When the histories of Europe are written, they will write at length about Lampedusa. This small Italian island has become not only the barometer for the permanent migration crisis which now defines the continent’s condition, it has become the metaphor for our political and ethical response to it — even a whole new era of migration.
Tunisian President Kais Saied on Monday rejected financial support announced by the European Union in September, saying the amount is small and goes against a deal signed three months ago.
The European Commission last month said it would disburse 127 million euros ($133 million) in aid to Tunisia as part of the deal to fight illegal immigration from Africa to Europe.
Today at WPR, we’re covering Mexico’s foreign policy under AMLO and the recently announced India-Middle East-Europe Corridor.
But first, here’s our take on today’s top story:
Niger: France will withdraw its remaining troops from Niger by the end of the year, President Emmanuel Macron said yesterday, while the country’s ambassador left the country yesterday. The move follows weeks of increasing tensions between France and the military leaders who seized power in a coup in Niger in late July. (New York Times)
The recent BRICS summit, held in South Africa, sent shockwaves through global geopolitics as it unexpectedly welcomed six new nations into its ranks. On January, 2024, Argentina, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Ethiopia will officially join the bloc. This surprising move not only ignited fierce debate among experts but also captured the attention of world leaders. Among the newly admitted members, one nation stood out, sparking intense discussions and leaving many questioning the criteria behind its selection: Ethiopia.
In an X Space hosted by New Lines Magazine, journalists and development specialists discussed the latest investigation by HumAngle and New Lines, highlighting the role of investigative journalism in strengthening human rights.
New Lines Magazine has recently hosted a virtual discussion in collaboration with HumAngle to discuss the role of investigative journalism in strengthening human rights. The discussion, which was held on X (formerly Twitter), was an offshoot of both organisations’ recent joint investigation on the missing people’s problem in Nigeria’s northeast.
Après deux mois de bras de fer avec les autorités nigériennes issues du putsch du 26 juillet, que Paris s’obstine à ne pas reconnaitre, Emmanuel Macron a enfin annoncé un calendrier de retrait pour les 1500 militaires français basés au Niger, où ils étaient restés présents dans un cadre juridique inédit depuis la fin officielle de l’opération Barkhane. L’association Survie, qui n’a eu de cesse d’alerter sur l’effet contre-productif et vain de la «guerre contre le terrorisme» à la française, rappelle que l’enjeu est plus large : c’est l’ensemble des militaires français présents sur le continent (bases permanentes, forces «de partenariat» au Tchad, coopérants militaires) que l’Élysée doit rapatrier en France.
As terrorist groups continue destabilizing the Sahel region in sub-Saharan Africa, violence has spilled over into coastal West African states previously unaffected, including Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo, and Ghana.
The Wagner Group is active in several sub-Saharan countries, where its role as a guarantor of regime security has granted it outsized access to and influence within the region.
Africa today consists of 56 different experiences in nation-building with some remarkable successes and many inevitable failures. In many African countries a new player has entered the game: a younger generation that is better educated, more ambitious and, at the same time, less gullible than its ancestors in the 19th century who looked away while imperial powers carved the golden goose.
On 30 August, elite troops slaughtered over 50 civilians planning to protest perceived foreign interference in the eastern DR Congo, three months ahead of elections. The government has asked the UN for an “accelerated” withdrawal. Crisis Group experts Richard Moncrieff and Onesphore Sematumba explain the stakes.
Prodigious rainfall and the failure of long-deteriorated earthen dams caused a rush of waters through Derna, in Libya, on September 11. Thousands of residents died, infrastructure was destroyed, and buildings ended up in the Mediterranean. Failure to protect residents, maintain the dams, and sustain the lives of all Libyans point to societal collapse.