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	Peoples under Threat 2014 survey on risk of mass killing by Minority Rights Group International   28 April 2014   Syria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen, South Sudan, Central African Republic and Egypt are among the most significant risers in this year"s internationally acclaimed global ranking Peoples under Threat, Minority Rights Group International (MRG) says.   ‘A number of states which rose prominently in the index over the last two years - including South Sudan, the Central African Republic and Syria - have subsequently faced episodes of extreme ethnic or sectarian violence, says Mark Lattimer, MRG"s Executive Director. ‘The 2014 release of Peoples under Threat analysis shows that the risk in those states remains critical - but also that threat levels have risen in other states.''   The Peoples under Threat survey seeks to identify those peoples or groups that are most under threat of genocide, mass killing or other systematic violent repression in 2014, and for the first time is being launched today by MRG as an online map.   The war in Syria, which has risen dramatically up the table to now rank third, continues to fragment, and take on a growing element of sectarianism, says MRG. The Free Syrian Army (FSA) has steadily lost ground to a number of Islamist militias with a sectarian agenda and Kurds in the north, long persecuted under Assad, faced repeated attacks in the second half of 2013 by Islamist groups as well as the FSA, pushing some 50,000 refugees to flee to Iraqi Kurdistan.   It continues to host the largest UN peace-keeping mission in the world, but the Democratic Republic of Congo rose again in the Peoples under Threat index in 2014.   According to the international rights organisation, threat levels in the DRC remain high for at least three related reasons: the proliferation of different armed groups, leading to dozens of separate conflicts over ethnicity and natural resources; the track record of neighbouring states in consistently supporting such armed groups; and the repeated practice of integrating former rebels into the Congolese armed forces.   Yemen has steadily risen in Peoples under Threat eight years in succession and now finds itself in the top ten states in the index. Conflict exists on a number of separate fronts, including between al-Houthi (Shi"a) rebels in the north and Sunni tribes, as well as between the authorities and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.   ‘When the newly-independent state of South Sudan materialised near the top of the index two years ago, it seemed that pessimism had prevailed over hope. But events of the last six months have sadly proved the prescience of Peoples under Threat, says Mark Lattimer.   A dispute between President Salva Kiir and his deputy, Riek Machar, quickly degenerated into open ethnic conflict in December 2013, pitting Dinka forces controlled by the government against ethnic Nuer. An estimated 10,000 people had been killed by January, and by March over one million had been displaced.   In the Central African Republic, both UN and French officials warned in November of the risk of genocide. Abuses by Anti-Balaka, the Christian self-defence militias, have now left the minority Muslim communities at the greatest risk of mass killings. Muslim civilians are often accused of supporting the predominantly Muslim Séléka rebel coalition - itself responsible for grave abuses - which took power and then disintegrated in 2013.   Egypt has risen a striking 33 places in the index this year. Following the removal of President Muhammad Morsi by the military in July, over 1,000 people were killed in an army crackdown on protest camps in Cairo and clashes across the country. Attacks on Coptic Christians and churches were blamed on Muslim extremists, but MRG has also criticised an inadequate response from Egyptian authorities. After a major military operation was launched against Islamist militants in North Sinai, Sinai Bedouin, long marginalized by Egyptian authorities, fear their communities will suffer most in the escalation of the conflict.   Peoples under Threat has been compiled every year since 2005 to provide early warning of potential future mass atrocities. Somalia, Sudan, Afghanistan and Iraq have consistently topped the table.   http://www.minorityrights.org/12374/press-releases/new-online-map-shows-middle-east-africa-states-dominate-peoples-under-threat-2014-survey-on-risk-of-mass-killing.html http://peoplesunderthreat.org/ Visit the related web page
	United Nations urges Russia, Ukraine to avoid violence, de-escalate tensions by UN News Centre   24 August 2014   United Nations humanitarian chief Valerie Amos called again today for an end to the violence in Ukraine as she continued her visit to areas of the country''s crisis-riven eastern regions to see for herself the impact of the continued fighting on millions of people.   Ms. Amos, Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, has been in Ukraine since late last week. A statement issued earlier today by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which Ms. Amos heads, noted that since March, around 200,000 people have fled their homes in search of safety within Ukraine and tens of thousands have fled to neighbouring countries.   “Every day, people die, are wounded in the fighting or find themselves on the road, scared and uncertain about the future.”   Visiting a centre for internally displaced persons (DPs) in Krasnyi Lyman, Ms. Amos met women who had fled the fighting with their families. “I met families who had to leave all their possessions behind as their homes were reduced to rubble. They all said the same thing. The fighting must stop so we can feel safe again.”   Ms. Amos, who is also the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, said the Organization wants to get more aid to people in affected areas but is hampered by continued insecurity. Despite the security challenges, she said that the UN is looking at ways in which to get into the more difficult parts of eastern Ukraine.   “As winter approaches, assistance must be scaled up. Many of those displaced are already vulnerable and the temporary shelters housing them will not withstand the cold temperatures. We need to provide people with support so that they can cope through the winter,” she said.   More than one million people have been displaced by the conflict in Ukraine, including 814,000 Ukrainians now in Russia with various forms of status, the UNHCR United Nations refugee agency said.   Numbers displaced inside Ukraine by the fighting have nearly doubled in the past three weeks to at least 260,000 and more are fleeing, it earlier told a Geneva news briefing.   "It''s safe to say you have over a million people now displaced as a result of the conflict, internally and externally together," Vincent Cochetel, director of the UNHCR''s bureau for Europe, later told reporters. "I mean 260,000 in Ukraine, it''s a low estimate, 814,000 in Russia, then you add the rest ... Belarus, Moldova, European Union."   May 2014   Alarmed by surging violence, UN rights chief urges greater effort to resolve crisis.   Increasing violence in eastern and southern Ukraine is resulting in more and more death and destruction, the top United Nations human rights official said today, calling on all sides in the conflict to make a greater effort to find a peaceful resolution, particularly ahead of the 25 May presidential election.   As she urged all sides to do more to resolve the crisis, especially in towns which have seen a recent surge in violent protests, Navi Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, appealed to armed opposition groups to “stop all illegal actions, including detaining people and seizing public buildings in violation of Ukraine’s laws and Constitution.”   It is extremely important that the authorities themselves demonstrate full respect for the rule of law and scrupulously protect the human rights of all, including the Russian-speaking population   She added that these “organized and well-armed groups” should lay down their weapons, free arbitrarily detained persons, and vacate occupied public and administrative buildings. Ms. Pillay also called on the Government to ensure that military and police operations are undertaken in line with international standards.   “It is extremely important that the authorities themselves demonstrate full respect for the rule of law and scrupulously protect the human rights of all, including the Russian-speaking population,” the High Commissioner said.   Briefing reporters in Geneva, Ms. Pillay’s spokesperson, Rupert Colville, said the Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR) is calling for authorities to undertake “inclusive and participatory dialogue” and to take “serious steps to halt the rhetoric of hatred and confrontation, before the situation spirals totally out of control”.   Ukrainian officials have announced that the presidential election will be held later this month. It was originally scheduled for May of next year, but was brought forward following the political crisis in the country. The upcoming polls “represent the best opportunity for Ukraine to begin the process of reconciliation and stabilization,” Ms. Pillay said.   She urged authorities to permit genuine peaceful demonstrations, both as a matter of international law and “as a release valve for people’s legitimate fears and frustrations”.   The High Commissioner also emphasised the need to create an environment where freedom of expression and opinion are fully respected, allowing journalists the space to work.   29 April 2014   Describing “alarming” developments in Ukraine – from the capture of European observers and the violent takeover of Government buildings by separatist groups, to the shooting of the mayor of a major eastern city – a senior United Nations official this evening appealed to all sides to “work expeditiously” at putting the crisis-torn country on the path to stability.   “Time is of the essence,” Jeffrey Feltman, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, told the Security Council, as he painted a worrying picture of the past four days, during which the emerging spirit of compromise that led to the accord struck in Geneva at a meeting between Ukraine, Russia, the United States and the European Union, “appears to have evaporated.”   “The implementation of the Geneva Statement has stalled as parties have sought to give different interpretations of what had been agreed upon,” he said of the 17 April deal on a series of steps to de-escalate tensions in eastern Ukraine that reportedly include demobilizing militias and vacating seized Government buildings.   “Unhelpful rhetoric on the part of many has further escalated the already high tensions,” he added.   The Geneva Statement capped months of political unrest in Ukraine that led to the removal by Parliament of President Viktor Yanukovych in February. This was followed by increased tensions in the country’s autonomous region of Crimea, where Russian military were subsequently deployed and a secession referendum was held in mid-March, in which the majority of the region"s people voted to join Russia.   By mid-April, tensions flared in eastern Ukraine as Lugansk, Kharkiv, Donetsk and at least 5 other cities in the region were targeted by uprisings and the violent takeover of Government buildings. And in the city of Slovyansk, where the police station was seized, self-declared separatist groups reportedly demanded a referendum similar to the poll held in Crimea.   Mr. Feltman reported today that the situation in parts of eastern and southern Ukraine continues to deteriorate. On 25 April, a group of military observers under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and accompanying Ukrainian staff were captured and detained. Although one monitor has been released, the rest remain in detention.   Reiterating UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s strong condemnation of the incident, Mr. Feltman urged those responsible to release the detainees immediately, unconditionally and unharmed. He also urged those with influence on the situation to assist urgently in resolving it; “lives are potentially at stake.”   Meanwhile, he said, gangs of militia and armed civilians “are increasing in number and springing up in more and more cities across the region,” seizing buildings, setting up roadblocks and cutting whole towns and communities off from the rest of Ukraine. There are increasing reports of torture, kidnappings and violent clashes, he added.   “Earlier today, self-declared separatist groups reportedly began an operation to take control of Lugansk. Just a few hours ago, they stormed the police headquarters in the city, opening fire with automatic weapons and throwing stun grenades at police officers still inside,” said Mr. Feltman, adding that the State Security building seized earlier his month remained under control of those groups.   He went on to tell the Council that yesterday, Hennadiy Kernes, the Mayor of Kharkiv, was shot in the back by unknown assailants and remains in critical condition. “On the same day, self-declared separatists seized a local government building in Kostyantynivka, also in the Donetsk Oblast."   While in Donetsk itself, a pro-Unity rally turned violent when separatist elements reportedly attacked the group with clubs and chains,” he said, adding that two days ago, clashes between some 400 opponents and between 400 and 500 supporters of a unitary Ukraine broke out and resulted in a number of injuries.   “What I just described are developments which have occurred only in the last four days. These developments should alarm us all,” Mr. Feltman declared.   As for the efforts of the international community, he said that the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission provides fact-based and publicly available information on the state of human rights in Ukraine. In addition, the Secretary-General has continued his high-level engagement with world leaders.   “He is your partner in using his good offices to help bring about a return to diplomacy and a peaceful resolution. In this spirit, he has asked me to return to Ukraine next week,” Mr. Feltman announced.   Reiterating the call made yesterday by Mr. Ban, he said: “We must find a way back to the spirit of compromise exhibited on 17 April in Geneva. A diplomatic and political solution to this crisis is both imperative and long overdue.”   “Let us work concertedly and expeditiously towards peace and stability,” Mr. Feltman said.   25 April 2014   United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on all parties to seek a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis, warning that the situation could “spin out of control quickly”.   “It would be a grave mistake, in the Secretary-General’s view, for any party to turn to military means in an attempt to resolve political issues that can and must be addressed by peaceful means,” UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters in New York.   “The Secretary-General is deeply troubled by the escalation in rhetoric and hardening of positions. The stakes are extremely high, with potentially negative implications for international peace and security that extend far beyond eastern Ukrainian cities,” Mr. Dujarric added.   Despite an agreement reached last week in Geneva during a meeting between the United States, the European Union, Ukraine, and Russia on a series of steps to de-escalate tensions in eastern Ukraine, the crisis shows no sign of abating.   “The Secretary-General cautions all Ukrainians and their partners that the situation could spin out of control quickly, with grave and unpredictable consequences,” said Mr. Dujarric.   “He expects all sides to understand that time is of the essence and that they therefore must cease any unhelpful actions and, instead, re-engage diplomatically to ensure full implementation now.” Visit the related web page
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