Mali: Léré, dans la région de Tombouctou, sous blocus jihadiste depuis deux mois
Le Jnim (Groupe de soutien à l’islam et aux musulmans), lié à al-Qaïda, avait décrété un embargo sur Léré le 29 novembre. La ville située à une soixantaine de kilomètres de la frontière mauritanienne est un important lieu de passage pour les voyageurs et les commerçants. Mais depuis deux mois, le calvaire des habitants se poursuit, dans le plus grand silence des autorités de transition.
Turkey’s soft power strategies and Islamophobia
Although the Turkish state’s interest in Turkish migrants and children born in foreign countries is a new thing, a noticeable approach has emerged since the late 2000s and the early 2010s. This new phase, which was qualified by the systematization of rapid institutionalization and soft power strategies, foresees the creation of new state institutions; open interest in mobilizing youth; the expiation of international influence in the educational, cultural and religious fields of various state and civil society actors; and finally (not the last one), a wider approach of diaspora framed with religious unity.
Sudan Crisis Lingers On, Remains Below the Radar of International Attention
Bottom Line Up Front
The conflict in Sudan has seen indiscriminate bombings, extrajudicial executions, and the use of starvation as a weapon of war and yet despite this, has remained on the back pages, overtaken by attention on Gaza and the war in Ukraine.
Before leaving office, the Biden administration and the U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions against both sides in the conflict—the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armes Forces (SAF), led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
US Moves To Redesignate Iran-Backed Houthis As Foreign Terrorist Organization
The United States has begun the process to again declare the Iran-backed Huthi rebel group of Yemen as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO), restoring the designation President Donald Trump set out during his first term.
“Supported by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, which arms and trains terrorist organizations worldwide, the Huthis have fired at U.S. Navy warships dozens of times since 2023, endangering American men and women in uniform,” a White House statement said on January 22.
Kurdish-Led Syrian Democratic Forces Battle Turkish Proxies Amid Calls for Their Dissolution
Latest Developments
Battles Near Tishreen Dam Continue: Heavy fighting between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) around the Tishreen Dam in northeastern Syria was ongoing on January 21, the SDF said. According to the SDF, the Turkish-backed factions have launched intense shelling and drone strikes in the area. Since January 15, clashes between Kurdish forces and the Turkish-backed SNA in Aleppo Governorate have escalated, resulting in 18 fatalities amid ongoing artillery and drone exchanges.
Al Imam Hussein Brigade
Highlights:
Also Known As: al-Imam Hussein Brigade; Imam Hussein Brigade militia;
Country Of Origin: Syria
Leaders: Amjad al- Bahadli, the first commander
Key Members: Feras al-Mahdawi, Abu Ali al Assad
Operational Area: Syria, Iraq
Involved In: The “al-Imam Hussein Brigade” is a militia made up of sub-units (militias) primarily made up of Syrian operatives (Sunnis, Druze, and Shiites) and Iraqi operatives (of Shi’ite background).
Saraya awliya al dam
Established In: August 2020
Also Known As: SAD, Companies of the Guardians of Blood;
Country Of Origin: Iraq
Operational Area: Iraq
Involved In: Armed attacks, Massacres, Assassinations, Bombings
General Info:
Saraya Awliya al-Dam, also referred to by the abbreviation SAD, is a Shi’ite pro-Iran militia based in Iraq. The organization is known for its counter-U.S. operations in Northern Iraq.
“We don’t want to stay here, abandoned in the desert”
A collection of testimonies of the protest of Sudanese refugees in the Agadez camp, in Niger
As the protests by refugees continue in the controversial “ humanitarian center ” of Agadez , the government of Niger received Elizabeth Tan, director of the Division for International Protection at the UNHCR office in Geneva, in early December. This was an important visit given the profile of Tan, who has worked for UNHCR since 1995 and has operated in several African contexts, including Burundi, Egypt and Sudan.