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Election-Related Conflict in Mozambique

Africa, Analysis, Elections, Local-Level Violence, Political Stability, Rioting And ProtestsBy Roudabeh Kishi 6 November 2014

Mozambique continues to see riots and protests surrounding its elections on October 15 last month. In November 2013, Mozambique saw a marked increase in election-related riots and protests in association with its local elections involving the ruling Frente de Libertacao de Mocambique (FRELIMO) party (who have held a monopoly on ruling power since independence from Portugal in 1975) and opposition Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM) party.… Details

Rebel Groups of the DRC and Attacks on Civilians

Africa, Analysis, Civilians At Risk, Current Hotspots, Ethnic Militias, Focus On Militias, LRA, Rioting And Protests, Violence Against CiviliansBy Roudabeh Kishi 6 November 2014

When looking at violence against civilians in DR-Congo from 2009-2014, rebel groups have been responsible for the majority of fatalities in these violent events (Figure 1). ACLED regards ‘rebels’ as armed agents in opposition to the established government with aims to overthrow the regime, or establish a separate state; in short, these groups have national political aims.… Details

Violence against Journalists and Press

Africa, Civilians At Risk, Focus On Militias, Violence Against CiviliansBy Roudabeh Kishi 29 October 2014

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) launched a new awareness campaign last week about the persecution of journalists and news media in Libya (Figure 1); since the end of the Libyan revolution in 2011, RSF has reported a number of murders, abductions, and physical attacks or acts of harassment targeting journalists.[1]… Details

Bombings, Explosives and Conflict Part 2: Weapons of the Weak? Remote Violence and the Relative Strength of Non-State Actors

Africa, Al Shabaab, Current Hotspots, Improvised Explosive Devices, Remote ViolenceBy Daniel Wigmore-Shepherd 29 October 2014

Does the use of remote violence indicate weakness in a non-state conflict actor? Forms of ‘remote violence’, such as roadside bombs and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), enable armed groups to attack targets that they do not have the capacity to face directly.… Details

Education and Political Conflict Part 2: Non-State Actor Strategies – A Focus on Boko Haram & Al Shabaab Conflict Dynamics

Al Shabaab, Boko Haram, Civilians At Risk, Education, Focus On Militias, Violence Against CiviliansBy James Moody 29 October 2014

In February 2012, Boko Haram members burned down three schools in the town of Maiduguri in north-eastern Nigeria. The group claimed that the attack was provoked by indiscriminate student arrests in Islamic schools by state forces (IRIN, 4 October 2013).… Details

Continued Conflict and Violence in South Sudan

Africa, Analysis, Civilians At Risk, Ethnic Militias, Focus On Militias, Human Rights, Unidentified Armed Groups, Violence Against CiviliansBy Roudabeh Kishi 22 October 2014

With peace talks between president Salva Kiir and SPLA/M-In Opposition leader and former vice-president Riek Machar on hiatus, conflict in South Sudan continues. Since the ceasefire agreement between the two in May, the number of conflict events involving the government and the SPLA/M-IO has not significantly decreased. … Details

Remote-Violence, Bombings and Conflict Part 1: The patterns of bombings in post-Arab Spring North Africa

Africa, Civilians At Risk, Current Hotspots, Focus On Militias, Political Stability, Remote Violence, Violence Against CiviliansBy Daniel Wigmore-Shepherd 22 October 2014

While the Arab Spring was lauded as a triumph of democracy by various Western politicians, the response from security analysts have been more ambiguous (CNN, 28 May 2011). There have been concerns that the dramatic shifts, or outright disintegration, of existing power structures could aid international and domestic conflict, particularly within the region (BBC News, 22 June 2011).… Details

Education and Political Conflict Part 1

Africa, Boko Haram, Civilians At Risk, Current Hotspots, Education, Ethnic Militias, Focus On Militias, Rioting And Protests, Violence Against CiviliansBy James Moody 22 October 2014

Following the announcement on the 16th October that the Nigerian government had negotiated the release of over 200 schoolgirls kidnapped from Chibok in Nigeria, the global trend of deliberate and recurrent attacks against schools and education in conflict-affect areas has received renewed attention.… Details

Protest, spectacle and South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters

Africa, Analysis, Civilians At Risk, Political Stability, Rioting And Protests, Violence Against CiviliansBy Daniel Wigmore-Shepherd 15 October 2014

The May 2014 South African general election proved that the ruling African National Congress (ANC) is far from secure in its ruling seat. The ANC secured 62% of the vote, the rival Democratic Alliance (DA) won 22%, and in third place, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) with 6%.… Details

Freedom of expression in Libya undermined by targeted civilian killings

Africa, Analysis, Civilians At Risk, Current Hotspots, Ethnic Militias, Focus On Militias, Rioting And Protests, Violence Against CiviliansBy James Moody 15 October 2014

Since elections on June 25th, Libya’s volatile political landscape has, to a great extent, been characterised by warring political and ethnic militias vying for power and control. A joint report by UNSMIL and the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR, 4 September 2014) documents how the ongoing fighting has impacted ordinary civilian life: multiple armed militias have shown little regard for the safety of non-combatants, with residential areas being subject to indiscriminate shelling.… Details