Atrocities Watch Africa (AWA) is a non-partisan civil society organisation that provides continental leadership in matters pertaining to the prevention of mass atrocities within Africa. Our strategies and approaches are grounded in the realisation that atrocities can...
Atrocities Watch Africa (AWA) is a non-partisan civil society organisation that provides continental leadership in matters pertaining to the prevention of mass atrocities within Africa. Our strategies and approaches are grounded in the realisation that atrocities can...
Atrocities Watch Africa (AWA) is a non-partisan civil society organisation that provides continental leadership in matters pertaining to the prevention of mass atrocities within Africa. Our strategies and approaches are grounded in the realisation that atrocities can...
Atrocities Watch Africa (AWA) is a non-partisan, civil society organisation that provides continental leadership in matters pertaining to the prevention of mass atrocities within Africa, our strategies and approaches are grounded in the realisation that atrocities can...
Atrocities Watch Africa (AWA) is a non-partisan, civil society organisation that provides continental leadership in matters pertaining to the prevention of mass atrocities within Africa, our strategies and approaches are grounded in the realisation that atrocities can...
Atrocities Watch Africa (AWA) is a non-partisan, civil society organisation that provides continental leadership in matters pertaining to the prevention of mass atrocities within Africa, our strategies and approaches are grounded in the realisation that atrocities can...
Two months have passed since the fighting between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) began on 15 April 2023. Both parties to the war continued to use explosive weapons in urban areas, killing civilians, damaging property and critical...
Mass atrocities crimes continue to torment Nigeria. According to a report by Nigeria Mourns released in May, in the first quarter of 2023 at least 1,230 people were killed and over 658 abductions took place. The vast majority - over 75% - of killings took place in the...
In May 2023, the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) issued a comprehensive report on the Moura massacre in March 2022. The UN report is based on interviews with victims and witnesses as well as forensics and other information as the team was not allowed to access the...
The ethnic cleansing campaign against Tigrayans in Western Tigray is ongoing despite the November 2022 cessation of hostilities agreement. Local authorities and Amhara forces have continued to kill, torture, arbitrarily arrest, and expel Tigrayans in what may...
In a rare attack suspected separatists targeted a military post in the village of Matouke, about 40km from Douala, killing at least six people-including one civilian-and injuring many others, according to Cameroonian authorities. This attack is the first time...
Atrocities Watch Africa (AWA) is a non-partisan, civil society organisation that provides continental leadership in matters pertaining to the prevention of mass atrocities within Africa, our strategies and approaches are grounded in the realisation that atrocities can...
Fighting broke out on 15 April after weeks of tensions between the paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), previously allied with the Sudanese Armed Forces under the auspices of the National Intelligence and Security Services, led by General Mohamed Hamdan...
Impunity drives ongoing cycles of violence in South Sudan.[1] Despite most violence being framed as intercommunal, much of it is driven by the political elite over access to power and financial resources, using armed actors such as armed militias and community defence...
The fragile ceasefire between the rebel Mouvement du 23 mars (M23) and the Congolese army holds, however, the risk of a return to fighting remains. Uganda[1] and South Sudan[2] were the last countries to send in troops as part of the East African Community’s Regional...
Around 150 civilians were killed in Karma, northern Yatenga province, when a group of men in military uniform surrounded the village, opened fire and later proceeded to loot shops, homes and mosques. The perpetrators were believed to be members of the defence and...
Atrocities Watch Africa (AWA) is a non-partisan, civil society organisation that provides continental leadership in matters pertaining to the prevention of mass atrocities within Africa. Our strategies and approaches are grounded in the realisation that atrocities can...
Fighting broke out on 6 February in Las Anod, capital of the disputed Sool region claimed by both Somaliland and Puntland. Over 185,000 people were displaced[1] and over 200 were killed.[2] The fighting took place between Somaliland forces and militias loyal to...
Nigerians headed to the polls to elect the President, Vice President and members of the Senate and House of Representatives, on 25 February. Days later, and despite still having over 28,000 polling units still unaccounted for,[1] the Independent National Electoral...
Although ACLED reported over a 50% decrease in violent events overall and a 74% decrease in battles in Ethiopia as a whole in February, continuing violence in Oromia was perpetrated by Oromia regional special forces.[1] Fighting between OLA and the Ethiopian...
In February, in the run up to senatorial elections this month, there was an increase in violence in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions.[1] Anglophone separatist rebels oppose elections. The Ambazonia Defense Forces spokesman, Daniel Capo, said that “any Ambazonia citizen...
Atrocities Watch Africa MonitorMarch 2023 Atrocities Watch Africa (AWA) is a non-partisan, civil society organisation that provides continental leadership in matters pertaining to the prevention of mass atrocities within Africa, our strategies and approaches are...
Atrocities Watch Africa (AWA) is a non-partisan, civil society organisation that intends to provide continental leadership in matters pertaining to the prevention of mass atrocities within Africa, our strategies and approaches are grounded in the realisation that...
Atrocities Watch Africa (AWA) is a non-partisan, civil society organisation that provides continental leadership in matters pertaining to the prevention of mass atrocities within Africa, our strategies and approaches are grounded in the realisation that atrocities can...
Atrocities Watch Africa (AWA) is a non-partisan, civil society organisation that provides continental leadership in matters pertaining to the prevention of mass atrocities within Africa, our strategies and approaches are grounded in the realisation that atrocities can...
Atrocities Watch Africa (AWA) is a non-partisan, civil society organisation that provides continental leadership in matters pertaining to the prevention of mass atrocities within Africa, our strategies and approaches are grounded in the realisation that atrocities can...
Atrocities Watch Africa Monitor No 5, June 2022 Atrocities Watch Africa (AWA) is a non-partisan, civil society organisation that intends to provide continental leadership in matters pertaining to the prevention of mass atrocities within Africa, our strategies and...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor N° 5, June 2022Read full newsletter here. Levels of violence remained high in Burkina Faso in May. ACLED reported a slight decrease in reported violence against civilians but an increase in acts of remote violence and battles....
From Atrocities Watch Monitor N° 5, June 2022Read full newsletter here. Violence increased in Cameroon in May, with an increase in both incidents and fatalities as compared to both April and the monthly average from the prior year.[1] In late April and early May,...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor N° 5, June 2022Read full newsletter here. Violence in the Central African Republic (CAR) has decreased when compared to the previous year. There has been a 38% decrease in violent incidents and fatalities during the last four weeks...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor N° 5, June 2022Read full newsletter here. Fighting continues in eastern Congo. Although ACLED reports fewer incidents and fatalities over the last four weeks than average over the past year,[1] new patterns of violence –...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor N° 5, June 2022Read full newsletter here. The situation in Ethiopia remains volatile. Although levels of violence in northern Ethiopia have declined, there are now more, less deadly incidents spread out over a larger geographic area....
From Atrocities Watch Monitor N° 5, June 2022Read full newsletter here. The security situation remains fragile.[1] Tensions escalated mid-May when Bashagha entered Tripoli accompanied by armed groups, after a two month stand-off between his administration and...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor N° 5, June 2022Read full newsletter here. Violence in Mali increased. ACLED reported a slight increase in violent events against civilians and over 200% increase in battles throughout the country when compared to April 2022, however,...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor N° 5, June 2022Read full newsletter here. ACLED recorded an increase in violence in May after a calm in April with all violent incidents taking place in the Cabo Delgado province. Attacks by the Islamic State (IS) continued...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor N° 5, June 2022Read full newsletter here. Violence continued in Nigeria, in May, there has been a slight decrease in reported events, and an over 26% decrease in fatalities throughout the country when compared to the monthly average...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor N° 5, June 2022Read full newsletter here. In May, Somalia saw an increase in violence, particularly in the run up to the 15 May presidential election. According to ACLED, there was about a 25% increase in the number of incidents,...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor N° 5, June 2022Read full newsletter here. There has been a decrease in violence in South Sudan. May showed the lowest number of violent incidents since the start of the year and a sharp decrease in fatalities when compared to...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor N° 5, June 2022Read full newsletter here. The situation in Sudan remains volatile. The UN Mission in Sudan, the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) launched, on 12 May, preliminary talks intended...
Atrocities Watch Africa Monitor No 4, May 2022 Atrocities Watch Africa (AWA) is a non-partisan, civil society organisation that intends to provide continental leadership in matters pertaining to the prevention of mass atrocities within Africa, our strategies and...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor N° 4, May 2022Read full newsletter here. The number of incidents of political violence recorded by ACLED have decreased from February 2022 through April.[1] The most violent events in the Sahel region occurred during the...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor N° 4, May 2022Read full newsletter here. Violence continued in the north-west and south-west regions, although the level decreased, with 25% fewer incidents and an almost 50% drop in fatalities during the last four weeks compared to...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor N° 4, May 2022Read full newsletter here. The long-awaited inaugural trial of the Special Criminal Court, tasked with trying individuals suspected of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity since 2003, was supposed to start...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor N° 4, May 2022Read full newsletter here. During the first week of April, governmental military forces regained control of several localities in Bwisha, North Kivu, previously in the hands of M23.[1] The group had resumed their...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor N° 4, May 2022Read full newsletter here. The situation in Ethiopia has been generally calm although unpredictable. Despite the declaration of a “humanitarian truce” over a month ago, humanitarian aid is not steadily reaching northern...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor N° 4, May 2022Read full newsletter here. The stand-off between Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah and Fathi Bashagha continued in April. Despite this, the first meeting of the UN led Joint Committee took place from 13 to 18 April, aiming...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor N° 4, May 2022Read full newsletter here. Clashes between the government and allied forces against Islamist extremist groups continued throughout April. The Moura Massacre, which occurred in late March 2022, cost the lives of over 300...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor N° 4, May 2022Read full newsletter here. There appears to be a decrease in violence since January 2022, which was the month with the highest level of violence in the last year. April showed the lowest levels of violence yet, which...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor N° 4, May 2022Read full newsletter here. Recorded violent incidents throughout the country decreased during the month of April, which showed the lowest number of incidents since the start of the year.[1] At the same time, Islamic...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor N° 4, May 2022Read full newsletter here. Violence in Somalia increased in April in the run up to the presidential elections in May. According to ACLED, 190 battles occurred in April 2022, more than in any month in 2021 or in the...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor N° 4, May 2022Read full newsletter here. Violence continued in South Sudan at similar levels to prior months, according to ACLED data. After increasing tensions throughout March and pressure from donors and international partners,...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor N° 4, May 2022Read full newsletter here. The tense standoff between the post-coup government and pro-democracy forces continued through April. Overall levels of violence remained similar to earlier months according to ACLED...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor No. 3 April 2022. Read full newsletter here The latest in a series of scheduled election dates passed on 31 March without elections. Attacks by Islamist extremists intensified through March, ACLED recorded over 40 acts of remote...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor No. 3 April 2022. Read full newsletter here Fighting between the two main signatories of the 2018 Revitalised Agreement erupted this month, putting at risk an already fragile transition. With only a year until the country’s first...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor No. 3 April 2022. Read full newsletter here During March, conflict in Jebel Moon, West Darfur, cost the lives of at least 48 people and more than 12,000 were displaced.217 Clashes broke out on 10 March and at least 35 people were...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor No. 3 April 2022. Read full newsletter here In the midst of economic, political and security challenges, plus the surge in coups in west African nations, political parties must elect their candidates by 3 June 2022 for elections to...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor No. 3 April 2022. Read full newsletter here Cabo Delgado remains the province most affected by Islamist insurgents. During the first week of March, al-Shabaab (AS) fighters killed at least 15 civilians in the villages of Mbuidi,...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor No. 3 April 2022. Read full newsletter here Civilian casualties increased throughout 2021, especially in the northern and central part of the country, due to increasing attacks by armed groups and intercommunal violence.115 The Human...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor No. 3 April 2022. Read full newsletter here Tensions continued in March between Dbeibah, who was named Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity a year ago, and Bashagha, who was appointed by the House of Representatives...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor No. 3 April 2022. Read full newsletter here On 24 March, the Ethiopian government announced an indefinite humanitarian truce expressing the hope that this would “substantially improve the humanitarian situation on the ground and pave...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor No. 3 April 2022. Read full newsletter here ACLED recorded a total of 90 incidents of attacks against civilians by non-state actors in March.52 Kivu Security Tracker recorded 716 violent deaths, attributing 119 to the Allied...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor No. 3 April 2022. Read full newsletter here Reconciliation talks took place during 21-27 March in what experts considered an attempt to pacify the international community. 34 No rebel groups were invited, only representatives of the...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor No. 3 April 2022. Read full newsletter here Violence against civilians increased in from February to March 2022, although the overall number of incidents for the first quarter of 2022 remained substantially lower than the first...
From Atrocities Watch Monitor No. 3 April 2022. Read full newsletter here Burkina Faso continues to experience violence and political tensions in the wake of a military coup that deposed Roch Kabore in January 2022. In early March, Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba was...
Atrocities Watch Africa Monitor No 3, April 2022 Atrocities Watch Africa (AWA) is a non-partisan, civil society organisation that intends to provide continental leadership in matters pertaining to the prevention of mass atrocities within Africa, our strategies and...
Atrocities Watch Africa MonitorNo 2, March 2022 Atrocities Watch Africa (AWA) is a non-partisan, civil society organisation that intends to provide continental leadership in matters pertaining to the prevention of mass atrocities within Africa, our strategies and...
Continued sexual violence in South Sudan While the world celebrated international women’s day on March 8th, the head of the UN mission in South Sudan David Shearer addressed a 15-person council at the UN on he situation in South Sudan. He told the council that sexual...
EAC Receives final report on Burundian dialogue In the last quarter of 2018, the government of Burundi did all to sabotaged all the efforts aimed at finding a solution to the inter-Burundian dialogue. Twice, it boycotted the EAC Summit that was scheduled on 30...
UN staff kills 2 A UN peacekeeper killed two civilian contractors in Juba. The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said in a statement that the incident happened in Juba at one of its bases. The statement however does not disclose the identity of the...
UN speak out against mass rape Both the United Nations and the rebel group allied to Dr. Riek Machar have condemned the rape of the 125 women and girls in Bentiu in the north of South Sudan. Last week the aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said that they had...
Vice president accused of stalking peace The first Vice President of South Sudan Taban Deng Gai,has been accused by Dickson Gatluak Jock Nyuot, an army officer of planning to kill the peace process in the country. Dickson Gatluak was previously loyal to Taban deng...
Summary November was dominated by international focus on the situation of Burundi but with very few results as Burundi government boycotted the EAC Summit. However the arrest of former officers in the Army of Burundi and the release of an arrest warrant against...
Malong goes missing in Kampala The son of Gen. Paul Malong, Lual Malong Jr has been reported as missing by his family in Kampala. Lual who is a tycoon and is famous for sharing videos of himself on social media showing off a lot of US dollar bills is said to have been...
Summary The month of October was regarded as a decisive month as Burundian invested in peace were invited to the 5th and concluding session of the inter-Burundian dialogue. Despite the massive participation of the opposition, the government of Burundi, the ruling...
Amidst Peace, fighting breaks in Kajo Keji Despite the ceasefire and peace revitalization treaty, there have been several cases of continued fighting in South Sudan. Last week there fighting in Kajo-Keji county in Yei River State between the SPLA and rebel forces led...
A Ugandan Member of Parliament Raphael Magyezi proposed a bill to amend the 1995 constitution of Uganda to remove the age limit for presidency that currently stands at 75 years. This motion sparked a chain of events that led to fights in the parliament. Beginning...
UN wants 9,000 abductees released The United Nations has released a report urging the rebel group SPLA-IO to release the people that they abducted during the fighting that started in April 2018. The report says over 900 people were abducted and another 24,000 forced...
Summary September 2018 was marked by the presentation of the report of the Commission of Inquiry on Burundi to the UN Human Rights Council and the renewal of its mandate for one year. Amongst the striking events that dominated the month was the suspension of...
Kiir invites rebels to Juba The president of South Sudan, Salva Kiir, has sent an invitation to all rebel leaders to visit Juba as a gesture of building confidence in s readiness to uphold the peace agreement signed in Ethiopia. Salva Kiir extended the invitation to...
Member of parliament whereabouts unknown A member of Uganda parliament Francis Zaake’s whereabouts still unknown days after he was discharged from hospital in India. Zaake was among the 32 people arrested and brutalized in Arua by-election where it was claimed that...
Fighting breaks out despite peace efforts Days after what was considered a final peace deal was penned, the rebel group SPLA-IO in South Sudan reported that they were attacked by government troops at two of their bases. The deputy spokesperson of the SPLA-IO Lam Paul...
US wants hybrid court now The United States embassy in Juba released a statement last week calling on the government to expedite the creation of a hybrid court. The statement called on the government to conclude a memorandum of understanding with the African Union on...
Summary In Burundi the month of August was marked by a high number of arbitrary arrests. In preparation for the 2020 general election, the government of Burundi set up a new electoral commission that has raised controversy among political actors. The situation of...
Dr Machar finally accepts deal With prior disagreements solved, opposition leader Dr. Riek Machar accepted the peace deal proposed in Khartoum. Last week, Dr. Machar and the leaders of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) had refused to sign the deal saying that...
Ceasefire broken The South Sudan army has accused the SPLA-IO of attacking government positions in a breach of the ceasefire that has so far been holding. Spokesman Brigadier General Lul Ruai Koang said the SPLA-IO attacked their positions in the Liech State. He...
Kiir offers amnesty to Machar South Sudan President Salva Kiir announced on the national broadcaster that he was offering amnesty to Dr Riek Machar and all the opposition groups in South Sudan. He added that the army would observe ceasefire. He also ordered the army...
Summary The ongoing crisis has forced hundreds of thousands of Burundians to flee the country, many have sought asylum in neighboring countries. Despite the alarming situation of violation of human rights, including continuing reports of killings, arbitrary arrests...
Power deal fails again Another attempt at peace for South Sudan has failed once gain. Parties of South Sudan have met in Khartoum to ignite a new power sharing deal. On Wednesday this week, the talks failed yet again to come up with a power sharing agreement. The deal...
Summary During the reporting period, several cases of assassinations, murders, arbitrary arrests and abductions were reported across the country. In most of the cases Imbonerakure militia were identified by victims as the perpetrators and reported to authorities or...
Fighting resumes after ceasefire agreement Only hours after the signing of a new ceasefire agreement between President Salva Kiir and Dr. Riek Machar in Entebbe, fighting resumed in South Sudan. Rebels allied to Dr Machar reported being under attack in Wau County....
Cautious progress in South Sudan peace talks Finally face -to -face talks between South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Dr. Riek Machar under the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) happened though it yielded little progress. The first of...
New consultations A new round of IGAD-led South Sudan peace negotiations kicked off last Saturday in Addis Ababa aimed at bringing lasting peace and security to the country. It can be recalled that the previous round of talks failed to yield any results and the United...
Summary The constitutional referendum held 17 May was characterized by a large number of arbitrary arrests mainly targeting members of the opposition Amizero y’Abarundi. As President Pierre Nkurunziza proclaimed the new constitution, he also pledged to step aside in...
UN threats of sanctions increase The United Nations Security Council on Thursday 31 voted in favour of imposing additional sanctions on South Sudan. The council voted 9 -0 in favour of the sanctions but delayed their implementation until the end of June, giving the...
Opposition loses challenge to referendum The constitutional court in Burundi cancelled a petition filed by the opposition to annul the May 17 referendum on the basis of intimidation, torture and killings of citizens during the campaigns. The court declared on...
Raila appointed South Sudan envoy Kenyan former Prime Minister and presidential candidate Raila Odinga has been appointed Kenya’s special envoy to South Sudan by the President Uhuru Kenyatta. Raila Odinga has already been to Addis Ababa to meet with Salva Kiir during...
Referendum passes Burundi held a referendum on 17 May to decide on a series of constitutional amendments, including whether or not the presidential term of office should be extended from five to seven years. While the day of the referendum passed peacefully, there...
Summary In the run up to the constitutional referendum, the number of arbitrary arrests increased remarkably. All the cases we monitored we were able to record were carried out by either Imbonerakure militiamen or the police or the two working together. They targeted...
“ Come back” Kiir tells Machar The president of Salva Kiir requested the former vice president Riek Macher to return home to South Sudan. During a meeting with the National Leadership Council, the president asked the IGAD ministers of foreign affairs to allow Dr. Riek...
UN sees peace process under threat The Head of the UN Mission in South Sudan David Shearer expressed his concerns over the viability of the peace process in South Sudan in the context of increased fighting between the rebels and the government forces despite the...
Government violates ceasefire again The opposition group the South Sudan United Movement (SSUM) led by Gen. Peter Gatdet Yaka accused government troops of violating the ceasefire agreement once more. The spokesperson of the SSUM, Col. Gatkuoth Mut Turoah, said through...
19 targeted for opposing referendum Human Rights Watch reported in the last week that Burundian officials and government affiliated militia (Imbonerakure) are targeting, torturing and killing Burundians campaigning against the referendum to take place next month. The...
Boma state in need of help Thousands of people are in need of humanitarian assistance in Boma state of South Sudan after fleeing their homes out of fear for their lives. Majority of those in need are women and children affected by the battle between rebels of Dr. Riek...
Summary Much of the first half of April 2018 was dominated by arbitrary arrests targeting persons believed to be campaigning against the change of the constitution and dominated by incitement to violence by CNDD-FDD activists threatening those likely to opposed to the...
SUMMARYDuring the two first weeks of April 2018, crimes related to the upcoming constitutional referendum were reported in several locations. These include killings, abductions, arbitrary arrest and continued forced contribution of funds for the referendum ....
SUMMARY The situation in Burundi remains tense, with a number of arbitrary arrests, abductions and killings occurring. Many of the cases are constitutional referendum related crimes. Meanwhile, neigbouring countries are beginning to push for repatriation of refugees....
Rebels unhappy with IGAD over Dr Machar The SPLA-IO rebels allied to Dr. Riek Machar are not happy with the decision of IGAD made on 26 March to release Dr. Machar from house arrest with very strict condition including that does not reside in any country bordering...
UNMISS mandate extended to 2019 The United Nations Security Council last week extended the mandate of the UN mission in South Sudan until March 2019. In a statement the Security Council, the United Nations Mission In South Sudan (UNMISS) will continue its mandate with...
Another arms embargo on Juba The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has adopted a resolution drafted by that United States threatening to impose an arms embargo on South Sudan as well as sanctions against individuals who are blocking peace efforts in the country....
Burundian refugees leave DRC for Rwanda About 2,500 refugees have fled their refugee settlement in the DRC and relocated to Rwanda for fear of being returned to Burundi. The refugees belong to a religious sect led by a female prophet named Zebiya. They left Burundi...
46 UNMISS police suspended over sexual abuse A group of 46 Ghanaian police officers at the protection of IDPs site in Wau have been withdrawn because of allegations of sexual misconduct. The complaint against the group was received on 8 February. They were accused of...
More aid needed in 2018 A report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) showed that there is a 20% increase in the Burundians that will require humanitarian aid in 2018 as compared to 2017. According to Garry Conille, Burundi...
A general killed A fight between two rebel groups in South Sudan on 15th February led to the killing of a top general in the rebel ranks. The clash broke out in an area near Napotpot involving rebels of the National Salvation Front (NAS) led by General Thomas Cirillo...
Force used in Burundi referendum register Burundian opposition parties are complaining that people are being forced to register to vote in the referendum set for May this year. The referendum will consider a raft of constitutional amendments that, among other things,...
$400 million needed for Burundi refugees The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) launched a funding appeal for $391 million to support the Burundian refugees in the countries where they fled. The appeal that was presented in Geneva seeks to get funding from donors to...
No more US arms export to South Sudan The Unites States of America showed its support for a proposed UN arms embargo on South Sudan by banning the sale of arms and defense services to South Sudan saying that they are not happy about the violence that is sweeping the...
Burundian refugees angry Refugees in the Lusenda camp located in eastern DRC attempt to protest the lack of aid was violently stopped by police after firing in the air. The camp is home to about 30,000 refugees who had not got any aid for about two weeks despite pleas...
More prisoners of war released The armed opposition group allied to Dr. Riek Machar the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO), said through its deputy spokesperson Lam Paul Gabriel that they had released up to 15 prisoners of war in Phow State....
MP ready for disciplinary committee Ruling party Member of Parliament who voted against the lifting of the age limit Connie Galiwango says she is ready to meet her party’s disciplinary committee to explain why she voted no to the age limit amendment. Prior to the vote...
Warning to NGOs The government of South Sudan has cautioned NGOs operating within the country against reporting on violations of the ceasefire. Since the ceasefire agreement was signed, the government and the armed opposition have been fighting each other while...
Human Rights Watch report pins police A new report by Human Rights Watch- HRW has pinned the Uganda police force as the top violator of human rights in the country. Based on occurrences of 2017, the report says that police and associated security agencies assaulted...
60 arrested for opposing referendum Civil society organizations and the opposition in Burundi accuse the government of arresting people who are encouraging the population to reject the proposed constitutional amendments. The Burundi government proposed changes to the...
Juba sends envoys to persuade Gen Malong Two elders from South Sudan were sent to Nairobi to meet with former Army Chief of Staff Paul Malong to convince him not to rebel against the government. Joshua Dau and Francis Madig Deng met with Malong in Nairobi. Malong...
Opposition launches new protest Opposition leader in Uganda Dr. Kizza Besigye launched a new campaign called “Tubalemese,” which means “let’s fail them”. The campaign aims at putting pressure on the members of parliament who voted for the constitutional amendment...
Burundi is breaking the law The spokesperson of the National Independent Electoral Commission (known by its French acronym, CENI) Prosper Ntahorwamiye declared that the government of Burundi is taking advantage of the campaign meant to explain the new draft of the...
Gen. Malong ready to attack says Kiir South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has accused the former army chief of staff Gen. Paul Malong of planning an attack the government positions. President Kiir made the accusation while meeting Dinka Elders this week. Kiir...
Age limit bill signed into law President Yoweri Museveni signed the Constitutional (Amendment) Bill 2017 into law on 27 December 2017 following a parliament vote with 317 for and 97 against. The Constitution Amendment Act 2017 removes the minimum and maximum age...
Burundi weighs on dialogue report The Secretary-General and Spokesman of the Government Philippe Nzobonariba published a report on the just concluded Inter-Burundian dialogue in which the Burundi government recognized the mediator Uganda President Yoweri Kaguta...
Fighting claims over 100 lives Fighting broke out in the Western Lakes State between two Dinka clans, the Rup and Pakam, on Friday 8th December 2017. In what was described by the local authorities in the Chueicok area as a revenge attack, the clash left at least 80...
Parliament committee approves age limit The Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee of Uganda parliament has endorsed the proposal to amend the constitution by removing presidential age limits. This means that the bill will be presented to parliament for a vote by...
Nothing binding at Inter-Burundian Dialogue Weeks of working in groups and consultations, the Inter Burundian dialogue finally took place on 5 December with the facilitation of former Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa. Mr Mkapa later said there would be no...
53 soldiers killed Government troops in Southern Liech State clashed with rebels allied to former Vice President Dr. Riek Macher in Leer Town claiming 53 soldiers. The minister of information in the state said that government troops inflicted heavy casualty on the...
Committee ends consultations The Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee of Uganda parliament ended consultations on the age limit bill on 24 November and are now drafting a report documenting the results of the consultations. The committee met with 35 groups and...
Malong’s associate shot dead An associate of Former Army Chief of Staff Paul Malong was shot dead in a hotel in Juba on Friday evening. Bol Deng Miyen was shot by unknown gunmen after he met with soldiers associated with Paul Malong following their release from...
Anti-Age limit singer goes missing Musician David Mugema who sang an anti-age limit removal song called “Togikwatako,” roughly translated as “do not touch it,” went missing last week. One of his colleagues and fellow musician Adam Mulwana said that before Mugema went...
President Nkurunziza warns As the ruling CNDD-FDD party concluded the annual week dedicated to combatants on 18 November 2017 in Rugombo in the western province of Cibitoke, President Pierre Nkurunziza passed a strong warning to individuals who are likely to defect...
Three officials killed Three officials working for the governor of Western Lakes States were killed by unknown gunmen last week in three separate attacks. One of them was shot outside the governor’s office while the other two were shot in Rumbek town. Apparently the...
South Sudan extends the state of emergency An extension of the state of emergency was declared on Friday by President Salva Kiir and announced on South Sudan’s Broadcasting Corporation. This state of emergency is an extension of the three-month long state of emergency...
Burundi rejects inquiry In a statement dated 15 November 2017,[1] the Secretary General and spokesperson of the government of Burundi, Philippe Nzobonariba stated that the government of Burundi rejects the opening of the investigation by the ICC in the situation of...
Stage managing consultation meetings A senior official from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party, Ms. Rebecca Nalwanga accused some of members of her party of stage managing consultation meetings by only picking a few individuals to consult. Ms....
The ICC opens investigation on the Burundi Situation On 25 October 2017, Pre-Trial Chamber III of the ICC authorized the Prosecutor to open an investigation regarding crimes allegedly committed in Burundi or by nationals of Burundi outside the country. The...
Gen. Malong seeks UN protectionFormer Army Chief of Staff Paul Malong has sought for UN protection through the United Nations Mission in South Sudan. Gen Malong is cited in multiple human rights violations that have been reported in South Sudan while still serving the...
$1.5m for on age bill The ruling NRM party has set aside 1.5 million dollars for a weeks consultation countrywide to ask Ugandans back the controversial bill aimed at lifting the age limit from the constitution. In a communiqué issued by the party, members of the...
Forced eviction of IDPs On 28 October 2017, seven houses of internally displaced persons of Kuruyange situated in the District of Rugazi were destroyed on the instructions of the Chief of District Mrs. Sylvie Nizigama. She argued, among other things, that the IDPs...
Ms Jambo bids for presidency Former Secretary for Foreign Relations Suzanne Jambo of the ruling party, SPLM, has declared that she will stand for elections at the end of the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) in 2018. Jambo currently lives in the United...
Chaos in parliament again During the sitting on Tuesday 31st October of the parliamentary committee on legal and parliamentary affairs, chaos broke out between Hon. Raphael Magyezi who proposed the constitutional amendment, his witnesses and the other members of...
EU renews sanctions against four Burundians On 23 October 2017, the EU announced that it had renewed restrictive measures against four Burundians namely Godefroid BIZIMANA, Gervais NDIRAKOBUCA alias NDAKUGARIKA, Mathias/Joseph NIYONZIMA alias KAZUNGU and...
Dialogue process ends in April 2018 The co-chair of the steering committee of the national dialogue, Angelo Beda, said that the committee intends to end the process in April 2018. He added that process will start with grassroots consultations, then regional and...
Two shot dead Two people were confirmed dead and several others injured with bullet wounds after an altercation between the police, opposition leaders and their supporters in the western district of Rukungiri. Opposition Forum for Democratic Change Presidential...
EU grants 95m Burundi In a press release of 20 October 2017, the Burundian Minister of Finance, Mr. Domitien Ndihokubwayo, and the Ambassador of the European Union, Wolfram Vetter, signed an agreement of a grant to support rural development, nutrition, health and...
Finally Riek agrees to meet In a turn around after having initially refused to meet members of the national dialogue, Dr. Riek Macher met with South Sudanese religious leaders on the issue of the national dialogue. The co-chair of the steering committee Angelo Beda...
Rwanda, Belgium and UN targeted Hundreds of pro-government individuals have once again demonstrated against countries and organizations that it says are interfering in Burundian internal affairs. Rwanda, Belgium and the UN are accused of conspiracy against the...
Ugandan gunship in Bieh fighting Fighting broke out on October 7th in Bieh state when rebels allied to Dr Riek Macher described as a Ugandan helicopter gunship opened fire at the rebel strong hold in Waat. Rebel spokesperson said the gunship targeted the airstrip in...
Congo invites Nkurunziza for ICGLR summit The Congolese Minister of Home affairs, Jean Claude Gakosso was in Bujumbura last week to invite President Pierre Nkurunziza to attend the 8th ICGLR Summit scheduled 19 October 2017 in Brazaville. Last month, the...
UN extends the mandate of Commission of Inquiry The United Nations Human Rights Council concluded the 36th session in Geneva and two resolutions were reached regarding the human rights situation in Burundi. The first resolution was presented on 28 September 2017 by...
Guterres wants peace first At the recent meeting of the UN general assembly UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres met with African Union and IGAD purposely at seeking ways in which to support the peace in South Sudan. During the meeting Secretary General urged the...
Burundi on spot in Geneva The interactive dialogue on Burundi at the Human Rights Council in Geneva was held on 19 September 2017. The Chairman of the Independent Investigation Commission, Fatsah Ouguergouz outlined the gist of his report. He called on the...
Kiir commits to ending war South Sudan President Salva Kiir has in a meeting with the head of the UN Mission in South Sudan David Shearer ahead of the United Nations General Assembly promised to end war and bring peace to South Sudan. It is rare that the UN and the...
Burundi refugees killed in DRC The world was shocked to learn last Friday the 15th September 2017, the bloodbath of 36 Burundians shot dead by Congolese security forces with an estimated number of 150 individuals wounded. Several sources suggest that the victims were...
Rebel leader turns down amnesty Rebel leader Thomas Cirillo who broke away from the South Sudanese military to form his own opposition front National Salvation Front (NAS) has turned down an offer of amnesty from Salva kiir. He said that offering people amnesty will...
Crimes Against Humanity were committed In its final[1] report released on 4 September 2017 the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Burundi[2] concluded that it has reasonable grounds to believe that crimes against humanity have been committed and continue to be...
Kiir blames Social media for refugee crisis South Sudan President Salva Kiir speaking to the media blamed the refugee crisis on the rise of social media that scared people into fleeing the country. He said there is no fighting in the country but rather blamed people...
Report on Enforced disappearances One of the main crimes that has been a hallmark for the Burundi conflcit has been enforced dissapearance that has involved collusion of security forces. As the world celebrated the international day of the victims of enforced...
MSD Party suspendedThe Burundi Minister of home affairs Pascal Barandagiye in a letter addressed to the President of the Supreme Court demanded the dissolution of the main opposition party, Mouvement pour la Solidarité et le Développement (MSD). In the letter, the...
Threat as Museveni reunification process stallsThe reunification of the SPLM party initiated by the president of Uganda Yoweri Museveni is under threat with a former lawmaker saying he and other critics have received death threats to sabotage the reconciliation...
Inter-burundian dialogue team attends CNDD-FDD party A day before the Imbonerakure Day that had the participation of over 80,000 youths in Gitega on 19 August 2017, a three day interfaith prayer was organized in the same province of from 16 to 18 August...
Kiir flees 30 political prisonersSouth Sudan has released 30 political prisoners who had been detained for their support to Dr Riek Macher. In a statement read on South Sudan national broadcast (SSBC) the president made the announcement in releasing the political...
IGAD to facilitate ceasefireThe newly appointed IGAD special envoy to South Sudan has vowed to restore a permanent ceasefire in the nation. Ismail Wais the special envoy through a statement said that he intends to achieve this using the High Level Revitalization Forum...
2020 elections funding beginsWith no hope of genuine peace process to end the crisis griping Burundi and with the economy in shambles following the sanctions on the government, President Pierre Nkurunziza seems all determined to have the 2020 general elections as his...