The Genocide Monitor: Feb. 6, 2008

• Kenya: As the post-election violence continues, the death toll has reached over 1,000, and more than 300,000 civilians have been displaced.
• Darfur: Ethiopia and Bangladesh have offered to loan at least five helicopters to UNAMID.
• Eastern Chad: Thousands of rebels surrounded the Chadian capital on Feb. 1, triggering heavy fighting for over three days that generated over 100 civilian casualties. International support from the United Nations and France has allowed President Deby to take back control.

Spotlighted Conflict: Kenya

Situation on the Ground

Despite burgeoning efforts to put together peace talks, the violence in Kenya has continued to go unabated as the death toll has exceeded 1,000 and more than 350,000 Kenyans (PDF) have been displaced. Just in two days over the weekend of Feb. 2–3, 70 people have been killed. Ongoing violence has been significantly slowing down humanitarian efforts.

Following the assassination of Mugabe Were on Jan. 29, a second opposition lawmaker, David Kimutai Too, was shot on Jan. 31, which led to explosive riots in opposition strongholds. The town of Limuru was hit especially hard, as these pictures indicate. The violence has begun to spread beyond the Rift Valley towards the Central Province and the capital.

As the political crisis has fomented historic disputes between different ethnic groups, there have been many instances where individuals and communities from particular ethnic groups have been targeted.

Other atrocity crimes also continue to be committed throughout clashes between gangs and groups of armed youths from rival ethnic groups. Crimes such as banditry, sexual assault, and the razing of villages, churches and schools continue to devastate the lives of innocent Kenyans.

As the urgency for the protection of civilians continues to increase on a daily basis, opposition leader Raila Odinga has called for international peacekeepers to be deployed, emphasizing that the Kenyan police are not neutral.

International Response

After Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe briefed the UN Security Council on the latest developments in Kenya, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced on Jan. 31 that he plans to take a trip to visit the conflict region.

Additionally, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has commissioned a team of human rights investigators to heading to Kenya and conduct a three-week fact-finding mission into violations that have been committed. On Feb. 5, Ban also dispatched the UN's top humanitarian official to help coordinate relief efforts for over 300,000 internally displaced people.

African Union chair Alpha Konare suggested the violence in Kenya was moving toward genocide. "If you look at Kenya, you see violence on the streets," he said. "We are even talking about ethnic cleansing. We are even talking about genocide."

The United States Department of State has sent mixed messages on how to characterize the conflict in Kenya, after Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer said there is "clear ethnic cleansing" going on in the Rift Valley. As the administration struggles to find its messaging of the conflict, the White House said there is still "a long way to go" for resolving the conflict.

Amnesty International urged African heads of state gathered in Ethiopia to address the escalating violence in Kenya and find and prosecute those responsible.

Peace Process

The government of Kenya rejected the offer of South Africa's top apartheid-era negotiator Cyril Ramaphosa as assuming the role of chief mediator, accusing him of being biased in favor of the opposition.

As the government and the opposition returned to peace talks on Feb. 4, mediator and former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said the parties were able to agree both on a framework for negotiations as well as immediate steps to help those displaced by violence. However, Annan said the upcomign process will take "hard negotiations" to succeed.

Area of Concern: Darfur

Clashes between the government of Sudan and rebel forces in the town of Kalamandu in North Darfur killed five people.

The government of Sudan and UNAMID agreed on the operating rules of the peacekeeping force after finalizing the Status of Force Agreement that is to be signed on Feb. 6.

Ethiopia and Bangladesh have offered to loan helicopters to fly troops and supplies around Darfur. According to the US Ambassador to the UN Zalmay Khalilzad, Ethiopia's offer promises three attack and two transport helicopters, while Bangladesh's offer is less clear. However, as more helicopters and transport units are needed, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for more resources to be sent as soon as possible.

After meeting with representatives of the Sudanese Liberation Movement, the Dutch government has said they would seriously consider hosting peace talks for Darfur if a request came from the African Union or the United Nations.

The Abyei Region

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon released an update report (PDF) on Sudan on Jan. 31, which included information on how the Abyei region of Sudan has been seeing increasing security problems, especially within the northern areas that border South Darfur. 

The Enough Project released a report called "Abyei: Sudan's Kashmir," which outlines the importance of resolving the conflict between Khartoum and South Sudan in Abyei. The report (PDF) also called for the United States to follow through with implementing the Abyei Protocol, a US-drafted agreement that was aimed to resolve the issues of contention that haunt the region.

Area of Concern: Eastern Chad

Situation on the Ground 

On Feb. 2, 2,000 to 3,000 rebel forces on 300 jeeps swarmed N'Djamena, the capital of Chad, as gun battles erupted around the presidential palace. The intense fighting caused the United Nations to withdraw most of its staff from the capital. As the fighting escalated on Feb. 3 with tanks and helicopter strikes, troops loyal to the Chadian president reportedly drove the rebels back while thousands of innocent civilians fled the city.

Chadian forces also attacked the town of Adre in the east near the Chad-Darfur border. Though Khartoum denies the allegations, the government of Chad reports that Sudanese helicopters accompanied the rebel forces.

After more heavy fighting, the Chad's president declared that he was in control of the country on Feb. 6, while acknowledging that three-fourths of his government has fled since the attacks began. However, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, there are reports that people are starting to return back to the capital.

Hundreds of civilians have been killed since the rebels launched their attacks.  

International Response 

Both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have called for warring sides to ensure that civilians do not get targeted amidst the heavy violence.

On Feb. 3, the UN Security Council strongly condemned the rebel attacks and gave a green light for France and other countries to back the Chadian government to fight off the rebels.

European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said the recent fighting in Chad will not stop the deployment of the 3,700-strong peacekeeping force, MINURCAT, that has begun to deploy to protect civilians and aid workers in eastern Chad.  

Area of Concern: Eastern Burma

According to the Free Burma Rangers, the Burmese army has continued its military campaigns in the Karen State to displace tens of thousands of civilians within two years. The Secretary of the Karen Office of Relief and Development, based along the Thai-Burma border, said 255 additional displaced villagers arrived on Feb. 1, and they have the capacity to only transport some plastic sheets as shelter from rain.

Meanwhile, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar Paulo Sergio Pinheiro expressed dismay over the continued arrests, detentions and charges against activists. The International Crisis Group released a report that details how the aftermath of the brutal crackdown of protests in August and September 2007 continues to significantly affect the lives and rights of civilians in Burma.

Area of Concern: Sri Lanka

Since the government pulled out of the ceasefire with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, dozens of innocent civilians have continued to be targeted by indiscriminate bombings and the use of claymore mines. According to Amnesty International, government forces are preparing to launch major offensives against the Tigers in the northern parts of the island, which will further intensify the violence.