This Week in African Conflict... November 29th- December 6th, 2011.

Former President of Cote d’Ivoire Laurent Gbabgo was taken into custody by the International Criminal Court on Wednesday amid fears that “victor’s justice” could stoke further tensions in the fragile “reconciliation” process. The ICC is investigating killings, rapes, and other abuses committed during the four-month election conflict last year. President Ouattara rejected accusations that he had imposed “victor’s justice”, calling the move “nothing more than impartial, international justice”, even though no pro-Ouattara fighters have yet to be arrested or tried for their crimes during the war. On Thursday, current President Ouattara arrived in Conakry to discuss reconciliation efforts with Guinean President Conde; and Oxfam announced it had pulled out of the country, despite significant humanitarian needs still in existence. On Friday, the UN envoy to the country said that this month’s parliamentary elections should be an opportunity of reconciliation even though Gbagbo’s FPI political party and its allies have already boycotted the process; while Gbagbo’s lawyer said his client had been treated brutally and that his arrest is “illegal”, as he was essentially kidnapped; three more opposition journalists were formally charged and imprisoned for “inciting theft, looting and destruction of property via the media” after writing about 40 new Mercedes official cars made available to members of the government; and the FPI political party called upon supporters to “regroup for imminent action” in a statement. On Saturday, campaigning began for the December 11^th legislative elections. On Monday, Gbagbo made his first appearance before the ICC where he blamed the French military for his arrest for crimes against humanity. He is scheduled to reappear for a confirmation of charges hearing on June 18. Late on Tuesday, the coalition of pro-Gbagbo political parties, including the FPI, announced that they would be taking part in parliamentary elections next weekend.
On Wednesday, a military court in Tunisia found ousted President Ben Ali and several of his senior officials guilty of torture. On Saturday, thousands of Islamists and secularists staged parallel protests outside the interim parliament in a dispute over how big a role Islam should play in society after the Arab Spring uprising; while Tunisian-Libyan border crossings remained closed following recent violent attacks in the border region.
On Wednesday, China pledged more than $2.3 million in military assistance to Uganda for its operations with AMISOM; while Rwandan journalist Charles Ingabire was shot dead at a Kampala pub. On Friday, police in Moroto reportedly blocked a two-day opposition meeting, calling it “illegal” because the Force had not been informed in time.
The government of Guinea Bissau denied rumors on Saturday that its critically ill President Sanha had died in a Paris hospital where he is being treated and has reportedly been put into an artificial coma to allow “in-depth” treatment. They called upon the population to remain calm, while the opposition expressed concern.
Analysts and civil servants in Guinea expressed their concern over ethnically divisive politics in the wake of an upcoming legislative election, saying that ethnic tensions are getting worse, not better. Human Rights Watch says that the current administration has shown clear favoritism in appointing civil service and ministerial posts and has used the judicial system to discriminate against certain ethnic political groups.
PM Tsvangirai’s office in Zimbabweissued a statement on Tuesday claiming they are aware of a plot to plant incriminating documents at his government and party offices, as a prelude to pressing criminal charges against him. The plot allegedly involves the Central Intelligence Organization and two ZANU PF cabinet ministers. Police detained a leading media rights activist, while two other staffers at the Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe were detained under tough security laws and some of their materials confiscated.
The election commission in Egyptagain delayed the release of results for the elections on Thursday, saying they would be released on Friday. On Friday, a few results were released, with the Muslim Brotherhood and radical Salafists taking the majority of seats in the first round and announcing their plans to push for stricter religious code. The commission said that turnout was 62%, the highest in modern history. On Tuesday, the new PM announced that the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces would issue a decree to hand him presidential powers, except those concerning the judiciary and armed forces.
Growing military spending in Swaziland has provoked a negative public reaction to the role or even need for an army in view of a deepening economic crisis. The country is reported to spend 4.7% of its GDP on its 3,000 soldiers, with parliament recently passing a US$ 8 million supplementary budget for the force.
A radio reporter was allegedly arrested “abduction-style” on Tuesday by the national intelligence service in Burundi for being suspected of helping a rebel group, in what Reporters Without Borders paints as a tactic meant to intimidate reporters and the media in general. On Friday, the country officially cleared its territory of landmines ahead of schedule thanks to Mines Advisory Group (MAG), after the civil war left it littered with mines. On Monday, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace hailed a new youth centre in the border region between Burundi and the DRC as a neutral and safe place that could help bring peace to the area.
Police and youths in Angolaclashed at an anti-government rally in Luanda on Saturday, injuring three and leading to several arrests. On Sunday, police denied reports that protesters had been arrested.
Some three people are feared dead and hundreds of others injured in Uzere, Nigeria on Tuesday after police and soldiers fired tear gas on protesters at a Shell Petroleum Development Company. On Thursday, at least 5,000 people fled villages in central Nigeria as clashes between nomadic cattle herders and farmers occurred, killing at least 50 people, with some reports as high as 68 and others as many as 79; while the US House sub-committee on Homeland Security created a report suggesting that Boko Haram be designated as a terr...