Help our local partners realise their vision of hope for their communities
3 March 2017
Burma
- An Obama-era human rights envoy, Keith Harper, has called on the UN to set up a commission to probe human rights violations in Myanmar’s Rakhine state and not let its leader Aung San Suu Kyi off the hook because of the “iconic status” she holds in the eyes of the West
- U Thein Sein, government-era Special Economic Zone (SEZ) laws do not match international standards or protect human rights. Land acquisition took place before the completion of a resettlement plan for the local community, leading to mass displacement and homelessness
- The Burmese Army still exerts massive influence over the National-Level Dialogue: “Whenever the Burma Army disagrees, we have to negotiate.
Col Sai Hla : They stick to their policy and we have to bend to army policy. If not, they disagree, and we can’t do anything about it” - Rohingya say their young people are being pushed into crime in Bangladesh because they cannot legally work or, in many cases, access aid
- The UN Special Rapporteur to Burma, Yanghee Lee, once again described “harrowing” accounts of abuse from Rohingya refugees and urged the Burmese government to prevent any further serious rights violations in northern Arakan State following the conclusion of her four-day trip to Bangladesh last Friday
- On Friday, 13 regional and international rights advocacy groups sent a joint open letter to permanent representatives of the Council’s member and observer states, urging them to support calls for independent investigations into rights abuses against Rohingya. The letter reiterates that inquiries launched by the Myanmar government into the conduct of security forces have failed to demonstrate genuine independence and are therefore insufficient to address the situation
Nagorno-Karabakh
- Last weekend, a firefight erupted between Azerbaijani forces and Armenian-backed separatists near the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, killing five Azerbaijanis
- Carey Cavanaugh of the Centre for Preventive Action, outlines in “Renewed Conflict Over Nagorno-Karabakh” that the likelihood that violence between Armenia and Azerbaijan will escalate in the next twelve months is high
Nigeria
- Sani Zorro, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), has stated that the Nigerian government plans to issue United Nations passport to people at risk of being stateless. This process would help to ascertain stateless persons that are eligible for the UN passport, a document they can hold on to before their respective cases are resolved
- The Oslo Humanitarian Conference for Nigeria and the Lake Chad Region secured 14 donors pledging $458 million for relief in 2017 and an additional $214 million was announced for 2018 and beyond
- Three suicide bombers set ablaze three fuel tankers in the centre of Nigeria’s north-eastern city of Maiduguri before dawn Friday, in what could have been a major attack on the city’s main fuel depot, only the three bombers died
- Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, has ordered the arrest of Sambo Dasuki, the former national security adviser who is being accused of stealing billions of dollars meant to buy weapons for the fight against Boko Haram, as $5.4bn is missing from the army budget
South Sudan
- Top Ugandan government officials have called for international intervention including military to help end the South Sudan crisis that has forced over 1.5 million people to flee to neighbouring countries
- Uniformed soldiers attempted to seize a number of internally displaced people near a United Nations Protection of Civilians site in Bentiu last Thursday. After the UN said a robust response of members of the Mongolian Battalion saved countless lives
Sudan
- Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir on Thursday appointed a prime minister for the first time since the 1989 coup that brought him to power, choosing a close confidante who could potentially succeed him if he fulfils his vow to not seek re-election in 2020 – Al-Bashir could potentially hand power to Saleh in three years, knowing that the close ally would likely preserve his political immunity within Sudan and shield him from demands that he stand trial at the International Criminal Court on charges of genocide stemming from the conflict in Darfur
Timor Leste
- The 2015/16 El Niño event brought severe drought conditions to parts of Timor Leste effecting crops, livestock and a poor rice harvest and diminished seed stock are among the consequences that presented acute problems for the most vulnerable affected households
- There is not enough division in Timor Leste politics meaning there is no effective opposition
Uganda
- At least 10.9 million Ugandans are facing acute food insecurity with the country in risk of a real disaster should the first planting season rains fail, reveals a new report – This acute food insecurity has been caused by the prolonged drought that affected the country in 2015 and part of 2016