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* DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: The Lord's Resistance Army has emerged as a new threat to civilians in the eastern Congo. Meanwhile, Laurent Nkunda has been arrested and it appears that Rwanda and the DRC are getting serious about tackling the FDLR.
* DARFUR: Government forces continue to bombard civilian positions in North and South Darfur as part of ongoing battles with JEM rebels.
* SRI LANKA: Hundreds of thousands of civilians are caught in the crossfire as government troops battle the LTTE for full control of the island's northeast.
* SOMALIA: Ethiopian troops complete their withdrawal and the Somali parliament meets to elect a new president.
Help Us End The LRA Threat!
As a senator, Barack Obama promised to work for greater international leadership to end the threat of the Lord's Resistance Army in northern Uganda.
GI-NET is working with Resolve Uganda to ask President Obama to take action to eliminate the LRA's threat to civilians in Africa's Great Lakes region.
Click here to send a letter to President Obama reminding him of his promise and asking him to do everything he can to prevent more civilians from becoming victims of the LRA.
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Spotlighted Conflict: Democratic Republic of Congo
Situation on the Ground
LRA Threat
* Lord's Resistance Army rebels continue their rampage throughout the northern DRC. Over the weekend of January 16, the LRA burned a church filled with people in the village of Tora in Orientale province, killing over 100 people.1
United Nations estimates now state that LRA attacks have killed over 1,100 people in the DRC2 and South Sudan3 since September, with the vast majority of these attacks coming since Christmas.
As stated in our Education Alert, the LRA now poses a grave threat to civilians.
* In North Kivu, a joint Rwandan-Congolese army force attacked FDLR rebels, killing nine.4 This came days after 3,500 Rwandan troops entered the DRC at the request of the Congolese government in order to help eliminate the FDLR threat.5
Arrest of Laurent Nkunda
* General Laurent Nkunda, leader of the CNDP rebels was arrested in Rwanda on Thursday, January 22.6
Analysts believe that Nkunda was arrested in exchange for the Congolese government allowing Rwanda to pursue the FDLR in the Kivus.7
Nkunda's recent behavior and a UN report highlighting ties between the CNDP and the Rwandan government were becoming foreign policy embarrassments for Rwanda.
Nkunda's arrest came as a dissident CNDP faction under alleged war criminal Bosco Ntaganda announced a ceasefire with the government and pledged to integrate his forces into the national army.8
ICC Trial of Thomas Lubanga
* The ICC's first trial began on Monday, January 23. Former warlord Thomas Lubanga is on trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the Ituri region during the First and Second Congo Wars.9
Area of Concern: Darfur
Continued Attacks
* Sudanese government aircraft have reportedly bombed areas in and around the city of El Fasher, North Darfur in retaliation for JEM rebel attacks near the city.10In the aftermath of the pull-out, a number of militias have begun to occupy former Ethiopian checkpoints in Mogadishu and other towns.7
* JEM rebels and government forces also clashed near the town of Muhajiriya, South Darfur. JEM recently won control of the town during battles with SLM rebels under the command of Minni Minawi. The government was reportedly bombing near Muhajiriya, a move with the potential to affect as many as 30,000 civilians.11
UNAMID Update
* The UN Undersecretary-General for Field Support, Susana Malcorra, expects UNAMID to be at full strength by the end of June. The Department of Field Support deals with the deployment and transport of UNAMID equipment.12
Area of Concern: Sri Lanka
Continued Fighting Threatens Civilians
* The Sri Lankan government continues its efforts to militarily defeat the LTTE, driving the Tigers out of their last stronghold in Mullaitivu.
* There are an estimated 250,000 civilians caught under heavy shellfire from both the government and the LTTE, which has reportedly killed more than 300 people.13 More than 1,100 civilians have been injured and are lying in underequipped hospitals, unable to leave the region.13
While the UN and Red Cross have evacuated some, tens of thousand remain trapped.14
UN staff and facilities have also come under fire from the government, an attacked that killed nine other civilians.15
Area of Concern: Somalia
Ethiopian Pull-Out Complete
* Ethiopian troops have pulled out of the Somali city of Baidoa, officially ending their presence in Somalia.16
After the Ethiopians left, Al-Shabaab militants took control of the town.17
New Somali President
* The Somali government is expected to elect a new president on January 30, 2009. The two main contenders for the position are current Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein and former chairman of the Islamic Courts Union and current leader of the moderate opposition, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.18
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