Steven Okurut: An African brutalised by police in Ukraine

This morning I was saddened by the story of an African from the East African country of Uganda, who was brutalised by police in Ukraine. The violation, reported by Human Rights First, is a grim reminder of the vulnerability of Africans living in Ukraine and beyond.

According to Kyiv Post, the alleged brutalisation of Steven Okurut happened on 18 July 2010 in a supermarket in Karkiv, the second largest city in Ukraine. On this fateful day, the Ugandan was approached by two police officers and summoned to a "secluded room" on the second floor, where the officers searched, physically and verbally harassed the unsuspecting Steven Okurut. Steven was suspected of "harboring and trafficking drugs" (a common suspicion faced by Africans in this part of the world). During the encounter, Steven Okurut endured blows to the head, shoulders and thighs. It is worth mentioning that the officers allegedly extorted money from the Ugandan.

The alleged brutalisation of Steven Okurut by police officers highlights the plight of foreigners with non-slavic appearance in Ukraine - many of whom are caught between the devil and deep blue sea, with the police on one hand and ultra nationalist groups on the other hand.

Where should victims of such racially motivated crimes turn to for protection, if the police cannot protect them?

Xenophobia is reportedly a growing concern among foreigners in Ukraine. In an article published on the Huffington Post, the President of African Center in Kyiv, Ukraine - Charles Asante-Yeboa described a gruesome attack he miraculously survived in the hands of a group of young men at a bus top near Shuliavska - a station on Kyiv metro line in the Capital and largest city of Ukraine. The must-read article reveals that racist violence in Ukraine is "rampant and unpredictable" - a practice that has claimed many African lives, including Julius Igbodunu Azike, Joseph Bunta, Gbenda-Charles Victor, et al.

The recent alleged police brutalisation of Steven Okurut is testament to the extraordinary violence against foreigners in Ukraine. The government of Ukraine should investigate such violations without delay and ensure that perpetrators of hate crimes and violence, many of whom enjoy impunity, bear the full weight of the law. This would go a long way to guarantee the security of foreigners living in Ukraine. Impunity is not an option.

Ukraine is located in Eastern Europe and the state is scheduled to co-host the UEFA Euro 2012 soccer championship.

Prior to South Africa 2010, the media was flooded with crime alerts and negative criticism of the African powerhouse. Perhaps the criticism encouraged the authorities to work harder to guarantee security. Has Ukraine been issued a blank check ahead of Euro 2012?

It remains to be seen whether xenophobia, hate crimes against foreigners, police brutality and extortion in Ukraine would be curbed before thousands of soccer fans storm Ukraine in 2012.

*Photo: Kyiv Post.

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Chad fails to execute Arrest Warrant against Omar al-Bashir

The President of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir, in a show of defiance, visited Chad and walked free, despite a standing arrest warrant against him, issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) at the Hague. The President is suspected of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Darfur. In March 2009, the ICC issued an arrest warrant against President al-Bashir, for war crimes and crimes against humanity, and on 12 July 2010, the court, in line with Article 58(6) of the Rome Statute, modified the arrest warrant, adding genocide to list of hideous crimes allegedly committed by al-Bashir in Darfur. Less than two weeks after the second arrest warrant was issued, President al-Bashir made a controversial official visit to neighboring Chad, ignoring an international call for his arrest upon arrival in Chad.

On Thursday 22 July 2010, Omar al-Bashir arrived Chad on an official visit and walked free, as the government of Chad failed to execute the arrest warrant against the visiting Head of State.

It is worth mentioning that prior to the visit, human rights groups called on the government of Chad - a Member State of the ICC - to arrest Omar al-Bashir in line with its obligation under the Rome Statute, but the unprecedented calls to arrest the most-wanted Head of State, Omar al-Bashir, fell on deft ears.

No doubt, Chad has gone down in history as the first Member State of the ICC to fail to fulfil its duty under Article 59(1) and Part IX of the Rome Statute. The government of Chad failed to execute an arrest warrant issued by the court, and to comply with a request to cooperate with the court to bring al-Bashir to the Hague to face trial for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. 

There are fears that the arrest of President al-Bashir in Chad would distabilized the fragile peace in the region. Until recently Chad accused Sudan for harboring rebels that threaten its peace, and Sudan, on the other hand, accused Chad for supporting rebel groups that mastermind the conflict in Darfur - a conflict that, according to the UN, has claimed 300,000 lives.

Now that Chad has failed to execute an arrest warrant issued by the ICC against Omar al-Bashir, one question remains unanswered: Does the ICC have what it takes to bring suspects of international crimes to justice?

Of course, with a well written statute, the ICC has what it takes to bring perpetrators of the most hideous crimes against humanity to justice, but the statute can only be executed with unconditional international cooperation. Chad's failure to cooperate with the ICC goes a long way to embolden perpetrators of crimes that fall within the jurisdiction of the court.

*Photo: Wikipedia.

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Botswana denies Bushmen land rights

I received an email from Survival International, an organization supporting indigenous and tribal peoples worldwide, that called my attention to the violation of indigenous land rights of the Bushmen - a group of indigenous people in the southern African country of Botswana. Prior to receiving the email, perhaps like you - I knew nothing about a gross injustice faced by the Bushmen in Botswana. As I read the email, questions lingered in my mind - who are the Bushman? Why does the government of Botswana violate their land rights?

According to Survival International, the Bushmen are the original inhabitants of Southern Africa, and they have lived in the region for thousands of years. There are only about 100,000 Bushmen in Botswana, South Africa, Angola and Namibia.

Why does the government violate the land rights of Bushmen?

In Botswana, the ancestral land and home of the Bushmen is in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. The government of Botswana discovered diamonds in the reserve in the 1980s and started evicting the inhabitants from their ancestral home, in order to open a diamond mine on the land. By 2005, all the Bushmen had been evicted - their homes, schools and water sources destroyed. The Bushmen were taken to camps outside the reserve and were prohibited from hunting - their main source of livelihood.

The following short video clip better explains the plight of the Bushmen in Botswana and their battle for survival in a country they call home. WATCH



This is a clear case of conflict between business and human rights!

Where do we draw the line between the quest for wealth and profit, and violation of the basic rights of a people? The government of Botswana has shamelessly picked business over human rights.

Irrespective of whether you favor human rights over business or not - the Bushmen have the right to live in their ancestral land - which happens to be rich in diamond.

If you ask me - the government of Botswana should grant the Bushmen within its jurisdiction access to their ancestral land and reinstate their right to live and hunt on their land - in accordance with their culture. The government should grant the Bushmen immediate access to water and other basic neccessities, as well as ensure that they enjoy all constitutional rights guaranteed to every Botswanan. All Bushmen arrested for hunting to feed their families should be released unconditionally.

On 27 May 2010, Survival International reported that trucks carrying soldiers and policemen entered the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. It is believed that the aim of the "invasion" is to intimidate the Bushmen and evict them from their ancestral land.

Many Bushmen are still prohibited from returning to the reserve and there is currently a ban on the use of a borehole (well) that supplies water to the Bushmen in the reserve. Survival International points out that the ban is a calculated attempt by the government to stop the Bushmen from returning to their land.

You can help the Bushmen keep their land. Please take action, here or email Botswana's President - Ian Khama at op.registry@gov.bw - to push for the rights of the Bushmen.

*Photos by CharlesFred

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