Month: October 2023

How Nagorno-Karabakh’s fall shifted the balance of power in the Caucasus

By the time the last bus carrying ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh arrived in Goris, an Armenian city on the border with Azerbaijan, the scale of the tragedy had become clear.

The 19 September lightning offensive by Azerbaijan ended thirty years of self-rule in the breakaway region, located within its borders but – historically and as a result of the long-running conflict – inhabited almost exclusively by ethnic Armenians.

How Nagorno-Karabakh’s fall shifted the balance of power in the Caucasus

By the time the last bus carrying ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh arrived in Goris, an Armenian city on the border with Azerbaijan, the scale of the tragedy had become clear.

The 19 September lightning offensive by Azerbaijan ended thirty years of self-rule in the breakaway region, located within its borders but – historically and as a result of the long-running conflict – inhabited almost exclusively by ethnic Armenians.

How the Israel-Hamas war will test Egypt’s balancing act

Since Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel on Saturday, neighbouring Egypt has been fast to assert its position as a non-violent peacemaker.

Cairo has urged both sides to de-escalate, with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi voicing the need for a fair two-state solution and prioritising domestic security by keeping the Sinai-Gaza border closed.

Au Mali, l’armée se rapproche de Kidal

La colonne de l’armée malienne partie le 2 octobre de Gao, composée de dizaines de véhicules et de blindés, se trouve désormais à 110 kilomètres au sud du fief rebelle.

L’armée malienne a indiqué le 5 octobre au soir qu’un important convoi de ses forces avait progressé jusqu’aux environs d’Anéfis, à environ 110 kilomètres au sud de la ville stratégique de Kidal, fief de la rébellion séparatiste qui a repris les armes contre l’État central. La colonne a brisé un rideau défensif constitué de tranchées à 10 kilomètres au sud d’Anéfis, a dit l’armée sur les réseaux sociaux. Elle a assuré avoir détruit plusieurs pickups et avoir infligé des pertes « très importantes » à ses adversaires.

Israel orders the evacuation of 1.1 million people from northern part of Gaza, the UN says

Israel’s military on Friday directed the evacuation of northern Gaza, a region that is home to 1.1 million people — about half of the territory’s population — within 24 hours, a U.N. spokesman said.

This could signal an impending ground offensive, though the Israeli military has not yet confirmed such an appeal. On Thursday it said that while it was preparing, a decision has not yet been made.

What is Hamas? Seven key questions answered

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the longest and most violent ongoing modern conflicts. It involves multiple causes, and includes various actors, one of which is Hamas, perpetrators of the brutal attack on Israel that has initiated the war in Gaza.

Analysis: Why did Hamas attack now and what is next?

A number of factors led to Hamas’s operation in southern Israel.

On October 7, Hamas launched a massive military operation into Israeli territory. The shooting of thousands of rockets into Israel was followed by an attack by land, air and sea, with fighters penetrating deep into territory under Israeli control. They attacked military installations and temporarily took over various settlements. The death toll among Israelis has exceeded 1,200, including more than 120 soldiers; dozens of Israeli hostages were also taken into the Gaza Strip.