Month: September 2014

What about Rosneft new discovery?

The Arctic ice has reached its seasonal minimum, and it is now clear that 2014 is the sixth lowest on the satellite record, but still quite a lot icier than 2012. It is exactly in this optimal “window” that Rosneft has announced that the drilling from the Unviersitetskaya platform in the Kara sea did found… Read more »

A New Afghan Spring?

Sitting in Kabul today, watching the Presidential inauguration on local television, it is difficult to say whether we are seeing a new Afghan spring or the onset of a disaster. After weeks and weeks of quarrelling, the two main presidential contenders settled on a power-sharing formula: Ashraf Ghani is the new president, while Abdullah Abdullah… Read more »

This Week in South Sudan – Week 39

Monday 22 September 7,500 people were displaced by floods in Warrap State. The South Sudanese army paraded war captives. The African Union urged the warring parties in South Sudan to respect the ceasefire. Nine SPLA-in-Opposition officials surrendered to the government. More than 80 people fled Rumbek Central County (Lakes State) following the violence last week…. Read more »

Refugees are a Shared Responsibility

A record number of refugees have arrived by boat in southern Europe this summer. Norway should voice its support for a common European solution to the issue of boat migrants crossing the Mediterranean. Last year this would have been front-page news, but now each new arrival – or each refugee boat that is lost at… Read more »

This Week in South Sudan – Week 38

Monday 15 September The South Sudan government announced that all foreign workers in the country have to depart by 15 October. Upper Nile citizens complained about contaminated drinking water. The SPLM-in-Opposition denied recruiting child soldiers. Violence broke out on the Uganda-South Sudan border. The South Sudan health ministry launched a food and drug authority. Bahr el-Ghazal… Read more »

Development Consequences of Internal Armed Conflict

The development consequences of armed conflict are profound and far-reaching. While the direct victims of war understandably receive most attention, the effects of conflict extend far beyond battlefield casualties and refugee camps. Research has shown that conflict affects all aspects of development covered by the Millennium Development Goals, and that conflict has been an important… Read more »

State Briefing: Central Equatoria State

Population: 1,103,592  State capital: Juba Internally Displaced People (IDP) sheltering in the state: 59,500 Central Equatoria State is the smallest state in South Sudan, but with the second highest population. The capital, Juba, is located in the state which has been a political and military battleground during the current conflict. The first signs of the violent… Read more »

High season for military activities in the High North

The new round of US and EU sanctions targets very specifically exploration projects in the Arctic, so both Exxon-Mobil and Statoil announce postponements and cancellations in their respective partnership plans with Rosneft. The Western majors hardly have ay regrets about it – doing business in Russia in general, and with Rosneft in particular, becomes bad for business… Read more »