Stories about War & Conflict from November, 2012
D.R. of Congo: Artists Sing Against War
As war is resuming in the Eastern part of Congo, with the takeover of Goma by M23 rebels, several Congolese artists decided to unite and sing against the war. The video was posted on popular singer Koffi Olomide‘s Youtube page: http://youtu.be/kQAgKodnGHU
Is a Hamas/Israel Ceasefire on the Table?
News is spreading like wildfire online that a Gaza ceasefire will be signed between Hamas and Israel in Cairo tonight [Nov 20, 2012], following a week of violence.
Chileans Protest in Support of Gaza
The latest hostilities between the Israeli government and Hamas in the Gaza Strip prompted an unusual protest in front of the Israeli Embassy in Santiago, Chile. Reactions come from a country that, despite the physical distance, is home to around 350,000 ethnic Palestinians, making it host to the largest community of Palestinians outside the Arab World.
2012 Peaceful Protest for Gaza in Hong Kong
Hong Wrong has collected reports and photos on the weekend protest demanding an end to the Israeli occupation and the current bombardment of Gaza.
Palestine: Social Media in Conflict, Four Years On
Back in 2008, during Israel's attack on Gaza that left more than 1,400 (more than 700 of whom were civilians) dead, individuals the world over took to social media to comment on the attacks and the politics behind them. Four years later, the world — and the Internet — has changed. Now, as Israel once again unleashes a barrage of air strikes against Gaza's population, social media has become a secondary battlefield.
Mauritanians Protest in Solidarity with Gaza
After Friday Prayers, hundreds of Mauritanians took to the streets of the capital Nouakchott on November 16, 2012, in a solidarity rally with Gaza residents after the city became the target of heavy Israeli bombing.
In Gaza, Children are Paying the Price of War
Heartbreaking photographs of dead Palestinian children were splattered across social media today, calling attention to the on-going tragedy in Gaza, as Israel and Hamas continue to exchange fire. Today, the fifth day since Israel started bombing Gaza round the clock, an Israeli missile hit a house in Gaza City, killing at least 10 civilians, including five children. Online, this tragedy has drawn condemnation from netizens.
Israel: Reality Under Missile Attacks
Israelis have been using social media to document and share their experiences over the past five days as Hamas rockets fall like rain on cities across the Southern and Central regions of Israel. While the IDF has been heavily using Twitter to control the message and rally support online, many Israelis turn to Facebook, YouTube and Instagram to share their day-to-day experiences in dealing with the tense situation.
Israelis Protest Military Operation against Gaza
Yesterday a Facebook group organized hundreds of Israelis to gather in Tel Aviv's Habima square. The group calls for people to “Refuse the election war! Refuse to die or kill in the name of a political spin.”
Arab League on Gaza: “Blah Blah… Blah Blah Blah”
The Arab League is meeting at its headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, to discuss Gaza - and netizens aren't holding their breath or being optimistic about a strong reaction. Sultan AlQassemi tweets: "Live update from Arab League meeting on Gaza aggression by Israel: We will not tolerate blah blah! We must stand with blah blah bah."
Why is the GCC Quiet about Gaza?
“Gulf countries awfully quiet about Gaza,” tweets Foreign Policy editor Blake Hounshell. Lebanese journalist Antoun Issa adds: @antissa: Amazing how eager GCC are to arm Arabs to fight each other, while disappearing completely when it comes to Palestine. #Gaza The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is made up of Bahrain, Qatar,...
Saudi Arabia: Peaceful Protesters to Be Flogged, Judge Rules
Last September, we wrote about an unprecedented 24-hour sit-in for families of uncharged prisoners. The protesters were finally tricked and arrested. Last night, Saudi journalist Iman al-Qahtani published the court ruling on 19 of those protesters on Twitter. Suspended 50-90 lashes and varying jail sentences were handed to 14 of them, including the person who brought food for the protesters. The sentences are to be executed if they participate again in any protest. The other five are to be tried later.
Croatian Senior Generals Acquitted of War Crimes
Eric Gordy of East Ethnia comments on this Friday's UN appeal court's judgment acquitting Croatian generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markač of war crimes: […] Some people are delighted with the judgment and other people are outraged, with divisions following predictable political lines. The appeals chamber itself is no less...
Is Israel Planning a Ground Invasion of Gaza?
Gazans braced themselves for another day of continuous shelling, as news trickles in of the possibility of an Israeli ground invasion. Like yesterday, Palestinian bloggers in Gaza have been keeping followers updated on social media, around the clock.
What is the Role of the Army in Africa Today?
The army has often played a determining but ambiguous role in the African political process. Between 1950 and 2000, 53 African countries were subject to military coups leading to regime change. After a period of respite in the 1990’s, the African continent was once again the scene of many military coups in the first decade of the 21st century, with 27 attempts at takeover. Being both a factor in the consolidation and the destabilisation of regimes, the army is regarded with suspicion in most countries and does not seem to know how to adapt to changing mindsets.
Chinese Intellectuals’ Silence Amid Tibetan Self-Immolations
Last week New York Time ran an article about the silence of Chinese intellectuals amid waves of Tibetan self-immolations. Gao Yu, a Chinese human rights activist commented [zh] on Twitter: Chinese people are so good at being indifferent. That's why there is the so-called phenomena of Xiang Lin Sao [a...
Hong Kong: Peaceful protest in solidarity with Gaza
Outraged by the Israeli air strikes attacks in Gaza earlier this week, peace activist in Hong Kong has organized a peaceful protest in the coming Sunday (November 18, 2012) to express their solidarity with the victims in Gaza.
Palestine: Israel Bombs Gaza after Rocket Attacks
Greek blogger Asteris Masouras uses Storify to collect the first reactions to the latest Gaza-Israel face off.
Israel: “Ashdod Feels like a War Zone”
After a cease fire was negotiated and rocket fire from Gaza had almost stopped, IDF drones assassinated Hamas military chief, Ahmad al-Jabari. Gaza militants responded by launching a barrage of rockets. One of those rockets exploded in a home in the southern town of Kiryat Malachi, killing three members of a family. IDF attacks on Gaza have resulted in the death of at least 13 people, some of them civilians, and injured over 100 people. Israelis living under constant rocket fire in southern Israel shared their experiences and feelings online.
