Stories about War & Conflict from May, 2012
Turkey: Poetic Commemoration of Uludere Airstrike Victims
In December 2011 in southeastern Turkey several Turkish Airforce F-16s bombed a convoy of Turkish Kurds on mules who were engaged in border trade, apparently mistaking them for Kurdish rebels. Thirty-four were killed. Poet Bejan Matur has paid tribute to the victims in words and photos.
North Korea Denies GPS Jamming
North Korea denied that it jammed Global Positioning System (GPS) signals in the border area between North and South Korea which has caused inconvenience to commercial aviation flights. North Korea Tech blog wrote an analysis on the jamming which South Korean media have reported as coming from North Korea.
Colombia: Bomb Blast Targeted at Controversial Former Minister
A bomb blast targeting former interior Minister Fernando Londoño Hoyos, a conservative lawyer and politician, left several dead and others injured. This attempt prompted thousands of reactions on social networks.
Mexicans Condemn Massacre in Cadereyta, Nuevo Leon
Netizens shared their reactions after the dismal finding of 49 mutilated corpses in Cadereyta, Nuevo León, near the border with the United States.
Yemen: The #NoDrones Campaign
Yemenis have launched a campaign on Twitter to express their condemnation of the United States' drone war in Yemen. They are tweeting under the hashtag #NoDrones, and have asked non-Yemenis to speak out and join them in their campaign.
Nagorno Karabakh: Cultural Destruction and Preservation in the Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict
During the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh, hundreds of thousands of ethnic Azeris and Armenians were displaced. With hundreds of settlements also razed, and thousands of monuments destroyed, Conflict Voices looks at the issue of cemeteries, some of which were destroyed, but also...
Mali: Junta Aims to Take Back Control after Caretaker President's Term
Marcus Boni Teiga explains why he thinks we should not hold our collective breath for a resolution in the Malian crisis [fr]. While rumors of Captain Sanogo vying to be promoted General circulated in Bamako, reports indicate that the military coup leaders aim to seize back control of the country after the term...
China, Philippines: Scarborough Shoal Sovereignty Tension Rises
Tension between China and the Philippines over the disputed waters of the Scarborough Shoal or Huangyan Island has been elevated, with the state-controlled Chinese media reporting that China can no longer tolerate the presence of Philippines naval ships in the South China Sea.
Mali: Ansar Dine Islamists Wish to Salvage School Year in Gao
Aissata Ahmadou wrote [fr] on Maliweb.net: “The students remaining at Gao will not lose their school year. The Ansar Dine Islamists, in collaboration with a few important figures and teachers on site, have decided to organize the end-of-year exams and allow various students preparing for their Fundamental Studies Diploma and...
Guatemala: State of Siege Due to Hydroelectric Plant Conflict
The Guatemalan government has declared a state of siege in Santa Cruz Barillas, following demonstrations and clashes sparked by the death of a community leader who opposed the construction of a hydroelectric plant. Citizens from this community have been using blogs and social networks to report on the current conflict.
India, Pakistan Missile Launches: Game Changers or Mere Posturing?
Back-to-back missile tests by India and Pakistan in April have received widespread coverage and comment, both in the mainstream media as well as on social media. Aparna Ray reports.
Syria: Revolution and Calcification
Lebanese blog Beirut Walls has written about [ar] the accusations made against the Syrian revolution in a new light. “Maybe hard water, which is very common in Lebanon, is calcifying the mind. There is no other obvious explanation for the recent trend of inhuman or illogical accusations against the Syrian...
Global Voices Partners with International Relations and Security Network (ISN)
Global Voices and the International Relations and Security Network (ISN) in Switzerland have launched a partnership to seek out citizen voices on international relations and security issues worldwide.
North Korea Says More Satellite Launches Are Coming
North Korea Tech blog wrote about North Korean state media's claim that its satellite launch was part of a “peaceful, civilian space program” and they will launch even more into space.
Mexico: Netizens and Journalists React to the Murder of Regina Martínez
The murder of journalist Regina Martinez is considered by experts as an attack on freedom of expression and the right to information. Colleagues and citizens expressed their outrage and their demands to the authorities through blogs and social networks.
Guatemala: Community Leader Dies in Clashes in Santa Cruz Barillas
The blog Asamblea Departamental por la Defensa del Territorio- Huehuetenango [es] published an urgent statement about the death of Santa Cruz Barillas community leader Andrés Francisco Miguel and attacks on other community leaders who oppose the construction of a hydroelectric dam. Today, May 3, the BBC reports: “The Guatemalan government has...
Sudan/South Sudan: Voicing Hope for #newSUDANS
In the wake of the secession of South Sudan from Sudan in July 2011 and the recent clashes between the two countries over the oil-rich region of Heglig, citizens of both Sudans found themselves in the middle of an ugly upheaval. In her first post for Global Voices, Maha Elsanosi shows us how they are using the hashtag #newSUDANS to give peace a chance.
Yemen: Anger at Expansion of US Drone War
The United States has recently expanded its campaign of drone strikes in Yemen, to widespread anger and concern. Drone strikes against suspected Al Qaeda operatives have been launched under expanded authority allowing the CIA and military to fire without knowing the targets' identity.
Honduras: “Too much violence to keep track of”
Adrienne Pine explains that, “since the bold repossession of lands by thousands of campesinos around Honduras on the International Day of Peasant Struggle, there have been increasingly worrisome retaliations, so frequent that I can't keep track of them.” She reports on some of these cases and on other types of...
Sierra Leone: Reflections on Charles Taylor and Justice
Robtel Pailey reflects on Charles Taylor's verdict: “What Charles Taylor’s verdict signifies for me is the need to reconfigure Africa’s domestic systems of justice, so that we don’t have to rely on the West to judge when, where, and under what circumstances we can punish for transgressions that we deem...
Mali: 22 killed as Fighting Continues between Military Junta and Loyalists
In Bamako, Bruce Whitehouse's time-stamped diary reveals heavy gun fights between the military junta and loyalist soldiers on May 2. Reports confirm that administrative buildings were being evacuated because of the shooting. 22 were killed and a dozen injured (fr) (mostly soldiers but a few civilians as well) since the fighting...
