Topic: International Crisis Group

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Five tasks for Haiti's new pop-singer president

Michel “Sweet Mickey” Martelly has officially – and finally – been proclaimed president-elect of Haiti, more than two weeks after officials from the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) announced he had edged out former first lady Mirlande Manigat in a runoff with over 67 percent of the vote.
The wait has been long for Haitians, who first went to the polls last November. The battered country’s future is now in the hands of the 50-year-old Martelly, a popular singer with little political experience, but who led an impressive campaign. Martlelly must now address the following five tasks:

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Terrorism & Security
Damascus bombings prompt warnings of Iraq-style insurgency

Yesterday's bombings in Damascus were the largest since the uprising began. The US and others are sounding an alarm about a particularly worrisome turn in the conflict.
Indonesia's Aceh struggles to integrate former rebels fairly

As Indonesia's Aceh Province works to rebuild from decades of bloody battle - and a devastating tsunami - many analysts say feelings of injustice could wedge a new community divide.
Indonesia's Aceh Province votes in test for peace process

Voters in Indonesia's Aceh Province, which until recently was wracked by a separatist insurgency, cast ballots for governor today. For most, the pressing issue is stability.
Syria thumbs its nose at the UN

Despite a UN statement yesterday calling for an end to the violence, which was backed even by Syria ally Russia, 82 people were killed yesterday in clashes around the country.
Boko Haram: Nigeria's Army kills nine suspects after attack

Nigerian Army kills nine suspected members of the banned Islamist militant group Boko Haram, blamed for the deaths of 1,000 in a three-year long rebellion in northern Nigeria.
Turkish helicopter crash in Afghanistan comes at tough time for NATO forces

A NATO helicopter crashed into a house on the outskirts of Kabul on Friday, killing 12 Turkish soldiers on board and at least two Afghan civilians on the ground.
Why Syria's Assad could hang on for a decade or more (+video)

Despite defiant talk from fighters vowing to oust him, Syria's Assad is in a much stronger position than was Libya's Qaddafi.
Will a London conference help set Somalia on path to peace?

Somalia aid groups and experts welcome renewed international attention, but warn that a focus on either state-building or military action alone could make things worse rather than better.
Change Agent
Crisis Action makes a big noise using quiet citizen diplomacy

Crisis Action acts like a coach or talent scout for humanitarian and other citizen groups – but always behind the scenes.
Helpers in a hostile world: the risk of aid work grows

Some 242 aid workers were killed in 2010, up from 91 a decade before. Is 'humanitarian space' shrinking, or are aid groups spreading out to more conflict zones than before?
South Africa's cautious UN vote for Syrian action

While Russia and China vetoed a UN resolution calling for Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad to step down, South Africa voted for the measure. But it voices qualms on foreign intervention.
Terrorism & Security
End of Arab League observer mission to Syria opens door to renewed clashes

The Arab League's observer mission in Syria was suspended yesterday, and violence seems to be climbing once again as the United Nations attempts to take further action. 
ICC charges Kenyan leaders for post-election violence

The International Criminal Court at The Hague confirms charges against senior Kenyan politicians and a radio journalist for crimes against humanity.
In South Sudan, tribal militias exact revenge (+video)

Some 2,000 people may have been killed and tens of thousands displaced by tribal conflict since Christmas, in what may be new South Sudan's greatest existential challenge.
Haiti struggles to 'build back better' two years after earthquake (+video)

Many of those displaced by Haiti's devastating 2010 earthquake have been relocated, and buildings and roads repaired. But reconstruction in Haiti has been complicated by deep economic and social problems.
Africa Monitor
Note of caution on the International Criminal Court trials in Kenya

New report highlights potentially destabilizing impact of ICC trials related to 2007 Kenyan election violence.
For tiny Burundi, big returns in sending peacekeepers to Somalia

For poorer countries like Burundi, sending soldiers to join a UN or African Union peacekeeping mission offers financial and political benefits, as well as better arms and training.
UN chief visits a safer Somali capital

In the first visit of a UN Secretary General since 1993, Ban Ki-moon promised aid and military support, but warned Somali leaders they must stick to reform pledges.
Global News Blog
What's the hurry, Belgium? Somalia has gone without a government for 20 years.

Today, Belgium announced the formation of a coalition government after 541 days of stalemate.
Why so much is at stake as Congo goes to polls

Congo's polls today could be a crucial step for the resource-rich country's progress toward stability and self-determination. Disputed elections could leave it conflict-prone and poor.
Bahrain commission issues brutal critique of Arab Spring crackdown

An independent commission presented its findings to Bahrain's king, offering the tiny Gulf country a road map for moving beyond the violence of recent months and repairing relations with the US.
Africa Monitor
South Sudan, darling of the West, faces charges of political repression

The Sudan People's Liberation Movement dominates South Sudan's political arena, and its reticence to allow political opposition to develop could hurt its image among Western donors.
Africa Monitor
Despite Qaddafi's death, the landscape looks ominous in the Sahel

Muammar Qaddafi's death is unlikely to mark the end of the Sahel's Libya troubles, with a steady stream of migrants and Qaddafi loyalists returning home or fleeing.
Somalia truck bombing: Is Al Shabab back in Mogadishu?

After a hasty retreat from Somalia's capital, Mogadishu in August, the Al Qaeda-linked Islamist group Al Shabab claimed Tuesday's suicide truck bombing that killed more than 65 people.
Mosque torching in Israel: Could it spark Arab Spring-style protests?

Today's mosque torching in northern Israel prompted clashes between police and Arab citizens, raising fears of an intifada inspired by the Arab Spring.