From: Biniam Tekle (biniamt@dehai.org)
Date: Fri Aug 29 2008 - 12:15:53 EDT
"Eritrea used high-resolution imagery to document the alleged destruction of
Eritrean public and private infrastructure by Ethiopian forces as part of
evidence to an international claims commission established at the Hague to
settle claims disputes."
Satmaps said to show ethnic violence in South Ossetia
29 Aug 2008 14:31:00 GMT
Written by: liesbeth Renders
Satellite images have long been useful to aid workers and governments in
planning humanitarian assistance. But the increase in availability of
high-resolution commercial imagery taken from the heavens is now helping
human rights workers document abuses on the ground.
UNOSAT, a U.N. programme set up to put satellite imagery at the disposal of
the relief and reconstruction community, has been using commercial
satellites to hone in on the conflict between Georgia and Russia in South
Ossetia. Analysis by UNOSAT experts shows patterns of destruction that may
be consistent with evidence of ethnic attacks gathered by Human Rights Watch
researchers working in the region.
UNOSAT's maps<http://members.alertnet.org/thefacts/satelliteimages/index.htm?region=&news=&v=&rt=1&period=30&startdate=20080829&enddate=20080829&fb_countrycodes=all&fb_emergencycodes=GG_OSS&type=UNOSAT&fb_topiccodes=&apply_filter.x=34&apply_filter.y=7>document
fires burning in ethnic Georgian villages around Tskhinvali,
capital of South Ossetia, between August 7 and 16. And UNOSAT's experts
conclude it is highly likely the fires were directly or indirectly linked to
the armed conflict.
Human Rights Watch goes a step further, saying the patterns on the ground
show that the destruction of villages was "caused by intentional burning and
not armed conflict".
"Human Rights Watch researchers personally witnessed Ossetian militias
looting and burning down ethnic Georgian villages during their research in
the area," Rachel Denber, deputy director of the Europe and Central Asia
division of Human Rights Watch, said in a news
release<http://members.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/HRW/df7af733cb5a31dc4904eff17346f296.htm>.
"These satellite images indicate just how widespread the torching of these
villages has been in the last two weeks."
UNOSAT's maps also show extensive damage to buildings in the area between
Kekhvi and Tskhinvali, with an estimated 1,030 buildings affected. Of this
total, 787 were identified as destroyed and 243 severely damaged.
Ethnic Georgian witnesses from Tamarasheni told Human Rights Watch they had
seen Russian tanks systematically looting and burning as well as firing into
ethnic Georgian homes in this area.
"All of this adds up to compelling evidence of war crimes and grave human
rights abuses," Denber said. "This should persuade the Russian government it
needs to prosecute those responsible for these crimes."
The conflict in Georgia is just one example of satellite imagery being used
to document alleged abuses.
USAID has long used commercial satellite imagery for its work in Darfur.
USAID chief Andrew Natsios says on the agency's website: "In a functional
village you see trees, and the houses will all have cone-shaped roofs made
of grass. And you can see...goats, cows, dogs - and you'll see people
walking around." In destroyed villages, "you can see the walls, which means
the roofs have been burned down or destroyed, and you won't see any animals,
any people, or any trees because they've been all burned."
Eritrea used high-resolution imagery to document the alleged destruction of
Eritrean public and private infrastructure by Ethiopian forces as part of
evidence to an international claims commission established at the Hague to
settle claims disputes.
*Reuters AlertNet is not responsible for the content of external websites.*
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