BRIEFING

Weekly Briefing: 27TH November – 3RD December 2014

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Britain suspended its provision of aid to Congolese police reforms this week in light of recent reports highlighting dozens of extra-judicial killings and disappearances carried out as part of Operation Likofi in Kinshasa, DRC. Meanwhile, as top UN, African Union and other Special Envoys expressed their outrage about massacres perpetrated against civilians in Beni, North Kivu, the territory saw another attack kill three people and wound another three on Monday night. Almost 600 FDLR fighters have been transferred from transit camps in North and South Kivu to Kisangani, ahead of the 2 January deadline for the group’s surrender. With the transit camps said to have been wholly vacated this Wednesday, last Friday saw the destruction of 600 weapons recovered predominantly from ex-FDLR fighters. In South Kivu, violent conflict between the Raia Mutomboki and the Congolese army on the borders between the Shabunda, Walungu and Kabare territories had culminated in four deaths and 17 rebel captives by the middle of this week. Five soldiers were killed in an alleged Lord’s Resistance Army ambush in Dungu territory last Thursday in Province Orientale, as further FRPI rebels surrendered to the authorities in Bunia.
In South Africa, fifteen of the twenty Congolese defendants facing charges relating to an alleged assassination attempt against incumbent President Kabila have been acquitted  for lack of sufficient evidence. Charges remain against the remaining five defendants arrested in February 2013 – among them Etienne Kabila, who is said to have been released on bail.
Cameroon’s release and the alleged “VIP welcome” of FDPC rebel leader Abdoulaye Miskine in the Central African Republic last Thursday has been condemned by Human Rights Watch, citing his association with numerous atrocities over the last decade. Miskine was freed following the release of 26 hostages kidnapped by his group two months ago. The authorities deny that the event formed part of a prisoner swap claiming that he was freed during a military operation. On Saturday, the anti-balaka announced its intent to lay down its arms and become a political movement calling itself the Central African Party for Unity and Development.
In Burundi, a major Presidential reshuffle of those in the upper echelons of government office caused waves last week as individuals long considered at the top of the presidential chain of command found themselves redeployed, including the former heads of police, military and intelligence services (amongst others). Members of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission appointed to investigate ethnic massacres in the country since 1962 were finally elected last week.

IPIS’ Latest Publications

Mapping Conflict Motives: the Central African Republic | November 2014 | IPIS
In this study, IPIS analyses the conflict dynamics in the Central African Republic (CAR) since the outbreak of the latest crisis in September 2012 up to September 2014. The analysis specifically looks into the motivations and interests of the main conflict parties, Seleka and anti-balaka, and the influence and interests of neighbouring countries. The report covers the following key questions. What is the background of the conflict parties Seleka and anti-balaka, and how are they structured? Which strategic interests do they prioritise, or ignore? What do they want to achieve? Do their actions correspond to their rhetoric? What has been Chad’s, Sudan’s and Cameroon’s influence on the CAR conflict, and what have been their interests in it? Together with the report, a web map of the area of focus has been published and is available at www.ipisresearch.be/mapping/webmapping/car. The web map presents various layers, which can be toggled on or off, including information on security incidents, areas under control of armed groups, natural resources, and a number of other features. The map is an integrated part of the research methodology and has been a crucial source for IPIS’ analysis. Also have a look at the Infographic, at https://infogr.am/mapping-conflict-motives-in-car. La traduction en français sera disponible prochainement.

The Adverse Human Rights Risks and Impacts of European Companies: Getting a glimpse of the picture | October 2014 | IPIS
This report presents the findings of a study undertaken by IPIS and commissioned by the European Coalition for Corporate Justice on the extent to which European companies are identified in concerns about adverse human rights risks and impacts. Gathering concerns raised regarding the human rights risks and impacts of companies listed on the UK’s FTSE 100, France’s CAC 40 and the German DAX 30, the study finds that around half of these companies have been identified in allegations or concerns regarding adverse human rights risks and impacts reported on between 2005 and early 2013. Many of these risks and impacts relate to operations outside the European Union, with the most severe often alleged to occur in countries in which rule of law and institutions are weak.

The Adverse Human Rights Risks and Impacts of European Companies: Getting a glimpse of the picture. Annexes | October 2014 | IPIS
This Annex accompanies the report that presents the findings of a study undertaken by IPIS and commissioned by the European Coalition for Corporate Justice on the extent to which European companies are identified in concerns about adverse human rights risks and impacts.

Mapping Conflict Minerals: Eastern DRC (2013-2014) | 31 October 2014 | IPIS
In collaboration with the Congolese mining cadastre (CAMI), mining service SAESSCAM and representatives from local civil society organisations, IPIS organised a series of field visits to monitor artisanal mining activities and the involvement of armed groups and criminal networks in mineral exploitation and trade. This resulted in the publication of an interactive web map providing information on e.g. the on-site presence of armed groups and criminal elements within the Congolese army (FARDC) and their activities, as well as indicators of the relative importance of the mining site. It shows the location of 150 trading centres and nearly 1100 mining sites in Eastern DRC. An accompanying report provides an analysis of the data collected by the local teams between March 2013 and March 2014 as presented by IPIS on its web map. It analyses the most striking findings, focussing on developments surrounding security and how they have impacted on Eastern DRC’s artisanal mining sector. Finally, the report also explains how the map can be used to assess risks in mineral supply chains.

Supply Chains and Transport Corridors in East Africa ❘ June 2014 ❘ IPIS and TransArms-Research
Transport infrastructure plays a key role in boosting a country or region’s economic development. IPIS and TransArms have ascertained on several occasions that the underdevelopment or degeneration of transport infrastructure is a problematic issue across a number of African countries and regions. This report analyses the current logistics situation in Eastern Africa, and the logistic challenges faced by various actors in that region. It is based on desktop research, and interviews and data collected by the authors during several field missions to East and Central Africa. At the time of writing, however, logistic and other challenges to cost-efficient trade and overall economic development are yet to be addressed. Further research and policy actions to effectively tackle current shortcomings are much needed. A strategy relying on a piecemeal approach (e.g. on ad hoc investments in infrastructure) is likely to result in a ‘quick fix’ to ship raw materials out of the African continent rather than in an effort to boost sustainable economic development.

De Belgische ontwikkelingssamenwerking en fragiele staten: een kloof tussen beleid en praktijk? ❘ May 2014  11.11.11 i.s.m. IPIS
Zo goed als de helft van de Belgische middelen voor ontwikkelingshulp gaat naar partnerlanden waar de overheid niet de capaciteit, wil en/of legitimiteit heeft om de publieke zaken efficiënt te beheren, voor veiligheid te zorgen en om de bevolking uit de armoede te halen. Omdat traditionele hulprecepten in deze ‘fragiele staten’ op hun limieten stuiten, is er de laatste decennia een internationaal beleid ontwikkeld dat een blauwdruk voorstelt voor een gedifferentieerde aanpak om deze landen te ondersteunen in het traject richting meer weerbaarheid. De Belgische ontwikkelingssamenwerking onderschrijft de internationale engagementen over fragiele staten die hieruit ontstonden, zoals de fragiele staten principes (FSP’s) en de New Deal. In 2013 werd er een Belgische strategienota voor fragiele situaties goedgekeurd. Positief is dat België zich, ondanks de moeilijke context, rond dit thema blijft engageren – zowel op internationaal beleidsniveau als binnen haar eigen ontwikkelingsbeleid.

Conflict and security

Recent news on conflict, security and arms trade across the Great Lakes Region. 

Gender-based violence

Africa: Viols, violences, mutilations génitales : la femme dans tous ses…. malheurs | 27 November 2014 | Afrik.com
Sur le continent africain, les femmes sont quotidiennement victimes de violences, qu’elles soient domestiques ou sexuelles. C’est un sujet qui demeure tabou en dépit des actions des organisations de protections des femmes et des institutions africaines.

Security interventions in Africa

Building Solidarity With Africa: Struggle Against Neo-Colonialism and Imperialist Militarism | 28 November 2014 | Pambazuka News
United States and NATO interventions in Africa and throughout the Middle East are increasing. From Egypt and Morocco in the North to Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Mali and others to the West, right down through the Sudans, Uganda, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa in the Central, Eastern and Southern regions, the Pentagon and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is increasing its efforts to thwart the development of Africa.

Regional mobilisation around security in eastern DRC

SADC, Great Lakes Heads of State to Discuss DRC Situation | 2 December 2014 | AngolaPress | allAfrica
The Angola Foreign Affairs minister, Georges Chikoti, announced on Tuesday in Luanda that the Heads of States of SADC and Great Lakes region will soon meet so as to assess the situation prevailing in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

DRC

Sakharov prize/sexual violence

Sakharov Laureate Denis Mukwege – “Women’s Bodies Have Become a True Battlefield” | 26 November 2014 | PR Newswire | allAfrica
“Women’s bodies have become a true battlefield and rape is being used as a weapon of war,” said Congolese gynaecologist Denis Mukwege as he accepted the 2014 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in Strasbourg on Wednesday 26 November.

FDLR

UN Reaffirms Call for FDLR’s Neutralisation | 27 November 2014 | New Times | allAfrica
The United Nations Security Council, yesterday, reiterated their call for the neutralisation of the outlawed FDLR in line with the Council’s earlier position on forceful disarmament of the group if they do not surrender by January 2.

Former Rwandan rebels transferred to Congo transit camp | 27 November 2014 | Reuters
Authorities in Democratic Republic of Congo began to transfer former Rwandan rebels on Wednesday from disarmament camps in the east to a northern transit camp, the U.N. mission said, in an apparent first step to their relocation in a third country.

RDC: le premier convoi des FDLR est arrivé à Kisangani | 27 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
Le premier groupe de quarante-cinq ex-combattants FDLR et leur dépendants en provenance du Nord-Kivu est effectivement arrivé à Kisangani (Province Orientale), à 11h heures 35, heure locale, à bord d’un avion de la Monusco. Un deuxième groupe de 125 personnes en provenance de Bukavu (Sud-Kivu) était aussi attendu à la mi-journée à Kisangani.

Le désarmement des FLDR à petits pas | 30 November 2014 | RFI | allAfrica
En RDC, 600 armes qui avaient été remises par les différents groupes armés étrangers et nationaux à la Monusco, ont été détruites vendredi 28 novembre au siège de la mission onusienne à Goma.

Kisangani: Martin Kobler encourage les FDLR à rentrer au Rwanda | 2 December 2014 | Radio Okapi
En compagnie d’une forte délégation des diplomates, le Représentant spécial  du Secrétaire général des Nations unies en RDC, Martin Kobler, s’est rendu compte samedi 29 novembre des conditions d’hébergement des ex-combattants FDLR et leurs dépendants au camp général Bahuma à Kisangani. Le chef de la Monusco a exhorté ces ex-combattants à rentrer au Rwanda.

RDC : près de 600 ex-combattants et dépendants FDLR sont arrivés à Kisangani | 3 December 2014 | Radio Okapi
Le représentant spécial adjoint du secrétaire général de l’ONU chargé des opérations dans l’Est de la RDC, Abdallah Wafy, a affirmé mercredi 3 décembre que les camps de transit des ex-FDLR de Kanyabayonga (Nord-Kivu) et Walungu (Sud-Kivu) n’abritent plus d’ex-combattants.

Operation Likofi fallout – UK suspends aid

La Grande-Bretagne suspend son aide à la réforme de la police | 27 November 2014 | RFI
Cette décision des autorités britanniques fait suite à un rapport des Nations unies, dévoilé le 15 octobre dernier, qui accuse des policiers d’avoir assassiné ou fait disparaître plusieurs dizaines de personnes lors d’une opération antibanditisme menée à Kinshasa.

La Grande Bretagne suspend son aide à la réforme de la police congolaise | 28 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
La Grande-Bretagne a suspendu son programme d’aide à la réforme de la police congolaise. Cette décision fait suite à la publication d’un rapport des Nations unies en octobre dernier accusant des policiers d’avoir assassiné ou fait disparaître plusieurs dizaines de personnes lors d’une opération antibanditisme à Kinshasa.

South African ‘DRC coup plot’ acquittals

Kabila ‘coup plot’: DR Congo suspects acquitted in South Africa | 28 November 2014 | BBC
A group of 15 men accused of plotting to assassinate the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Joseph Kabila, have been acquitted by a South African court.

Afrique du Sud : la justice acquitte 15 des 20 Congolais accusés de complot contre Kabila | 28 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
La justice sud-africaine a acquitté et libéré vendredi 28 novembre, faute de preuves, quinze des vingt ressortissants de République démocratique du Congo (RDC) emprisonnés depuis près de deux ans en Afrique du Sud, accusés de complot visant à assassiner leur président Joseph Kabila.

MONUSCO

Un nouveau rapport de la MONUSCO sur les droits de l’Homme au pays ! | 27 November 2014 | La Prospérité | allAfrica
La conférence de presse hebdomadaire de la Monusco tenue hier, mercredi 26 novembre, a été marquée par la présentation de la situation générale des droits de l’Homme, pour le mois d’octobre 2014, en République Démocratique du Congo.

La Monusco totalise 15 ans de présence en RDC | 30 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
La mission de l’Onu totalise 15 ans dimanche 30 novembre 2014 en RDC. La Monusco, jadis Monuc, a vu le jour au terme de la résolution 1279 du 30 novembre 1999 du Conseil de sécurité des Nations unies visant la restauration de la paix en République démocratique du Congo. 15 ans après, la RDC a retrouvé non seulement son unité, mais aussi la paix, en dépit de l’activisme de certains groupes armés dans les Kivu et le Katanga principalement.

North Kivu 

L’armée à la traque des responsables du massacre de Béni | 26 November 2014 | Afrik.com
L’armée congolaise est à la recherche des suspects responsables du massacre de Béni, dans le nord-Kivu, dans l’est de la République Démocratique du Congo.

U.N. peacekeepers from Ukraine detained in Congo over uniforms | 27 November 2014 | Reuters
Authorities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo detained six U.N. peacekeepers from Ukraine in the eastern city of Goma on Wednesday because they had Congolese military uniforms in their luggage, a spokesman for the U.N. mission (MONUSCO) said.

135 personnes retenues pendant 48 heures en brousse par l’armée près de Beni | 27 November 2014 | AFP | Reliefweb
Cent-trente-cinq civils – hommes, femmes et enfants – ont été retenus pendant 48 heures en brousse par l’armée dans l’Est de la République démocratique du Congo, près de Beni (nord-est), théâtre de récents massacres, avant d’être relâchés jeudi, a-t-on appris de sources concordantes.

Goma: 600 armes des groupes armés remises à la Monusco | 29 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
Au total, 602 armes qui avaient été remises par les différents groupes armés étrangers et nationaux à la section DDRRR de la Monusco, ont été détruites vendredi 28 novembre au siège de la Monusco à Goma, en présence des autorités politico- militaires du Nord-Kivu et du sous-secrétaire général de l’Onu en charge de l’Etat de droits et des institutions de sécurité, en visite de travail dans cette province.

Trois morts dans une nouvelle attaque attribuée à des rebelles ougandais dans l’Est | 2 December 2014 | AFP | ReliefWeb
Nord-Kivu : 3 morts dans une nouvelle incursion de présumés ADF à Beni | 2 December 2014 | Radio Okapi
Trois personnes ont été tuées à la machette et trois autres blessées au cours d’une nouvelle incursion de présumés rebelles ougandais ADF à Beni, dans le Nord-Kivu. Des hommes armés ont fait irruption dans 4 villages de ce territoire au cours de la nuit du lundi 1er au mardi 2 décembre. Le porte-parole des opérations Sokola assure que les FARDC ratissent encore la zone pour retrouver les assaillants.
L’attaque est intervenue à partir de 21 heures locales dans les villages Kasana, Mapiki, Abialos et Linzo-Sisene, en secteur de Beni-Mbau, à environ 54 km au nord de Beni-ville.

Beni: Martin Kobler et Tim Morris évaluent la situation sécuritaire | 3 December 2014 | Radio Okapi
Le  chef de la Monusco, Martin Kobler, l’ambassadeur de la Grande Bretagne en RDC, Tim Morris, ainsi que des diplomates français et américains se sont rendus mercredi 3 décembre dans la ville de Beni. Ils ont rencontré les autorités politiques et militaires de ce territoire du Nord-Kivu ainsi que les membres de la société civile. Objectif de leur visite: évaluer la situation sécuritaire.

Beni massacre responses

RDC: l’Onu condamne les tueries de Beni | 27 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
Les membres du Conseil de sécurité de Nations unies condamnent, en des termes forts, les massacres contre les civils près de Beni dans l’Est de la RDC. Ils l’ont fait savoir dans un communiqué rendu public mercredi 26 novembre à New York. De leur côté, les Etats-Unis exigent des poursuites contre les auteurs de ces actes.

L’ONU appelle à de nouveaux efforts contre les groupes armés dans la région des Grands Lacs d’Afrique | 2 December 2014 | UN News
Un groupe d’envoyés spéciaux des Nations Unies et de ses partenaires dans la région des Grands Lacs d’Afrique ont exprimé mardi leur consternation et préoccupation concernant une série de massacres de civils qui a eu lieu dans l’est de la République démocratique du Congo (RDC), en particulier autour de la ville de Beni, dans la province du Nord-Kivu.

Great Lakes Envoys outraged by spate of civilian massacres in eastern DR Congo | 2 December 2014 | UN News
A team of United Nations, African Union and other Special Envoys on the Great Lakes region have said they are “deeply outraged” by the recent spate of civilian massacres that have taken place in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and have called on the Government to “engage in robust military action’ against all armed groups operating there.

South Kivu

Sud-Kivu: affrontements entre FARDC et Raïa Mutomboki à Shabunda | 1 December 2014 | Radio Okapi
De violents affrontements entre des groupes de la milice Raïa Mutomboki et les militaires du 2002e régiment des FARDC sont signalés depuis vendredi 28 novembre dans les villages de Nyalubemba, Busolo ainsi que dans des villages environnants, en territoire de Walungu au Sud-Kivu. La société civile avance un bilan, non encore confirmé par des sources militaires, de 17 miliciens capturés et sept militaires blessés.

Sud-Kivu : affrontements entre FARDC et Raïa Mutomboki, 4 morts | 2 December 2014 | Radio Okapi
Quatre miliciens ont été tués lors des combats qui les ont opposés depuis vendredi 28 novembre avec les Forces armées de la RDC dans la localité de Nyalubemba et d’autres environnantes, à la limite entre les territoires de Kabare,Shabunda et Walungu (Sud-Kivu).

RDC : l’armée progresse face aux miliciens Raïa Mutomboki dans le Sud-Kivu | 3 December 2014 | Jeune Afrique
Les Forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo (FARDC) prennent le dessus sur les miliciens Raïa Mutomboki (Citoyens en colère en swahili). Les militaires congolais ont repris ces derniers jours quatre localités du Sud-Kivu occupées depuis le mois d’avril, dont la plus importante est Nyalubemba. “Les villages libérés sont situés dans le territoire de Shabunda, aux confins de ceux de Walungu et Kabare, à environ 65 km au Sud-Est de Bukavu, capitale de la province du Sud-Kivu”, a indiqué Daniel Eloko Nsala, administrateur du territoire de Shabunda, joint par téléphone depuis cette ville.

Province Orientale

Ituri: Cobra Matata vit en homme libre à Bunia | 27 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
Le chef du groupe armé FRPI, Justin Banaloki alias Cobra Matata, vit en homme libre à Bunia, chef-lieu de l’Ituri (Province Orientale), où il s’est rendu depuis près d’une semaine aux Forces armées de la RDC (FARDC).

Bunia: 28 miliciens de la FRPI se sont rendus | 28 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
Vingt huit miliciens de la Force de résistance patriotique de l’Ituri (FRPI) de Cobra Matata sont finalement arrivés à Bunia jeudi 27 novembre dans la soirée.

Province Orientale: 5 militaires tués par des présumés rebelles LRA à Dungu | 28 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
Cinq militaires congolais ont été tués jeudi 27 novembre dans le territoire de Dungu. Plusieurs sources locales indiquent qu’ils sont tombés dans une embuscade tendue par des hommes identifiés comme des rebelles de la LRA dans le poste d’encadrement de Ngilima dans le Nord de ce territoire de la Province Orientale.

Katanga

Kalemie : les femmes manifestent contre les violences sexuelles | 30 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
Les femmes évoluant dans les associations de la société civile ont organisé samedi 29 novembre une marche pacifique à Kalemie au Katanga. Elles ont protesté contre les violences sexuelles dont leurs congénères sont victimes dans ce territoire en conflit.

Nord-Katanga : le général Kifwa invite les groupes armés à se rendre | 1 December 2014 | Radio Okapi
A l’occasion de l’installation du nouveau commandant de secteur opérationnel du  Nord-Katanga, dimanche 30 novembre à Kalemie, le général Kifwa, commandant de la deuxième zone de défense, a invité tous les groupes armés actifs dans la région à se rendre. Plusieurs milices insécurisent cette partie du Katanga, obligeant de nombreuses familles à se déplacer.

Inter-ethnic conflict racks DRC’s mining heartland | 1 December 2014 | Mineweb | Reuters
Pygmies and Bantus flee a war caused by a tryst | 29 November 2014 | AFP | Reliefweb
The inter-ethnic conflict in mineral-rich Katanga province has accounted for 77,000 displacements. Nsange’s troubles began with an affair. Pygmy residents of the village in southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo caught a Bantu man in bed with a married pygmy woman last year.Retribution was swift: a group of pygmies beat the Bantu to death. The killing sparked a vicious series of reprisals in this corner of mineral-rich Katanga province. Each side scrambled to form militias, armed with machetes and bows and arrows, that unleashed an orgy of execution, pillage and rape.

When home is Congo’s ‘triangle of death’ | 1 December 2014 | AFP | Reliefweb
Since 2012, insurgents have ravaged whole tracts of the “triangle”, where the UN mission in the country, MONUSCO, accuses them of murder, rape and looting, as well as burning down homes and entire villages.

Burundi

Presidential ‘purge’

Purge au sommet de l’Etat au Burundi | 28 November 2014 | RFI | allAfrica
Le président Pierre Nkurunziza fait le vide autour de lui. Il vient de remplacer son « chef de cabinet », véritable numéro 2 du régime. Et il n’est pas le seul à avoir été écarté. Le général Adolphe Nshimirimana, numéro 3 du pouvoir, est également remplacé à la tête des services secrets burundais par un général plutôt modéré.

Elections

Burundi: Processus électoral – L’opposition dénonce des fraudes | 2 December 2014 | RFI | allAfrica
Au Burundi, l’enrôlement des électeurs en vue des élections générales de 2015 bat son plein. Pour l’instant, 1,7 million de personnes, environ 42% des électeurs, se sont déjà fait inscrire, selon la Commission électorale nationale indépendante (Céni).

CAR

FDPC hostages freed

Hostages Freed by Rebels in CAR Receiving Treatment in Cameroon | 26 November 2014 | VoA
Cameroon’s Information Minister Issa Tchiroma says President Paul Biya has ordered the Health Ministry to care for the 16 hostages freed from the neighboring Central African Republic.

Vingt-six otages libérés par le FDPC | 27 November 2014 | RFI | allAfrica
Le groupe rebelle du général Abdoulaye Miskine annonce avoir libéré ce 26 novembre 26 otages, dont 15 ressortissants camerounais et un missionnaire polonais.

Kidnapped Polish Catholic Missionary Freed | 28 November 2014 | CISANews | allAfrica
A polish missionary amongst 16 hostages abducted by Muslim rebels from the Central African Republic (CAR) on October 12 has been freed after two months in captivity.

VIP Treatment for Warlord Sends Wrong Message in CAR | 1 December 2014 | Human Rights Watch | allAfrica
In Brazzaville, the Republic of Congo, last week, the lesson for those accused of atrocities seems to be: rather than face criminal investigation, you can be treated as a VIP. That, at least, is what happened to Abdoulaye Miskine, also known as Martin Koumtamadji, a mercenary leader accused of involvement with many crimes during the past decade.

Anti-balaka intention to form political party

Anti-Balaka group to lay down arms in CAR | 30 November 2014 | Aljazeera | Reuters
The ‘anti-Balaka’ armed group in Central African Republic (CAR) has announced that it would lay down its weapons and become a political movement. The armed Christian group, which was formed to counter the mostly Muslim Seleka rebels that seized power last year, made the announcement following a general assembly in capital Bangui late on Saturday, Reuters news agency reported. The new movement would be renamed the Central African Party for Unity and Development (PCUD).

Centrafrique: Les anti-balaka veulent peser dans le débat politique | 1 December 2014 | RFI | allAfrica
Les grandes manœuvres politiques se poursuivent en Centrafrique dans l’optique du forum de Bangui. Prévu en janvier, il doit permettre un dialogue politique entre toutes les composantes de la crise centrafricaine en vue des prochaines élections en milieu de l’année 2015.

Transformation des anti-balakas en parti politique – La mue sera-t-elle possible ? | 1 December 2014 | Le Pays | allAfrica
En République centrafricaine (RCA), les différents acteurs de la scène politique affûtent leurs armes. En ligne de mire, l’élection présidentielle de 2015. Dans cette perspective, les Anti-balaka du nom de cette milice armée qui a endeuillé des dizaines de familles centrafricaines, à travers notamment le massacre des musulmans, ont décidé de tourner la page de la rébellion et de se muer en parti politique.

Electoral code

Faux départ pour la réforme du code électoral | 27 November 2014 | RFI | allAfrica
L’Assemblée de transition (le CNT) travaille depuis une semaine sur la réforme du code électoral. Ses membres devront se prononcer sur la biométrie et le découplage des élections présidentielles et législatives – deux innovations voulues en 2013, mais jugées complexes et coûteuses aujourd’hui. Mais mercredi, le CNT a renvoyé sa copie au gouvernement en demandant plus de concertation sur le sujet.

Other

Sudan/South Sudan

Tribal Clashes Kill at Least 130 in Sudan | 27 November 2014 | VoA
More than 130 people have been killed in tribal clashes in Sudan’s oil-rich region near the border with South Sudan.

South Sudan. The Christmas fighting season | 29 November 2014 | The Economist
All sides are preparing again for a long civil war

Soudan: Béchir veut le départ de la MINUAD | 30 November 2014 | BBC
Omar el-Béchir a réclamé un “programme clair” pour le départ de la mission conjointe ONU-Union africaine au Darfour (Minuad) qu’il considère comme un “fardeau”.

Humanitarian news

Non-comprehensive overview of humanitarian news & events, including refugee and IDP issues.

Humanitarian responses to crises in Africa

ICRC seeks record $1.7 billion for humanitarian work in 2015 | 27 November 2014 | Reuters
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) appealed on Thursday for a record 1.6 billion Swiss francs ($1.66 billion) to respond to humanitarian crises next year in Syria, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia and other hotspots.

New UN-Backed Open-Source Tool Will Support Community Resilience-Building | 27 November 2014 | UN News | allAfrica
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Programme (FAO) is teaming up with a coalition of partner agencies to develop a new data crunching tool to help national governments, development and relief organizations in their efforts to prevent and respond to crises such as animal diseases, plant pests and even conflict.

DRC

Internally displaced persons

Nord-Kivu: le gouverneur Paluku ferme le camp de déplacés de Kiwanja | 3 December 2014 | Radio Okapi
Le gouverneur du Nord-Kivu, Julien Paluku, en mission de travail dans le territoire de Rutshuru mardi 2 décembre, a décidé de fermer le camp de déplacés de Kiwanja. Selon lui, ce camp de déplacés n’a plus de raisons d’être parce que la guerre qui avait conduit ces familles à fuir leurs localités d’origine est finie.

Justice and Tribunals

Selected articles on criminal justice proceedings regarding crimes committed in the Great Lakes Region.
ICC

Partnering With the ICC to Promote International Criminal Justice | 27 November 2014 | ISS | allAfrica
The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and the Office of the President of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) collaborated to discuss how African countries can promote and deliver international justice.

 DRC

ICC

25 % de la population dans l’Est du pays pense que la CPI a un impact négatif sur la paix | 28 November 2014 | Waza | allAfrica
Dans l’est de la République démocratique du Congo (RDC), plus de 5 000 personnes ont participé à une enquête de l’Université Harvard et du PNUD sur la justice. Ils vivent dans la région la plus durement touchée par de nombreux conflits impliquants des rebéllions, et dont certains dossiers sont devant la Cour pénale internationale (CPI).

South African ‘DRC coup plot’ acquittals

Kabila ‘coup plot’: DR Congo suspects acquitted in South Africa | 28 November 2014 | BBC
A group of 15 men accused of plotting to assassinate the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Joseph Kabila, have been acquitted by a South African court.

Afrique du Sud : la justice acquitte 15 des 20 Congolais accusés de complot contre Kabila | 28 November 2014 | Radio Okapi
La justice sud-africaine a acquitté et libéré vendredi 28 novembre, faute de preuves, quinze des vingt ressortissants de République démocratique du Congo (RDC) emprisonnés depuis près de deux ans en Afrique du Sud, accusés de complot visant à assassiner leur président Joseph Kabila.

Lubanga trial

La CPI confirme la peine de 14 ans de prison de Thomas Lubanga | 1 December 2014 | Radio Okapi
La Cour pénale internationale a confirmé lundi 1er décembre, lors de son premier jugement en appel, la peine de 14 ans de prison de l’ancien chef de milice congolais Thomas Lubanga, qui avait été reconnu coupable d’avoir enrôlé des enfants soldats.

Ituri: les ONG saluent la confirmation de la peine de Thomas Lubanga | 2 December 2014 | Radio Okapi
Les ONG de défense des droits de l’homme de l’Ituri saluent la décision de la Cour pénale internationale confirmant la peine de 14 ans de prison pour Thomas Lubanga.

Rwanda

BBC documentary

The Kagame-Power Lobby’s dishonest attack on BBC documentary on Rwanda | 28 November 2014 | Pambazuka News
The process of investigating and prosecuting serious international crimes is complex, imperfect and still a work in progress.

Gacacas

Govt Intensifies Plans to Digitise Gacaca Archives | 28 November 2014 | New Times | allAfrica
The Ministry of Youth and ICT has backed efforts toward digitalisation of the case files accumulated through the work of over 12,000 Gacaca courts as a measure to preserve the important documents.

Cross-border crime

Senate to Probe Cross-Border Crimes | 3 December 2014 | New Times | allAfrica
This was revealed Monday as the Director General of Immigration and Emigration Directorate, Anaclet Kalibata, appeared before the Senatorial Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Security.

 Burundi

East African Court of Justice rulings on Burundi

Court Delivers a Ruling in a Burundi Opposition Political Party Case | 28 November 2014 | East African Community | allAfrica
The subject of the Application is that, instructions of a Minister of Home Affairs to the police force (Minister of Security) to bar a meeting convened by the Executive Committee of UPRONA which aimed at solving some leadership problems prevailing in the party was unlawful and constitutes an interference of the executive internal matters of a political party.

Court Delivers a Judgement in a Case Against Burundi for Alleged Failure to Pay Damages Awarded to Its Citizen | 30 November 2014 | East African Community | allAfrica
The East African Court of Justice 28th November 2014: The First Instance Division delivered a judgment in case between Mr. Ndorimana Benoit (Applicant) and the Attorney General of the Republic of Burundi.

Truth and reconciliation committee on ethnic massacres

La Commission Vérité et Réconciliation voit enfin le jour | 4 December 2014 | Jeune Afrique
Douze ans après la date prévue par l’accord de paix d’Arusha de 2000, on connaît enfin les noms des onze membres de la Commission Vérité et Réconciliation (CVR), chargée d’établir la vérité sur les massacres interethniques au Burundi depuis 1962.

Gatumba massacre

Burundi : début des enquêtes sur le massacre de Gatumba | 2 December 2014 | Radio Okapi
La justice burundaise a entamé depuis lundi 1er décembre l’enquête dans l’affaire des tueries de plus de 160 Banyamulenge en 2004 à Gatumba, au Burundi. Me Moïse Nyarugabo, sénateur congolais est l’un des avocats des Banyamulenge. Il s’est rendu à Bujumbura pour défendre en justice cette communauté.

Natural resource exploitation, governance and trade

Minerals, energy (oil & gas, hydro and solar), poaching, logging, foreign investment, trade, environmental issues.

African Barrick Gold

Goodbye African Barrick Gold, welcome Acacia Mining | 27 November 2014 | Mineweb
Trading has commenced today in London in Acacia Mining (ACA), the renamed African Barrick Gold.

Great Lakes workshop on transboundary natural resources

Des députés de 5 pays réunis à Goma sur la protection et la gestion des ressources naturelles dans les zones transfrontalières | 28 November 2014 | Le Potentiel | allAfrica
Des députés nationaux de la République démocratique du Congo (RDC), de l’Ouganda, de la République centrafricaine, du Sud-Soudan et du Rwandais ont entamé vendredi 28 novembre 2014 à Goma (Nord-Kivu) un atelier de deux jours visant à mettre sur pied « un réseau de protection et de gestion des ressources naturelles dans les zones transfrontalières dans la sous-région des Grands Lacs ».

Poaching

Home-Grown Corruption Is Killing Africa’s Rhinos and Elephants | 28 November 2014 | Daily Maverick | allAfrica
The poaching and trafficking of wildlife has reached pandemic levels throughout Africa, threatening a growing number of species with outright extinction in our lifetime.

DRC

Oil

Pétrole – la RDC assurera la présidence de la Codiref en 2015 | 30 November 2014 | Les Dépêches de Brazzaville | allAfrica
La 5e réunion de la Conférence des directeurs des institutions de formation et des responsables de formation aux métiers du pétrole (Codiref) des pays membres de l’Association des producteurs de pétrole africain (Appa) se tiendra en novembre 2015 en République démocratique du Congo. Cette dernière assurera la présidence pour l’exercice 2015, en remplacement de la République du Congo.

A promising oil region lies untended | 2 December 2014 | Africa Energy Intelligence
The recent postponement of a seismic survey on Total’s block 3 in the Ituri region conceals a fierce struggle between the local authorities and the much-weakened central government in Kinshasa.

Congolese women in ASM

Intégration du genre et promotion de la femme dans le secteur minier en RDC – 60% sont dans le traitement des minerais | 1 December 2014 | Le Potentiel | allAfrica
Le secteur minier implique fortement les femmes dans différentes activités, avec 60% des femmes dans le traitement des minerais, environ 30% dans le creusage et 10% dans la fourniture d’autres services.

Rwanda

Land

New Portal to Ease Access to Information On Land | 27 November 2014 | New Times | allAfrica
The public will no longer have to dig into documents and move from one place to another for information about land use following the launch of the National Land Use Portal.

Minerals

Govt Considers New Ways to Stabilise Mineral Prices | 28 November 2014 | New Times | allAfrica
The Government is seeking several strategies in the wake of fluctuating mineral prices on the international market, Evode Imena, the state minister for mining, said yesterday.

Agro-forestry

New Bid to Promote Agroforestry | 30 November 2014 | New Times | allAfrica
Rwanda Natural Resources Authority plans to step up its collaboration with farmers to ensure that at least 46,000 acres are planted with trees every year.

Burundi

Poaching

Int’l Ivory Smugglers Frame Chinese Embassy in Burundi | 27 November 2014 | Forum on China-Africa Cooperation | allAfrica
Malaysian police seized a batch of smuggled ivory at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in October. The ivories, which weighed up to 300 kilograms, were sent from the Bujumbura International Airport, at the capital of Burundi. The cargo’s label showed the sender was “Lee Pan, the Chinese Embassy in Burundi,” but the following investigations by Burundi showed it was an international ivory smuggling in the name of others.

Uganda

Minerals

Museveni Meets Chinese Mining Investors | 2 December 2014 | The Observer | allAfrica
President Yoweri Museveni last week held a meeting with Hu Yong, the country director of the Chinese-based Guangzhou Dongsong Energy Group Co Ltd, where the two discussed opportunities in Uganda’s mining sector.

Karamoja Demands More Cash From Mineral Wealth | 2 December 2014 | The Observer | allAfrica
As government moves to amend the Mining Act and its attendant regulations, Karamoja sub region is demanding for an increase in the royalties, so that the people there can adequately benefit from the region’s mineral wealth.

Oil

Oil’s Tumble Boosts Odds of Tullow Takeover: Real M&A | 3 December 2014 | Bloomberg
The plunge in oil prices has erased more than half of Tullow’s market value since June. Management is now concerned the $6 billion company could be vulnerable to an approach by a larger oil and gas producer, according to people familiar with the matter. Tullow has been the subject of takeover speculation since at least 2006. The company leapfrogged its peers with billions of barrels of oil discoveries in African frontiers including Ghana and Uganda.

Uganda: 2 burned to death on property allegedly leased to McAlester Energy Resources to construct oil waste management facility | 1 December 2014 | Business & Human Rights Resource Centre
Two people were burnt to death on a disputed piece of land in Hoima that has been leased to McAlester Energy Resources Limited to construct an oil waste management facility. The couple, Enock Darakarim Buchali and Yunis Akumu, was discovered on the morning of October 10 in Rwamutonga village, Bugambe sub-county, Hoima district. Their bodies were lying together in the ashes. The land in question is being contested in court after some 150 families were evicted.

Regulation, voluntary initiatives, and CSR

Selected articles on legal and voluntary initiatives relating to natural resources and good governance.

Sustainability reporting on South African securities exchange

Sustainability reporting on the rise among JSE-listed companies | 27 November 2014 | Mining Weekly
This year, 82 companies met the JSE’s Socially Responsible Index (SRI) requirements relating to environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies and management practices, compared with only 72 companies in 2013, as companies become more aware of how they communicate sustainability management initiatives to their investors. To compile the 2014 index, the JSE had assessed all 156 members of the FTSE/JSE Allshare index, and only considered publicly available information to encourage greater corporate transparency.

National action plans on business and human rights

CALS-SMU coalition submission to the UN Working Group on business and human rights | 29 November 2014 | Business & Human Rights Resource Centre
Coalitions submission to the Working Group by the CALS (Centre for Applied Legal  Studies ) and SMU (Singapore Management University) Coalition (“the Coalition”) on National Action Plans on Business and Human Rights (NAPs) in Africa and Asia.

DRC

Forrest forced displacements

Rép. dém. du Congo : Amnesty International accuse le Groupe Forrest de complicité des «démolitions illégales» des habitations de la population de Kawama | 27 November 2014 | Business & Human Rights Resource Centre
Amnesty International accuse le Groupe Forrest International de complicité des «démolitions illégales» des habitations de la population de Kawama, près de la mine de Luiswishi au Katanga en novembre 2009. Dans un nouveau rapport publié lundi 24 novembre, l’ONG britannique appelle la compagnie minière belge à indemniser les victimes de  ces démolitions et expulsions forcées. La société incriminée décline sa responsabilité dans ces démolitions opérées par la police congolaise.

Conflict minerals debate

How a well-intentioned U.S. law left Congolese miners jobless | 30 November 2014 | The Washington Post
The legislation compels U.S. companies to audit their supply chains to ensure that they are not using “conflict minerals” — particularly gold, coltan, tin and tungsten from artisanal mines controlled by Congo’s murderous militias. It was championed by influential activists and lawmakers, both Republicans and Democrats, and tucked into the massive Wall Street reform law known as the Dodd-Frank Act.

PERENCO-REP CSR claims

Des actions multiples en faveur des populations – Muanda, PERENCO-REP investit gros dans le social | 1 December 2014 | La Prospérité | allAfrica
Le géant mondial du pétrole, PERENCO-REP, exploite l’or noir dans la côte atlantique rd-congolaise de Muanda, au Bas-Congo. Se conformant aux lois de la République en la matière, elle a opté pour une approche pédagogique tournée vers le social, c’est-à-dire, la prise en compte de l’être humain dans toute sa dimension socio-économico-culturelle.

Revision of the Congolese mining code

CIRGL – Des femmes en RDC appellent à « accélérer la révision du Code minier » | 1 December 2014 | Le Potentiel | allAfrica
L’atelier national sur « l’intégration du genre et la promotion de la femme dans le secteur minier en République démocratique du Congo », organisé à Kinshasa par le Mécanisme national de coordination de la Conférence internationale sur la région des Grands Lacs (CIRGL) et financé par l’Union européenne à travers la coopération allemande (GIZ), s’est clôturé mardi 02 décembre 2014 sur un appel au gouvernement congolais à « accélérer la révision du Code minier en RDC ».

Other

DRC

Electoral reform of presidential terms

Congo’s president. Will he, won’t he? | 29 November 2014 | The Economist
On the streets of Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the backfiring of an old car sounded like a gunshot. “It’s Burkina!” yelled a woman, referring jovially to recent riots in Burkina Faso, which led to the downfall of its president, Blaise Compaoré, after 27 years in power. Laughter erupted from the crowd around her. The second and final five-year term of Congo’s president, Joseph Kabila (pictured), is supposed to end in 2016. But most people think he will try to extend his stay, just as Mr Compaoré did.

Rwanda

Economy

The so-called ‘Rwandan Economic miracle’ is a mirage | 28 November 2014 | Pambazuka News
Most observers, including Kagame’s critics of his horrendous human rights record seem to have swallowed his storyline that he has built a formidable economic powerhouse, his suppression of freedoms notwithstanding.

Electoral reform of presidential terms

Tirant les leçons du Burkinafaso – Kagame renonce à un 3ème mandat en 2017 | 2 December 2014 | Le Potentiel | allAfrica
Paul Kagame, président du Rwanda, n’a pas l’intention de vaquer à contre-courant de l’histoire.

Uganda

Electoral reform

Opposition Divisions Worry Donors | 1 December 2014 | The Observer | allAfrica
In spite of last week’s successfully organised reforms meeting, the opposition is not doing enough to resolve internal disputes and work towards fielding a single presidential candidate in 2016, sources in the donor community have said.

IPIS Recent Publications

Boundary spanning: moving towards strategic stakeholder engagement | 3 February 2014 | IPIS
By Anna Bulzomi
To address complex human rights impacts, companies need to move away from responding to crises and work with communities towards creating shared value.

IPIS Insights: The 2nd Annual United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights, Geneva 2013 | January 2014 | IPIS
From the 2 – 4 December 2013, IPIS attended the United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights. The Forum was established by the Human Rights Council and is under the guidance of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights. IPIS’ researchers Gabriella Wass and Anna Bulzomi offer some insights into topics at the Forum that struck them as particularly interesting.

Practice What You Preach: Theory and Practice of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC)’s Stakeholder Engagement Plan in Chad | 9 January 2014 | IPIS
The past decade has seen a staggering increase in Chinese investment flows in Africa, leaping from USD 392 million in 2005 to USD 2520 million in 2012. Chinese Government officials often describe the burgeoning Sino-African ties as ‘win-win partnerships’, emphasizing how their ‘non-interference’ policy truly allows African countries to choose their own development path.
Against this background, doubts may arise with regard to the environmental and social standards applied by Chinese companies conducting business overseas, especially in post-conflict states with poor human rights records and inadequate governance structures. The case discussed in this paper concerns the operations of the Chadian branch of the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).

Business, Human Rights, and Uganda’s Oil – Part II: Protect and Remedy: Implementing State duties under the UN Framework on Business and Human Rights | December 2013 | IPIS
The following is the second in a series of four reports exploring business and human rights issues in Uganda’s oil sector. This series is a collaboration between IPIS vsw and ActionAid Uganda.
In accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, this second report assesses the duty of the Ugandan, British, French and Chinese States to prevent, investigate, punish and redress human rights abuse by businesses.

In search of clean water: human rights and the mining industry in Katanga, DRC | 27 November 2013 | IPIS
Today, around 1,8 billion people in the world do not have access to safe water. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the most water-rich country in Africa, 51 million people lack access to potable water; only 26% of the population has access to safe drinking water. This is one of the lowest access rates in the world.
In the Katanga province, rich in cobalt and copper, some industrial mining companies operate provoking significant pollution of water sources, seriously affecting the local population. Although there is a lack of comprehensive data available, several studies conducted by local civil society show environmental, health and socio-economic negative effects.

IPIS Insights: Kimberley Process: observations from the sidelines. Part I | 21 November 2013 | IPIS
Ten years after the launch of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) this paper is the first in a two part series providing an overview of where the Kimberley Process and international efforts to combat the trade in conflict diamonds currently stand. It will analyse some of the present challenges facing the system and some of the potential solutions on the table.

Travail des enfants dans le site minier d’exploitation artisanale de Bisie en territoire de Walikale. Une crise oubliée en République Démocratique du Congo | 19 November 2013 | Prince Kihangi Kyamwami
Plus de deux décennies après l’entrée en vigueur de la Convention relative aux droits de l’enfant (1989) en République Démocratique du Congo (RDC), la situation des enfants dans le territoire de Walikale demeure critique.

Ambushed in Bangkok? The U.N. Panel on North Korea and the case of the IL-76 “4L-AWA” | 14 November 2013 | IPIS/TA
This new IPIS/TA report explains why the conclusion of the latest United Nations report on North Korea sanctions, about an arms flight grounded in Thailand, is not supported by facts, but based on a misalliance of wrong and misleading information, gleaned both about the cargo aircraft, its flight and the entities involved, together with erroneous interpretations of standard aviation practices made by the UN Panel of experts on North Korea.

Analysis of the interactive map of artisanal mining areas in Eastern DR Congo | 12 November 2013 | IPIS
In August 2009 the ‘International Peace Information Service’ (IPIS) published a first map of militarised mining areas in Eastern DR Congo. By 2012, the international interest in the issue had grown but the map was out-dated. To find a structural solution, IPIS sat down with the Congolese mining cadastre (CAMI) and agreed to set up a permanent system to monitor artisanal mining activities and the involvement of armed groups in the mineral exploitation and trade. A first version of the resulting map has been published at https://ipisresearch.be//mapping/webmapping. It shows the location of nearly 800 mining sites and 85 trading centres, including information about armed groups presence and involvement, and the scale of the mining activity. The map includes at least 410 cases of illegal taxation by armed groups or the Congolese army.

‘Conflict Minerals’ initiatives in DR Congo: Perceptions of local mining communities | 12 November 2013 | IPIS
The exploitation of minerals is an important source of income for many communities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Yet this mineral wealth also plays a significant role in the continuation of insecurity in parts of the country.
Over recent years, several domestic, regional and international initiatives have been developed to address the so-called ‘conflict minerals’ problem and the high level of informality in the DRC’s artisanal mining sector. These initiatives have provoked varying reactions regarding their impact on local livelihoods.
This report aims to provide insight into the impact of initiatives on the livelihood strategies of local communities in the DRC, based on field research in a wide range of mining areas; and document the perceptions of local stakeholders of these initiatives and their impacts.

IPIS Insights: Why businesses should assess human rights impacts from the outset of projects. SOCO International Oil Company in Virunga National Park, DRC | 26 August 2013 | International Peace Information Service (IPIS)
SOCO International, a British oil company, is prospecting for oil in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Virunga National Park – a World Heritage Site. For the past year, their presence has been criticised for putting a fragile environment at risk. However, more recently, their impact on human rights has also been questioned. In this Insights IPIS looks at why it is so vital for companies to employ rights-respectful processes, such as those advised in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, from the very beginning of the prospection stage.

Strijd tegen conflictmineralen: sleutel tot conflictresolutie in Oost-Congo? | 25 July  2013 | IPIS (Internationale Spectator)
De PDF van dit artikel is met toestemming van de redactie overgenomen uit de ‘Internationale Spectator, Clingendael Magazine voor Internationale Betrekkingen’, uitgegeven door de Koninklijke Van Gorcum, te Assen namens het Nederlands Instituut voor Internationale Betrekkingen ‘Clingendael’ te Den Haag.

Business, Human Rights, and Uganda’s Oil. Part I: Uganda’s oil sector and potential threats to human rights | 25 July 2013 | International Peace Information Service (IPIS) – ActionAid International Uganda
The following report is the first of a series of four collaborations between IPIS Research and ActionAid International Uganda. The series sheds a light on the oil sector in Uganda, its possible impact on human rights, and how government, companies, and civil society can best enable a positive bond between oil and the welfare of the Ugandan people.IPIS Insights: The EU draft law on conflict minerals due diligence: a critical assessment from a business & human rights standpoint  30 April 2014 ❘ IPIS
On the 5th of March 2014, the European Commission proposed a responsible trading strategy for minerals from conflict zones. The proposal took place within a specific and timely context. As IPIS has long documented, the exploitation of natural resources can have adverse human rights impacts. Businesses operating in conflict-affected or fragile regions should therefore ascertain whether their direct operations or their business relationships with other parties, including through their supply chains, have fueled or funded conflict and/or human rights abuse.

Business & Human Rights in Uganda: What’s on the Agenda? | 12 March 2014 | IPIS
A few days after attending the annual UN Forum on Business and Human Rights in Geneva, IPIS Business & Human Rights Analysts Anna Bulzomi and Gabriella Wass boarded a plane to Kampala, Uganda, to run a two-day training with ActionAid Uganda for businesses and NGOs on “What does business & human rights mean, and how can we bring about a healthy relationship between the two?” This document summarises some thoughts and observations from our 19 participating organisations, as well as providing snapshots of the current relationship between business and human rights in Uganda.

IPIS Insights: Pentagon Accidentally Arms Al Qaeda Affiliate | 20 February 2014 | IPIS
A confidential report to the UN Security Council last week revealed that some of the weapons and ammunition to the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) forces appears to have been diverted to the Al Qaeda affiliate known as Al Shabaab.

Mapping Conflict Motives: the Sudan – South Sudan border (2012-2013) | 5 February 2014 | IPIS
In “Mapping Conflict Motives: the Sudan-South Sudan border”, IPIS analyses the conflict dynamics in the wider border area spanning Sudan and South Sudan. The analysis specifically looks into the motivations and interests of the parties involved in the interstate, intrastate and local conflicts in this area. Together with the report, a series of maps of the area of focus is available at www.ipisresearch.be/mapping/webmapping/bordersudans

To see the sources of IPIS’ briefings, please click here.