March 18, 2013
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta’s lawyers are attempting to have the International Criminal Court drop the charges against him. Kenyatta is accused of instigating some of the violence sparked after the 2007 election – he denies all charges. Since charges were dropped against his co-accused, Francis Muthaura, Kenyatta’s lawyers have argued that they should be dropped for Kenyatta as well. Additional evidence has been brought by the ICC prosecutor, so the charges will likely not be dropped. His trial begins in July, 2013. Read more at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21828831
Bosco Ntaganda, suspect of war crimes in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has turned himself into the US embassy in Kigali, Rwanda. Known as “The Terminator,” General Ntaganda is charged with conscription of child soldiers, murder, ethnic persecution, and rape, all of which are related to his time as a militia leader in the north-eastern DRC. Ntaganda is reported to have specifically asked to be transferred to the International Criminal Court in The Hague – the motivation behind this has undergone some scrutiny, as he is believed to be one of the leaders of the M23 rebel group which is suspected of backing up the Rwanda government. Read more at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21835345
The new Israeli coalition government was sworn in after two months of political negotiations. Benjamin Netanyahu will be leading the coalition as prime minister. The new coalition includes parties supporting Jews on Palestinian land; however, extreme Orthodox Jewish factions have been excluded from the new government. Read more at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21835164
March 19, 2013:
India has passed a new bill which contains harsher punishments for rapists after a seven-hour debate in the lower house of parliament. The bill will now pass on to the upper house. The bill contains strict penalties for stalking, groping, voyeurism, and acid attacks. If it does pass, the death penalty would be carried out in cases of rape where the victim is killed or left in a non-responsive state. Read more at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-21826247
A series of car and suicide bombings in and around Baghdad left up to 60 dead on the day of the tenth anniversary of the US-invasion into Iraq. The violence is primarily focused between Sunni Islamist militants and Shia targets. The Sunni militants that are linked to al-Qaeda hope to provoke a sectarian conflict in order to weaken the Shia-dominated government. Read more at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21840718
March 20, 2013:
US president Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have agreed on a variety of subjects during Obama’s first political visit to Israel. For one, they have agreed that Israel had the right to self-defense in the case of Jerusalem. They have also reaffirmed their dedication to creating a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Read more at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21871358
March 21, 2013:
Abdullah Ocalan, jailed leader of the Kurdish rebels, has called for a ceasefire, urging the fighters of the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) to withdraw from Turkey. The ceasefire would end a 30-year conflict for an ethnic Kurdish homeland in the south-eastern area of Turkey, during which over 40,000 people have been killed. The Turkish prime minister has welcomed the ceasefire with some caution. Read more at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21874427
March 22, 2013:
Bosco Ntaganda is en route to The Hague where he will be held in custody by the International Criminal Court. Charged with ten accounts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, Ntaganda will be appearing before judges next Tuesday. He is the first suspect to have turned himself over to the ICC voluntarily. Read more at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21899626