FCNL: War Prevention Update (December 22, 2004)

Welcome to the FCNL Prevent War Review. Each Prevent War Review focuses on one of three issues: Current Conflicts in the News (sent 12/8/04); Policy and Papers (sent 12/16), and Forgotten Wars. This Review highlights developments in particular crisis areas and new resources to help you make sense of the issues and take positive action.

This edition of the Prevent War Review focuses on Forgotten Wars (November and December 2004). 

* International: UN chief seeks U.S. $ 1.7 billion for 'forgotten crises' 
* UNICEF Report: 1 billion children face harsh conditions 
* Oxfam states '45 Million Children to Die due to Rich Countries' Miserliness' 
* Democratic Republic of Congo: 3.8 million dead and counting
* Updates on Darfur, Sudan
* Can Zimbabwe Turn the Corner?
* West Africa Updates: Cote D'Ivoire, Liberia and Sierra Leone
* Haiti- On the Brink Again 
* Iran
* Global Early Warning online

(Inclusion of particular resources in the Prevent War Review does not imply FCNL support or agreement with all of the points contained therein. For FCNL's positions on issues, please see our web site at www.FCNL.org)

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UN chief seeks U.S. $ 1.7 billion for 'forgotten crises' 

On November 11, 2004, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan requested US $1.7 billion to help people caught in a web of forgotten humanitarian crises, mainly in Africa. "We are here today to sound an alarm on behalf of 26 million people struggling to survive the ravages of war and other emergencies," said Annan. The countries of concern include Burundi, Central African Republic (CAR), Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Côte d'Ivoire, and the occupied Palestinian territories. 

"Humanitarian donor nations must work together to make sure that populations in need are not 'forgotten,'" Annan stated. The UN's previous humanitarian appeal received only 52% of the funding required. US military expenditures for 2003-2005 in Iraq alone are more than 100 times this $1.7 billion dollars needed to provide basic services for 26 million people. 
To find out more, visit www.humanitarianappeal.net 
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UNICEF: 1 billion children face harsh conditions 

UNICEF's annual report, The State of the World's Children, claims more than 1 billion children worldwide under the age of 18 suffer from the ravages of war, poverty, and AIDS. The report also notes that an additional 1 billion children lack the "shelter, water, sanitation, schooling, information, health care and food" deemed necessary for basic survival. To see more go to: http://www.unicef.org/sowc05/english/index.html 
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Oxfam says '45 Million Children to Die in Next Decade Due to Rich Countries' Miserliness'

Unless the world's wealthiest countries comply with their past pledges, some 45 million children in the world's poor countries will die needlessly over the next decade, according to a new report released December 6 by Oxfam. Rich countries are getting richer and only spending half as much in real terms in development assistance as they did in 1960, according to the report, "Paying the Price." Oxfam calls for the immediate cancellation of all poor countries debt and doubled development assistance. 

At only 0.14 percent of GDP, U.S. foreign aid in 2003 ranked dead last among all wealthy nations. In fact, all U.S. development aid spending in 2003 came to only 10% of what the U.S. spent on the Iraq war that year, the report says. U.S. development assistance amounts to less than one-fortieth of its annual military budget. The key to achieving the Millennium Development Goals ( http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/) lies both with increasing aid and debt cancellation. See the full report at (PDF): http://oxfam.org/eng/pdfs/pp041206_MDG.pdf

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Democratic Republic of Congo: 3.8 Million Dead in 6-Year Conflict

A new International Rescue Committee report (December 9) reveals that nearly 4 million people have died as a result of the war in Democratic Republic of Congo. This death toll is greater than the deaths in any other conflict since World War II. "In a matter of six years, the world lost a population equivalent to the entire country of Ireland or the city of Los Angeles," says the IRC's Dr. Rick Brennan. "How many innocent Congolese have to perish before the world starts paying attention?" The report calls for increased security, increased foreign aid, and increased efforts towards a sustainable peace agreement. 

See more at: http://www.icg.org/home/index.cfm?id=3180&l=1 , http://www.theirc.org/index.cfm/wwwID/2132 and (PDF) http://www.theirc.org/pdf/DRC_MortalitySurvey2004_RB_8Dec04.pdf and 
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UN Starts African Great Lakes Peace Tour 

The UN Security Council had a recent tour of Africa's Great Lakes region to see how the cycle of wars and massacres can be tackled by the international community. For the full article, see: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4029557.stm
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Updates on Darfur, Sudan

The UN Security Council adopted a resolution (Res 1574) on Sudan on November 19, in Nairobi, Kenya. The Security Council encouraged the speedy conclusion of a Comprehensive Peace Agreement and also enunciated the obligations and responsibilities of various parties in the implementation of this agreement. The Council recognized the importance of resolving the conflict in order to achieve peace in Sudan. The Security Council recognized and supported the expanded mission of the African Union in Darfur.

Read the resolution at: http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/unsc_resolutions04.html

Human Rights Watch Believes the UN Backtracked in its Sudan Resolution

Human Rights Watch is critical of the Security Council's resolution demanding accountability of the Khartoum government for the ongoing human rights abuses in Darfur. HRW feels that the new resolution omits previously included strong language of punishment such as sanctions for not acting aggressively to disarm the Janjaweed militia. 

The full Human Rights Watch press release can be found at: http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2004/11/19/darfur9700.htm 

North-South Peace Process

There is a glimmer of hope that "an end may be near to the war between Sudan's Islamic government and the Christian and animist rebels in the country's south". But for thousands of Southerners who have spent years as refugees, whether they can go home anytime soon depends on the resolution of Sudan's other conflict, the one still raging in Darfur in Sudan's west. For the full article see: http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/world/10238223.htm
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Zimbabwe: Another Election Chance?

Zimbabwe's coming elections present a chance for increasing the alternate voices to the Mugabe ZANU-PF dominated current political climate. Under the 24-year rule of President Robert Mugabe, the ZANU-PF has relied on a series of measures that have curtailed land rights, international press access, local NGO activity, and farming rights. The International Crisis Groups puts forward recommendations for peace, security and democracy at http://www.icg.org/home/index.cfm?id=3142&l=1 

In Zimbabwe, evidence of famine is increasing. Zimbabwe, a country that served as one of the models of African development just 25 years ago, is now facing severe malnutrition. A combination of poor harvests, drought, HIV/AIDS, land ownership disputes, and political repression have all affected the food supply reaching Zimbabweans. To learn more see: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/this_world/4002489.stm 
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Cote D'Ivoire

On November 16, the UN Security Council voted unanimously to impose an immediate arms embargo on Ivory Coast, following the recent outbreak of violence there. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4013413.stm
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Liberia and Sierra Leone: Rebuilding Failed States

A new report released by the International Crisis Group states that "international interventions in Liberia and Sierra Leone are failing to produce stable sovereign states because peace building is treated as implementing a checklist of operational processes without tackling underlying political dynamics." The report calls for urgently needed measures to both address the current conflicts and the root causes. 
See the full report at: http://www.icg.org/home/index.cfm?id=3156&l=1
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A New Chance for Haiti?

A new report has been published by the International Crisis Group (ICG) entitled: "A New Chance for Haiti?" This report examines the continued hemorrhaging of a state trying to get on its feet for nine months now since the departure of President Aristide. In the past months, Haiti has been drifting towards anarchy, trying to coalesce a fragile interim government, attempting to bring in the full number of peacekeeping troops, and trying to bring security back to the country. ICG bleakly concludes that "if international intervention is not to fail again, serious disarmament and a more inclusive political process that aims to build a national consensus must begin." You can find the full report at http://www.icg.org/home/index.cfm?id=3109&f=1
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Iran: Where Next on the Nuclear Standoff?

The International Crisis Group just published a briefing on U.S.- Iran relations regarding nuclear weapons. The executive summary and the full report can both be found at http://www.icg.org/home/index.cfm?id=3118&l=1
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Global Early Warning System online

A collaboration of UN organizations launched a new web site where you can find out about natural disasters and emergency preparedness in any region of the world. Could a similar early warning system for conflict crises be developed some day? To see the web site visit: http://www.hewsweb.org/home_page/default.asp

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Sangeeta Tripathi
Peaceful Prevention of Deadly Conflict Intern
Friends Committee on National Legislation

Sangeeta@FCNL.org
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