Group 22 - Information Centre Asylum and Migration Briefing Notes 4 January 2016 Afghanistan Military confrontations A military operation was launched against the Taliban in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, (Sangin District) on 29 December 2015. In the week leading up to this military operation, the Afghan security forces were massively strengthened in order to prevent the province falling into the hands of the Taliban which had four out of the 13 districts under its control on 24 December 2015. On 2 January 2016, Afghan security forces freed 53 inmates from a Taliban prison in Helmand. Fighting has broken out between security forces and militants in Faryab province (northern Afghanistan) in the past few days and several persons have been killed. The control over the individual districts is changing. Several members of the Taliban forces and security forces were killed in fighting in Uruzgan (southern Afghanistan) between 28 and 30 December 2015. Seven Taliban insurgents and two police officers were killed in clashes near the city of Zabul (southern Afghanistan) on 26 December 2015. Seven suspected Pakistani Taliban insurgents were killed in fighting that broke out between the Taliban and the Afghan Local Police (ALP) in Paktika (south-eastern Afghanistan). On 24 December 2015, security forces managed to destroy a Taliban prison in Kunduz (north-eastern Afghanistan) and to kill several Taliban insurgents. Further hostilities took place in Laghman, Kunar (eastern Afghanistan), Farah (western Afghanistan), Logar, Maidan Wardak (Central Afghanistan), Ghazni (southeastern Afghanistan) and Sar-i-Pul (northern Afghanistan). In Nangarhar province (eastern Afghanistan), clashes have been breaking out for weeks between ISIS supporters and the Taliban, local militia and security forces. Both sides are acting with extreme brutality. A local militiaman beheaded four ISIS militants in late December and ISIS has also beheaded several prisoners. Targeted bombings and attacks A suicide bombing was carried out close to Kabul Airport on 4 January 2016. No details have been announced so far. In the evening hours 3 January 2016, armed terrorists attacked the Indian Consulate in Mazar-e Sharif (Balkh province, northern Afghanistan). The fighting is still ongoing. It is not yet known who is responsible for the attacks. On 2 January 2016, the corpses of eight persons kidnapped by the Taliban the previous day were found in Farah (western Afghanistan). On 1 January 2016, at least two persons were killed and 15 were wounded when a suicide bomb detaonated at a restaurant in Kabul that is popular among foreigners. On 29 December 2015, an attack was carried out against the school authorities in Shegal district in Kunar province (eastern Afghanistan), causing damage to property. On 28 December 2015, a suicide bomber attacked a convoy of foreign troops near Kabul airport, killing one civilian and injuring 33, many of them children. Two female members of a polio vaccination team were gunned down on 28 December 2015 in Kandahar (capital of Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan). Five civilians, including two employees of the Ministry of Education, were abducted by suspected Taliban insurgents in Faryab (northern Afghanistan) on 28.December 2015. On 26 July 2015, four police officers and four civilians were killed when a roadside bomb exploded in Helmand (southern Afghanistan). In Faryab, an Afghan soldier who had been abducted was murdered and an explosive device was hidden underneath his dead body. The bodies of two police officers who had been abducted were found in Farah (western Afghanistan). On 25 December 2015, a tribal elder was killed in Nangarhar (eastern Afghanistan) by a magnetic bomb attached to a his car. At least ten persons were killed in a suicide bombing at a mosque in Baghlan. On 24 December 2015, at least six civilians were killed in suicide bombings in Jowzjan and Faryab (northern Afghanistan). Two civilians were killed in Nimruz (southern Afghanistan) on 23 December 2015. On 21 December 2015, a cleric gunned 1
down a US citizen in the middle of the street in Kabul. She had been working for a Japanese relief organisation. Six US troops were also killed when a suicide bomb exploded close to the US military base Bagram. At least three missiles were subsequently fired on Kabul, although they did not cause any major damage. Woman stoned to death A woman was stoned to death in the district of Kohistanat in the northern province of Sar-i-Pul on 30 December 2015. There is no detailed information available. Pakistan Heavy bomb blast A suicide bomber attacked a branch of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) in Mardan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province) on 29 December 2015, killing at least 25 persons and injuring 56. Jamaat ul-ahrar, a section of the Pakistani Taliban network Tehrik-e Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack. Iraq Calls for Turkey to withdraw its troops Iraq's Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-jafari urged Turkey to withdraw all its troops from Iraq at a special meeting of the Arab League held in Cairo on 23 December 2015. He said the Turkish government has merely regrouped its troops in northern Iraq but had not actually withdrawn them. In doing so, it had violated Iraq's sovereignty. The Arab League ruled that Turkey was violating international law with its operations in Iraq. Army conquers Ramadi On 28 December 2015, the Army announced that it had fully reconquered Ramadi, the provincial capital of Anbar, from ISIS. Prime Mininster Haider al-abadi promised to liberate the whole of Iraq in 2016. Ramadi is the fourth-largest city after Tikrit, Baiji und Sinjar to drive ISIS out. ISIS attacks On 1 January 2016, three Iraqi troops were killed and 17 were wounded when ISIS terrorists attacked a military base near Ramadi in vehicles that were loaded with explosives. On 3 January 2016, 15 police officers were killed and 22 were wounded in a suicide bombing waged by five terrorists on a training camp for security forces near Tikrit. Iran/Saudi Arabia On 2 January 2016, Nimr-al-Nimr, a well-known cleric of the Shia minority in Saudi-Arabia (10 15 % of around 30 million) was executed as part of a mass execution of terrorist suspects. This has sparked sharp criticism in Iran. Shia's took to the streets in protests in several states. The Saudi Arabian Embassy was raided In Tehran, n the early hours of the morning of 3 January 2016. Security forces put an end to the occupation. Saudi-Arabia suspended diplomatic relations. Bahrain followed suit. Western countries and the UN have expressed concern over the development and have called for calm. According to media reports, gunfire broke out with police officers in the town where Sheikh Nimr-al-Nimr was born in Saudi Arabia (al-awamia), killing one civilian and injuring a child. The cleric's nephew, Ali al-nimr, may also face execution for protesting against the al-saud ruling family. Yemen Conflict rages on Fighting between government troops and Houthi rebels rages on. The areas hit hardest were, inter alia, parts of the capital Sana a, Taes and areas in Central Yemen. 2
Egypt Detention conditions reap criticism Against the backdrop of the case involving an Egyptian doctor who has also worked in Germany and who has been sentenced to two years in prison in Egypt for taking part in an illegal protest, the Greens in the German Bundestag criticised the detention conditions in Egypt on 28 December 2015 as inhumane and urged the Federal Government to respond. Human rights organisations frequently accuse the Egyptian police of torturing and killing prisoners. Police officers convicted of torturing a prisoner to death A court in the North Egyptian town of Tanta sentenced two police officers at Tanta police station to life in prison for torturing a prisoner to death. The verdict was issued in absentia. The judges deemed it proven that the accused were responsible for torturing a prisoner to death at a police station. The two police officers were also sentenced to one year in prison for mistreating another prisoner. On 12 December 2015, a court in Cairo had already sentenced two police officers to five years' imprisonment for torturing a lawyer accused of being a member of the Muslim Brotherhood to death. In Al-Buhaira province, northern Egypt, a police officer who has also been accusing of beating a prisoner to death was sentenced to five years' imprisonment. After a number of persons had died in prison in November having been reportedly mistreated, President Abdel Fatah al-sisi announced that police officers would be held responsible for misdeeds. Libya ISIS attack oil port ISIS fighters are trying to reconquer the oil port of Sidra in the Gulf of Sidra. Eye witnesses say ISIS fighters clashed with guards near the biggest oil depot on 4 January 2016 where ISIS had already detonated a car bomb in October 2015. The port of Sidra and the nearby town of Ra's Lanuf have been closed down for over a year because of power struggles following the fall of Gaddafi. According to UN estimates, up to 3,000 ISIS fighters are still in Libya, most of them in Sirte which is also in the Gulf of Sidra. Somalia Security situation Al-Shabaab militants murdered an employee of the Somalian Central Bank in front of his home in Wadajir district in Mogadishu on 21.December 2015. They also killed an intelligence officer in Hodan district. An Islamist Commander and four militants were reportedly killed in a US airstrike on an al-shabaab training camp in Shata Ameerika (Lower Shabelle Region) on 22 December 2015. The interim government of Jubaland (Interim Jubaland Administration - IJA) reconquered Bahani (Lower Juba Region) from al-shabaab together with units of the Kenyan Army on 23 December 2015. At least seven civilians were reportedly killed. At least 11 al-shabaab fighters were killed in an ambush attack on a military convoy belonging to Kenyan defense forces (KDF) in Somalia near the town of Bardere located in Gedo region on 29 December 2015. Al- Shabaab- militants attack a military base in Raraako (Gedo region) on 28 December 2015. The attack was foiled; according to military sources, four Islamists were killed. After al-shabaab militants had gained control of Qoryoley (Lower Shabelle Region ) for 24 hours on 27 December 2015, the Somali National Army (SNA) deployed additional troops in the city on 30 December 2015. On 30 December 2015, al -Shabaab militants ambushed Somali National Army (SNA) and African Union Mission in Somalia (AMSOM) forces in Donkadide, Hiraan region. The joint forces repulsed the ambush and cleared a militant stronghold in the area. On 30 December 2015, a spokesperson of the Islamists announced that al-shabaab would take action against anyone working for the government or who had ties with the government. Al-Shabaab against ISIS 3
Al-Shabaab militants attacked a group of ISIS militants near the village of Timershe (Puntland) on 24 December 2015. In early October 2015, militants led by Abduul Qadir Mumin split away from al-shabaab, swore allegiance to ISIS and withdrew to the inaccessible Galgala Mountains in Puntland. Attack on a restaurant in Mogadishu On 2 January 2016, a suicide attack was carried out at the Local Village Restaurant in Mogadishu which is popular among journalists and government employees. It is not yet clear how many people were killed or injured. Some sources say three persons were killed, other sources says three civilians were wounded. Guinea Resignation President Alpha Condé announced the resignation of Prime Minister Mohamed Said Fofana and his cabinet on 23 December 2015. He did not state any reasons. Mali Additional fighting At least eleven MNLA rebels were killed in an attack carried out by Islamist Tuareg militants belonging to the extremist group Ansar al-dine on a checkpoint of Mouvement National de Liberation de l Azawad (MNLA) near Talahandak (bordering on Algeria). Four rebels were killed in an attack against reinforcement troops on 25 December 2015. On 21 December 2015, the government of Mali once again declared a state of emergency for ten days (the last one being in November 2015) in order to give the security forces more competencies in fighting Jihadist groups. Gambia Declaration as Islamic Republic The President of the Gambia Yahya Jammeh declared his country to be an an Islamic state on 11 December 2015 in order to make a further break from (British) colonial past in country. As 90 percent of the population is Muslim, he said the new form of government reflects Gambia's religious values. He said there would be no restrictions on dress and that other religions would be respected given that the economy is highly dependent on tourism. West Africa/Ebola Guinea Ebola-free The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the end of Ebola virus transmission in the Republic of Guinea on 29 December 2015. Guinea now enters a 90-day period of heightened surveillance to ensure that any new cases are identified quickly before they can spread to other people. The original chain of transmission started in Guinea in 2013. Out of the three hardest-hit West African countries, Sierra Leone has been deemed to be Ebola-free since 7 November 2015. After suffering two setbacks, Liberia cannot be declared Ebola-free until 14 January 2016 at the earliest. Nigeria Boko Haram: Attacks in Borno und Adamawa In the evening hours of 27 December 2015, extremists of the Boko Haram terrorist organisation firing indiscriminately from the back of three trucks attacked the village of Dawari on the outskirts of Maiduguri (capital of Borno province). Around 30 persons were killed in this attack and in clashes that broke out with security forces. In the early hours of the morning of 28 December 2015, around 20 persons were killed in a sui- 4
cide bombing close to a mosque in the district of Silimanti on the outskirts of Maiduguri.. According to Army sources, 14 female suicide bombers, who were between the ages of 12 and 18 entered Maiduguri with the intent to cause mayhem. Three of the terrorists detonated their Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) while seven others were shot dead by soldiers. One of the terrorists was arrested and three managed to flee. Two female suicide bombers struck a bus station in the town of Madagali in Adamawa state on 28 December 2015. According to the government of Adamawa, 17 persons were killed in the blast and 41 persons were injured. Cameroon/Nigeria 70 Nigerian villagers shot by Cameroonian troops? According to residents, Cameroonian troops invaded Kirawa-Jimni village (which is on the border with Cameroon, Gwoza local government area) on 20 December 2015 when they were chasing members of Boko Haram, gunning down 70 villagers. According to military sources, no civilians were killed. Rwanda/Germany Life imprisonment for genocide On 29 December 2015, the Higher Regional Court in Frankfurt convicted a Rwandan national to lifelong imprisonment on genocide charges without the possibility of parole owing to the gravity of the charges. In the opinion of the Court, the defendant who had come to Germany as an asylum seeker in 2002 had taken part in a massacre in which 400 people were killed, the majority of them Tutsi. Kosovo Constitutional Court approves agreement with Serbia Kosovo's Constititional Court has endorsed the agreement on normalising relations with Serbia brokered by the European Union in August 2015. However, the court said some of the principles of the agreement did not fully comply with the spirit of Kosovo's constitution yet it did not call for amendments. Background: Opposition parties had forcibly shut down Parliament in recent weeks in a bid to force the government to revoke the agreement with Serbia. Police officers arrested 13 members of the oppositions who had repeatedly sprayed tear gas in Parliament. Opposition parties criticise the agreement because it divides the country in an unconstitutional manner and will destabilise the country with demarcation borders. Serbia Opposition criticise anti-corruption sweep On 26 December 2015, Serbian police arrested 79 people mainly from the opposition in a massive anticorrpution sweep. They are accused of money laundering, abuse of office, forgery and bribery. The suspects include a former minister, government officials and business people. The opposition has criticised the measures as being politically motivated. The measures were directed above all against the government's political opponents. The Minister of the Interior emphasised that party membership of positions held would be disregarded. The success announcement comes just two weeks after negotiations began on EU accession between the EU and Serbia. In the progress report issued in November 2015, the EU Commission had criticised the fact that nobody in high-ranking positions had been charged with corruption. 5
Bosnia and Herzegovina Raid against Islamist terrorists Authorities in Bosnia conducted a series of raids in Sarajevo on 22 December 2015, arresting at least 11 people. They are suspected of having links with the Islamic State group and of plotting terrorist acts. According to police reports, more than 150 Bosnians left Bosnia in the past few years in order to fight alongside ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Around 50 of them reportedly returned, almost 30 were killed in battle. A law was adopted in April 2014 according to which any person who is a member of or recruits for a terrorist organisation can face up to ten years' imprisonment. India/Pakistan Attack on Indian air base claims fatalities Suspected Islamists launched an attack against an Indian air base in Pathankot (close to the border with Pakistan, Punjab state) on 2 January 2016. At least seven security forces and four militants were killed in the bloodshed. The Islamist group Jaish-e-Mohammed has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack. It is fighting to separate the largely Muslim mountainous region of Kashmir from India. The incident could potentially jeopardise the resumption of peace talks with Pakistan. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an unexpected trip to Islamabad a week ago for talks, the first trip in eleven years. India has long been accusing Pakistan of harbouring anti-indian rebel groups. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry has condemned the attack. Bangladesh Attack on Ahmadi mosque On 25 December 2015, a suicide bomb exploded at a mosque in the Ahmadiyya district of Rajshahi. Five persons were wounded. Death sentences for the murderer of a blogger On 31 December 2015, two men who had murdered the atheist blogger Ahmed Rajib Hyder in 2013 were sentenced to death. China Two-child policy introduced The one-child policy ended on 31 December 2015 (cf. BN of 2 November 2015). From 2016 onwards, Chinese couples will be allowed to have two children. Anti-terrorism law enters into force An Anti-Terrorism law entered into force on 1 January 2016. Critics fear that liberals with face further restrictions given the broad definition of terrorism. Suspended jail sentence for civil rights activist A court in Beijing handed down a three-year suspended jail sentence to the well-known human rights lawyer Pu Zhiqiang on 22 December 2015 for posting several messages on a microblogging platform that were critical of the government and banned him from practising law for the rest of his life. Pu had criticised the Chinese policy vis-à-vis the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang, amongst other things. The court considered with to be incitement to ethnic hatred. 6