· April, 2013

Stories about War & Conflict from April, 2013

Campesino Resistance in Honduras

  30 April 2013

Chavelo’s voice was quiet but unwavering as [he] expressed his gratitude that we traveled all the way from the U.S. and Canada with the human rights and solidarity organization Rights Action to hear his story. […] Chavelo recounted briefly how he ended up in the prison, emphatically stating that, “I...

Impartial Justice Wanted in Côte d'Ivoire

  28 April 2013

Human Rights Watch reports that there is still work to do to achieve impartial justice in the post-2010-11 elections crisis in Côte d'Ivoire: The ICC’s one-sided approach has legitimized the same approach by Ivorian judicial authorities and undermined perceptions of the ICC’s impartiality.  

Afghan Leader's ‘Brothers’ Carry Out a Deadly Attack

  27 April 2013

In early April, Taliban insurgents stormed an Afghan court, killing and wounding dozens of people. While the Taliban admitted its responsibility for the deadly attack, President Hamid Karzai blames the incident on "foreign" Taliban and holds that local insurgents had nothing to do with it. Many ordinary people in the war-torn country are unhappy about Karzai's "soft" stance on the Taliban, whom the Afghan leader often calls his "brothers".

Nobel Laureates: On with Ríos Montt Trial

  26 April 2013

“If this case does not move forward, survivors of Guatemala’s genocide are being victimized all over again,” says Nobel Peace laureate Jody Williams, co-founder of the Nobel Women’s Initiative. “They have taken a huge risk in testifying, and many have been harassed, intimidated and threatened. To annul the case would...

Chinese and Western Media Bias Claims in Xinjiang “Terrorist Attack”

  25 April 2013

A terror incident took place in Bachu County of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region on April 23 2013, in which 15 police officers and community workers were killed and 6 suspects were shot dead. Chinese media outlets depicted the incident as a terrorist attack and criticized western media for not using the term "terrorists" to describe the suspects.

Visiting World's ‘Most Dangerous Country’

  24 April 2013

Every day I wake up, shivering with fear, hoping I’ll make it to see the light of another day here in Honduras. I live behind doors enforced with triple bolt locks and I barely dare to go out on the street. […] If that’s what you want to hear, there...

What if Watertown was Droned?

  22 April 2013

At 7:15pm, the low buzz of a drone was heard overheard. Seconds later, an enormous explosion engulfed the area, destroying the boat and several nearby homes. Sources say 46 Watertown residents were killed in the missile strike, including 12 children. …… Of course, that's not what happened. But if it...

Bosnia & Herzegovina: “Dark Times, Black Humor”

  21 April 2013

A Sarajevo-based Boston native writes on Notes from Sarajevo Tumblr blog that “the last few days [since the Boston Marathon bombings] have served as a reminder of Bosnia’s particularly dark brand of humor”: […] To be sure, friends and colleagues here have been kind and considerate, asking if everyone I...

The Boston Bombings Come Home to Russians

RuNet Echo  19 April 2013

Initially a distant story of bombs and American blood, the Boston Marathon bombings came home to Russians today. The RuNet had been following the investigation into the attacks with great interest, even before the news that the two suspects turned out to be ethnic Chechens. Now that Russia is directly involved, passions burn white hot.

#Yemen: A US Drone Hits Dhamar

After a three month break in Yemen from U.S drone strikes, a drone last night, April 18th, 2013, killed five Qaeda suspects. Activist and journalist Farae Al-muslimi, from the village of Wessab, in the province of Dhamar, broke the news of the US drone strike, on Twitter.

Blood on the Road to Pakistan's Elections

  17 April 2013

A suicide bombing, a grenade attack and a remote-controlled explosion - all in one day. Nineteen people were killed in three separate incidents targeting candidates of three different parties. April 16, 2013 was a bloody day for Pakistan's election campaigners.

Terrorism Won't Work in China

  17 April 2013

Offbeat China translated an interesting online conversation on why a terrorist attack won't work in China after the Boston Marathon Explosions. The answer lies in the difference between the U.S and China in their media environments.

Guinea-Bissau President Caught up in ‘Arms for Drugs’ Conspiracy

  15 April 2013

A drug and arms trafficking scheme in Guinea Bissau appears to go straight to the top. On the eve of the first anniversary of a military coup in Guinea Bissau that thwarted last year's presidential elections, US court documents seemed to implicate the country's interim president in a failed plan to smuggle weapons to Colombian rebels and cocaine into Guinea Bissau.

Christian Colony Attacked In Pakistan

  14 April 2013

Raza Habib Raja at Pak Tea House describes how another Christian colony had been attacked in Gujranwala, Punjab in Pakistan using the same rhetoric – revenge for alleged “Insult to Islam”.

Helping Laos Recover from Cluster Bombs

  14 April 2013

Bryan Thao Worra, a Laotian American writer, reflects on his last trip in Laos where he witnessed the impact of cluster bombs in rural villages. Laos was one of the most heavily bombed countries during the Vietnam War and thousands of unexploded bombs continue to be a threat today.