Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jonathan Hutson, jhutson@enoughproject.org, +1-202-386-1618

WASHINGTON – Donors and stakeholders from Somalia and the region must craft a plan for who will govern southern Somalia if and when Kenya's intervention to oust the jihadi group al-Shabaab succeeds in order to create stability in the highly contested region, according to a new Enough Project paper by Ken Menkhaus.

Menkhaus, a professor of political science at Davidson College and a specialist on Somalia, argues that the three-month military intervention in the Jubbaland region of Somalia could have unintended negative consequences unless a strategy is put in place.

“Intervention strategies that plan the war but not the peace will fail,” Menkhaus said. “Kenya risks this fate in southern Somalia. Unless a plan is crafted, Kenya is not likely to get what it wants – a more stable and secure border area. Instead, its offensive could destabilize the region.”

The paper explains the roots of Kenya’s incursion into Somalia and the challenges the military intervention faces including getting bogged down in heavy rains, the potential for terrorist reprisals in Kenya, and the possibility of prolonged urban warfare in the Somali port city of Kismayo.

According to the report, a plan should be in place for the long-term political dispensation for the Jubbaland region in order to foster stability if and when Shabaab is ousted. To accomplish this, the focus should be on creating a buffer zone along the Kenyan-Somali border, establishing a representative, non-administrative regional government, and putting in place a temporary international customs authority to manage the revenues from the lucrative port to benefit local inhabitants while preventing corruption and clan competition.

“There is an urgent need to initiate Somali dialogue toward a ‘Kismayo solution’ before the city changes hands,” Menkhaus said. “A successful Somali dialogue on rights and claims on Kismayo could serve as a model for other contested Somali urban areas. Kismayo needs to be a setting where Somalis agree explicitly to create a 'cosmopolitan city' – one in which all Somalis have full rights to live, work, own property, and operate businesses.” He emphasizes that Kenya would not be able to accomplish this without the support of the international community.

Menkhaus sees both potential pitfalls and benefits of the intervention. “Though there are good reasons to second-guess the Kenyan military intervention, it could produce an unexpected and rare window of opportunity in Kismayo," he said. "That opportunity will be missed unless diplomatic initiatives are initiated immediately.”

Read the full report: “After the Kenyan Intervention in Somalia.”

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Enough is a project of the Center for American Progress to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Founded in 2007, the Enough Project focuses on crises in Sudan, eastern Congo, and areas of Africa affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army. Enough’s strategy papers and briefings provide sharp field analysis and targeted policy recommendations based on a “3P” crisis response strategy: promoting durable peace, providing civilian protection, and punishing perpetrators of atrocities. Enough works with concerned citizens, advocates, and policy makers to prevent, mitigate, and resolve these crises. For more information, please visit www.enoughproject.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Matt Brown, mbrown@enoughproject.org, +1-202-468-2925

WASHINGTON – As reports continue to emerge concerning the aftermath of a recent resurgence of inter-communal violence between the Lou-Nuer and Murle communities of Jonglei state, the government of the Republic of South Sudan, supported by the international community, must redouble its efforts to address the more systemic causes of this and other such instances of inter-communal violence throughout the new nation, the Enough Project said. Without robust government intervention, violence between the communities and attacks on civilians will continue.

Enough Project Co-founder John Prendergast stated:

These inter-communal attacks do not have to be inevitable. Individuals on both sides are complicit in inflaming the situation. Outsiders have provided arms and ammunition. The South Sudan government did not do enough in the aftermath of initial attacks last year. The international community’s efforts have largely been too little, too late. A major investment in diplomacy, development and security is needed for Jonglei state to prevent an intensification of violence.

“The causes of the violence go beyond the retaliatory nature of cattle raiding in Jonglei state and touch upon broader issues of accountability, reconciliation, political inclusion, an absence of state authority, and development,” said Jennifer Christian, Sudan policy analyst for the Enough Project.

The Enough Project recommends that the government of the Republic of South Sudan, along with the international community, focus its efforts to address inter-communal violence in Jonglei state on the following:

Greater Accountability for Crimes Committed in the Context of Inter-Communal Violence: Individuals responsible for perpetrating crimes related to cattle raiding must be held accountable. This includes individuals who foment violence related to cattle raiding, as well as those who participate directly in such violence. Processes through which individuals may be held accountable may be judicial or more traditional in nature. Regardless, capacity building efforts within South Sudan’s judiciary must be redoubled now to ensure judicial, as well as police, personnel are able to investigate and prosecute offenders, if necessary.

Inter-Communal Reconciliation Efforts: The Government of South Sudan’s decision to bolster the ongoing reconciliation efforts of the Sudan Council of Churches is important for bringing about sustained peace between the Lou-Nuer and Murle communities. Such reconciliation efforts should target not just traditional community leaders, but also include Lou-Nuer and Murle youth as well as those actors who possess influence over parties to the violence on both sides. Reconciliation efforts may contemplate mechanisms to address crimes committed during past instances of inter-communal violence, which may, in turn, assist in addressing issues of accountability. The sustained support of national and state officials behind these reconciliation efforts is key to building the credibility of the process.

Greater Inclusion of Murle Community Members within the National and State Level Governments: Efforts should be taken to increase the representation of Murle community members in government, both at the national and state level. Greater inclusion of the Murle in government will, in turn, provide the Murle community with mechanisms to voice its concerns in a peaceful and constructive manner. This inclusion should, however, be coupled with efforts to develop the capacity of the civil administration, particularly at the state level. Such capacity building will help to facilitate greater communication and dialogue between Jonglei’s state government and communities.

Expansion of State Authority in Lou Nuer and Murle Areas: The political and security-related isolation of the two communities has contributed to the rise of parallel authorities, and renders violence as one of the few mechanisms for addressing community grievances. The delivery of basic services, provision of security, and establishment of rule of law by the government in Lou Nuer and Murle areas are critical toward ending inter-communal violence in the long term. Expansion of state authority will require, among other things, capacity building within the national, state, and local governments and policing forces, as well as development of Jonglei’s infrastructure.

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Enough is a project of the Center for American Progress to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Founded in 2007, the Enough Project focuses on crises in Sudan, eastern Congo, and areas of Africa affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army. Enough’s strategy papers and briefings provide sharp field analysis and targeted policy recommendations based on a “3P” crisis response strategy: promoting durable peace, providing civilian protection, and punishing perpetrators of atrocities. Enough works with concerned citizens, advocates, and policy makers to prevent, mitigate, and resolve these crises. For more information, please visit www.enoughproject.org.

For Immediate Release

Contact: Jonathan Hutson, jhutson@enoughproject.org , +1-202-386-1618

Statement of Enough Project Sudan analyst Omer Ismail in response to the Arab League's selection of Sudan's General Mohamed Ahmad Al-Dabi to head a human rights monitoring team in Syria:

"It is perplexing that the Arab League chose the Khartoum regime's General Al-Dabi to lead its team monitoring the Syria regime because of his record of turning a blind eye to human rights crimes, or worse. When he served as Sudan's former head of Military Intelligence and when he oversaw implementation of the Darfur Security Arrangement, alleged war crimes including genocide were committed on his watch. Instead of heading a team entrusted with a probe of alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity by Syria, the general should be investigated by the ICC for evidence of similar crimes in Sudan."

Contacts: Matt Brown, mbrown@enoughproject.org, +1.202.468.2925

Download sign-on letter here (PDF)

We, the undersigned organizations and individuals, are deeply troubled by the lack of critical engagement that the international community has shown throughout the electoral process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Carter Center, the European Union, the Catholic Church and other national election observation organizations found that the elections held on November 28, 2011 were deeply flawed and marred by widespread irregularities. In order to prevent further violence and provide legitimacy to the government, we call on the United States and other members of the international community to take these immediate steps:

1) State clearly that they do not perceive the election results as legitimate and call on President Kabila to delay his inauguration ceremony until steps are taken to address these serious allegations. If the inauguration proceeds as scheduled, the United States and other international missions should consider non-attendance or at a minimum send a lower ranking diplomatic officer instead of the Ambassador.

2) Immediately ask for the deployment of an independent international mediation commission formed under international and regional auspices. The Commission will have a mandate to review the technical aspects of the electoral process and facilitate a solution to the crisis.

3) Call on the appropriate authorities to immediately halt the counting of the parliamentary election ballots until clear guarantees are put in place to ensure the credibility of the tallying process.

4) Make clear statements that the U.S. and other members of the international community are determined to ensure accountability for perpetrators of electoral and post-electoral violence in the appropriate international or national fora. Call on Congolese state security forces, in particular the Republican Guard, to cease immediately all abuses against civilians.

The following organizations and individuals support this statement:

Eastern Congo Initiative
Enough
Humanity United
International Crisis Group
Open Society Foundations
Anthony W. Gambino, Fellow, Eastern Congo Initiative
Mvemba Phezo Dizolele, Visiting Fellow, Hoover Institution
Jason Stearns, Analyst and author, “Dancing in the glory of monsters”

Download sign-on letter here (PDF)

Contacts: Matt Brown, mbrown@enoughproject.org, +1.202.468.2925
Autumn Lerner, Eastern Congo Initiative, +1.206.265.3744

Seattle, WA and Washington, D.C. – Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI) and the Enough Project call on President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton to help resolve the growing crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The Congo’s November 28 national elections were marred by widespread mismanagement and fraud. Johnnie Carson, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, said on Thursday: “The U.S. government along with some of our international partners has found the management and technical aspect of these elections to be seriously flawed, the vote tabulation to be lacking in transparency, and not on par with positive gains in the democratic process that we have seen in other recent African elections.” Friday’s ruling by the Congolese Supreme Court, the last step in the official Congolese process of ratifying election results, merely rubberstamped the already discredited results reported by the Congolese National Electoral Commission.

“DRC is poised on the edge. On November 28, together with ECI Founding Member Cindy McCain, we witnessed overwhelming voter turnout, particularly among women and youth voting for the first time,”  said Whitney Williams, Eastern Congo Initiative CEO. “On Election Day, the Congolese people showed their determination to have their voices heard, but it has become clear that the institutions of the Congolese state have failed the Congolese people. Today, no one can know who actually won last month’s election. The international community, led by the United States, must work with the Congolese to find a way back towards democracy and away from violence.”

Enough Project co-founder John Prendergast stated, “The potential for large-scale violence grows by the day.  This electoral process was not credible, and as such the United States and broader international community should not recognize its results.  A major diplomatic initiative is necessary to prevent a new Congolese conflict and targeted attacks on the basis of political party affiliation. “

The United States has said repeatedly and publicly that it stands for credible, democratic elections in the Congo. Now it is time for actions to back those words. Senators Coons (D-DE) and Isakson (R-GA) pointed the right way by stating on Friday: "All sides should engage in dialogue about next steps and consider establishing a formal mediation process with the support of the international community.  We call on President Kabila to direct his security forces to protect the Congolese people, and work with Mr. Tshisekedi to resolve their disagreements in a way that will restore credibility to the process. The U.S. stands with the Congolese people in their attempt to advance democracy and hope it can be achieved peacefully."

ECI and Enough call on President Obama and Secretary Clinton to:

• Immediately state that, since the election results are not credible and do not conform to basic international standards, that the United States does not recognize these results as a legitimate democratic outcome.
• Call for the formation of an international panel, perhaps under the auspices of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council, to work with Congolese authorities and opposition leaders to review all aspects of the electoral process, with a mandate to evaluate the results and recommend next steps. This would include a detailed technical review conducted by international experts of every aspect of the Presidential election, with a view to establishing the extent and effect of all the reported irregularities and fraud.
• Ensure urgent high level international mediation between the parties to prevent the escalation of violence.
• Make clear to President Kabila that he should delay any inauguration until the legitimate, democratic winner of the election is known via a credible, internationally sanctioned process. If President Kabila wishes to regain the democratic legitimacy that he said was so important to him after he won elections in 2006, he needs to accept international mediation to find a way to resolve the present crisis.
• Emphasize to President Kabila that his security forces must not resort to violence in the face of legal, peaceful civilian demonstrations.
• Lay the groundwork for possible referral to the International Criminal Court of anyone using violence against civilians to further their political objectives.

"If the U.S. Administration and the international community delay in taking action to address the situation in the Congo they risk not only potential violence in the coming days but the prospect of an unstable and illegitimate government for years to come," said John C. Bradshaw, Enough Project Executive Director.

“With quick action by the U.S., there is still time to find a solution that respects the will of Congolese voters and their demonstrated desire for democracy. Without U.S. leadership, Congo may descend into the kind of instability and violence that characterized the country just a few years ago, effectively crippling economic development and impacting the safety, health and vitality of women and children most of all,” said Cindy McCain, Philanthropist and Founding Member of Eastern Congo Initiative.

Contact: Matt Brown, mbrown@enoughproject.org, +1-202-468-2925

WASHINGTON – The United States and the international community must play an active role in negotiations between Sudan and South Sudan in order to achieve a comprehensive peace deal, according to a new Enough Project paper.

The paper, “Negotiations between the Two Sudans: Where They Have Been, Where They Are Going,” argues that the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel, or AUHIP, charged with facilitating the negotiations, must focus its efforts on the conclusion of a comprehensive agreement between Sudan and South Sudan that address the critical issues of transitional financial arrangements, Abyei, and the border.

“The A.U. panel must commit to a process in which the critical issues of oil transit fees, Abyei, and the border are negotiated as a package deal, not in isolation,” said Omer Ismail, Enough Project Sudan expert. “Such a comprehensive approach recognizes the relationship inherent in all outstanding North-South issues and the ultimate bargain that the two sides will have to strike.”

The United States should employ a carrot and stick approach with Sudan that encompasses both the North-South negotiations and the promotion of a comprehensive peace agreement within Sudan that leads to credible elections. This can be achieved through the coordination of the appropriate financiers, in particular, those states that have historically benefited from Sudan’s oil industry, to provide economic assistance to fill Sudan's post-July fiscal gap.

The U.S. government may additionally offer to support the lifting of sanctions and debt relief for Sudan. Any such economic assistance must be conditioned on the resolution and implementation of a North-South package deal and the promotion of a comprehensive peace agreement within Sudan that leads to credible elections, the paper argues.

“The United States has in its possession a number of economic incentives that may make a resolution between the North and South more politically palatable for both sides,” said Amanda Hsiao, Enough Project Sudan field researcher. “These incentives cannot simply be conditioned on a North-South deal, but must be employed toward a negotiated deal encompassing all conflicts in the North, and a process that addresses the fundamental causes of Sudan's chronic instability.”

In the latest round of talks aimed at resolving outstanding issues since South Sudan seceded from Sudan in July, the Republic of South Sudan made considerable concessions while the Government of Sudan lacked the political will to negotiate, the paper says.

“Today, nearly 18 months since the start of the negotiation process, the two parties, the AUHIP, and the greater international community find themselves at a cross-road,” said Jennifer Christian, Enough Project Sudan policy analyst. “Few, if any, lasting agreements have been concluded by the parties. Now, as tensions escalate between Khartoum and Juba, the international community must unite in a concerted diplomatic effort.”

Read the full report: “Negotiations between the Two Sudans: Where They Have Been, Where They Are Going.”

Contact: Matt Brown, mbrown@enoughproject.org, +1-202-468-2925

Editors please note: Enough Project has high-res photos of the election from Eastern Congo available for download via Flickr

"The many troubling reports of electoral manipulation, intimidation, and violence need to be fully investigated," said Enough Project executive director John C. Bradshaw. "But these irregularities should not be used to justify violence by any parties, who should instead rely on peaceful processes to resolve any disputes."  

Unfortunately, the scope and nature of instances of fraud and violence calls into question the validity of a free and fair election. In the restive eastern portion of the country, the Enough Project’s analysts reported numerous accounts of intimidation and manipulation by armed groups, including the national army, in villages and at polling stations. If not immediately addressed by President Kabila as he prepares for his new term, these actions may exacerbate instability and disenfranchisement in the region and further entrench a destructive pattern of impunity for armed actors.  

Enough’s Goma based Field Researcher, Fidel Bafilemba said, “The influence of the military in the election has been everywhere. Armed groups loyal to the government were forcing people to cast their votes for President Kabila in Masisi and Walikale, as well as stealing identity cards and dressing in civilian clothes to vote. The failure by Kinshasa to reform and put in place strong institutions has led to serious failures in the overall democratic process.”

The Enough Project urges all parties to peacefully handle all disputes and grievances that may arise through appropriate channels and encourages President Kabila to recognize the irregularities in the process and take all necessary steps to investigate corruption and ensure credibility and transparency.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Matt Brown, mbrown@enoughproject.org, +1-202-468-2925

“Ambassador Walkley will be most effective if he can focus his efforts, and those of the United States, on finally addressing the political and economic roots of instability in the Congo,” said John Prendergast, Enough Project co-founder. “Dealing with post-election power-sharing, army and judicial reform, and efforts to clean up the deadly minerals trade should top the US agenda.”

*Make human rights and strengthening democratic institutions a priority in Congo’s post-election transition and in the Great Lakes region.

*Increase domestic and regional support for justice and security sector reform in the Congo.

*Push for the demilitarization of the mining sector and the full implementation of the Dodd-Frank Conflict Minerals Provision.

*Strengthen efforts to end the Lord's Resistance Army.

The State Department will announce Walkley's appointment at a December 12 briefing.
 

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Enough is a project of the Center for American Progress to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Founded in 2007, the Enough Project focuses on crises in Sudan, eastern Congo, and areas of Africa affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army. Enough’s strategy papers and briefings provide sharp field analysis and targeted policy recommendations based on a “3P” crisis response strategy: promoting durable peace, providing civilian protection, and punishing perpetrators of atrocities. Enough works with concerned citizens, advocates, and policy makers to prevent, mitigate, and resolve these crises. For more information, please visit www.enoughproject.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Matt Brown, mbrown@enoughproject.org, +1-202-468-2925

WASHINGTON – The Enough Project praised the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court for publicly requesting the Court to issue an arrest warrant against Abdel-Rahim Mohamed Hussein, Sudan’s Defense Minister, for war crimes in the conflict in Sudan’s western Darfur region. The Enough Project also released a report citing evidence of Hussein’s war crimes committed in the ongoing conflict along the border with South Sudan.

“An arrest warrant would be helpful in that it would focus responsibility for major war crimes more closely on the senior figures in the armed forces who have consistently targeted civilians in the context of their military operations,” said Enough Project co-founder John Prendergast. “President Bashir and Defense Minister Hussein are part of a small cabal making most of the decisions on war strategy, not just in Darfur but also in the current hot spots of South Kordofan and Blue Nile. They are responsible for the forcible displacement of literally millions of Sudanese over the course of the last eight years, and countless others before that in the North-South war.”

Hussein is the fourth senior Sudanese official targeted by the ICC in the Darfur conflict. The highest profile suspect is Sudanese president Omar al Bashir. The court is not mandated to investigate crimes committed along the border with South Sudan. The Sudan Armed Forces, led by Hussein, has bombed civilians and razed villages during its conflict with rebels in the border areas of Abyei, South Kordofan and Blue Nile since May.

“The world has taken another small step toward accountability for crimes against humanity with this request for an arrest warrant,” Prendergast said. “It is incumbent, however, on state supporters of the ICC to help craft strategies to apprehend the Defense Minister and other suspects so they can ultimately face justice.”

Hussein served as the Minister of Interior between 2003 and 2007, during which his mandate included responsibility for police, the Popular Defense Forces, or PDF, civil defense, drug control, and prisons. While Interior Minister, Hussein also served as Special Representative of the President in Darfur.

As the Minister of Defense since 2007, Hussein adopted in South Kordofan, Blue Nile, and Abyei the strategy and tactics previously used in Darfur. Though crimes committed in the Three Areas are outside the ICC’s mandate for investigation and arrest, Hussein currently directs the indiscriminate aerial bombing of civilians, forced mass displacement, the use of irregular militias against civilian villages, arbitrary arrest and detention, and extrajudicial killing, just as he did in Darfur. Satellite Sentinel Project has documented and shared with the ICC evidence of five razed towns and villages in the Three Areas and eight sites apparently containing mass graves in South Kordofan.

“The Sudanese army is consolidating power in Sudan, and General Hussein sits at the top of this elaborate system of state-sponsored repression,” Prendergast said. “Hussein is directly complicit in planning and authorizing serious war crimes in Darfur, which are covered by the ICC arrest warrant. But he is also responsible for crimes against humanity in Abyei, the Nuba Mountains, and Blue Nile. It is imperative to bring him to justice not only to create accountability for past crimes in Darfur but also to prevent new atrocities in other regions of Sudan. A mechanism of enforcing the arrest warrant is urgently needed. European supporters of the ICC and the U.S. should support African and other efforts to apprehend Hussein and bring him to The Hague.”

Read the Enough Project fact sheet on Hussein: http://www.enoughproject.org/files/Hussein%20Arrest%20Warrant%20Request%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf

Satellite Sentinel Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 1, 2011

Contact: Matt Brown, mbrown@enoughproject.org, +1-202-468-2925

WASHINGTON – The Satellite Sentinel Project (SSP) has identified evidence indicating that the Sudan Armed Forces, or SAF, intentionally razed civilian structures in the village of 'Amara in Blue Nile State, Sudan.

DigitalGlobe satellite imagery analyzed by the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative for SSP also shows two recently built military encampments and tracking consistent with heavy armor movement around the village of 'Amara.  At least eight craters consistent with aerial bombardment are also visible.

“This imagery is consistent with reports from on the ground that the SAF has intentionally destroyed civilian communities in clear violation of the laws of war,” said John Bradshaw, Enough Project executive director. “The international community needs to take immediate action to protect at-risk civilians in Blue Nile state and elsewhere in Sudan including banning offensive flights over the areas of conflict.”

The report, Blue Nile Burning: Evidence of the Destruction of 'Amara Village, shows craters on the ground, some as wide as 13 feet, consistent with aerial bombardment around the village of Amara. The civilian structures in the village, known as tukuls, have apparently been intentionally razed, the satellite analysis shows.

“These images and analysis provide further evidence of the Government of Sudan's disregard for the laws of war and human rights principles,” said Charlie Clements, MD, Executive Director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School. “The civilian structures that appear to be intentionally destroyed are testimony to the Sudan Armed Forces' continued use of disproportionate force.”

The destruction in and around Amara along the tense border region between Sudan and South Sudan occurred between November 11 and November 27. SAF has been fighting rebels from the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Army – North since June.

Read the latest SSP report, Blue Nile Burning: Evidence of the Destruction of 'Amara Village.

View or download DigitalGlobe satellite imagery: http://www.flickr.com/photos/enoughproject/sets/72157628228842123/

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About the Satellite Sentinel Project

The Satellite Sentinel Project, http://satsentinel.org, combines satellite imagery analysis and field reports with Google’s Map Maker to deter the resumption of full-scale civil war between North and South Sudan. Not On Our Watch provided seed money to launch SSP. The Enough Project contributes field reports and policy analysis, and, together with Not On Our Watch and our Sudan Now partners, pressures policymakers by urging the public to act. Google and Trellon collaborated to design the web platform. Harvard Humanitarian Initiative provides research and leads the collection, human rights analysis, and corroboration of on-the-ground reports that contextualizes the imagery. DigitalGlobe provides satellite imagery and additional analysis.