Human Rights Watch Daily Brief, 19 December 2013

Scores of Muslim civilians have been killed by Christian militias in northern Central African Republic in a conflict that threatens to "spin out of control", according to a new Human Rights Watch report released today. HRW researchers spent weeks on the ground documenting abuses in remote corners of Ouham province for the new report, ‘They Came To Kill’: Escalating Atrocities in the Central African Republic'. Researchers found Christian militias known as the 'anti-balaka' (literally anti-machete), killed several hundred Muslims, burned their homes, and stole their cattle. The killings are thought to be revenge attacks for a wave of violence unleashed in recent weeks by largely Muslim ex-Seleka forces, a former rebel alliance which overthrew the government back in March. Many of the attacks involved unimaginable levels of brutality, such as entire families - including young children - having their throats slit.  Fellow rights group Amnesty International has also released a report on CAR today, suggesting that more people may have been killed in recent clashes in Bangui than first thought. Amnesty says up to 1,000 people, mainly men, could have died in the fighting, and says civilians are still being killed on a daily basis in Bangui, despite the presence of French and African Union troops. The fresh reports on Central African Republic come as the US Ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, makes a visit to the country to assess the crisis for herself. The security situation in South Sudan continues to deteriorate following a reported coup attempt at the weekend. Britain and the US have both sent planes to airlift their nationals out of the country, while a US defense official described the situation as "getting ugly". South Sudan's military confirmed this morning that rebels have taken over the key town of Bor, while tensions are also rising in the Unity and Upper Nile states. Fighting began in South Sudan's capital Juba on Sunday, and left at least 500 people dead. South Sudan's president Salva Kiir has accused Riek Machar, the country's former vice-president, of staging a coup - a charge he denies. Tens of thousands of civilians have been displaced by the fighting and there are fears a civil war could erupt.  Home for Christmas? Reports from Russia suggest the jailed 'Arctic 30' Greenpeace activists are to be freed under new amnesty laws. Russia's State Duma voted 446-0 in favour of the Kremlin-backed bill, which will allow investigators to drop charges against the Greenpeace activists, who were detained in the Arctic waters in September. The new law may also see two members of the band Pussy Riot, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina, freed too - possibly as early as today. More interesting news on Russia, as President Obama names two openly-gay athletes, tennis great Billie Jean King and hockey star Caitlin Cahow, to represent the US at the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. For the first time since 2000, the US will not send a president, former president, first lady or vice-president to the games. Obama's move will likely be seen as a snub to Russia, which has been fiercely criticized for passing national laws banning "gay propaganda" - a law it says will be enforced at Sochi.
This latest news on Sochi comes as fresh HRW research accuses the Russian authorities of beginning a new campaign to harass activists who criticize the government’s preparations for the February Winter Olympics. At least eight minority rights activists in the North Caucasus were held for questioning by Russian authorities, Human Rights Watch found. The activists were all released without charge, but many have had their telephones and computers confiscated.