Skip to content or view mobile version

Home | Mobile | Editorial | Mission | Privacy | About | Contact | Help | Security | Support

A network of individuals, independent and alternative media activists and organisations, offering grassroots, non-corporate, non-commercial coverage of important social and political issues.

Continuing Conflicts that Create Refugees, March 2008

John O | 02.04.2008 10:19 | Migration | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements

Eight actual or potential conflict situations around the world deteriorated in March 2008, and four improved, according to the new issue of CrisisWatch

Tibet: Protest turned violent on 14 March and unrest spread to Tibetan-populated areas of neighbouring provinces, prompting the deployment of thousands of police. Casualty numbers were difficult to verify after foreign media access was heavily restricted; Beijing said there were 22 deaths, while the Tibetan government in exile said over 140.

Kosovo: Violence in Mitrovica and Serb efforts to partition underscored fragility of post-independence situation. UNMIK, KFOR forces 17 March conducted operation to remove demonstrators occupying Mitrovica regional court, arrested 53 and attempted transfer to Pristina. Well-organised Serb protestors attacked troops - gunfire, grenade attacks left 1 UN police dead, up to 180 police and protesters injured. UNMIK forces briefly withdrew, returned to north 19 March.

Iraq: Hundreds killed since government mounted operation 25 March against Shiite militias in Basra. PM Maliki initiated crackdown involving some 30,000 Iraqi troops and police; U.S., British forces provided support; President Bush praised action. Fighting appeared to subside after 30 March call by radical Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr for "end to armed appearances", halt to government raids. Violence in Baghdad left over 100 dead; thousands demonstrated in Sadr City neighbourhood. 3-day curfew ended 31 March, amid bombing of fortified Green Zone - also hit 23 March with at least 15 killed; U.S. said rockets supplied by Iranian Quds Force. Violent clashes set off in Kut, Hilla, Diwaniya - scores dead. Suicide strike in Mosul 23 March killed some 40. Bombing in Karbala 17 March killed over 50.

Armenia: Severe internal crisis with police crackdown 1-2 March on protest against 19 Feb presidential election results: 8 dead and at least 100 detained including MPs, opposition figures. State of emergency lifted 21 March, but police prevented daily peaceful rallies and continued arrests, intimidations. In 17 March emergency session, parliament approved constitutional changes to allow government restriction of mass gatherings. Constitutional court 9 March rejected opposition claims of rigged elections. 4 of 5 parties in parliament signed coalition agreement ahead of 9 Apr PM Sarkisian inauguration as president.

DR Congo: Focus shifted to west, as government violently suppressed separatists in Bas-Congo: some 100 killed in 3 weeks, including many civilians; figures disputed. The early-March police clashes in Luozi with supporters of ethno-religious Bundu dia Kongo (BDK) movement quickly spread; MONUC took week to send peacekeepers. Government banned BDK 21 March. Eastern peace fragile: Mai Mai faction PARECO withdrew from Goma peace deal commissions 28 March as General Nkunda's CNDP rebels promised to rejoin ceasefire commission following Feb walk-out. 15 March disarmament deadline for Hutu FDLR rebels passed; government threatened forcible disarmament,

Nagorno-Karabakh (Azerbaijan): Worst violations of 1994 ceasefire in years: Armenian, Azeri forces clashed at border 4-9 March leaving up to 16 soldiers, 2 civilians dead. UN General Assembly adopted Azerbaijan-drafted resolution 14 March calling for "immediate, complete and unconditional" withdrawal of Armenian forces; OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs opposed resolution as "unbalanced". Armenian President Kocharyan threatened 20 March to recognise region.

North Korea: Tensions increased amid inflammatory rhetoric and military activity: Pyongyang 30 March threatened to reduce South to "ashes" after South Korea military chief Kim Tae-young 26 March said Seoul would launch pre-emptive strike on suspected DPRK nuclear weapons site if Pyongyang preparing attack. Moves followed declaration by U.S. envoy Christopher Hill 19 March that DPRK not ready to make complete nuclear declaration;

Somalia: Islamist-led insurgency escalated outside Mogadishu, with hit-and-run attacks on key strategic towns - 11 killed 30 March in Buulo Burte attack, 7 soldiers killed in 26 March Jowhar raid; humanitarian situation continued to deteriorate. In Mogadishu: some 20 killed as Ethiopian troop shelled Bakara market 29 March after presidential compound mortared during President

Zimbabwe: Early results of 29 March presidential, parliamentary and municipal elections were strongly disputed, underlining the risk that escalated repression and unrest may follow but also highlighting the possibility of positive change. As CrisisWatch went to press, reports suggested President Mugabe was under pressure from close associates to resign and/or negotiate a transfer of power.

Unchanged Situations
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Basque Country (Spain), Belarus, Bolivia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Chechnya (Russia), Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia/Eritrea, Georgia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, India (non-Kashmir), Indonesia, Iran, Israel/Occupied Territories, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Liberia, Macedonia, Mali, Moldova, Morocco, Myanmar/Burma, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria North Caucasus (non-Chechnya), Northern Ireland (UK), Peru, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Somaliland (Somalia), Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Western Sahara, Yemen, Zimbabwe

Improved Situations: Comoros Islands, Cyprus, Pakistan, Taiwan Strait
The situation improved in Cyprus as President Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Talat met in Nicosia for the first time, where they agreed to open the Ledra border crossing and begin preparations for formal reunification talks. In Pakistan, new Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani ordered the release of several members of the judiciary, including former Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, amid a relatively peaceful political transition after February's elections. In the Comoros Islands, the government, backed by African Union troops, restored control over rebel-held Anjouan island quickly and with little resistance. The situation also improved in the Taiwan Strait following the election of Ma Ying-jeou as President, who pledged to improve relations with China.

Conflict Risk Alerts for April
Nepal, Zimbabwe

Conflict Resolution Opportunities for April
Cyprus, Nepal, Uganda, Zimbabwe

CrisisWatch N°56, 1 April 2008
 http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=5368&l=1


End of Bulletin:

Source for this Message:
CrisisWatch

John O
- e-mail: JohnO@ncadc.org.uk
- Homepage: http://www.ncadc.org.uk

Upcoming Coverage
View and post events
Upcoming Events UK
24th October, London: 2015 London Anarchist Bookfair
2nd - 8th November: Wrexham, Wales, UK & Everywhere: Week of Action Against the North Wales Prison & the Prison Industrial Complex. Cymraeg: Wythnos o Weithredu yn Erbyn Carchar Gogledd Cymru

Ongoing UK
Every Tuesday 6pm-8pm, Yorkshire: Demo/vigil at NSA/NRO Menwith Hill US Spy Base More info: CAAB.

Every Tuesday, UK & worldwide: Counter Terror Tuesdays. Call the US Embassy nearest to you to protest Obama's Terror Tuesdays. More info here

Every day, London: Vigil for Julian Assange outside Ecuadorian Embassy

Parliament Sq Protest: see topic page
Ongoing Global
Rossport, Ireland: see topic page
Israel-Palestine: Israel Indymedia | Palestine Indymedia
Oaxaca: Chiapas Indymedia
Regions
All Regions
Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World
Other Local IMCs
Bristol/South West
Nottingham
Scotland
Social Media
You can follow @ukindymedia on indy.im and Twitter. We are working on a Twitter policy. We do not use Facebook, and advise you not to either.
Support Us
We need help paying the bills for hosting this site, please consider supporting us financially.
Other Media Projects
Schnews
Dissident Island Radio
Corporate Watch
Media Lens
VisionOnTV
Earth First! Action Update
Earth First! Action Reports
Topics
All Topics
Afghanistan
Analysis
Animal Liberation
Anti-Nuclear
Anti-militarism
Anti-racism
Bio-technology
Climate Chaos
Culture
Ecology
Education
Energy Crisis
Fracking
Free Spaces
Gender
Globalisation
Health
History
Indymedia
Iraq
Migration
Ocean Defence
Other Press
Palestine
Policing
Public sector cuts
Repression
Social Struggles
Technology
Terror War
Workers' Movements
Zapatista
Major Reports
NATO 2014
G8 2013
Workfare
2011 Census Resistance
Occupy Everywhere
August Riots
Dale Farm
J30 Strike
Flotilla to Gaza
Mayday 2010
Tar Sands
G20 London Summit
University Occupations for Gaza
Guantanamo
Indymedia Server Seizure
COP15 Climate Summit 2009
Carmel Agrexco
G8 Japan 2008
SHAC
Stop Sequani
Stop RWB
Climate Camp 2008
Oaxaca Uprising
Rossport Solidarity
Smash EDO
SOCPA
Past Major Reports
Encrypted Page
You are viewing this page using an encrypted connection. If you bookmark this page or send its address in an email you might want to use the un-encrypted address of this page.
If you recieved a warning about an untrusted root certificate please install the CAcert root certificate, for more information see the security page.

Global IMC Network


www.indymedia.org

Projects
print
radio
satellite tv
video

Africa

Europe
antwerpen
armenia
athens
austria
barcelona
belarus
belgium
belgrade
brussels
bulgaria
calabria
croatia
cyprus
emilia-romagna
estrecho / madiaq
galiza
germany
grenoble
hungary
ireland
istanbul
italy
la plana
liege
liguria
lille
linksunten
lombardia
madrid
malta
marseille
nantes
napoli
netherlands
northern england
nottingham imc
paris/île-de-france
patras
piemonte
poland
portugal
roma
romania
russia
sardegna
scotland
sverige
switzerland
torun
toscana
ukraine
united kingdom
valencia

Latin America
argentina
bolivia
chiapas
chile
chile sur
cmi brasil
cmi sucre
colombia
ecuador
mexico
peru
puerto rico
qollasuyu
rosario
santiago
tijuana
uruguay
valparaiso
venezuela

Oceania
aotearoa
brisbane
burma
darwin
jakarta
manila
melbourne
perth
qc
sydney

South Asia
india


United States
arizona
arkansas
asheville
atlanta
Austin
binghamton
boston
buffalo
chicago
cleveland
colorado
columbus
dc
hawaii
houston
hudson mohawk
kansas city
la
madison
maine
miami
michigan
milwaukee
minneapolis/st. paul
new hampshire
new jersey
new mexico
new orleans
north carolina
north texas
nyc
oklahoma
philadelphia
pittsburgh
portland
richmond
rochester
rogue valley
saint louis
san diego
san francisco
san francisco bay area
santa barbara
santa cruz, ca
sarasota
seattle
tampa bay
united states
urbana-champaign
vermont
western mass
worcester

West Asia
Armenia
Beirut
Israel
Palestine

Topics
biotech

Process
fbi/legal updates
mailing lists
process & imc docs
tech