Author: M Barbu

Why Sudan’s Democratic Transition Depends on Stability in Darfur

The transitional government in Sudan announced last month that it will extradite former dictator Omar al-Bashir to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, where he is wanted on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity committed in Sudan’s Darfur region. The move was a sign that the new government in Khartoum, which took over last year after Bashir was ousted by the military amid popular protests, is trying to present itself as a responsible member of the international community. It also wants to draw a clear line under the Bashir era domestically and undertake serious peace negotiations with rebel groups, including in Darfur, where armed conflict persists.

A joint peacekeeping mission led by the United Nations and the African Union, known as UNAMID, has been deployed to Darfur since 2007. But its mandate is scheduled to end this fall, and the peacekeepers have been gradually leaving.

Environmental Ruin Could Make Postwar Syria Unlivable

After nearly a decade of conflict, the extensive damage inflicted on Syria’s environment is emerging as another devastating, if less visible, tragedy of its civil war. Polluted soil and contaminated water are exacerbating the already severe suffering of Syrian civilians, undermining their ability to meet their basic needs and jeopardizing the country’s postwar future.

‘The Worst Seemed Very Far Away’: Andrew Exum on the Afghanistan War

Last week, U.S. President Joe Biden announced his decision to fully withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan by Sept.11. After 20 years and two generations of American service members fighting there, America’s longest war will come to an end. What will the legacy of that war be for the U.S. military? And will it have a lasting impact on American society?

Nigeria’s Diverse Security Threats

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has said Nigeria is facing “a state of emergency” as a result of ongoing insecurity. This emergency is commonly understood as the threat posed by Boko Haram in the country’s northeast. However, this understates the complexity and multidimensional nature of Nigeria’s security challenges, which impact all of the country’s regions. At the same time, armed violence is not omnipresent across Nigeria and is primarily concentrated in specific geographic corridors. Following is a review of Nigeria’s diverse security threats, the risks they pose, and the landscapes in which they have germinated.

Unanswered Questions Swirl Following Burkina Faso Murders

Confirmed by the Spanish prime minister, Western media reports that two Spanish filmmakers and the Irish president of a conservation non-governmental organization (NGO) were murdered in Burkina Faso near the border with Benin on April 26. Roberto Fraile and David Beriain were in Burkina Faso working on a documentary about poaching. They were accompanied by Rory Young, a Zambia-born Irish citizen who headed Chengeta Wildlife, an NGO devoted to training local residents to counter wildlife poaching; Chengeta reports it trained ninety rangers and other personnel in Africa last year.

Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) Top Cleric Congratulates Afghan Taliban On U.S. Withdrawal From Afghanistan, Claims Syria’s HTS, Turkistan Islamic Party Follow The Taliban’s Model

On April 28, 2021, the religious official of Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) published a post on his Telegram channel commenting on the withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Afghanistan.[1]

Abu Mariyah Al-Qahtani began his post by congratulating the Taliban on the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan and highlighting the group’s long journey toward this outcome, which included fighting with rival groups.

Les Turcs en France: un «isolat» séparatiste?

«L’assimilation est un crime contre l’humanité» affirmait le président turc Erdogan en Allemagne en 2008. En France, qu’il se rassure, les immigrés turcs ne se caractérisent pas franchement par leur assimilation. Chiffres.

Au mois d’octobre 2020, diverses villes de France ont été le théâtre des mêmes scènes stupéfiantes. À Dijon, Vienne ou Décines, plusieurs centaines d’individus brandissant des drapeaux turcs ont improvisé des défilés à la nuit tombée, scandant des slogans à la gloire du président Erdogan, des invocations religieuses (« Allah akbar ») ainsi que des menaces de mort envers la population d’origine arménienne.

Les terroristes Mohamed Lahouaej-Bouhlel et Jamel Gorchane se connaissaient-ils?

Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel et Jamel Gorchane étaient-ils des amis d’enfance ? Cette hypothèse mettrait clairement à mal l’idée selon laquelle le terroriste de Rambouillet serait un « loup solitaire ». Et c’est précisément ce qu’affirme le journaliste et écrivain Nicolas Beau, ancien de Marianne, du Monde et du Canard Enchaîné, dans un article paru sur son média d’infos de l’Afrique francophone, Mondafrique.

Ethiopia: Violence Instability And The Need For Law And Order – OpEd

An unresolved war in the north of the country; ethnic based violence some are describing as genocide in the West; random explosions of aggression in various regions: Ethiopia is trembling.

With around 117 million people, Ethiopia has the second largest population in Africa, made up of 80 or so tribal groups, all with their own cultures, language or dialect. Three big ones dominate: The Oromo (35% of population), Amhara (27%) and Tigrayan (6%). Historic disputes over land and power exist between these powerful groups; grievances which are being aggravated by pernicious elements attempting to destabilize the country.