Crumbs of human rights

Abuses by UN peacekeepers have been committed over the past two decades in various parts of the world. Blue Helmets in Haiti, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Bosnia, Cambodia, East Timor and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), just to mention a few missions, have abused their power  and aggravated the suffering of war-thorn local communities. The embarrassment caused by the misconduct of UN forces in devastated communities around the world has become an increasingly high profile, political problem . Commitments by various high-profile UN officials, including the incumbent and the previous Secretary Generals have been made to uproot the horrific human rights violations and the impunity that surrounds them. More than a decade ago, the previous Secretary General Kofi Annan pledged to eliminate the scourge of sexual abuse from the UN and introduce a “zero tolerance” policy on sexual violence in conflict. As part of the broad package to reform the UN Department of Peacekee...

As the number of military personnel deployed to fight Boko Haram in the Far North Region of Cameroon has increased, the number of people detained without trial on suspicion of supporting the armed group has gone up, as well. Families and communities torn apart Since 2014, Cameroon’s security forces have arrested hundreds of people without charge during security operations. One man from the village of Double told us how security forces raided the village in search of suspected Boko Haram fighters: “Early in the morning, we heard gunshots and thought it was Boko Haram. We were scared and fled to the bush; then people called us to say it wasn’t Boko Haram, but the security forces, so we came back thinking we were safe. However, to our great surprise, those forces made us suffer even more than Boko Haram.” During this operation carried out in Double and in the neighbouring community, Magdeme, nine people were killed and more than 200 boys and men arbitrar...

The Cameroonian security forces don't take into account how many lives they sacrifice when it comes to eradicating the Islamist group, Boko Haram. Amnesty International revealed in its new report that t he military offensive against Boko Haram has resulted in widespread human rights violations against civilians in the Far North region of the country. During search-and-cordon operations, security forces  often arrest people on the basis of very little information or assumptions and sometimes they detain whole groups. In February 2015 for example,  in Kossa,  32 men were arrested based on accusations that the village was providing food to Boko Haram. Most were later released, but one man died in custody. After being arrested, people are far too often held incommunicado at illegal detention sites in military bases, before being transferred to the official prisons. And, as Amnesty International learnt, in secret detention, torture is not a rare method to encoura...

Boko Haram had announced the group's pledge of allegiance to the Islamic State on 7 March 2015, therewith aligning itself with the IS in the global Jihadist movement. The IS welcomed the news and promptly accepted a pledge of allegiance to the group , according to an audiotape purportedly from its spokesman. "We announce to you to the good news of the expansion of the caliphate to West Africa because the caliph... has accepted the allegiance of our brothers [..]”  – IS spokesman Mohammed al-Adnani said in the message. However, this video appearing on IS-affiliated websites could not be authenticated. Although the nature of exact links between the two armed groups are still unclear, it can be confirmed that their ideologies and operations show similarities, despite some remaining differences. (Source: www.dw.com) The ideology of the two armed groups The ideology of both groups is based on a premodern theological tradition that wants the establishment o...

You can’t entirely be. If you search on the internet, you will probably find that the lithium-ion battery, the thing that powers your laptop, tablet or smartphone and enables you to surf for hours, contains cobalt. If you search a little longer, you’ll learn that 50% of this mineral comes from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) – mined in the south of the country, often by children and for very little money. Kids work in mines under dangerous conditions Children, as young as seven are involved in this dirty industry. According to a UNICEF report from 2014, approximately 40,000 boys and girls work in the mines across the southern part of the DRC, many of them involved in cobalt mining. The majority of the kids work above ground, collecting minerals from the mountains of tailings (or residue) outside both active and inactive industrial mines. They can also work in lakes and streams close to the mines, washing and sorting the stones. Some boys go underground, digging deep to a...

Because at their home country, they are not respected. Although forced and early marriage is illegal in Burkina Faso, over 52% of the girls get married before they turn 18 and  10% before 15 - according to a UNICEF report. In extreme cases,  In Burkina Faso, some girls were as young as 11 when they were forced to enter into a marriage with a spouse who could be even 30 to 50 years older than the bride.  >> Watch Amnesty International's video. In Burkina Faso, women and girls are far too often prevented from making other crucial decisions, such as whether or when to get pregnant.  When women raise the issue of birth control with their partners, they very often suffer verbal abuse or physical violence.  “Once married, girls are expected to have children as soon as possible. Early pregnancies greatly increase the risk of girls dying or experiencing life-changing physical injuries,"  says  Alioune Tine, Amnesty International’s Regiona...

Fred and Yves are like you and me: activists, committed to bring about change and advocate for rights for all. A year ago, they attended a conference in the capital of their home country, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The event’s aim was to launch a platform called "Filimbi" that works towards encouraging young Congolese people to peacefully and responsibly exercise their civic rights. Following a press conference, they took part in a workshop where pro-democracy activists from several African countries gathered to exchange experiences on the theme "Youth and Citizenship". But in the middle of the event Congolese security forces raided the building and arrested 27 participants. This all happened in spite of the meeting’s previous authorisation by the relevant state actors.  Although most of the detained activists have been released a week after their arrest, Fred Bauma and Yves Makwambala are still in prison after a year. The young ...

Keywan Karimi’s new film Writing on the City ​had its first official screening ​just a couple of days ago, on 12 February​ ​at the Spanish Punto de Vista International Documentary Film Festival in Pamplona . However, the director ​wasn​'​t​ ​present: Karimi is ​in Iran, awaiting the outcome of his appeal ​against his six-year prison sentence. The hour-long film is “ a historic journey in terms of an essay through the use of murals and political paintings in Tehran ”. Through the graffiti and wall paintings the past of the city revives: The audience can learn about forgotten events, that the locals couldn’t express otherwise, due to the regime’s repression. In those artworks freedom of expression and idea can thrive. However, as Karimi said in an interview with the Times of India , “ [The authorities] say it is a propaganda against the government. ” He goes on saying: “Some picture[s] and archive photo[s] are [from] some period in Iran that the government hates.” But becau...

Mohammad Ali Taheri, the founder of a new spiritual group Erfan-e Halgheh, has been on hunger strike for a few days. He is protesting the limbo his case is in. His five-year prison sentence is about to terminate soon, however, the court that had previously sentenced him to death has resumed its investigation into his case. Mohammad Ali Taheri has been held in solitary confinement for the past nearly five years in Tehran’s Evin Prison. His contact with his inmates and the outside world has been very limited. The only connections that have given him hope and energy are the weekly meetings with his wife and the irregular calls the prison authorities allow him to have with his family. Mohammad Ali Taheri always looks forward to these events, as he doesn’t have anything else to occupy himself with: he hasn’t even had access to books, a piece of paper or a pen for a very long time. Imprisoned for his teachings and belief   Mohammad Ali Taheri established the Erfan-e Halgheh ...