ConflictBarometer_2016

EUROPE
SWEDEN (XENOPHOBES)
Intensity: 3 | Change: | Start: 2015
and Civil Society, announced that the state would withdraw
its financial support for the Sweden Democrats' Youth group
Young Swedes CDU for 2017. tfr
Conflict parties: xenophobes, Soldiers of Odin,
Swedish Resistance Movement,
Nordic Resistance Movement et al.
vs. government, pro-asylum activists
Conflict items:
system/ideology
The violent crisis over the orientation of the political system,
in particular asylum and immigration policies, between
Soldiers of Odin and several xenophobic actors, such as the
Swedish Resistance Movement (SRM), on the one hand, and
the Swedish government, supported by pro-asylum activists,
on the other, continued.
Although the government took a sharp turn regarding the
asylum policies by cutting financial and other assistance for
immigrants, restricting visa issuances, and introducing border
controls between Denmark and Sweden in January, xenophobes
conducted more than 20 arson attacks and other assaults
on refugee accommodations, mosques, schools, and
further facilities, frequently visited by immigrants. For instance
on January 17, right-wing activist Andreas Persson set
fire to a mosque in Boras, Västra Götalands district. Describing
the attack as racially motivated, the district court sentenced
Persson to three years in prison. However, most of the
incidents remained unsolved, with no one claiming responsibility.
Throughout the year, the far-right organization Soldiers of
Odin, supported by SRM and other xenophobic actors, patrolled
several times in major cities. On January 30, following
the death of social worker Alexandra Mezher, who was killed
by a 15-year-old immigrant from Somalia, a group of up to
100 masked xenophobes marched through the capital Stockholm.
While handing out leaflets announcing further violence
against refugees, the groups attacked immigrants and police
officers, leaving several persons injured. Subsequently, members
of SRM claimed that the city of Stockholm had been
cleaned up. Police detained 14 suspects, accusing them of
assault and hate speech. Moreover, a special police force was
set up to stop violent marches by vigilante groups.
In the course of the year, right-wing organizations, such as
the neo-Nazi Nordic Resistance Movement, held both authorized
and unauthorized demonstrations in several districts,
especially in Stockholm, protesting against the asylum policies.
On November 12, approx. 600 right-wing demonstrators
marched through the city of Stockholm, leaving five detained
and at least two persons injured in clashes between demonstrators,
left-wing and pro-asylum activists, and police forces.
Xenophobia, and asylum and immigration policies were the
objects of several debates on the national level. For instance
on October 10, Prime Minister Stefan Löfven called the rightwing
party Sweden Democrats Nazis and racists during a TV
debate. During a conference in London, organized by the
British UKIP party, on November 12, leader of the Sweden
Democrats' youth wing, Tobias Andersson, stated that immigrants
would steal and attack women. On December 20,
Lotta Persson, spokesperson of the Swedish Agency for Youth
49
TURKEY – ARMENIA
Intensity: 1 | Change: | Start: 1991
Conflict parties:
Conflict items:
Turkey vs. Armenia
international power, other
The dispute between Turkey and Armenia over international
power and Turkey's refusal to refer to the mass killings of Armenians
during the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1917
as genocide continued.
On the commemoration of the 101st anniversary of the mass
killings on April 24, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan declared
that the country will not allow another ''Armenian
genocide.'' Moreover, Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan
underlined that only through recognition of the
genocide by the international community future genocides
could be prevented. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
commemorated the killed Armenians as well. However,
he stated that Armenians ''politicize history through a bitter
rhetoric of hate and enmity''.
On June 2, German parliament voted to label the killings of
Armenians by Ottoman Turks as genocide and acknowledged
Germany's accountability, prompting Turkey to recall its ambassador
Hüseyin Avni Karslioglu. Turkish Prime Minister Binali
Yildirim called the German decision a mistake, while Armenia's
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian welcomed the
resolution.
During a visit to Armenia in late June, Pope Francis repeated
his statement from 2015, describing the mass killings as
genocide. In response, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Nurettin
Canikli accused the Pope of reproducing ''the mentality of
the Crusades''.
On July 12, President Sargsyan said that Armenians had never
blamed Turkish people and that he was positive about a future
recognition by Turkey. Throughout the year, several
countries discussed the recognition or prepared corresponding
legislation. For instance, in late September, the Israeli
government stated that they could not recognize the genocide.
In contrast, Egypt as well as Syria prepared draft resolutions
to condemn the mass killings as genocide. lra
UKRAINE (CRIMEAN TATARS)
Intensity: 2 | Change: | Start: 1988
Conflict parties:
Conflict items:
Crimean Tatars vs. Crimean regional
government, Russia, pro-Russian activists
autonomy
The non-violent crisis over autonomy between the Muslim
minority group Crimean Tatars, on the one hand, and the
Crimean regional government, pro-Russian activists, and Rus-