Genocide Monitor: Dec. 10, 2008

• DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: As human rights violations mount, the Congolese government and CNDP rebels meet in Nairobi for peace talks.
• DARFUR: The ICC's chief prosecutor requests another arrest warrant, this time against Darfuri rebels, as he asks the international community to be prepared to take action against Sudanese President Bashir.
• SOMALIA: Another peace agreement is signed in Djibouti. Meanwhile, Ethiopian troops pledge to withdraw from the country by year's end.

Spotlighted Conflict: Democratic Republic of Congo

Situation on the Ground

* Eastern DR Congo is reportedly calm after repeated violations of the unilateral CNDP ceasefire. General Nkunda's forces are reportedly in control of the Rwindi area and remain encamped outside of Goma.¹

* Civilians are beginning to return home, but UNHCR reports that nearly 90,000 IDPs are unaccounted for due to the destruction of IDP camps near Rutshuru.²

Peace Process

* On Monday, December 8, representatives of the CNDP and the Congolese government met in Nairobi for peace talks. Despite initial reports indicating progress, UN Special Envoy Obasanjo prematurely ended talks on December 11.³ 

* DR Congo and Rwanda have agreed to work towards eliminating the FDLR threat in the eastern Congo.⁴ Details have yet to be announced but are expected to include plans to demobilize the FDLR in exchange for Rwanda using its influence to rein in Laurent Nkunda.

Human Rights Violations

* Human Rights Watch released a report stating that more than 250 civilians were killed in eastern Congo since fighting resumed in late August.⁵ This verifies to a recent statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights accusing all groups in the eastern Congo for increasing human rights violations in eastern Congo.

* MONUC also accused FARDC soldiers of looting and rape during the army's occupation of the town of Kanyabayonga.⁶

* The CNDP is accused of forcibly recruiting children into its ranks in recent weeks,⁷ part of what UNICEF calls an increased campaign of forced recruitment throughout North Kivu, where 150 children have been recruited since August.⁸

Nkuda's forces are also accused of committing war crimes after taking control of the town of Kiwanja on November 7, where more than 150 people were executed.⁹ Additionally, CNDP rebels may be responsible for the forced evacuation of IDP camps around Rutshuru.¹⁰

* Doctors Without Borders reports that it has treated at least 5,700 rape victims in the DR Congo during 2008.¹¹

* GI-NET's own data collection shows that Nkunda's CNDP is now the force clearly responsible for the largest number of civilian deaths in 2008, accounting for 53% of all reported civilian deaths. 

Reinforcing MONUC

* On November 20, the UN Security Council voted unanimously to reinforce the MONUC peacekeeping force with up to 3,100 more soldiers and police, including more special forces and reconnaissance units.¹²

* The EU is in ongoing discussions over sending a bridging force to the Congo before MONUC reinforcements can be deployed. However, Belgium has said that while it is prepared to send troops, it cannot be the lead country for historical reasons.¹³ France has also declined due to North Kivu's close proximity to Rwanda and recent Franco-Rwandan tensions.¹⁴

Area of Concern: Darfur

Ceasefire Declared and Broken

* Despite Bashir's declaration, the Sudanese government reportedly bombed several locations in North Darfur, including the area near the town of Kurbia on the 15^th of November.¹⁶

The government denied the bombing and said that it was retaliating against a bandit attack on a convoy in the region. It also explained that the assault was not a ceasefire violation because bandits are not a party to the ceasefire.¹⁷

* UN peacekeepers and humanitarians remain targeted for violence in Darfur. On November 10 armed gunmen attacked UN troops near el Geneina in West Darfur, wounding one before being repelled by the peacekeepers.¹⁸

* The Sudanese government is allegedly using planes painted to resemble UN aircraft for reconnaissance near Jebel Marra.¹⁹

ICC News

* On November 20th, the Chief Prosecutor of the ICC, Luis Moreno-Ocampo applied for sealed arrest warrants against rebel commanders for the 2007 attack on AU peacekeepers at Haskanita.²⁰

These applications are significant because they would be the first warrants issued for war crimes committed by rebels in Darfur and they emphasize the special status that peacekeepers have under international law due to their role in protecting civilians.

* On December 3^rd, Ocampo briefed the UNSC, reporting that violence against civilians continues and up to 5,000 displaced people die every month in Darfur. He also said that the international community should prepare to arrest the Sudanese president if he is indicted by the court.²¹

Area of Concern: Somalia

Peace Deal

* The Somali government and members of the moderate opposition reached a power-sharing deal in Djibouti. The agreement calls for an enlarged parliament to include opposition members and civil society activists.²²

World's Most Dangerous Place

* Human Rights Watch issued a report emphasizing Somalia as an extremely dangerous place "on earth". The document highlights the way in which civilians are at risk of summary execution, rape, shelling and indiscriminate violence at the hands of Ethiopian troops, Somali government forces and Islamist militia members.²³

Al-Shabaab Advances

* On November 13, members of the insurgent al-Shabaab militia captured the strategic southern town of Merka. Al-Shabaab members also reportedly came to within ten miles of Mogadishu before Ethiopian troops drove them back.²⁴

The group also seized control of the city of Gurael, located approximately 230 miles north of Mogadishu.²⁵

Ethiopian Pull-out

* Ethiopia announced that it will withdraw all of its troops from Somalia by year's end.²⁶ The withdrawal raises questions over the ability of the Somali government to defend itself as well as the government's long-term viability.