South Sudan on brink of further civil war, activist warns UN Security Council delegation

South Sudan on brink of further civil war, activist warns UN Security Council delegation
Violence caused 44,000 people to flee their homes across 26 villages, with 131 cases of rape and gang-rape documented. (File/AFP)
Short Url
Updated 22 September 2022

South Sudan on brink of further civil war, activist warns UN Security Council delegation

South Sudan on brink of further civil war, activist warns UN Security Council delegation
  • UN official said situation in South Sudan remained highly volatile despite ceasefire

NEW YORK: The failure of the peace process in South Sudan and the subsequent extension of transition deadlines will lead to further suffering of civilians and the inevitable outbreak of civil war, women’s activist Lilian Riziq warned a meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday.

Riziq, president of South Sudan Women’s Empowerment Network, was responding to a report delivered by Nicholas Haysom, the special representative of the secretary general for the UN Mission in South Sudan.

Haysom had told the meeting that the fundamentals of the agreement reached in 2018, taking South Sudan from conflict to peace, remained valid — but he said that while a ceasefire had held, the situation in the country remained highly volatile.

“(It is) four years after the signing of the peace agreement in 2018,” Riziq said.

“The power-sharing agreement has neither ended the violence nor delivered the needed reforms. The situation in South Sudan is unsustainable.”

Riziq said that the whole country was “breaking down,” adding that there was “rampant insecurity” and enforced displacement of civilians.

“Women and girls are routinely subjected to sexual violence,” she said.

She added that the recent graduation of unified security forces by the so-called revitalized transitional government had failed to bring about stability.

Riziq said that a joint human rights report, released on Sept. 6, 2022, “documented horrific violations and abuses of human rights in South Sudan.”

These violations included 131 cases of rape and gang rape, including girls as young as eight years old, and a nine-year-old girl who was gang-raped to death, she said.

“The current government has failed to carry out its mandate, including implementing the peace agreement and protecting civilians from state corruption and misuse of resources, especially oil revenue.”

“Therefore, extending the current government’s term despite its failure to engender peace, democracy and development will prolong the suffering of ordinary citizens.”

“In fact, the extension of the term of the government without an inclusive participation of civil society and other political and social groups will entrench the parties and encourage the government to remain in power.”

Riziq warned that delays would lead to violence and outbreak of a fully fledged war.

“The war will lead to a total collapse of South Sudan,” she said.

Riziq called on the international community to support calls for a “broad-based process to ensure the inclusivity of South Sudan’s transition to peace, democracy and development.”

“In this regard, we support the Fordham University initiative to convene a broad-based meeting on South Sudan as a follow-up to the roundtable discussion held in New York on June 3, 2023,” she said.

The initiative will seek to convene an inclusive political dialogue for South Sudanese stakeholders in the region, she said, adding that the goal was to help the South Sudanese reach a broad consensus on a roadmap for a new transitional government program.

Riziq said the nonpartisan initiative had the potential to influence and push representatives to engage in inclusive political dialogue and agree on a roadmap for a transitional program with a “specific mandate and timeline for free, fair and credible inclusive election.”

“We believe such a process will help the South Sudanese to get out of the vicious cycle of violence and political violence and build a society that will engage good governance, sustainable development and ensure justice and accountability,” she said.

In his report published to the UN on Tuesday, Haysom also revealed that scores of civilians had been killed in political clashes in South Sudan between February and May this year, with women and children exposed to brutal assaults, including gang rape.

In a meeting of the Security Council on Thursday, delegates heard that South Sudan was one of the most dangerous places to be an aid worker in 2021, with 319 violent incidents against humanitarian workers and assets in the country.

Additionally, five aid workers were killed in 2021 — five more have died since the beginning of this year.

Despite efforts by the UN Mission in South Sudan to bring about a sustainable peace, Haysom detailed continued outbreaks of inter-communal violence.

His report, published on Tuesday, accused all sides in the conflict of committing severe abuses, with pro-government forces and militias appearing to be “the main perpetrators of the human rights violations.”

Haysom said the violence caused 44,000 people to flee their homes across 26 villages, with a total of 131 cases of rape and gang-rape documented.

Haysom’s report noted the extension of the transitional period that previously held a February 2023 deadline.

And he said that as such signatory parties have agreed on a roadmap for completing the remaining tasks of the country’s transition through a set of revised benchmarks and timelines, with an extended transitional period of 24 months.

“Let me underscore that the roadmap is a waypoint, not an endpoint in South Sudan’s journey on the path to democratic transition,” Haysom said on Friday.

He said he had told the country’s rulers this, adding: “I encourage the parties to display tangible results by keeping to the strict deadlines of the roadmap calendar and to drive implementation in a manner that brings on board the other stakeholders to gain the confidence of the population.”

An essential aspect of the peace transition was the recent graduation of unified forces, which he said would help to bring about change.


Vladimir Putin meets ‘dear friend’ Xi Jinping in Kremlin as Ukraine war grinds on

Vladimir Putin meets ‘dear friend’ Xi Jinping in Kremlin as Ukraine war grinds on
Updated 20 sec ago

Vladimir Putin meets ‘dear friend’ Xi Jinping in Kremlin as Ukraine war grinds on

Vladimir Putin meets ‘dear friend’ Xi Jinping in Kremlin as Ukraine war grinds on
  • Washington denounces Xi Jinping’s visit, saying it shows Beijing is providing Moscow with ‘diplomatic cover’ to commit more crimes
Vladimir Putin and his “dear friend” Chinese leader Xi Jinping planned more talks on Tuesday after a Kremlin dinner where the isolated Russian president curried favor with his most powerful ally in the face of Western opposition to the war in Ukraine.
Coming just days after an international court accused Putin of war crimes, Washington denounced Xi’s visit, saying it showed Beijing was providing Moscow with “diplomatic cover” to commit more crimes.
Making his first trip abroad since obtaining an unprecedented third term earlier this month, Xi has been trying to portray Beijing as a potential peacemaker in Ukraine, even as he deepens economic ties with his closest ally.
Putin and Xi greeted one another as “dear friend” when they met in the Kremlin on Monday, and Russian state news agencies later reported they held informal talks for nearly 4-1/2 hours, with more official talks scheduled for Tuesday.
In televised comments, Putin told Xi he viewed China’s proposals for resolution of the Ukraine conflict with respect. Xi, for his part, praised Putin and predicted Russians would re-elect him next year.
Moscow has been publicly promoting plans for a visit by Xi for months. But the timing gave the Chinese leader’s personal support new meaning, after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant on Friday accusing Putin of war crimes for deporting children from Ukraine.
Denying the charges, Moscow said it has taken in orphans to protect them, and it opened a criminal case against the ICC’s prosecutor and judges. Beijing said the warrant reflected double standards.
“That President Xi is traveling to Russia days after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for President Putin suggests that China feels no responsibility to hold the Kremlin accountable for the atrocities committed in Ukraine,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
“Instead of even condemning them, it would rather provide diplomatic cover for Russia to continue to commit those grave crimes.”
White House spokesman John Kirby said Xi should use his influence to press Putin to withdraw troops from Ukraine, and Washington was concerned that Beijing might instead call for a cease-fire that would let Russian troops stay.
China has released a proposal to solve the Ukraine crisis, largely dismissed in the West as a ploy to buy Putin time to regroup his forces and solidify his grip on occupied land.
Foreign policy analysts said while Putin would be looking for strong support from Xi over Ukraine, they doubted his Moscow visit would result in any military backing.
Washington has said in recent weeks it fears China might arm Russia, which Beijing has denied.
Yu Jie, senior research fellow, Asia-Pacific Programme, at Chatham House in London, said Xi’s entourage does not include any senior members from the People’s Liberation Army.
“This may send a clear message that Beijing is unlikely to offer any direct military support to Moscow despite what some pundits have asserted,” she said.
Kyiv, which says the war cannot end until Russia pulls out its troops, cautiously welcomed Beijing’s peace proposal when it was unveiled last month.

US report lists ‘significant human rights’ abuses in India

US report lists ‘significant human rights’ abuses in India
Updated 10 min 48 sec ago

US report lists ‘significant human rights’ abuses in India

US report lists ‘significant human rights’ abuses in India
  • US criticism of India is rare due to close economic ties between the countries
  • Advocacy groups have raised concerns over what they see as a deteriorating human rights situation in India

WASHINGTON: The annual US report on human rights practices released on Monday listed “significant human rights issues” and abuses in India, including reported targeting of religious minorities, dissidents and journalists, the US State Department said.
The findings come nearly a year after Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US was monitoring what he described as a rise in human rights abuses in India by some government, police and prison officials, in a rare direct rebuke by Washington of the Asian nation’s rights record.
US criticism of India is rare due to close economic ties between the countries and India’s increasing importance for Washington to counter China in the region.

People mourn next to the body of Muddasir Khan, who was wounded on Tuesday in a clash between people demonstrating for and against a new citizenship law, after he succumbed to his injuries, in a riot affected area in New Delhi, India, February 27, 2020. (REUTERS)

Significant human rights issues in India have included credible reports of the government or its agents conducting extrajudicial killings; torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment by police and prison officials; political prisoners or detainees; and unjustified arrests or prosecutions of journalists, the US report added.
Advocacy groups have raised concerns over what they see as a deteriorating human rights situation in India in recent years under the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Human Rights Watch has said the Indian government’s policies and actions target Muslims while critics of Modi say his Hindu nationalist ruling party has fostered religious polarization since coming to power in 2014.

A radical Hindu religious flag flutters on the minaret of a burnt-out mosque following sectarian riots over India's new citizenship law, at Mustafabad area in New Delhi on February 28, 2020. Muslims in India's capital held regular on February 28 prayers under the watch of riot police, capping a week which saw 42 killed and hundreds injured during the city's worst sectarian violence in decades. (AFP)

Critics point to a 2019 citizenship law that the United Nations human rights office described as “fundamentally discriminatory” by excluding Muslim migrants from neighboring countries; anti-conversion legislation that challenged the constitutionally protected right to freedom of belief; and revoking Muslim-majority Kashmir’s special status in 2019.
The government dismisses the accusations by saying its policies are aimed at the development of all communities.
In 2022, authorities also demolished what they described as illegal shops and properties, many of them owned by Muslims, in parts of India. Critics say the demolition drive was an attempt to intimidate India’s 200 million Muslims. The government defended the demolitions, saying they were enforcing the law.
“Human rights activists reported the government was allegedly targeting vocal critics from the Muslim community and using the bulldozers to destroy their homes and livelihoods” without due process, the US report released on Monday added.
Since Modi took office in 2014, India has slid from 140th in World Press Freedom Index, an annual ranking by non-profit Reporters Without Borders, to 150th place last year, its lowest ever. India has also topped the list for the highest number of Internet shutdowns in the world for five years in a row, including in 2022, Internet advocacy watchdog Access Now says.
“Civil society organizations expressed concern that the central government sometimes used UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) to detain human rights activists and journalists,” the US report said.

 


In Trump probe, grand jury hears from potential last witness

Donald Trump. (AP)
Donald Trump. (AP)
Updated 21 March 2023

In Trump probe, grand jury hears from potential last witness

Donald Trump. (AP)
  • The testimony came two days after Trump said he expected to face criminal charges and urged supporters to protest his possible arrest

NEW YORK: A grand jury heard from a potential final witness Monday in the investigation into Donald Trump as law enforcement officials accelerated security preparations in advance of a possible indictment and as fellow Republicans staked out positions in a criminal probe expected to shake up the 2024 presidential race.
The testimony from Robert Costello, a lawyer who had a falling out with the key government witness in the Trump investigation, came as the grand jury that for months has been investigating Trump over hush money paid to a porn star during his 2016 campaign appeared to be wrapping up its work.
Costello was invited to appear after saying he had information raising questions about the credibility of Michael Cohen, a key witness in the investigation who has already appeared multiple times before the grand jury. Costello’s testimony was expected to give the former president an indirect opportunity to make a case that he shouldn’t face criminal charges, though there were no clear signs his appearance had changed the course of the grand jury probe.
Cohen had been available for over two hours to rebut the testimony but was not needed, his attorney said Monday.
Costello had provided Cohen, himself a lawyer, legal services several years ago. In a news conference after his grand jury appearance, he told reporters that he had come forward to provide exculpatory information about Trump and to make clear that he did not believe Cohen, who pleaded guilty to federal crimes and served time in prison, could be trusted.
“If they want to go after Donald Trump and they have solid evidence then so be it,” Costello said. “But Michael Cohen is far from solid evidence.”
Responding to Costello’s claims on MSNBC later Monday, Cohen said that Costello was never his lawyer and “he lacks any sense of veracity.”
The testimony came two days after Trump said he expected to face criminal charges and urged supporters to protest his possible arrest. In a series of social media posts through the weekend, the former Republican president criticized the New York investigation, directing particularly hostile rhetoric toward Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat.
It’s not clear when prosecutors might wrap up their work, but law enforcement in New York has been making physical preparations for any unrest surrounding a possible indictment. In the morning, a New York Police Department truck began dropping off portable metal barricades that could be used to block off streets or sidewalks.
Costello briefly acted as a legal adviser to Cohen after the FBI raided Cohen’s home and apartment in 2018. At the time, Cohen was being investigated for both tax evasion and for payments he helped orchestrate in 2016 to buy the silence of two women who claimed to have had sexual encounters with Trump.
For several months, it was unclear whether Cohen, a longtime lawyer and fixer for the Trump Organization who once boasted that he would “take a bullet” for his boss, would remain loyal to the president.
Cohen ultimately decided to plead guilty in connection with the payments to porn actor Stormy Daniels and model Karen McDougal, which he said were directed by Trump. Since then, he has been a vociferous Trump critic, testifying before Congress and then to the Manhattan grand jury.
Trump, who has denied having sex with either woman, has branded Cohen a liar. Costello broke with Cohen before he pleaded guilty, after it became clear he was no longer in Trump’s camp.
In the years since, Costello, a veteran New York attorney, has represented Trump allies including his former political strategist Steve Bannon and his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani.
Even as the New York investigation pushes toward conclusion, Trump faces criminal probes in Atlanta and Washington that, taken together, pose significant legal peril and carry the prospect of upending a Republican presidential race in which Trump remains a leading contender. Some of his likely opponents have tried to strike a balance between condemning a potential prosecution as politically motivated while avoiding condoning the conduct at issue.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, an expected GOP presidential candidate, criticized the investigation but also threw one of his first jabs at the former president in a move likely to intensify their simmering political rivalry.
“I don’t know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some kind of alleged affair,” DeSantis said at a news conference in Panama City. “I can’t speak to that.”
But, he added, “what I can speak to is that if you have a prosecutor who is ignoring crimes happening every single day in his jurisdiction and he chooses to go back many, many years ago to try to use something about porn star hush money payments, that’s an example of pursuing a political agenda and weaponizing the office. And I think that’s fundamentally wrong.”
Mike Pence, the former vice president who’s expected to challenge Trump for the Republican nomination, castigated Trump in an ABC News interview last weekend as “reckless” for his actions on Jan. 6 and said history would hold him accountable. Even so, he echoed the former president’s rhetoric that an indictment would be a “politically charged prosecution.”
“I have no doubt that President Trump knows how to take care of himself,” Pence said. “And he will. But that doesn’t make it right to have a politically charged prosecution of a former president.”

 


Biden signs law declassifying US intel on COVID-19 origin

Biden signs law declassifying US intel on COVID-19 origin
Updated 16 min 49 sec ago

Biden signs law declassifying US intel on COVID-19 origin

Biden signs law declassifying US intel on COVID-19 origin

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden on Monday signed into law a bill requiring the release of intelligence materials on potential links between the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and a laboratory in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
“We need to get to the bottom of Covid-19’s origins..., including potential links to the Wuhan Institute of Virology,” Biden said in a statement.
“In implementing this legislation, my administration will declassify and share as much of that information as possible,” he added.
“I share the Congress’s goal of releasing as much information as possible about the origin” of Covid, he said.
Biden said that in 2021, after taking office, he had “directed the Intelligence Community to use every tool at its disposal to investigate.”
That work is “ongoing,” but as much as possible will be released without causing “harm to national security,” he said.
The bill posed political risks for Biden, who is negotiating a difficult relationship with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Beijing vehemently rejects the possibility that a leak during research at the Wuhan lab could have unleashed the global pandemic.
However, much of Congress wants to pursue the theory further, and the issue has become a rallying point in particular for Biden’s Republican opponents.
Congress passed and sent the bill to Biden in March.
The Covid-19 outbreak began in 2019 in the eastern Chinese city of Wuhan, leading to almost seven million deaths worldwide so far, according to official counts, over a million of them in the United States.
But health officials and the US intelligence community remain divided over whether it was spread randomly to humans from an infected animal or leaked during research undertaken at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
The US Energy Department — one of the US agencies investigating the disaster — concluded with “low confidence” that the virus probably came from a lab, agreeing with the assessment of the FBI, but contradicting the conclusions of several other agencies.


Biden pays tribute to Iranian women at Nowruz celebration

Biden pays tribute to Iranian women at Nowruz celebration
Updated 21 March 2023

Biden pays tribute to Iranian women at Nowruz celebration

Biden pays tribute to Iranian women at Nowruz celebration
  • US President said that he wished Nowruz holiday would be a moment of ‘hope for the women of Iran fighting for their human rights and fundamental freedoms’
  • Joe Biden: ‘We’re going to continue to hold Iranian officials accountable for their attacks against their people’

WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden used a White House event to mark Persian New Year on Monday to pay tribute to Iranian women and girls who took to the streets of Iran to protest following the death last year of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini and vowed to keep pressure on Tehran.
Biden said he wished the Nowruz holiday, a nearly 4,000-year-old tradition known as the Festival of Fire that’s linked to the Zoroastrian religion, would be a moment of “hope for the women of Iran fighting for their human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
“The United States stands with those brave women and all the citizens of Iran who are inspiring the world with their conviction,” Biden said, describing the reception as the biggest White House Nowruz celebration to date. “We’re going to continue to hold Iranian officials accountable for their attacks against their people.”
The United States, Europe and the United Kingdom have imposed a series of fresh sanctions on dozens of Iranian officials and organizations, including the country’s special military and police forces, for their violent clampdown.
The protests began in mid-September when Amini died after being arrested by Iran’s morality police for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code.
The protests mark one of the biggest challenges to Iran’s theocracy since the 1979 revolution.