Fizi, Congo
Colonel jailed for mass rape: A colonel in the Congolese army was sentenced this week to 20 years in jail for leading and participating in a mass rape. Lt. Col. Mutuare Daniel Kibibi led his unit in a New Year’s Day rampage through Fizi, where they raped 62 women. Kibibi, a former rebel leader integrated into Congo’s army in 2009 as part of a peace agreement, was found guilty of crimes against humanity. Mass rapes by soldiers or militia members are common in Congo, but they usually go unprosecuted. In this case, the women—most of whom have since been abandoned by their husbands—could easily identify their attackers and were willing to come forward.
Algiers, Algeria
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Emergency rule ends: In a huge concession to protesters, the Algerian regime this week agreed to lift the state of emergency that has kept the country under martial law for 19 years. In recent weeks, inspired by the uprisings across the Arab world, Algerians have been protesting in the streets against emergency rule. The repressive laws were imposed at the beginning of Algeria’s 10-year civil war, which began when the government refused to recognize an election victory by Islamists. The U.S. State Department said the decision was “positive, but must be translated into expanded freedoms and real change.” The National Liberation Front has ruled Algeria since the country gained independence from France, in 1962.
Suez Canal, Egypt
Iranian warships pass: Over Israeli objections, Egypt has allowed two Iranian warships, one armed with missiles, to sail through the Suez Canal for the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. After passing from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean, the vessels traveled along the Israeli coast on their way to a training exercise with Syrian ships. The Israeli Foreign Ministry called the maneuver “a provocation” that should be “dealt with by the international community,” and Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom said the move displayed “Iran’s full-out struggle for hegemony and control of the Middle East.” Egypt didn’t really have a choice in the matter: It is obliged by treaty to allow any ship to pass that pays the fee. The Iranians simply never asked before.
Arabian Sea
Pirates kill Americans: Somali pirates hijacked a yacht this week and killed the four Americans on board, the first U.S. deaths since the piracy wave began. The four were yacht owners Jean and Scott Adam, who had been sailing the world for seven years distributing Bibles, and another couple, Phyllis Mackay and Bob Riggle. The pirates said they killed the hostages because U.S. forces were storming their ship, but the U.S. military said special forces boarded the vessel only after they heard shots fired. Two pirates were killed and 15 arrested—an unusually large group of pirates for such a small target. U.S. forces had been tracking the yacht for three days and negotiating with the hostage takers.
Manama, Bahrain
King under pressure: After a stern reprimand from Washington, Bahraini authorities halted their crackdown on protesters this week. Tens of thousands of the country’s majority Shiites have been packing the central roundabout in the Bahraini capital for more than a week, calling for restrictions on the monarchy and a dialogue with the ruling Sunni elite. In a conciliatory gesture, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa released more than 100 political prisoners, some of whom told of being beaten and tortured with electric shocks. The king then flew to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to hold talks with the Saudi regime, which fears a similar uprising. Saudi Arabia also has a large Shiite population ruled by a Sunni royal family. Both countries are close allies of the U.S.
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Mount Putin: In a bid to curry favor with its main trading partner, Kyrgzystan has named a mountain after Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. The parliament voted nearly unanimously to bestow his name upon a 14,000-foot peak in the Tian Shan mountains, but there was some debate. One lawmaker, Nurlan Sulaimanov, fretted that the 5-foot-7-inch Russian leader might be offended by the relatively small size of the peak. “We should give the Russian politician’s name not to a 4,000-meter mountain but to a taller one,” he told the parliament. “Otherwise Vladimir Vladimirovich might be offended that we did not value him highly enough.” Mount Vladimir Putin is higher than Mount Boris Yeltsin, but lower than Lenin Peak.
Christchurch, New Zealand
Earthquake kills scores: A 6.3 magnitude earthquake this week wrecked Christchurch, New Zealand’s second largest city, killing at least 75 people. The quake toppled the 130-year-old cathedral and many other buildings, and ruptured underground pipes, which flooded the streets. Hundreds of people were trapped under the rubble, and rescue crews from Japan, Australia, and the U.S. raced to the site. “We’ve got people alive in there and we’re going to get them out,” said Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker. A U.S. trade delegation of 43 government, business, and community leaders was in Christchurch at the time; none of them were seriously injured.
