FILE - a South Sudanese refugee and 32-year-old mother, who was raped for several days by a group of soldiers before she was allowed to leave, stands by a window at a women's center. The European Union is assuming the leadership of a global initiative to prevent gender-based violence during humanitarian crises. Violence against women and girls is one of the most prevalent human rights violations in the world. The United Nations and many human rights organizations have documented tens of thousands of cases of rape, sexual abuse and exploitation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Bosnia and Herzegovina and other places of conflict. Violence during times of war and natural disasters also affects men and boys. So, the European Union’s Call to Action on Protection from Gender-Based Violence is inclusive of both sexes and all ages. The EU says its mission is to strengthen awareness and encourage the humanitarian community to take stronger action to protect women, men, girls and boys in crisis zones. Monique Pariat, director-general for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, says more must be done to prevent gender-based violence from occurring in humanitarian emergencies. She says many simple measures can be taken to mitigate violence. “For instance, to have separate and properly illuminated toilets and washing facilities in camps. Safe access to water and food distribution points. Safe access to hospitals. That can have a very significant impact in preventing and reducing gender-based violence. We can do more also on the education to armed groups, to armies. There are a lot of activities we can promote that will reduce the risk and occurrence of these atrocities.” Pariat says it is crucial to bring the Call to Action program to the field, adding it is there that these life-saving measures can have the biggest impact. Pariat also says preventive actions must be taken at the earliest onset of an emergency where victims and survivors are at greatest risk. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (c) 2017 VOA News

“Never again" becomes more than a slogan: It's a prayer, a promise, a vow. There will never again be hatred, people say. Never again jail and torture. Never again the suffering of innocent people, or the shooting of starving, frightened, terrified children. And never again the glorification of base, ugly, dark violence. It's a prayer.” ― Elie Wiesel, Hostage Interview with Ho Van Tay, Vietnamese photographer Ho Van Tay, 76 years old, was a former cameraman who filmed S-21 prison on January 10, 1979 along with his comrade, Dinh Fong. He currently resides in Bin Tanh District, Ho Chi Minh, Viet Nam. The interview was conducted in Vietnamese language by Dany Long, Team Leader of the Promoting Accountability Project at the Documentation Center of Cambodia. Voice recording in Khmer by Chy Terith. Translation into English by Dacil Q. Keo. Project supervised by Youk Chhang. (Interview transcript in both Khmer and English can be provided upon request) For more information, please contact: Morm Sophat Information Technology Coordinator truthsophat.m@dccam.org Vanthan Peoudara, Esq. Deputy Director truthpdara@dccam.org __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (c) 2017 DCCam

Two traditional foes, Turkey and Iran, have found themselves on the same side of a bitter regional dispute between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Turkey and Iran directly back opposing factions in Syria's civil war, but have a common interest in backing Qatar amid a massive diplomatic and economic boycott led by fellow oil-rich Gulf monarchy, Saudi Arabia. The kingdom announced earlier this month that it, along with Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, would cut all ties to its neighbor, which it accused of funding terrorism on behalf of both sides of the restive region's battle lines. In response, both Turkey and Iran have defied Saudi Arabia's blockade by sending crucial assistance to Qatar and have flexed their respective militaries in the already tense Persian Gulf. In addition to its three original partners, Saudi Arabia's anti-Qatar alliance now includes the Comoros, Eritrea, Maldives, Mauritania, Senegal, the exiled government of Yemeni President Abbed Rabbo Hadi and the Tobruk-based military government of Libya's General Khalifa Hifter. The bloc has denied Qatar access to its only land border and cut service to crucial air and sea routes. The crisis has led to concerns about a potential humanitarian crisis on the tiny peninsular emirate. Turkish armored personnel carrier drives at Ankara's military base in Doha, Qatar June 18, 2017. Turkey has begun military drills in Qatar amid a Saudi Arabia-led international boycott against its fellow, oil-rich Gulf Arab neighbor.QATAR NEWS AGENCY/REUTERS "A ship carrying 4,000 tons of aid is going to Qatar right now, and then another ship carrying 11 tons of aid will also be sent," Turkish Economic Minister Nihat Zeybekci said Monday at an iftar event in Istanbul, according to Turkey's Hurriyet Daily News. "They [Qatar] particularly wanted from us milk products and eggs, and we’ve sent 90 planes [loaded with aid] and met all their needs," he added. Turkey and Qatar have been closely cooperating in Syria, where they both sponsor insurgent groups that have attempted to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since 2011. In recent years, however, these rebels have experienced defections and major defeats at the hands of both pro-government forces and jihadists such as the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) and Al-Qaeda. Assad, whose allies include Iran and Russia, has also reclaimed most of the country's population centers that were formerly held by the opposition, meaning Turkey and Qatar's foothold in Syria has been waning. Fearing that Saudi Arabia could move to completely isolate Turkey's greatest ally in the region, Turkey has expedited a defense agreement with Qatar and Turkish troops began drills Sundayat the Tariq bin Ziyad military base in Doha. Shortly after Saudi Arabia's ban was announced, unlikely ally Iran stepped in to to provide emergency assistance to Qatar. Iran is Saudi Arabia's greatest rival and the two nations sponsor clashing military and political movements abroad, including warring parties in Syria and Yemen. While Iran's foreign allies have also fought those backed by Qatar, Doha maintained some degree of relations with Iran, one of the reasons that Saudi Arabia initiated the blockade in the first place. Saudi Arabia accused Qatar of providing support both to ultraconservative Sunni Muslim groups and to militant Shiite Muslim organizations with ties to Iran, something Qatar, which is an overwhelmingly conservative Sunni Muslim nation, strongly denies. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan meets with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Ankara, Turkey, May 7, 2017. Turkey and Iran directly sponsor warring factions in Syria, but have both recently signed off on a Russia-backed deal to evacuate retreating Syrian rebels and establish civilian de-escalation zones in the country.YASIN BULBUL/REUTERS While Saudi Arabian media reports that Qatar's monarchy was receiving protection from Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps remain entirely unverified, Iran mobilized its military Sunday near the Straight of Hormuz, a strategic waterway linking the Persian Gulf to the Sea of Oman to join China for naval drills. The war games occurred miles away from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates as well as U.S. warships stationed in the region. President Donald Trump previously took credit for Saudi Arabia's decision to sever its relationship with Qatar and his administration has designated Iran as one of the primary targets of U.S. foreign policy, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Jaberi Ansari delivered Sunday a "verbal message" from Iran's President Hassan Rouhani to Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, according to reports by the state-run Qatari News Agency and Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency. The details of the message were not specified, however, the correspondence comes as Iran pledges to continue providing assistance to Qatar for "as long as there is demand." ____________________________________________________________________________ (c) 2017 NewsWeek

Imagine living in the middle of a civil war, gunfire outside your home and bullets slicing through your walls. Imagine children attending school when a missile strike causes the top level of the building to collapse. Imagine being kidnapped and forced to become a soldier or targeted for violence because of your religious or political beliefs. For millions of people globally, it doesn’t require imagination. These are the terrible realities which drive individuals and families to make the desperate choice to abandon their homes, loved ones and everything familiar in order to flee to safety. Flight itself is often perilous, due to geographical risks such as crossing deserts, or safety risks, including corrupt police, bandits, smugglers, human traffickers and military or terrorist activity. Those who flee violence or persecution within their countries are called internally displaced persons (IDPs), while those who cross into another country are referred to as refugees. In times of crisis, the UN often steps in to create refugee camps for temporary shelter and aid. However, a majority of IDPs and refugees do not live in camps, according to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR). “The refugee camps receive a lot of attention, but the people outside the camps are often worse off. And they are practically invisible,’’ Country Director of Swiss NGO Medair Edwin Visser told The Guardian. To make matters worse, the global displacement crisis is growing. UNHCR’s report out Monday shows the number of forcibly displaced people rose to a record 65.6 million by the end of 2016. War and persecution have been driving more people than ever out of their homes and homelands, according to UNHCR. The agency designates today, June 20, as “World Refugee Day” each year to “commemorate the strength, courage and perseverance of refugees” and express solidarity with them. While there are commons reasons, each refugee’s story is personal and unique. Mohammed, a Syrian gym teacher-turned-refugee, said in the documentary After Spring, he and his family lived a year in the midst of armed conflict before leaving. “Sometimes bullets shot through my house, nearly hitting my kids and me. The children were extremely scared,” he recounted. His family now lives in Zaatari camp in Jordan, longing for a time when it will be safe to return to Syria. Since 2011, Syria’s brutal and protracted civil war has displaced about 12 million people, eclipsing many other emergencies. Roughly one million Syrians have applied for asylum in Europe. As bad as the situation is in Syria, South Sudan actually has the fastest growing displacement rate from last year. Many other countries also have large numbers of displaced people including Ukraine, Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria. Another of the largest refugee producing countries is Somalia, due to war and the rise of Islamic militant group Al-Shabaab. Almost 250,000 Somali refugees still live in limbo in Kenya’s Dadaab refugee camps (the largest refugee compound in the world). The camps were intended to be temporary refuge from the 1991 Somali civil war, yet they still exist 26 years later. Refugees who cannot ever return to their homelands because it is too dangerous sometimes apply for resettlement elsewhere. Applications and screenings are rigorous and can take years. Fewer than one percent of refugees of concern were resettled in 2015. The rising tide of displaced individuals is a challenge for policy makers around the world, and political battles and disagreements are inevitable. But on this World Refugee Day, let’s remember that refugees are people who have uniquely suffered trauma and loss, remain in a constant state of uncertainty about their futures, and still need help. Julia A. Seymour Julia A. Seymour is a writer and editor based in Washington, D.C. She can be found on Twitter @SteakandaBible Take Action: 1. To better understand the complicated refugee crisis, check out the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. 2. Films such as the documentary After Spring, and books like City of Thorns and Seeking Refuge reveal the humanity behind the statistics of the displacement crisis by sharing refugees’ stories. 3. If you want to learn how you and/or your church can get involved, visit https://www.worldrelief.org/world-refugee-day. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (c) 2017 Wilberforce

Dear IDC Supporters, Today is World Refugee Day, observed every year on June 20. According to the U.N. Refugee Agency, by the end of 2016, more than 65 million people worldwide were forced to leave their homes due to conflict and persecution. That's an average of 28,300 people per day, almost 20 people every minute. Lebanon is hosting more refugees proportionally than any country in the world. The Syrian refugees in Lebanon are suffering dire conditions and want to return to their homes. Lebanon is unable to accommodate a refugee population equal to nearly a half of its native population, resulting in exorbitant pressure on Lebanon’s resources. You can watch testimonies from the ground of the struggles of Syrian refugees in IDC's latest short video on the refugee crisis in Lebanon go here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zodA0OZutv8. This is why Syrian refugees and Lebanon need your help! Please call your Representative to co-sponsor H. Res. 252, introduced by Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL) and Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), supporting the stability of Lebanon and the establishment of safe zones in Syria! Lebanon has borne the largest share of the crisis created by Syria’s civil war. Lebanon is hosting more refugees proportionally than any country in the world—the people of Lebanon have shown great generosity in receiving more than 1,500,000 refugees from Syria, even as Lebanon struggles to accommodate a refugee population equal to nearly a half of its native population, resulting in exorbitant pressure on Lebanon’s resources. Despite this, Lebanon has not only taken in these refugees during a time of political uncertainty, but has accomplished a smooth transition to a new government through a democratic election, protected the multi-party system, and worked to maintain a fragile infrastructure system to support the growing population. Lebanon has the highest percentage of Christians in the Middle East, and is a unique multi-confessional society and a model of pluralism in the region. Lebanon suffered from a brutal civil war in the 1980s that tore the country apart along religious lines and risks descending into sectarian chaos as a result of the Syrian refugee crisis, which would be to the detriment of U.S. interests in the Middle East. Ending the Syrian conflict, which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced millions, should be a foreign policy priority for the United States, and the establishment of safe zones would be an important step in that direction. These safe zones would protect Syria’s vulnerable civilian populations, particularly Syria’s Sunni Muslims, and prevent them from having to leave their country and live as refugees. The impoverishment and suffering of this community also risks further radicalization within Lebanon and destabilizing the country’s system of governance. TO TAKE ACTION : http://cqrcengage.com/indefenseofchristians/app/write-a-letter?0&engagementId=322453 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (c) 2017 IDC

SWITZERLAND PROVIDES SUPPORT TO TOUR GUIDE TRAINING PROGRAMME. Communicating Peace through Stories of Shared Hardship & Genocide Survival. You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty. -- Mahatma Gandhi ANLONG VENG PEACE CENTER Documentation Center of Cambodia Prepositioning twenty years (1998-2018) of peace in Anlong Veng, the final stronghold of the Khmer Rouge. A new vision for a city of peace, reconciliation, and regeneration at Cambodia's northern border with Thailand. The Anlong Veng Peace Center is pleased to announce its inaugural Anlong Veng Tour Guide Training Programme. This training would not be possible without the generous contributions from the Swiss Cooperation Office and the Swiss Embassy for Cambodia as the primary donors to this programme. In addition, this programme would not be possible without core support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Robert Bosch Foundation. In collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism (MoT), the Anlong Veng Peace Center will train 30 tour guides in the Anlong Veng region between July and December 2017. The programme encompasses two training sessions of five days of instruction and practical training in providing tours of the local region. In addition, the programme will include an exhibition on the history of the Khmer Rouge movement in the region: “Healing the landscape, Healing the society.” The instruction will be focused on local and national history of the KR movement (including the importance of Anlong Veng memorial sites); how to facilitate tours within the Anlong Veng region; story-telling techniques; and methods for engaging the public in critical reflection. The vision of the tour guide training is for each tour offered by the Anlong Veng Peace Center to be guided by one survivor and one former member of the Khmer Rouge. Hearing stories from both sides of the conflict will generate a powerful, complex, and informative discussion as the historical sites are visited, thereby fostering peace through memory and reconciliation. While the short-term objectives of this programme are centered on building local capacity in providing historical tours, the programme’s activities are connected with the Peace Center’s long-term objectives of building environmentally friendly, sustainable development in the region. The “Anlong Veng Master Plan” encompasses a collaborative project between the Anlong Veng Peace Center, the London studio DaeWha Kang Design, and other stakeholders, to create a new vision for the district of Anlong Veng, the final stronghold of the Khmer Rouge movement. This project aims to create a city of peace, reconciliation, and regeneration in a place known until now for violence and trauma. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (c) 2017 DCCam

Heavy fighting erupted Tuesday between armed groups in Central African Republic only hours after a peace deal was signed in Rome, aid officials said, while the United Nations warned that humanitarian aid was running out. Thirteen of the 14 armed groups signed the agreement Monday that called for an immediate cease-fire. However, Doctors Without Borders said fighting resumed early Tuesday in the beleaguered town of Bria. “At 9:30 a.m. we already received 35 wounded at the hospital, mostly gunshot wounds,” said Mumuza Muhindo Musubaho, project coordinator in Bria for the international aid group also known by its French acronym MSF. Gunfire also was reported Tuesday in the towns of Bangassou and Alindao, according to MSF, which said the security situation “remains extremely volatile.” The peace deal was brokered by the Sant’Egidio Catholic Community, though there was widespread skepticism in Central African Republic given similar failed efforts in the past. Ten armed groups and the country’s Defense Ministry signed a peace deal in 2015. Another accord, shepherded by the African Union, was signed in 2014. Neither lasted. “The priority now is a cease-fire,” said Vlad Monteiro, a spokesman for the U.N. peacekeeping mission. “The armed groups should cease the hostilities and put an end to people’s suffering.” Central African Republic has faced fighting since 2013, when predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power in Bangui. Anti-Balaka militias, mostly Christians, fought back, resulting in thousands of people killed and hundreds of thousands displaced. As international donors gathered Tuesday in the capital, Bangui, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for the country said only 28 percent of the emergency humanitarian funding needed had been provided by donors. Najat Rochdi said the U.N. hoped to accelerate the process of getting aid money disbursed. “Obviously, there are new displaced people and there are new needs,” she said. The international community already has pledged $2.2 billion in recovery aid for Central African Republic over the next five years. President Faustin-Archange Touadera said he is counting on the support of the international community to help bring stability. Recent unrest has left 300 people dead and more than 100,000 internally displaced. Another 20,000 have fled to neighboring Congo. The new violence “shows the fragility of the situation in the Central African Republic,” Touadera said. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (c) 2017 The Washington Post | The Associated Press

Civilians in the Central African Republic caught a break this week. The government and armed groups signed a peace accord on June 19 that includes a ceasefire and political reform measures, which could put an end to a conflict that has claimed thousands of lives and caused immense suffering. UPC fighters outside a kindergarten in Ngadja, Ouaka province. The fighters have used the building as a base since October 2014. © 2017 Edouard Dropsy for Human Rights Watch But will the victims of atrocities and their families see justice for the crimes they’ve endured? After all, the Central African Republic has historically allowed perpetrators of serious crimes to escape justice, which has fueled further violence. A 2008 amnesty for those implicated in past crimestogether with persistent economic and social problems helped fuel the Seleka movement that sparked the current conflict. This week’s accord does acknowledge current efforts at criminal investigations and prosecutions of grave crimes. It also includes a truth and reconciliation commission with a 12-month mandate that could lead to “traditional methods of forgiveness” and “leaders reassuming posts.” Truth-telling can play an important role after a conflict, but it does not replace the need for prosecutions of serious crimes in fair and credible trials. Victims should not be deprived of their assailant being brought to court, nor should perpetrators be able to escape the reach of the law. Some armed groups responsible for atrocities have already pushed for amnesties. So the government and United Nations mission in the country should continue to insist, as President Faustin-Archange Touadéra said in November 2016, that “[r]econciliation cannot be achieved at the cost of impunity.” Two courts provide the opportunity to bring victims justice, and will run parallel to any truth and reconciliation process. One is the Special Criminal Court, a new court embedded in the national justice system that is staffed by national and international judges and prosecutors, to investigate and prosecute the most serious crimes committed since 2003. The other is the International Criminal Court, which has a mandate to cover war crimes and crimes against humanity in the country. Both offer a possibility to break the cycle of impunity and violence that has plagued the Central African Republic. The peace accord provides real hope for the people of the Central African Republic that the fighting will end. But for this deal to succeed in bringing lasting peace where others have failed, criminal accountability for the many grave international crimes that civilians endured is crucial. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (c) 2017 Human Rights Watch

Many Canadians still face violence every day simply because of their gender expression, gender identity or perceived gender. It’s time for that to change. The Government of Canada is taking action to prevent and address gender-based violence (GBV). Today, the Honorable Maryam Monsef, Minister of Status of Women, announced It’s Time: Canada’sStrategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence. “Gender-based violence remains a significant yet preventable barrier to equality,” said Monsef. “Canada will only reach its full potential when everyone has the opportunity to thrive, no matter who they are or where they come from. To achieve this, we need to work together to prevent gender-based violence. It’s time to believe survivors; it’s time to gain more knowledge about this problem; it’s time to invest in solutions. It’s time to act.” It’s Time for a whole-of-government approach to prevent and address this form of violence, with new investments from: Status of Women Canada; the Public Health Agency of Canada; Public Safety Canada; the Department of National Defence; the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. It’s Time builds on federal initiatives already underway and coordinates existing programs. It lays the foundation for greater action and is based on three pillars that will improve Canada’s overall response to GBV: Prevention; Support for survivors and their families; and Promotion of responsive legal and justice systems. It will fill important gaps in support for diverse populations which includes but is not limited to: women and girls, Indigenous people, LGBTQ2 members, gender non-conforming people, those living in northern, rural, and remote communities, people with disabilities, newcomers, children and youth, and seniors. Men and boys will also be engaged in awareness initiatives. “All Canadians must benefit from the fundamental principles of equality and dignity,” said Harjit Singh Sajjan, minister of National Defence. “Across our country’s diverse populations, it is important that every individual – regardless of gender, sexual orientation, economic status, abilities, or ethnicity – is able to live a life that is not overshadowed by violence. Together, we are committed to making this a reality.” Budget 2017 included $100.9 million over five years, and $20.7 million per year ongoing, to go toward the implementation of It’s Time. This will include the creation of the Gender-Based Violence Knowledge Centre within Status of Women Canada. The Knowledge Centre will better align existing resources across government and support the development and sharing of research and data to enable more coordinated action on GBV. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ (c) 2017 LGBT Weekly

Southeast Asian governments' efforts to stop women from going abroad for domestic work are putting their citizens at greater risk of becoming victims of trafficking and exploitation, the United Nations warned. Nearly half of the world's 53 million domestic workers are from Asia, most of them women from impoverished families seeking higher incomes abroad. However, horrific cases of maids being beaten and raped have prompted some governments - including Indonesia, Myanmar and Cambodia - to stop sending domestic workers to certain countries in recent years. In a study released on Friday, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UN Women said such restrictions, designed to protect women from abuse, actually exposed women to greater risk. "Even if there are barriers to women's regular migration, it doesn't stop women from migrating," Anna Olsen, a technical specialist from the ILO, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by Skype from Hanoi. Women end up migrating "irregularly" - entering the destination country and then working without documentation or permission. "Irregular migrants have fewer protections in destination countries, which means they are more vulnerable to forced labour, exploitation and human trafficking," Olsen said. For the report, released to coincide with the International Domestic Workers' Day, researchers studied bans imposed by Cambodia in 2011 and Myanmar in 2014, and found they led to a rise in illegal recruiters smuggling women abroad. The U.N. agencies said the lack of a legal route made women domestic workers more vulnerable, as they were scared to seek help when they were abused. "Within three months of going, I was tortured and wanted to come back... they told me that even if I was killed no one would know," a Cambodian domestic worker said in the report. The study said these restrictions, which primarily impact women, were a setback for female empowerment. "Women make decisions to migrate despite known risks, judging that potential gains outweigh potential problems. Many women report satisfaction and empowerment through migration, as they can earn much higher wages than at home," it said. Globally about 200 million migrants, half of whom are women, sent home almost half a trillion dollars in 2016, helping to lift families out of poverty by providing financial stability and access to education, the International Fund for Agricultural Development said this week. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (c) 2017 Reuters

South Sudan has the world’s fastest growing displaced population and more needs to be done to help them, says the director of the United Nations refugee agency. More than 4 million South Sudanese have fled their homes, nearly 2 million of whom went to neighboring countries, said U.N. and other organizations. The international community should do more to help South Sudan, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, said after visiting a camp for the displaced. “The international neglect that you see here is matched nowhere else in the world,” Grandi told The Associated Press. “Wherever you look there are dead ends.” Grandi on Sunday visited a camp for internally displaced people in the city of Bentiu. South Sudan’s second largest city, after the capital of Juba, has the country’s largest camp for internally displaced people where 120,000 people are living in rows of tented squalor. Although conditions are dire, most of the camp’s residents are too scared to leave. “I’m terrified,” said Angelina Wicyote, a resident of the Bentiu camp. The 39-year-old mother of eight said she was chased by men with guns when she went out to collect firewood. She said she will remain in the camp for protection. Since fighting broke out four years ago in the world’s youngest nation, an estimated 2 million South Sudanese have been internally displaced, according to the International Organization of Migration. Thousands now live in U.N protected camps, making some towns and cities like ghost towns. Eighty percent of Bentiu’s population now lives under U.N protection. Many, like Wicotye, are too afraid to go home. Grandi urged South Sudan’s officials to ensure safety for its people, saying that now more than ever, “authorities have a greater responsibility to provide security.” After seven months of negotiations, the government agreed to lease a tract of land for internally displaced people in Bentiu. Two weeks ago, residents in the protection camps were given an opportunity to leave the U.N site and start afresh. Many in the protection camps fear they will be targeted by ethnic violence if they were to leave the camps. The government is taking steps to improve safety by increasing patrols and making it illegal for off-duty soldiers to take their guns from the barracks, said Bentiu’s Acting Governor George Ruony Badeng. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (c) 2017 The Seattle Times

With tensions escalating between the United States and Russia, the White House still has no larger strategy on how to deal with fresh conflicts sure to arise in parts of Syria once the Islamic State is pushed out. U.S.-backed local forces are squeezing the terrorist group out of Syria’s south and east, and already, other actors appear to be jockeying for control. That has led to a string of U.S. clashes with the Iranian- and Russian-backed Syrian regime, as well as with Iranian-backed forces on the ground. In the latest case, the U.S. on Sunday shot down a Syrian regime jet suspected of dropping bombs near U.S.-backed fighters, and Russia threatened on Monday to target aircraft flown by the U.S. and its allies in the region. A senior administration official insisted that the No. 1 goal in President Donald Trump's White House remains defeating the Islamic State. He said the Trump administration is still working on a broad anti-Islamic State strategy that will ultimately include how to deal with the power vacuum that will be left in Syria once the terrorist group is defeated. But he declined to give a timetable for the plan’s release. “Good strategy takes time to develop. We’re interested in getting it right,” the senior official said. “We’ve got to defeat the bad guys in a way that doesn’t offer opportunities to other bad guys.” Lawmakers and former U.S. officials warned on Monday that the Trump administration’s seemingly haphazard approach in the meantime could lead to a dangerous escalation and expansion of U.S. aims in Syria. “Trump is quietly starting a new war that Congress has not declared. Red alert,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) wrote on Twitter. Robert Ford, a former U.S. ambassador to Syria now with the Middle East Institute and Yale University, said the so-called bad guys aren’t waiting for the Trump team to figure out what it will do. “Events are moving very fast,” Ford said. “The Syrian government’s bold moves on the ground show that it, with the help of its Iranian allies, will not readily accept American attempts to dictate local governance in eastern Syria.” It doesn’t help that there are so many actors – Iran, the Kurds, Russia, and Turkey to name a few – with a stake in Syria, and that so many have competing agendas. “I have never seen so many international and regional conflicts playing out simultaneously in one military theater,” said Randa Slim, another Syria analyst also with the Middle East Institute. “At some point things will get out of control.” Under President Barack Obama, the United States focused on defeating the Islamic State in both Syria and Iraq. It offered air power and Special Forces to back Iraqi, Kurdish and other allied fighters on the ground in both countries. But Obama declined to get involved in the Syrian civil war pitting the Syrian regime of Bashar Assad against rebel factions. The Trump administration has followed a more aggressive version of the same approach, and it has succeeded in continuing to degrade the Islamic State. The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, many of whom are Kurdish, recently began trying to oust Islamic State fighters from Raqqa, the group’s de facto capital in Syria. Meanwhile, Assad, backed by Iranian and Russian military might, has managed to gain the upper hand in the civil war. But despite the belief in many corners that Assad’s fight against the rebels helps fuel the Islamic State, Trump also has tried to avoid getting entangled in the Syrian civil war. The sole exception: In April, the Trump administration fired missiles at an Assad airbase to protest his use of chemical weapons. America’s downing Sunday of the Syrian warplane — a Russian-made Su-22 fighter-bomber — was the first time the U.S. had shot down a Syrian aircraft since Syria began spiraling out of control in March 2011. The U.S. move led Moscow to warn that it will treat American jets that venture west of the Euphrates River as potential targets. Russia also said it was cutting off its deconfliction channel with the United States. The channel lets the two sides coordinate aircraft movements in Syria to avoid collisions. In recent weeks, the U.S. also has clashed with Iranian-backed forces maneuvering for space in Syria, especially around what’s known as the Tanf border crossing. U.S. Special Operations forces have been in the Tanf area training local forces. In one incident, U.S. F-16s hit a convoy of Iranian-armed fighters alleged to have ignored warnings to stay away from the Tanf base on May 18. One reason Iran and the Assad regime may be provoking the United States now is that they may suspect that the Trump White House is distracted by the the scandal involving suspected Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Critics accuse Trump of being too cozy with the Kremlin, though on Syria his administration has bucked Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Trump administration is likely looking at ways to peel Russia away from its alliance with Iran in Syria, even though recent indications are that the Russians and the Iranians are getting closer. Still, some analysts said the United States will probably have more luck coming to terms with Russia than with Iran, a longtime nemesis. “Often times, there’s a lot of bluster coming out of Russia, but deep down they do want to talk,” said Anna Borshchevskaya of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “Putin does not want World War III.“ Iran considers the Islamic State an enemy, but analysts believe Tehran also is eager to create a “land bridge” across Syria that makes it easier to send supplies to various parts of the Middle East where it has proxies, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Shiite Muslim militias in Iraq. The push for a land bridge makes it even more likely that Iran or its allies will run into the United States. What’s striking about the string of recent clashes is that the United States has been provoked by offensive actions taken by Iranian-allied groups or the Syrian regime, said Andrew Tabler, also of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Tabler, who has called the scramble for supremacy in eastern Syria a new “Great Game,” said it’s not clear why Iran and other parties believe now is a good time to needle the United States. “I think they are testing the mettle of the United States,” Tabler said of the Iranians. He added, however, that, whereas Obama hesitated over taking military action in Syria, “what’s interesting about the Trump administration is that they lay down red lines, and if you cross them, they react.” Mark Dubowitz, chief executive of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, is advising the Trump administration on Iran policy. He noted that the administration is nearly finished with a review of U.S. policy toward Iran and that how to deal with Tehran’s role in Syria is part of those discussions. “A rollback strategy against Iran starts in places like Syria,” Dubowitz said. “The administration is making clear they’re not looking for a direct confrontation. They’re not looking for a fight, but if Iran, Assad and Hezbollah continue to push into areas in southern and eastern Syria, they are prepared to take the fight to Iran and its allies.” ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (c) 2017 Politico