Sudan
- Scott Gration, the U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan, departed for Sudan on January 6 to observe and support the upcoming referendum. On his trip, Gration will also travel to Darfur with with newly appointed Senior Advisor on Darfur, Dane Smith.
- During a visit to Juba, Sudanese President al Bashir announced he would respect the results of the upcoming referendum and work to maintain peace in South Sudan. The announcement prompted South Sudan President Salva Kiir to expel all armed Durfur rebels who had been taking shelter in South Sudan.Senator Kerry praised the move by al Bashir, but the international community is still cautious.
- George Clooney and his organization (Not on Our Watch) announced they will fund a project that collects data via satellite to monitor the conflicts in Darfur and South Sudan. The "Satellite Sentinel Project" will work with Google, the United Nations, and other anti-genocide organizations to launch this project.
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
- Medecins Sans Frontieres has reported the systematic rape of more than 30 women in the eastern DRC on New Years Day. The survivors of the attack have accused the FDLR, a group of genocidaires from the Rwandan 1994 genocide.
- France has followed through with the extradition of Rwandan rebel leader Callixte Mbarushimana to the International Criminal Court. He is currently being held for trial on 11 counts of wars crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the DRC in 2009.
- The United States Department of Energy has announced plans to switch America’s dependency on cobalt from the DRC to domestic American sources.As the world’s leading consumer of cobalt, the US has been pressured by advocates to withdraw its role in fueling the war over ‘blood minerals’ in the DRC.
Burma
- Fighting between the Burmese Army and the Arakanese Liberation Army ensued in an area near the Bangladeshi border on January 3. Four Burmese soldiers were killed during the attack.
- The Burmese government stated that it plans to grant freedom to all political prisoners before the first session of the country’s new parliament. Burma currently has an estimated 2,200 political prisoners.
- A legal aid team associated with the National League for Democracy set up a network for lawyers in Burma. This will provide resources for cases such as those concerning child soldiers, land confiscation, and political prisoners.
Areas of Concern
Afghanistan:
Pakistan and Afghanistan agree to have a peace jirga to negotiate peace deals with the Taliban.
Iraq:
Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, known for leading two uprisings against American forces following the 2003 US invasion, returned to Iraq on January 6 after a three-year absence.
Pakistan:
The policeman who assassinated Salmaan Taseer, the governor of Punjab who opposed Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, told others of his plan before he was assigned to protect the politician.
Somalia:
The United Nations envoy for Somalia called on the Transitional Federal Government to help disperse aid to those affected by a severe drought.
Created by:
Ashton Simmons, STAND Education Coordinator and Education Task Force