Germany will end its participation in a UN peacekeeping mission in Mali by the end of next year, a government source told AFP on Wednesday after months of operational snags.
“By the end of 2023 at the latest, German soldiers are to end their involvement in the UN blue helmet mission MINUSMA,” the source said.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham tried to enter the Turkey-backed factions’ stronghold to support Ahrar al-Sham that refused to support the newly formed leadership by some groups within the movement.
Sources in the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) told Al-Monitor that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched an attack at dawn on Nov. 11 on a base affiliated with the Ahrar al-Sham movement in the northern Aleppo countryside, which prompted the Turkish army to intervene and counter HTS’ attempt.
Lethal force was used against mourners at funerals, women were tear-gassed at a crowded subway station, and more than two months of unrest in Iran appeared far from fizzling out.
Nearly 30 people were killed in less than 48 hours as Iranian cities witnessed a flare-up of anti-government protests, which have rocked the nation since mid-September when 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in the custody of religious police.
French President Emmanuel Macron admitted this week that amid ongoing protests in Iran and the mass detention of demonstrators, it would be very difficult for the West to make progress on talks for a new nuclear deal.
On Sept. 14, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights released a statement warning that, “Syria cannot afford a return to larger-scale fighting, but that is where it may be heading.” Syria’s frontlines have been frozen since March 2020, and while cross-line and insurgent attacks continue on a near daily basis, the level of violence is significantly reduced compared to previous years.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine seems to have captured worldwide attention; yet under the Taliban, Afghanistan continues to exist in a state of ‘durable disorder,’ limping along without either fully collapsing or stabilizing.
The immediate future in Afghanistan looks bleak, with little confidence that the Taliban will be able to fix a country that seems fundamentally broken following four decades of conflict, war, and political instability.
Don’t let the war win is the mantra of members of Emmanuel Macron’s close circles. This means tackling a wide range of crisis situations that have been triggered by the conflict in Ukraine.
The French president went into this weekend with a significant foreign and defence policy agenda to both promote and defend, so that Paris can carve out a role as a significant player on the world stage as well as the leading force in Europe.
Last Wednesday, November 9, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the end of Operation Barkhane, the counterterrorism operation established to address the jihadist threat in Mali.
The departure of French counterterrorism forces will leave the UN peace operation in Mali – the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) – increasingly vulnerable to terrorist attacks.
According to the Washington Post, several U.S. officials discussed with journalists a classified assessment that portrays a vast, multifaceted effort by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to influence U.S. foreign policy.
The UAE funds various lobbying efforts, reports by influential U.S. think tanks, and recruitment of ex-U.S. officials to try to shift U.S. policy in ways favorable to it and allied Persian Gulf states.
Seuls trois chefs d’État du continent prennent part à la rencontre parisienne annuelle : Umaro Sissoco Embaló, George Weah et Azali Assoumani. Douze d’entre eux étaient présents l’année dernière.