Author: M Barbu

Foreign Influence Is Fueling The War In Sudan – Analysis

The current war raging in Sudan began on April 15, 2023, with violent clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Two years later, the conflict shows no signs of abating, primarily due to the involvement of international actors supporting both factions.

A country with a turbulent history, Sudan has long been plagued by internal strife and civil wars. The roots of the current conflict can be traced back to the complex interplay of ethnic, political, and economic factors that have shaped the country’s landscape for decades. The overthrow of former President Omar al-Bashir in 2019 marked a turning point in Sudanese politics, ushering in a transitional period rife with uncertainty and power struggles.

Dozens Arrested Over Clashes After Mass Protest in Serbia

Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said on Sunday that police arrested 77 people after violence erupted in the wake of a mass protest in central Belgrade – while officials warned that further arrests could be imminent.

Dacic told media that “criminal charges will be filed against 35, and a request to initiate misdemeanour proceedings will be filed against 26 persons”.

Balkan Insight’s First Despatch: Net Closes On Alleged Suva Reka Killers

The bodies of the dead men, women and children, including a baby aged seven months, from the Kosovo town of Suva Reka were buried in pits in an army base in Prizren before being secretly transported to a new mass grave in the police compound at Batajnica, near Belgrade.

While the existence of the mass grave at Batajnica was uncovered in the spring of 2001, after the fall of the Milosevic regime, those responsible for the murders and the transportation have never been brought to justice – owing largely to police obstruction.

System Failure: Bulgaria’s Healthcare Crisis Takes Its Toll on Women

Women in Bulgaria are paying a higher price for the failings of the country’s healthcare system, which is increasingly dependent on older, poorly-paid female nurses and midwives.

Fifty-five years old, a nurse in Sofia laments that she does not have many younger colleagues. After all, younger nurses might cope more easily with the workload.

The Struggle for Syria

On May 14, President Donald Trump stood smiling with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman and Syria’s self-declared leader, Ahmed al-Shara’a, on the sidelines of the President’s visit to Riyadh. After the get together, the President declared that the United States would lift sanctions on Syria and re-establish diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Islamic State Resurfaces in Damascus With Deadly Bombing

The Islamic State (IS) has returned to the spotlight in Damascus. According to the Syrian Ministry of Interior, the group conducted a suicide bombing on June 22 at a Greek Orthodox church in the Syrian capital, killing at least 25 and wounding more than 60. The bombing marked the group’s first attack in Damascus since the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

Investigating War Crimes: Forced Displacement

More than 122 million people have been forcibly displaced, according to the UN Refugee Agency as of June 2024 — an increase of 5.3 million, compared to the end of 2023. Those fleeing are being pushed out by persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations, and breakdowns in public order. The numbers are expected to soar tragically higher now, given continuing crises globally, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gaza, and Sudan, among other places.

The EU’s Black Sea Strategy: A Neighbourhood Reassessment

The current state of unpredictability and hostility in international affairs is forcing actors to modify their approaches to their neighbours. As the new international order, based on multi-polarity and regional cooperation continues to take shape, the Eurasian continent remains firmly at the heart of this transformation.