nearly a decade — more than any other post-WWII conflict. Of those deaths, an estimated 2.1 million have died since the formal end of war in the country since 2002. The report also finds that the majority of these deaths have been caused by disease and malnutrition, rather than by direct violence.

After high levels of violence has fueled this humanitarian crisis in the Kivu regions, a peace deal was finally signed on Jan. 22 between the Congolese government and Gen. Laurent Nkunda and more than 20 other rebel groups. Unfortunately, the peace deal may not address the underlying problems, and other groups may emerge to rekindle the violence in the future.

Area of Concern: Kenya

The violence that has erupted since late December 2007 due to controversial election results has continued to develop in dangerous ways, affecting innocent Kenyan civilians.

On Jan. 16, opposition protests resumed with some of the worst clashes yet seen occurred in the city of Kismu, as mobs of young men hurled stones at the police who responded with gunfire. After violent nationwide rallies continued for three days, the protests cooled down a little on Jan. 19 as the street demonstrations turned into massive business boycotts. Nevertheless, violence continued to devastate Kenyans, as ethnic clashes erupted in the town of Masai Mara leading to a gruesome battle with bows, arrows and machetes.

On Jan. 23, dozens of protestors began to set fire to government offices in a melee following a memorial service organized by the opposition for the victims of the violence. Disturbances even occurred at the memorial service, as the Kenyan police fired tear gas at crowds to disperse stone-throwing youths.

A closer look has revealed signs that indicate how at least some of the killings were pre-planned and organized, as leaflets calling for ethnic killings mysteriously appeared before the elections occurred.

As the current violence has been polarizing deep-rooted ethnic tensions that have existed throughout Kenyan history, the nature of the violence has become more frightening. The UN Development Programme expressed its concerns about sexual violence, as women and girls have been raped during the chaos that has ensued.

The humanitarian and displacement crises that have emerged have worsened, as the displaced struggle to find appropriate aid. 

To help the conflict to resolve as soon as possible, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan flew to Kenya on Jan. 22 to help in negotiations. Annan will be heading a team of former African presidents to help mediate talks between President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga.