Author: M Barbu

Populism And The Fractured Global Order – OpEd

The international system, which developed after the unipolar period of the Cold War, now faces sustained transformations in power relations because of nationalist populist movements. These populist movements, which Donald Trump exemplifies as “America First,” have revealed weaknesses in international organizations and alliances and simultaneously driven new developments in protectionism and democratic regression, and strategic ambiguity across all regions of the world. These global developments demand a full comprehension to develop suitable strategies that would strengthen the current fractured international system.

Children’s Education Suffers as IPOB Fighters Infiltrate Cameroon’s Anglophone Crisis

Nine years after the “Anglophone Crisis” in October 2016, violence has engulfed the northwestern and southwestern regions of Cameroon. The current crisis stage began with demonstrations by lawyers and teachers protesting against the marginalisation of the Anglophone education systems and the judiciary. It has since progressed into several stages, with several factional leaders devastating the regions.

How workers in Italy are disrupting the war machine

Dock workers in Italy and France have successfully stopped around 14 tonnes of munitions bound for Israel.

CGT union members at the Fos-sur-Mer port in France became aware of the shipment—and refused to handle Israel’s weapons of genocide.

Sudan Paramilitaries Overrun Key Zone Bordering Egypt, Libya

Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces said Wednesday its fighters seized a strategic zone on the border with Egypt and Libya, as the regular army announced its withdrawal from the region.

The announcements came a day after the army accused forces loyal to eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar of launching a cross-border attack alongside the RSF, the first allegation of direct Libyan involvement in the Sudanese war.

Taking the Pulse: Is Schengen Still Fit for Purpose?

Saila Heinikoski

Senior Research Fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs

The Schengen area has not been borderless since autumn 2015. Indeed, the reintroduction of internal border controls has been the first reaction in crisis situations, be it immigration or the coronavirus pandemic. Closing borders sounds like a drastic measure attempting to create a feeling of security, but the political costs of doing so are small, as criticism often comes from abroad.

Bosnia’s Tour Guides Feel Lost in Maze of Regulations

In Sarajevo’s old town, local guides find navigating the dense network of old streets a lot easier than charting a path through an even denser tangle of overlapping laws.

While Bosnia’s capital, Sarajevo, was still waking up, a group of tourists from Hong Kong disembarked from their bus near the iconic City Hall.

Ignoring Warnings, Kosovo President Plans Transitional Justice Commission

A draft statute obtained by BIRN suggests Kosovo’s president will press ahead with a ‘presidential’ commission on Kosovo’s 1998-99 war, ignoring experts who say it risks being seen as ‘highly political’.

Kosovo’s president is poised to launch a ‘transitional justice’ commission with a three-year mandate and the possibility of survivors addressing public hearings, according a draft statute seen by BIRN, the terms of which risk fuelling concern about the initiative’s independence and fairness.

The Problem Is Terrorism, Not Migration

In February, Europe witnessed a string of terrorist acts, committed by both legal and illegal immigrants. These included a car-ramming attack in Munich by a 24-year-old Afghan resident; a knife attack in Villach, Austria, by a 23-year-old Syrian refugee; and a stabbing attack in Mulhouse, France, by an Algerian irregular immigrant under an expulsion order. These incidents, particularly as they occurred over a short time span, raise legitimate questions about the security risks related to immigration.

Beneath the Rubble of Peace: Chechnya, a Struggle Renewed

Since its brutal subjugation in the early 2000s, Russia has simultaneously succeeded and failed in establishing a stable Chechnya. It succeeded in crushing most of the armed resistance in the country, and it expelled many of those who were left to Turkey and the Middle East. But it also created a regime in Grozny that is troubled under the weight of its own contradictions and lack of vision.