Briefing Notes Group 22 - Information Centre Asylum and Migration - European Country of Origin Information Network

Group 22 – Information Centre Asylum and Migration

                                         Briefing Notes
                                                 14 May 2018

Afghanistan

Armed conflicts
Fights are continuing with air and drone strikes, cleansing campaigns by
security forces as well as attacks and assaults by the insurgents, in which also
civilians are killed or injured. Last week, the following provinces and/or parts
of provinces were affected: Kabul, Parwan, Logar (centre); Faryab, Sar-i-Pul
(north); Ghor, Badghis, Farah, Herat (west); Nangarhar (east); Baghlan,
Kunduz (northeast); Helmand, Zabul (south); Paktia and Ghazni (southeast).
On 7 May 2018, the Afghan government reported that in the past eight days, a
total of 2,100 people, among them civilians, members of security forces and
insurgents, were killed or injured in 216 districts. Ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled to be held
in autumn, insurgents are increasingly targeting voter registration centres.

Attacks and assaults
On 7 May 2018, a suicide attack was prevented in Shahr-i-Naw neighbourhood of the country’s capital
Kabul.
On 9 May, four complex attacks were launched (suicide and other attack tactics), each near a police station
or a checkpoint. The neighbourhoods affected were Shar-e-Naw and Dasht-e-Barchi which are mainly
populated by Shiite Hazaras. IS has claimed responsibility for the attacks, in which insurgents engaged in
firefights with the security forces. At least ten people lost their lives; 23 others were wounded.
On 12 May, a journalist was shot in Charikar (capital of central Parwan province) when he returned home
from a mosque.
On 13 May, a suicide attacker detonated a bomb near a building of the finance department of the city of
Jalalabad (capital of Nangarhar province); subsequently, several gunmen attacked the building. At least
twelve people were killed and another 40 were injured in the incident. In central Logar province, insurgents
attacked a voter registration centre and killed one police officer. Due to the unstable situation, seven voter
registration centres have been closed in the province.

Armenia

Opposition leader wins PM vote
The peaceful mass protests which started in the beginning of April 2018 have led to success: On 8 May
2018, opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan was elected Prime Minister by the Armenian parliament by a 59-42
vote. In the first electoral round held one week before, he had not gained enough votes because the then
ruling Republican Party had not given him support. In what has become known as Armenia’s ‘velvet
revolution’, the country’s earlier PM Serzh Sargsyan had been forced to step down from office on 23 April
2018.
The new Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stressed that he would do everything to improve people’s quality
of live; he asked his people to remain peaceful and said there was no room for hatred (either against the
political elite or against the oligarchs) in Armenia; he promised to fight widespread corruption and poverty in
the country. Besides, he has declared himself in favour of new elections. The crucial factor for the success of
Pashinyan’s new government will likely be whether he can assert himself against the existing institutional

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order in which oligarchs exercise significant power in the political and economic spheres. Besides, Armenia
remains dependent on economic and military support from Russia due to the ongoing conflict with
Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Police protection for journalist
In early May 2018, award-winning Bosnian journalist Dragan Bursac, who is renowned for his critical
writing on nationalism, has been put under police protection after receiving numerous death threats.

Burundi

Dozens killed in massacre
In the night to 12 May 2018, around 26 people were killed when unidentified perpetrators attacked the
village of Ruhagarika in the northwestern part of the country. There is no information on the motives of the
attackers who immediately after the assault crossed into the Democratic Republic of Congo where several
armed opposition groups are believed to have bases.
On 17 May, a referendum will be held on constitutional amendments which, in case of a ‘yes’ vote, would
allow President Pierre Nkurunziza to stand for further terms in office until 2034.

China

Xinjiang: prison sentence for Uyghur Imam
On 10 May 2018, Radio Free Asia reported that already in June 2017, a prominent Imam of Qaraqash county
(Chinese name: Moyu) in Hotan (Heitian) Prefecture had been sentenced to a prison term of five years and
six month because he had sent his son to an ‘underground’ religious school. Since he revealed his offence
himself, he received a sentence that was reduced by one year and six months.

Colombia

Peace talks resumed with ELN
On 10 May 2018, the Colombian government and the rebels’ National Liberation Army (Ejército de
Liberación Nacional – ELN) resumed peace negotiations. The government had suspended the talks after
ELN had launched new campaigns following the end of the first ceasefire agreement in January 2018. This
fifth round of negotiations takes place in Cuba after Ecuador stopped hosting Colombia-ELN peace talks.
One of the issues is a new ceasefire agreement. Following the peace accord with the Fuerzas Armadas
Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) reached in 2016, ELN is Colombia’s last active left-wing rebel group.

Indonesia

Terror attacks
On 13 May 2018, up to 17 people were killed and more than 40 wounded in suicide bombings at three
Christian churches in Surabaya City, eastern Java. According to media reports, one family of suicide
bombers including their children launched the deadly attacks in a co-ordinated action. The youngest child, an
eight-year-old, is in hospital, the other four suspected attackers were killed. In two more churches, explosive
devices were detected who had not exploded. On 14 May, an attack targeted the police headquarters in
Surabaya, injuring four police officers and six civilians. The four perpetrators were killed the incident,
official reports say. Since the explosive devices were detonated within several minutes, the investigation
authorities assume that this was a co-ordinated action. So far, Surabaya has not been targeted by terrorist
attacks. Meanwhile, IS has claimed responsibility. Initially, the Indonesian intelligence service NIA had
linked the attacks to the local terror group Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD). A NIA spokesman told
Indonesian Metro TV news channel that JAD had planned attacks on the police, but that the police were

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prepared. On 10 May, a riot had broken out at Mako Brimob detention centre near Jakarta, lasting for
36 hours and leaving six people killed. Apparently, some of the detainees were IS-supporters. IS has claimed
responsibility for the riot.

Iraq

Parliamentary elections
On 12 May 2018, the first parliamentary elections took place since Iraq declared victory over IS; it was the
fourth vote since the toppling of Saddam Hussein in 2003. Official sources said that voter turnout was 44.5
percent. According to preliminary results, Shiite cleric Muktada al-Sadr came in first in 4 of the 10 provinces
counted so far, including the city of Baghdad (German news agency dpa release 0152 of 14 May 2018,
1:19 AM). The final results and the distribution of the 329 parliamentary seats are expected in the next days.

No major incidents were recorded during the election process (dpa release 2506, 13 May 2018 11.33 AM). In
Kirkuk province, demonstrations were held in the evening of 12 May, with protesters criticizing electoral
fraud.

Kosovo

EULEX mandate expires
The European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) will largely cease its activities on 15 June
2018; after this date, the mandate will be only advisory. The mission had been deployed in 2008 after the
country’s independence. Roughly 2,500 judges, prosecutors, police officers and administrative professionals
from EU Member State have been tasked to support the Kosovo judicial system and ensure the observation
of the fundamental principles of the rule of law, the application of internationally recognised standards as
well as the full investigation and prosecution of war crimes, terrorism, organised crime, corruption, inter-
ethnic assaults, economic crimes and other serious crimes. EULEX has been criticized for having little
impact. Besides, the mission itself has been shaken by cases of corruption. Based on an EULEX transition
plan, around 900 war crime files are expected to be handed over to local prosecutors.
For the time being, the international community will continue to be present in the country with the Nato-led
Kosovo Force (KFOR).

Malaysia

Change of government
In the elections held on 9 May 2018, the opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan (PH) secured the majority of
parliamentary seats. One day later, 92-year old Mahathir bin Mohamad, leader of the alliance, was sworn in
as the new Prime Minister. Also on 10 May, the King granted a royal pardon to detained opposition leader
Anwar Ibrahim with direct effect. 71-year old Ibrahim had been sentenced to five years in prison for alleged
homosexual acts in 2014. Since Anwar Ibrahim could not actively participate in the elections, his wife Wan
Azizah and her daughter Nurul headed the opposition party Keadilan founded by him. Both women defended
their seats in parliament and are expected to be members of the new government alliance. Anwar Ibrahim,
who had been minister of finance and deputy PM in the 1990s, will be able to become a full cabinet minister
in the new government only after a by-election. Mahathir bin Mohamad has stated that he would remain in
office only until 2020; afterwards, Ibrahim Anwar would take over this function. Out of Malaysia’s 222
parliamentary seats, the coalition Barisan Nasional (BN) of defeated Prime Minister Najib Razak which
ruled Malaysia for 61 years, secured 79 seats, while Mahathir’s opposition alliance won 115 seats.

Montenegro

Woman journalist shot in the leg
On 8 May 2018, investigative journalist Olivera Lakic was shot in the leg outside her home in Podgorica.
The assailant has not yet been arrested. Olivera Lakic works for the independent daily newspaper Vjesti and

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reports about organised crime and its connections to government circles. This incident has been the third
attack on the journalist since 2011. In April 2018, a car bomb exploded in the city of Bijelo Polje in front of
the house of Sead Sadikovic, another Vijesti journalist who also reports about corruption and organized
crime. Apparently, 25 attacks have been targeted against the newspaper’s staff and against its property in the
last ten years.
The recent attacks have prompted hundreds of journalists to protest and demand an end to the ‘culture of
impunity’. Also, the United Nations and the Council of Europe are concerned about the ongoing harassment
of journalists and urge the government to ensure the safety of journalists.

Morocco

Jihadists arrested
In a joint operation, Moroccan and Spanish security authorities have arrested five suspected jihadists (two in
Spain and three in Morocco). The detainees are believed to be part of an IS cell and to be responsible for the
recruitment and radicalisation of young people.

Somalia

Attacks
Scores of people have been killed in several attacks attributed to Al-Shabab: On 5 May 2018, a policeman
died in Mogadishu‘s Wadajir area; on 6 May, a total of 7 Kenyan soldiers lost their lives near the city of
Dhobley (Lower Juba region); also on 6 May, 3 Somali soldiers were killed at Baidoa checkpoint (Bay
region); on 8 and 9 May, a total of 4 Somali soldiers lost their lives in Mogadishu; on 9 May, 14 people were
killed and 15 more injured on a khat market in the town of Wanlaweyn (Lower Shabelle region); on 10 May,
4 soldiers of Somali special units died in Mogadishu’s Hodan area; also on 10 May, at least 4 soldiers were
killed in Wanlaweyn (Lower Shabelle region).
The shelling of an AMISOM base by suspected al-Shabab fighters left 7 civilians injured in Mogadishu’s
Wardhigley area on 8 May.
Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the murder of an intelligence agent who was killed on
Mogadishu’s Bakara market on 7 May.

Woman stoned to death
On 9 May, a woman was stoned to death in Sabale village (Lower Shabelle region), after an al-Shabab court
had convicted her of having married 11 times without prior divorce.

Syria

Missile attacks
Last week, Israeli missile attacks claimed the lives of at least 15 people including 8 Iranians in the region
south of Damascus, the pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports. Apparently, the killed
fighters were members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards or of pro-Iranian Shiite militias. Also, fighters
from the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah movement were among the victims, the Observatory said. The attacks
were targeted against weapon depots. Media reports say that the Israeli army has repeatedly attacked targets
in Syria in recent months, aiming especially at Iranian troops and Hezbollah units.

Turkey

Soldiers arrested
Media report that 150 soldiers were arrested over alleged links to the Gulen movement on 11 May 2018. The
prosecutor‘s office has issued arrest warrants for 300 soldiers, including 211 on active duty. 3000 more
soldiers may be dismissed, the ministry of defence stated.

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Yemen

More than 230 civilians killed in April
According to the UN, a total of 236 civilians were killed during air raids, fights and attacks in the month of
April 2018; about the same number of people were injured. Since the war started in March 2015, nearly
6,000 civilians have lost their lives, and over 10,000 have been injured, the report said. The Saudi-led
military coalition against the Houthi rebels was responsible for the vast majority of casualties, the report
concluded.

Attacks on Saudi Arabia
On 8 May 2018, Houthi rebels fired at least two ballistic missiles at Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh. On
9 May, the rebels targeted a depot of the Saudi Arabian air defence located in Jizan region and also a military
facility in Najran region. On 10 May, they attacked coalition units in Azir region. A coalition spokesman
said that two missiles were intercepted over Riyadh and one over Jizan on 9 May; one missile landed in an
uninhabited desert in Najran region.

                                                                 Group 22 – Information Centre Asylum and Migration
                                                                                                      Briefing-Notes
                                                                                 Zentrale-Anlaufstelle@bamf.bund.de

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