Impunity Watch: Africa

Attacks Stand as Harsh Reminder of Insecurity on First Anniversary of Somali Transitional Government

By Jared Kleinman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Islamic insurgents who control much of rural Somalia launched an early-morning attack on international peacekeepers and government soldiers in this battered capital of Mogadishu on Friday, killing at least 10 people and injuring over 21 others.

Medical officials said most of the casualties were civilians whose houses had been hit by mortar fire, some of which appeared to have come from African Union peacekeepers and government troops.

The attack came as the transitional government prepared to mark its one-year anniversary with a parade, poetry readings and celebrations at Villa Somalia, the presidential palace. It was not clear whether the assault was timed to coincide with the anniversary festivities, but it offered another reminder of the government’s weakening grip on security.

"We were woken up by the explosions at 2 a.m. and haven't slept since because of the non-stop shelling," said Nurta Hussein, another resident. "Two mortar bombs landed in this neighborhood, killing four civilians and wounding six."

Residents described it as the most serious fighting in months. “I thought I was dreaming when I heard the sound of the artillery,” said Asha Abdulle, a mother of four.

Militants from the rebel group Al Shabaab and an allied group, Hizbul Islam, claimed responsibility in a statement, saying that they had assaulted “the strongholds of the enemies of Allah.”

Al Shabaab, some branches of which have ties to Al Qaeda, has seized control of much of southern Somalia. The Islamic insurgents have carried out suicide bombings and frontal attacks against Somali officials and peacekeeping troops as it seeks to unseat the country’s fragile government.

In addition to attacks on government forces, militants have launched mortar assaults on the country’s main airport and bombed a college graduation ceremony.

Western powers have spent millions on weapons and training Somali defense forces, but rampant defections and military victories by Al Shabaab rebels and their allies, who control some two-thirds of the country, have sharply limited the Somali government’s power.

Violence in Somalia has killed 19,000 civilians since the start of 2007 and uprooted a further 1.5 million people, a contributing cause of one of the world's worst humanitarian emergencies.

For more information, please see:

Shabelle Media Network -5 Killed, 15 Wounded Violence in Mogadishu Once Again - 29 January 2010

Garowe Online - Clashes in Mogadishu Claims 10 - 29 January 2010

New York Times - Islamic Militants Launch Assault on Somali Capital – 29 January 2010

Reuters - At Least 12 Killed in Mogadishu Fighting – 29 January 2010

Thousands Continue to Seek Salvation in DRC as Insecurity Persists

By Jared Kleinman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

GOMA, Democratic Republic of the Congo – Military operations and banditry have forced more than 15,000 people to flee their homes over the past two months in Democratic Republic of the Congo's troubled North Kivu province.

Since December, the UN refugee agency has registered 15,508 newly displaced people at dozens of UNHRC -run sites for internally displaced people (IDP), where they seek shelter and safety.

According to the fleeing families, the situation is difficult and unsafe in their villages in the western part of North Kivu. They say military operations and violence conducted by numerous armed groups are forcing civilians to seek safety elsewhere.

The United Nations Human Rights Counsel (UNHCR) registered the new caseload of internally displaced people in and around Kitchanga, in a large area to the north-west of Goma, the capital of the province. This latest wave of displacement brings the total number of IDPs in the UNHCR-run sites to 116,000. UNHCR is currently managing 47 IDP camps in the region, providing protection and assistance.

"We estimate that so far we have registered only a part of the recently displaced population and that many more could be sheltering with host families or hiding in the woods fearing to return to their homes. These IDPs cannot be accessed due to insecurity and impassable roads," a UNHCR spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Fierce fighting has persisted in eastern DRC, particularly in North and South Kivu, where Hutu militants blamed for the Rwandan genocide of 1994 have fled. Last year the Congolese Government launched several offensives targeting the group known as the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), with logistical support from the UN peacekeeping mission in the country (MONUC).

The FDLR and the national army, the FARDC (Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo), are blamed for human-rights abuses in North and South Kivu, including attacking civilians, looting property, burning homes, widespread rape and sexual violence.

At least 200,000 cases of sexual violence have been recorded in eastern DRC since 1996, according to the UN. Across the country, an estimated 2.1 million people have been displaced by conflict, including about 538,880 in South Kivu Province and 1,130,000 in North Kivu.

For more information, please see:

IRIN - DRC: IDPs Hiding in North Kivu Forests - 27 January 2010

UN News - UN Agency Assisting Thousands Uprooted by Insecurity in Eastern Region - 26 January 2010

Reuters - Violence Displaces 15,000 Congolese Civilians Over Past Two Months - 26 Jan 2010

Charles Taylor Trial Resumes

By Jonathan Ambaye
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa Desk

THE HAGUE, Netherlands-Last week saw updates in the trial of Charles Taylor for war crimes against humanity.  Last week Taylor denied having any knowledge of rebel Commander, Sam Bockarie’s, public calls to kill sierra Leoneans.  Taylor has long claimed that when he became president of Liberia in 1997, the Economic Community of West African States made him the “point-person” for peace in Sierra Leone.  Lead prosecutor Brenda Hollis, used his self-proclaimed status as the “point person” to prove he was aware of Sam Bockarie’s threats to kill Sierra Leoneans.

 Taylor however still denied having any knowledge of these public statements by Bockarie. Prosecutors have argued throughout the trial that although Taylor was never present in Sierra Leone when RUF rebels committed crimes in the country, he was still aware of their actions and gave them his support to commit such crimes.

Taylor also denied allegations that during his time as Liberian President the Liberian judiciary was not independent.  Prosecutors have put together testimony by former lawyers in Liberia who have claimed that there was a “strong influence of the government on the judiciary.”  Taylor dismissed these allegations as “totally incorrect.” He further said, “the judiciary was rotten, I agree with the contents, but I met it this way, and I am trying to fix it.” This is a conference where Liberians are trying to solve historical problems.”  During his direct examination, Taylor said he brought good governance to Liberia and that he respected the fundamental human rights of his citizens.

Prosecutors are now trying to establish that he was not a good president for Liberia. They allege that as “leader of Liberia’s rebel group the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), Taylor was involved in the commission of atrocities against the people of Liberia and that when he became president, his system of governance did not reflect a democratic society.” Taylor has dismissed these accounts as untrue.

For more information, please see:

Charles Taylor Trial – Charles taylor Did Not Have Knowledge of Rebel Commander’s Public Calls To Kill Sierra Leoneans – 19 January 2010

Charles Taylor Trial –Charles Taylor Denies Allegations The Liberian Judiciary Was Not Independent Under his Presidency-19 January 2010

Charles Taylor Trial – Charles Taylor Denies Sending Fighters – 20 January 2009

Somali Al Shabaab Rebels Threaten to Attack Kenya

By Jared Kleinman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

NAIROBI, Kenya - Somalia's hardline al Shabaab rebels threatened on Thursday to attack neighboring Kenya following a crackdown on Somalis in the capital Nairobi, according to a recording posted on an al Shabaab Website.

The six-minute clip posted on the al Shabaab website stated, "We have arrived at the border, we will enter Kenya, and Inshallah we will get to Nairobi... when we get there, we will fight, we will kill, because we have weapons, enough weapons."

Islamist al Shabaab have threatened to attack Kenya before, although anger has been rising over the past week among the Somali community after Kenyan security forces detained hundreds of Somalis living in a Nairobi suburb. Kenya rounded up and arrested several hundred Somali immigrants and refugees living in a mostly Somali neighborhood. Earlier this month, Muslim protesters clashed with police after Friday prayers, leading to one death and extensive property damage.

The Kenyan police crackdown followed a violent protest in Nairobi against the detention of Jamaican Muslim cleric Sheikh Abdullah al-Faisal, who was jailed in Britain for urging his audiences to kill Jews, Hindus and Westerners.

The website said the message had been composed by militants annoyed by Kenya's decision to deport the cleric and the deaths of protesters last Friday. The chaotic demonstration resulted in the death of at least two people during nearly nine hours of mayhem in the heart of the capital. The security forces conducted raids on Somali-inhabited in the capital and other major cities in the country, leading to arrest of more than 700 people, mostly Somalis.

Many of the marchers were Somalis and some waved a black flag identified with al Shabaab, a group seen by Washington as al Qaeda's proxy in the Horn of Africa nation.

Reclusive al Shabaab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane, also known as Sheik Mukhtar Abdirahman Abu Zubeyr, was introduced on the recording by the men chanting. He is believed to be in close contact with senior foreign members of al Shabaab. The man they introduced called on Muslims in several sub-Saharan African nations to wage jihad, or holy war, against "infidels" and to destroy their interests around the world.

"Our brothers in Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Uganda and Chad, you have a chance to join the jihad in the name of Allah. Don't you know whoever does not join the jihad today, will never join?" the man said in Arabic. "If we live on or die, we are between two victories."

For more information, please see:

CNN - Somali Rebel Group Threatens Kenya as Tension Mounts – 22 January 2010

Reuters - Somali Hardline Rebels Threaten Kenya Attack – 21 January 2010 

Garowe Online - Al Shabaab Threaten to Attack Kenya Capital - 21 January 2010

Thousands Displaced and Over 20 Dead after Rogue Violence Consumes Nigerian City

By Jared Kleinman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

KANO, Nigeria — Several thousand residents of Jos, in central Nigeria, are displaced after their homes burned in deadly sectarian clashes on January 17th, according to residents and the local Red Cross. Local authorities have not yet confirmed the death toll violence but information IRIN obtained from hospital sources and residents put the number at 26, with 300 people injured.

Violence erupted in the Dutse Uku neighborhood of the predominantly Christian Nassarawa Gwom district. Residents told IRIN, the clashes followed a dispute over a Muslim resident's reconstruction of his home that had been burned down in February 2008 riots, in which according to Human Rights Watch, 133 people died. The misunderstanding occured between two neighbors, one Mr. Garba, a Muslim and the other a Christian who both had their houses burnt during the November 2008 crisis. According to THISDAY, when the neighbors decided to re-build their homes, Garba allegedly encroached on the plot of his Christian neighbor, a development that resulted into a hot argument and then a fight. The entire quarters re-grouped along religious lines and began a riot that spread to other parts of the city.

The NRC is coordinating its response with the government's National Emergency Management Agency and has appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross for support.

"We have [set up] five makeshift camps in police barracks, mosques and churches, sheltering 2,800 displaced people," Awwalu Mohammed, head of Nigeria Red Cross (NRC) in Jos, capital of Plateau State, told IRIN. "These people don't have enough food and water," he said. "They have lost their homes...so they couldn't salvage anything from their belongings. They are in urgent need of clothing and blankets to protect them from the cold, especially children who are more vulnerable to the unfriendly harmattan [seasonal winds]." Many more displaced people are staying with friends and relatives in other parts of Jos city, Mohammed added.

The Red Cross's Mohammed also told IRIN the NRC recorded 102 people admitted to five hospitals in the city with gunshot wounds, while others with less severe injuries had been treated and discharged.

Military and police are constantly patrolling Jos city and a dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed on January 17th remains in effect, Plateau State information commissioner, Gregory Yenlong, told IRIN on January 18th. Gregory Anting, state police commissioner, told IRIN police have arrested 35 people, five of whom were in military uniform.

Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Mohammed Lerama, said: "the situation is being contained. Other residents of the town are advised to remain calm and report any suspicious movement. Anyone who takes the law into his or her hand would be dealt with in accordance with the law. Residents should equally disregard any rumor of crisis in the city."

For more information, please see:

Vanguard - Food Crisis Hits Displaced Persons - 19 January 2010

THISDAY –‘Jos Mayhem Caused By Religious Terrorism, Bigotry' - 19 January 2010

THISDAY - 20 Feared Killed in Another Jos Riot - 18 January 2010

IRIN - Thousands Displaced in Jos Riots - 18 January 2010

UN Urges Uganda to Discard Anti-Homosexuality Bill

By Kylie M Tsudama
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

GENEVA, Switzerland - UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay denounced Uganda's proposed anti-homosexuality legislation calling it "draconian."  She said it is in violation of international human rights standards and called on the country to shelve it.

The proposed anti-homosexuality legislation would impose the death penalty or life imprisonment on some gay and lesbian people for some homosexual acts.  Some examples of violations would include cases of rape of a minor of the same sex, or where one partner carried the AIDS virus.  Public discussion of homosexuality or renting property to a homosexual would also be criminalized.

"The bill proposes draconian punishments for people alleged to be lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered - namely life imprisonment, or in some cases, the death penalty," said Pillay.  "To criminalize people on the basis of color or gender is now unthinkable in most countries.  The same should apply to an individual's sexual orientation."

In order to understand the bill's introduction in Uganda it is first necessary to understand the story of King Mwanga.  In 1886, King Mwanga ordered male pages to have sex with him.  They died as martyrs when they refused based on their Christian faith and were ordered to be burned at the stake.

Playing on Ugandans' fears, Scott Lively, an American evangelical, addressed the Ugandan Parliament. 

"Male homosexuality has historically been, not adult to adult; it's been adult to teenager," says Lively.  "It's called pederasty - adults sodomizing teenage boys."

A few months later this bill was introduced.

This bill is set to come before the Ugandan Parliament sometime in January.  It could be as early as next week. 

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and other high ranking government officials have suggested that they might intervene to keep this bill from becoming law, a move that Pillay welcomes.

According to Rupert Colville, the High Commissioner's spokesman, Pillay believes that the bill's passage could have an extremely negative impact for homosexual individuals, depriving them of a range of fundamental human rights.

"It is extraordinary to find legislation like this being proposed more than 60 years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights ... made it clear this type of discrimination is unacceptable," Pillay said.

She also warned that passage of this bill could harm Uganda's reputation in the international community.

For more information, please see:

AFP - UN Urges Uganda to Scrap Anti-Gay Bill - 15 January 2010

Guardian - UN's Human Rights Chief Urges Uganda to Scrap Anti-Gay Legislation - 15 January 2010

Jurist - UN Rights Chief Criticizes Proposed Uganda Legislation Against Homosexuality - 15 January 2010

NPR - U.S. Exports Cultural War to Uganda - 15 January 2010

UN News Centre - Top UN Rights Official Urges Uganda to Do Away with 'Anti-Homosexuality Bill' - 15 January 2010

VOA - UN Rights Chief Denounces Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill - 15 January 2010

DR Congo: 3.5 Million Euros in Aid for Refugees

By Kylie M Tsudama
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

BRAZZAVILLE, Republic of Congo - The United States and France are providing a total of 3.57 million euros (5.13 million dollars) in aid for refugees in the Republic of Congo, according to diplomatic sources.

(Source:AFP)

The US Embassy in Brazzaville announced a 4.6 million dollar (3.17 million euros) grant.  The grant is supposed to help the World Food Program (WFP) "provide assistance to the refugees" who have fled from fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo).

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner visited Brazzaville and soon after announced that France will also be helping the WFP "in the distribution of food aid."

"A grant of 200,000 euros will be paid to the Acted association (Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development), which will distribute kits consisting of tarpaulins, mosquito nets and cooking tools intended for 1,500 households (9,000 people)," said France's statement.

Ethnic clashes broke out last November over farming and fishing rights. 

According to the UN Refugee Agency it began registering the more than 100,000 refugees in order to give aid agencies a better idea of the numbers and needs of refugees.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesman, Andrej Mahecic, said that many fled quickly and with little or nothing. 

"The needs are great because most of these people are sleeping rough," he said.  "They occupy either public buildings in the Republic of Congo or public spaces.  So, there is a greater need for organized accommodation for these people.  Last week, we were calling for more sites to be allocated by authorities in the Republic of Congo for basically setting up organized refugee sites in that country."

A team of 50 people will be handling the registration, which is taking place along the Oubangui River between the two Congos.  This presents a challenge because many of the refugees are accessible only by boat.

"The majority of the refugees are in the areas that we can only reach by boats along the Oubangui River," said Mahecic.  "Now the water levels are gradually receding and we are running against time to complete the registration within the two months.  That would be by the end of February before the dry season sets in and the rivers will become just to low to navigate."

Meanwhile, the UNHCR is continuing to provide emergency assistance, including blankets, sleeping mats, mosquito nets and plastic sheeting for shelter, to the refugees.

Brazzaville fears that the humanitarian issue could turn into a major security issue because of the high numbers of people and weapons that have crossed the border.

For more information, please see:

AFP - US and France Provide 3.5 Million Euros for DR Congo Refugees - 15 January 2010

SOS Children - Refugees From Democratic Republic of Congo Swamp Aid Agencies - 15 January 2010

UNHCR - UNHCR Begins Registration of DRC Refugees in Northern Congo - 15 January 2010

VOA - UNHCR Begins Registration of 100,000 Refugees From DRC - 15 January 2010

Xinhua - Refugees Overwhelm Humanitarian Agencies in Republic of Congo - 15 January 2010

Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah Urges UN to Act on “Fragile” Somali State

By Jared Kleinman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

UNITED NATIONS, New York - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative for Somalia Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah told the Security Council Thursday that the crisis in the strife-torn Horn of Africa nation which has been devastated by factional fighting and without a functioning central government since 1991 can no longer be ignored.

"To prevent the situation from deteriorating further, and spilling over into the region and further afield, we should join the dots. In Somalia the international community still has some good cards [including the current Government]. It should play them right," Mr. Ould-Abdallah stated.

This, he said, will allow the international community to overcome two main challenges, beginning with the "absence of a concrete commitment and a determined international policy towards Somalia and its present leadership. "Continued hesitation and the absence of effective action have encouraged the extremists and, at the same time, weakened the Government," he noted.

Secondly, he said that despite a massive consensus of support for the Transitional Federal Government from the international community, that backing has yet to be translated into the necessary material assistance.

Somalia is considered the typical case of a "failed State," a top UN envoy told reporters. "We believe that with the situation we have now, we have moved from a failed Stated to a fragile State - a State which needs to be nurtured, supported to be able to carry out its responsibility at home and abroad, including in the region."

Mr. Ould-Abdallah said, that the county’s Transitional Federal Government had made significant progress, despite repeated armed assaults by externally funded extremists attempting to overthrow it. Citing the Government’s accomplishments, he said they included establishing its authority in Mogadishu, the capital; drawing up a budget; recruiting and training security forces; and keeping its political legitimacy over violent and extremist groups.

The Council should send a strong and clear signal to the extremists by strengthening the Government in a practical manner, he said, calling on the international community to provide more vigorous moral, diplomatic and financial assistance.  “Assistance delayed is assistance denied.”

It had become imperative to work more closely with IGAD, the African Union, the League of Arab States and the Organization of the Islamic Conference, he continued.  The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) deserved, as an emergency matter, support through troop allowances increased to the international level, the timely disbursement of those allowances, and payment for lethal equipment.

The Council should also vigorously address the role of the spoilers, he said.  A clear and effective message, backed by concrete action, would demonstrate that those who funded the extremists -– “creating misery for innocent civilians, violating international law, including through recruitment of child soldiers and threatening peace and stability of the region” -– would no longer enjoy impunity.  “The protection of civilians is an obligation long ignored in Somalia,” he noted.

He said those recommendations would be implemented more effectively once the United Nations family working on Somalia operated in an integrated and harmonized manner.  There was a need to accelerate the move by the Organization and the international community to Mogadishu. 

“To help the Somalis, especially the victims, we have to be with them,” he stressed.  Failure to intervene actively to restore stability was already threatening the effectiveness of the international community, in addition to costing vast amounts of resources.  Failure to act decisively could only lead to a dramatic increase in that cost.

For more information, please see:

UN News Service- Government Needs More Coordinated, Effective Support - UN Envoy - 15 January 2010

All Africa- Secretary General's Special Representative, Briefing Security Council, Calls Somalia 'Global Crisis' That Can No Longer Be Ignored - 15 January 2010

The Star Online- Somalia is Moving From Failed to Fragile State - 15 January 2010

Relief Web- Secretary-General’s Special Representative, Breifing Security Council, Calls Somalia ‘Global Crisis’ That Can No Longer Be Ignored – 14 January 2010

Congolese Warlord’s Defense Began Thursday

By Jared Kleinman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

The defense team of Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, accused of enlisting child soldiers, began its presentation Thursday as part of the first-ever trial to be held by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Lubanga is the founder and leader of the Union of Congolese Patriots in the Ituri region of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Lubanga’s trial marks the first in the history of international law to see the active participation of victims in the proceedings, including child combatants. He faces two counts of war crimes: conscripting and enlisting child soldiers into the military wing of his group and then using them to participate in hostilities between September 2002 and August 2003.

Mr. Lubanga's defense team, led by Catherine Mabille, will present exculpatory evidence over several months. Some 30 witnesses expected to testify, most of whom have not asked for extra protection from the Court.

The Prosecution finished presenting its evidence on 14 July, 2009. Over the course of 22 weeks, and during 74 days of hearings, the Chamber heard 28 witnesses called by the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP), including three experts. The Chamber also called two other experts to testify. Nearly all of the prosecution's witnesses were granted protective measures, including voice and facial distortion and the use of pseudonyms. A psychologist sat in during the proceedings to support and monitor witnesses.

Mr. Lubanga, who surrendered to the ICC in March 2006, and his defense team were able to see all of the witnesses as they gave their testimony, but some required further special measures to avoid direct eye contact with the accused. To date, 103 victims represented by three teams of legal counsel have been authorized to participate in the trial.

Established by the Rome Statute of 1998, the ICC can try cases involving individuals charged with war crimes committed since July 2002. The UN Security Council, the ICC Prosecutor or a State Party to the Court can initiate any proceedings, and the ICC only acts when countries themselves are unwilling or unable to investigate or prosecute.

For more information, please see:

UN News Services - Defence Kicks Off Case for Warlord at International Criminal Court - 7 January 2010

All Africa - Lubanga Trial Highlights Plight of Child Soldiers - 6 January 2010

International Criminal Court - Trial of Thomas Lubanga Dyilo - the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations for Children and Armed Conflict Will Testify Before the Court - 6 January 2010

CAR Rebel Leader Imprisoned

By Kylie M Tsudama
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

BANGUI, Central African Republic - The leader of the only rebel group still fighting in Central African Republic (CAR) has been captured.

Charles Massi formerly served under Centrafrican President Ange-Felix Patasse as Minister of Mines, according to current president Francois Bozize. Massi is now the leader of the rebel Convention of Patriots for Justice and Peace (CPJP). 

According to his wife, Denise Massi, he had been captured and beaten by soldiers of the presidential guard.  He was captured in the border area of Chad, Cameroon, and CAR, although she did not specify which country.

"He was beaten up and he's in a lamentable...condition," she said.

Massi is being detained at a prison in the capital Bangui after being turned over to Central African authorities.  He was arrested between January 1 and 2, said a military source.

"Charles Massi is not dead like some people are saying," said the military source.  "When he was transferred across the border between Chad and Central Africa, one person with him was shot for refusing to comply with the instructions of those transferring him to Bangui."

He was previously arrested in southern Chad in May 2009.  He was charged with "fraudulent entry and attempted destabilization of a neighboring country" and imprisoned, according to Chad's Interior Minister Ahmat Mahamat Bachir.  He was released in July.

Massi's arrest came just days after CPJP rebels and the Centrafrican army clashed in CAR near the Chadian border.  CPJP rebels had several clashes with government forces in 2009 in the Ndele region. 

The army ordered the operation after learning of a fresh assault on the Ndele region was being prepared by the CPJP.

A CPJP statement has accused Bangui of ignoring an offer of negotiations and "mistakenly pursuing a logic of war."

"The launch of hostilities against us will only needlessly weaken the country," it said.

The fighting has led to the creation of a refugee camp in Daha, on Chad's side of the border, because of the number of displaced people.

For more information, please see:

AFP - C.Africa Imprisons Rebel Leader - 10 January 2010

AFP - C.Africa Rebel Chief Captured:Wife - 09 January 2010

News 24 - CAR Rebel Chief Captured - 09 January 2010