Stories about War & Conflict from December, 2010
Zambia: 1964 Independence Agreement Threatens to Split Nation
Zambia has in recent weeks been faced with clamours of secession by one of its regions with which it merged at independence from Britain in October 1964 to form a unitary state. The region now known as Western Province (formerly Barotseland) was an autonomous region before independence headed by the Litunga, king of the Lozi people.
Russia: Media Coverage of Manezh Riots
A Good Treaty posts a detailed review of the Russian press coverage of the Manezh riots in Moscow.
Azerbaijan: Children and Peace
Sheki, Azerbaijan looks forward to 2011 and says that it hopes the New Year will bring peace. Every child has a right to such an environment, the blog notes, while also reminding readers that lives were lost despite a ceasefire agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan in their conflict over the...
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Culture that unites rather than divides
Ararat Magazine features a post by Global Voices’ Caucasus editor, co-penned with a Global Voices author and Lingua translator, on ethnic Armenian and Azeri coexistence in Georgia. The post is made up of other guest entries originally written as part of a new media project to amplify alternative voices on...
Trinidad & Tobago: Give Peace a Chance
How is Trinidad's capital city connected to John Lennon? aka_lol explains.
Panama: Remembering the United States Invasion, 21 years later
In Contrapunto [es], Global Voices author Ariel Moreno [es] remembers the United States invasion of Panama that he experienced as a child on December 20, 1989.
South Korea: Anti-War Protests in Seoul
As tensions in Korean peninsula intensified by yesterday's military drills, protesters in Seoul went out to the streets to demonstrate various anti-war performances, with slogans like ‘Peace to Korean peninsula’ and ‘Halt the vicious cycle of violence’, Catholic magazine ‘Here now’ posted photos of protests.
2010 Chinese blogosphere: Peace and conflict
The top stories among Chinese communities in Northeast Asia in 2010 can be summarized in two words: Peace and Conflict.
Côte d'Ivoire: Ivorian Internet Users Fear a New Era of Terror in Abidjan
The political crisis in Côte d'Ivoire is getting increasingly violent. According to the UN, 50 people were killed and 200 injured for the past three days. Traditional media were shunned from showing scenes of violence during some of the skirmishes but internet users managed to publish some video footage of the violence around the country.
South/North Korea: Tensions Escalate in Midst of Live-Fire Drills
South Korean military exercises were underway today near the disputed waters with North Korea, who threatened Seoul to strike back, raising more tensions in the Korean peninsula. The Korean people, who have had one of the toughest days in recent weeks after the Yeonpyeong incident that killed four South Koreans, sighed with relief as the day came to a close without any conflict breaking out.
South/North Korea: A Review of 2010 in Keywords
From Cheonan incident in March to the latest North Korean attack on Yeonpyeong island, Global Voices took a look back at the year’s hottest keywords that have been widely circulated over Korean internet venues.
Belarus: Presidential Election Day Ends in Protests and Crackdown
December 19, the 2010 presidential election day in Belarus, ended in mass protests, arrests and violent clashes with the riot police in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. Below is a small selection of citizen media reports on what happened.
Côte d'Ivoire: Lessons for Africa
Africans can learn from the political crisis in Cote d'Ivoire, says Salisu Suleiman:"The most important message must be that there are no perfect democracies anywhere in the world. Even Western democracy, particularly the American presidential model, which is very often our reference point, has significant drawbacks..."
Kosovo, Serbia: Kosovo's PM Accused of Human Organ Trade
Allegations of Kosovo leadership's wartime involvement in the trafficking of human organs were first made public in 2008 - and have re-surfaced now, in a report prepared by a Council of Europe investigator. Sinisa Boljanovic translates some of the netizens' reactions, past and current.
D.R. of Congo: Conflict minerals guidelines and murder of bishop's wife
Stories to watch from the Democratic Republic of Congo: “Bishop Levy Mbala, the head of the Church of Christ in the Congo – one of the largest protestant church groups in the country – was wounded and his wife killed in an attack on their house in Goma on Monday....
Cote d'Ivoire: Massacre in Abidjan
Alex Angwete discusses the volatile political situation in Cote d'Ivoire: “Yesterday, northern politicians Alassane Draman Ouattara and his PM-designate Guillaume Soro sent their “unarmed” supporters in the streets to attempt and seize the buildings of the national television station…The death toll was quite staggering: 30 dead demonstrators and bystanders.”
Lebanon: Israeli espionage devices disabled
“Lebanese Army moved to locate and disable various espionage devices planted by Israeli agents in Lebanese mountainous areas,” reports As'ad AbuKhalil here.
Côte d'Ivoire: Shots Fired and at Least 3 Killed during March in Abidjan
The citizen media platform Womzomai and its facebook page posted photos from the violence that broke out today in Abidjan during the march. BBC Africa reports that at least 3 people were shot and killed.
Kenya: ICC Prosecutor Names 2008 Post Election Violence Suspects
The International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Louis Moreno Ocampo on Wednesday 15 December, 2010 named 6 top Kenyan personalities believed to bear the most responsibility for the post election violence in 2008. Discussion about Ocampo's list of six dominated both Twitter and the Kenyan blogosphere for the better part of the day with sharp reactions being witnessed.
D. R of Congo: AK47 versus education
AK47 versus education in the Democratic Republic of Congo: “In 2008 at the age of 16 Mark together with about 12 boys from his village were abducted by the unsympathetic rebels and they were cow marched into the jungle where they were taught how to operate the deadly AK47 and...
Mexico: Drug Gang Mobilizes Unlikely Supporters
“Following two days of intense unrest last week, which included the torching of dozens of vehicles and gunfire in city streets, the drug gang known as La Familia Michoacana (LFM) mobilized masses of people to take to the streets […] in which innocent-looking women and children carried placards voicing support...
