Daily Archives: March 14, 2016

South Sudan

South Sudan: Army Abuses Spread West

Human Rights Watch

ssud17

(Nairobi) – South Sudanese government forces have carried out numerous killings, enforced disappearances, rapes, and other grave abuses in the Western Equatoria region during expanded fighting in the region. Rebel armed groups there have also committed serious abuses, including rape.

The African Union (AU) Commission should move forward to establish a hybrid court to try the most serious crime cases from the current South Sudan conflict as envisioned in the August 2015 peace agreement, Human Rights Watch said. The United Nations (UN) Security Council should impose a comprehensive arms embargo on all forces in South Sudan to help curtail abuses against civilians. Continue reading South Sudan: Army Abuses Spread West →

Brazil

Brazil does a U-turn on fracking. Indigenous lands protected from oil and gas exploration

LifeGate

The government sold indigenous land in the Amazon’s Juruá Valley to oil and gas companies. But a court ruled against this, protecting inhabitants from fracking.

Martina Rogato

New York State Mulls Limited Fracking In Southern Tier

A judge has recognized the right to land of uncontacted indigenous peoples in the Amazon‘s Juruá Valley. The Brazilian government sold off protected areas adjacent to their ancestral territories at an auction, in order for oil and gas companies to conduct resource exploration including for [ http://www.lifegate.com/people/lifestyle/fracking-hydraulic-fracturing ]fracking. In December last year a court decided to revoke the concessions granted, and order the suspension and cancellation of further exploration and production activities. The judge highlighted the social and environmental risks related to these, such as damage to local ecosystems and the daily life of communities. Continue reading Brazil does a U-turn on fracking. Indigenous lands protected from oil and gas exploration →

Environment

Murder of Honduran environmental activist sparks outrage

Catholic News Service
By David Agren

HONDURAS CACERES MURDER

MEXICO CITY (CNS) — An outspoken environmental activist in Honduras was murdered in her own home, sparking outrage and offering another example of the impunity and violence in the Central American country.

Berta Caceres, who won the 2015 Goldman Environmental Prize — an award considered the Nobel for ecological actions — was murdered at around 1 a.m. March 3 in what police initially called an attempted robbery, but family members denounced as politically motivated murder, according to media reports.

“A strong, dangerous message was sent today,” said Mike Allison, an expert in Central American politics at the Jesuit-run University of Scranton, Pennsylvania. “It’s outrageous that after several years of international scrutiny and, at times, condemnation, that some people had no qualms ordering her murder.” Continue reading Murder of Honduran environmental activist sparks outrage →

Brazil

UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples announces follow-up visit to Brazil

Office of the UN Human Rights Commissioner

Portuguese

GENEVA (3 March 2016) – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, will carry out a visit to Brazil from 7 to 17 March 2016 to identify and assess the main issues currently facing indigenous peoples in the country. She will also follow up on key recommendations made by the previous Special Rapporteur in 2008.

“While the indigenous population in Brazil is relatively small, the challenges they are facing at the moment are overwhelming,” Ms. Tauli-Corpuz said. “I hope that this visit will help to bring to light some of their concerns and will lead to resolution to some long standing issues.” Continue reading UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples announces follow-up visit to Brazil →