South Sudan: Child soldiers still being recruited
Children in the world's youngest country of South Sudan are being forced to fight on both sides of an ongoing civil war. The United Nations estimates that there are 11,000 child soldiers in South Sudan’s rebel and government armies. It is a conflict which has made few headlines, but cost many lives, including those of the youngest and most vulnerable. UNICEF reported 70% of the 11,000 children are serving with rebel groups, including the notorious White Army, known for sending thousands of children into battle. Stephen managed to escape the army and describes being frozen with fear as the rebel fighters took him and more than 100 of his classmates from a schoolroom. They were given no choice. He said that in the army, ‘when we were moving and boys got sick and died they would just be left where they fell.’ They were forced to train and if they didn’t they were beaten heavily.
Iraq: IS uses intelligence to purge opponents
IS runs a powerful intelligence apparatus that has plenty of security experience acquired by intelligence officers from the previous regime. The apparatus is similar to other intelligence agencies around the world, monitoring and identifying opponents then eliminating them to avoid opposition on its territory. The list of people to eliminate includes tribal sheikhs who have government connections, members of the Awakening movement who have fought against jihadist groups in the past, clerics who oppose IS's extremism and anyone suspected of delivering security information to governmental or other cooperating parties. The number of victims is high and punishments are extremely cruel. Activists who criticized IS’s measures were slaughtered in Mosal. Group executions occur. Everyone who opposes IS's religious measures, (eg.imposing the niqab on women) is punished. IS raises its flag on top of the victims’ homes to make examples of them, so that others know that someone has been punished.
South Africa: Oscar trial over – a broader look at media/justice system
Reeva’s death was tragic and sad - yet it should not be isolated from the deaths of other South Africans. 47 South Africans are killed every day and this means that the day that Reeva was killed, 46 others also had their lives taken away from them. The social status of these other South Africans who were also killed on14 February 2013 remains anonymous. Anene Booysen was raped, killed and mutilated on the same day but she was hardly an issue for many people because she was an every-day South African teenager from a poverty-stricken background. The media spotlight on Oscar’s trial is understandable but In God’s eyes Reeva’s death is not more important than Anene Booysen, or the deaths of babies during abortion. Is the media pulling the strings on our hearts?
West Africa: Hope and courage in an Ebola ward
A report of an eye witness: My journey to Kenema Hospital in Sierra Leone started more than a month before I got there. It is a mental journey and a physical one. On the journey to the hospital we saw many children on the streets. School is cancelled, there are no weddings or baptisms. People had stopped gathering because of Ebola. My experience during my stay there revealed that people can survive this disease when presented to us in time and stay hydrated before and during treatment. Then the mortality was under 40%. The most powerful thing I have ever witnessed was hearing young and old singing songs from the recovery ward. We can improve the mortality rate by improving the number of hands helping and by giving patients the best basic supportive care. Now that I'm back, having seen what I have seen, I could never forgive myself if I did not make another trip. Inside a ward is a microcosm of humanity and almost all of it is kindness and selflessness.
