In this section you will find reports, in-depth analysis and investigative materials in English, French, Spanish or Catalan on a range of issues and topics, from public health to human rights or specific national situations uploaded between 2011 and 2015 (new material will be made available weekly) . Each title provides a link to the original location, a summary or/and highlights and context information (posts in the blog, tweets and other sources).
A blog as expression of a perspective and take on international topics, most specially human rights, public health and other matters worthy of action and attention. Onada expansiva aims to contribute to an informed discussion on current issues that goes beyond mainstream media in order to adress root causes of existing crisis and conflicts. Onada expansiva will be publishing in Catalan, English, Spanish and French. Suscribe for updates.
Showing posts with label Somalia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Somalia. Show all posts
Thursday, September 22, 2016
Sunday, September 18, 2016
Humanitarian Intervention´s original sin
We recover a piece from Alex
De Wall (Fletcher
School, Tufts University) on the legality of bombing medical facilities (protected by Article
19 of the 1949
Geneva Convention) under the light of the precedent set out by US forces in
Somalia during the UN-endorsed “Operation Restore Hope”
between December 1992 and May 1993.
Recent instances of disregard for medical neutrality in Yemen,
Syria
and Afghanistan
and examples of impunity for misconduct of foreign troops operating under UN
banner in Central
African Republic, Haiti
and Republic
Democratic of Congo make this article even more relevant. We have added a
few more hyperlinks and provided context information at the end of the post.
Is It Ever Legal to Bomb a Hospital? On October 6, 2015
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Is It Ever Legal to Bomb a Hospital? On October 6, 2015
Dr. Omar was conducting an exploratory laparotomy on a female patient with a bullet wound in her abdomen when the entire hospital shook with the sound of explosions. Windows were shattering and a light and plaster fell from the ceiling. A nurse ran in to say that a missile had been fired through the wall of another operating theater, that three patients had been killed, and staff and patients were rushing to take shelter in the basement. Dr. Omar stayed with his patient, stitching her up even while the building reverberated with the assault.
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Report on Kenya´s security forces abuses in the fight against Al-Shabaab.
We have added in the Reports section a recently released report by Human Rights Watch and the Kenya Human Rights Commission entitled Insult to Injury documenting the abuses, arbitrary detentions and excessive use of force by Kenya´s Security Forces in the aftermath of an attack by Al-Shabaab against villages and vehicles in Lamu County. It is not the first time (2012, 2013) that Kenya´s security forces (UK and US trained) are held responsible for human rights violations in their counterinsurgency operations.
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Kenya´s Security Forces, from Kenya’s anti-terror unit guilty of abuses, says HRW from In2EastAfrica
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Background
During five weeks between mid-June through July 2014, armed gunmen who in most cases claimed to be part of the Somalia-based armed Islamist group Al-Shabaab, attacked a passenger bus and at least eight villages in the Kenyan coastal counties of Lamu and Tana River. The attackers killed 87 people including four security officers, and destroyed approximately 30 buildings and 50 vehicles. Kenyan security forces were slow to respond to the attacks, leaving villages unprotected and when they eventually responded, their actions were of ten discriminatory, beating, arbitrarily detaining and stealing personal property from Muslim and ethnic Somalis in the two counties. A year later, despite numerous law enforcement operations along the coast, hundreds have been arrested and mistreated, only to have charges dropped for lack of evidence and no one has been held responsible for the attacks.
During five weeks between mid-June through July 2014, armed gunmen who in most cases claimed to be part of the Somalia-based armed Islamist group Al-Shabaab, attacked a passenger bus and at least eight villages in the Kenyan coastal counties of Lamu and Tana River. The attackers killed 87 people including four security officers, and destroyed approximately 30 buildings and 50 vehicles. Kenyan security forces were slow to respond to the attacks, leaving villages unprotected and when they eventually responded, their actions were of ten discriminatory, beating, arbitrarily detaining and stealing personal property from Muslim and ethnic Somalis in the two counties. A year later, despite numerous law enforcement operations along the coast, hundreds have been arrested and mistreated, only to have charges dropped for lack of evidence and no one has been held responsible for the attacks.
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Revisiting death from above
On July 2011 we started this blog with a post on the first reported use of drones to carry out a selective killing (an euphemism for a summary execution) by the US navy in Somalia. In Targeted killings and "surgical interventions", the automation of death (which we have updated with new material and info distributed through @OnadaExpansiva) we gathered more than a few stories on how unmanned aerial vehicles were gradually becoming the weapon of choice in the so called war on terror, most specially in those areas between Afghanistan and Pakistan (i.e West Waziristan) where Islamic militant groups seemed to hold territory.
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| SourcePakistani family gives Congress an unprecedented account of effect of CIA drone attacks on their community The Independent October 30th 2013 |
Four years later, drones have become a regular
feature in the different theaters where the US
and other western countries (notably
France and the United
Kingdom) have intervened
(surgically, yet another euphemism) or are waging wars by proxy as would be the
case in Somalia,
Mali
or more recently swaths of Syria and Iraq.
Even though criticisms regarding eventual collateral damage (there is
nothing collateral in the death of civilians)
has grown and serious ethical
and moral
concerns have been raised the military use of drones shows no signs of abating in
the foreseeable future. What is more worrisome, stalled discussions regarding
the control of production and use of fully autonomous weapons (known as killer robots) could spell the next step towards
indiscriminate carnage in battlefields and beyond
From @OnadaExpansiva
From @OnadaExpansiva
- #Afghanistan A Dubious History of #US "Targeted Killings" http://spon.de/aeo0g @SPIEGELONLINE v @ricardcolorado cc @TBIJ #drones Dec 29 2014
- #Burkina Why #BurkinaFaso matters to #US #counterterrorism efforts in #Africa http://ow.ly/DL3sl @ryanlenorabrown @CSMWorldDesk #drones Nov 4 2014
- #summaryexecutions Confessions of a #drone veteran:What govs. r not telling http://bit.ly/XuHdQc @Salon v @vicparsons_ @TBIJ #drones Nov 6 2014
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Somalilàndia, sobirania sense reconeixement formal
Recuperem una nota publicada al diari digital Nationalia iniciativa del Centre Internacional Escarré per a les minories ètniques i les nacions (CIEMEN) sobre Somalilàndia territori independent que tot i no gaudir de cap tipus de reconeixement formal per part de l'anomenada "comunitat internacional" (d'Estats i Organitzacions Intergovernamentals) ha aconseguit establir institucions pròpies, consolidar un marc d’estabilitat en un sub-context geografic especialment convuls, tot negociant l'explotació de recursos naturals sota la seva sobirania.
Manca de reconeixement formal que es repeteix en la multiplicitat de nacions sense Estat repartides a escala global on la negació de drets lingüístics, històrics, culturals i polítics deriven en situacions de persecució i conflicte. Simultàniament el continent africà és exemple i escenari d’Estats suposadament sobirans on la manca de legitimitat es tradueix en inestabilitat i l’ingerència de grans potències.
Manca de reconeixement formal que es repeteix en la multiplicitat de nacions sense Estat repartides a escala global on la negació de drets lingüístics, històrics, culturals i polítics deriven en situacions de persecució i conflicte. Simultàniament el continent africà és exemple i escenari d’Estats suposadament sobirans on la manca de legitimitat es tradueix en inestabilitat i l’ingerència de grans potències.
La inestabilitat de Somàlia durant les ultimes dues dècades ha conduit a la creació de facto de noves entitats nacionals, sense reconeixement internacional pero control efectiu sobre considerables extensions de territori, recursos i accés a sortides marítimes Font. BBC
Exploracions petrolieres i relacions internacionals: Somalilàndia és sobirana sense reconeixement formal
Nationalia 31/10/2012
La república autoproclamada manté lligams privilegiats de mutu interès amb la principal potència regional, Etiòpia · El govern somalilandès ha arribat a acords amb tres companyies per explorar el sòl a la recerca de petroli i ha anunciat l'inici imminent de l'extracció de mineral de ferro i carbó · Cap estat del món reconeix la independència de Somalilàndia, que actua com a país sobirà des de 1990
Tenir ministres que són rebuts amb honors de dignataris estatals, donar permisos a les companyies petrolieres per explorar terrenys, signar acords de defensa... Atribucions com aquestes, que habitualment són exclusives dels estats reconeguts, són assumides a la Banya d'Àfrica per Somalilàndia, una república no reconeguda oficialment per cap altre estat del món. D'entrada, la resta de països consideren que forma part de Somàlia, un país que no ha tingut control efectiu d'aquest territori des de 1990 i que pateix una guerra civil des de fa dues dècades.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Five Myths about Africa
Departing words by Christian Science Monitor Africa's chief correspondent Scott Baldauf after five years covering the continent. Interesting reading most specially when the Horn of Africa is again in the agenda of corporate media.
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| Africa´s political map from Nationsonline |
With the insight of five years on the ground and a summary of his travels around the continent; Mr. Baldauf proceeds to debunk five myths about Africa which shape international coverage of what happens in a 54-countries and 2,000 languages continent: "Africa is poor; Africa is violent; Africa is technologically backward; Africa needs "our" help; and my favorite, Africa is a country. " An interesting piece to improve our understanding of a huge continent of extreme contrasts.
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