In this series of articles, our political editor Colin McGinness provides a concise roundup of the biggest geopolitical events from the past month.
The International Headlines
As countries like the United States and United Kingdom continue their rollout of various Covid-19 vaccines, a stark contrast is becoming clear. The head of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has warned that rich countries are buying a disproportionate amount of vaccine doses, leaving others with little chance of inoculating their own population. With the Biden administration pledging four billion dollars to the global vaccine initiative COVAX, it remains to be seen whether the international community will further cooperate with a global rollout of vaccines.
A group of 16 conservation groups has issued a report describing a potential ‘extinction level event’ of freshwater fish around the world. The report cites dwindling freshwater fish populations in its estimates that nearly a third of these creatures could face disappearing from lakes and rivers. The causes are numerous, but chief among them are rising water temperatures caused by climate change, and decreasing habitability of waterways due to pollution and land reclamation. The report warns that if drastic action is not taken, then there could be a significant impact not only on the fish population, but freshwater ecosystems at large.
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Asia
The military coup in Myanmar continues to garner international condemnation. Most recently, the European Union has announced that it will begin placing economic sanctions on the military government and organisations associated with toppling the government of Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD) party. Protests against the coup have rocked several of the largest cities across the country, resulting in police lockdowns and reprisals. Several protestors have now been killed in the violence, invoking further isolation from the international community. The United States has also announced that it will begin sanctioning the acting military government.
Chinese and Indian troops have again clashed along their shared border in the Himalayan Mountains. In a scene similar to those played out last year, a brawl erupted when soldiers gathered along their respective sides of the contested border with clubs and improvised weapons. Firearms are essentially banned in this area, in an effort to prevent further escalation. The military leadership of both the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Indian Army had fairly recently touted the cooling of tensions between the two states, though this recent flare-up may reignite simmering hostility.
Middle-East and North Africa
Successful negotiations between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency have helped prevent a potential standoff regarding nuclear enrichment rates. The deal allows the IAEA to continue monitoring reactor and enrichment facilities throughout the country. Iran had threatened to remove IAEA observers and observation equipment until American economic sanctions were lifted, however both the United States and Iran have made no progress on renegotiating the terms of the 2015 agreement that lifted sanctions in the first place. The European signatories to the 2015 agreement have been instrumental in preventing further deterioration between Iran, but whether or not this can be maintained without substantial American concessions is up for debate.
Following the release of pro-democracy protestors in Algeria, widespread marches and strikes have taken place. Marking nearly a year since the previous protest movement that was abruptly halted due to the covid-19 pandemic, activists have returned in force demanding government reform. In particular, a law passed this year in an attempt to outlaw fake news online has received condemnation from the protest movement who argue that it has been used to silence critics of the government. The previous protest saw the removal of longtime president Abdelaziz Bouteflika to resign, so the current government of Abdelmadjid Tebboune is understandably nervous about further escalation.
Europe
In Yerevan, the Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has resisted calls from the military to resign from the government. Claiming that this amounts to an attempted military coup, Pashinyan marched through the streets of the capital with thousands of his supporters determined to resist. The calls for his resignation are likely a response to his handling of the war between Armenia and neighboring Azerbaijan, which Armenia had decidedly lost. The military establishment has blamed the civilian government for mismanagement of the conflict and for accepting what it considered to be unacceptable peace terms. Both sides have urged supporters to remain nonviolent, but the situation across the country remains tense.
The Italian ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Luca Attanasio has been killed while on a convoy to visit a World Food Programme site. With rebel groups in the region denying responsibility for the attack, it is unclear as to who or what instigated the violence. Also killed in the incident was an Italian paramilitary office as well as one of the Congolese drivers part of the convoy.
Africa
The general elections in Niger have finished, with the former interior minister Mohamed Bazoum being certified as victor over opposition leader Mahamane Ousmane. The opposition has contested the result, and protests have since erupted around the country. Hundred have been injured in subsequent police crackdowns, and at least two individuals have been killed. Should the transition of power take place, this will be the first elected transition of the government of Niger since its independence from France in 1960. Though the spectre of election meddling may taint the ascension of Bazoum.
The inquiry into former South African President Jacob Zuma has asked the courts to sentence the former president to at least two years in prison for various corruption charges. The inquiry was called after Zuma resigned in disgrace after information was leaked regarding mishandling of government contracts and positions. Zuma still denies the accusations, but his refusal to participate in the inquiry likely increased the likelihood of jail time.
Latin America
In a move that has been lauded by displaced people’s groups, the government of Colombia has announced that it will give protection status to nearly 2 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants. Citing the growing humanitarian crisis posed by statelessness, the decision has been cited as a model for global solidarity as the number of displaced people globally is now more than 80 million. The ‘temporary protection status’ will grant residency for up to 10 years, with further options to remain in the country after the 10 year mark has been passed. It’s estimated that nearly 5.5 million Venezuelans have fled their country to neighbouring states in Latin America in the past few years, and this decision will hopefully inspire other host nations in the region to follow suit.
North America
As vaccination rollouts continue in the United States, hope has been tempered by yet another grim milestone. Over 500,000 people have now died from the coronavirus in the US alone, far more than other nations with fewer resources at their disposal. Blame has been cast on various actors within the country, ranging from the late response to the crisis by the former Trump administration to simply that many Americans have been loth to follow even the most basic precautions. Regardless of those at fault, the country is still gripped by a relentless wave of cases, so much so that it seems the only way the situation can be improved will be through the vaccination programme. Though with trust in the vaccine still relatively low, this may also prove ineffective.
Colin McGinness is The International’s political editor.