Monday 27 October According to a Global Witness report, South Sudan’s first post-independence oil deal with Star Petroleum is high-risk and in urgent need of further scrutiny. Fighting erupted again between government forces and rebel troops in Unity State in South Sudan; each side blamed the other for initiating the clash. According to a senior researcher at… Read more »
Month: October 2014
Nationalism under Pressure: Islamic State, Iraq and Kurdistan
Has the Iraqi Kurds’ sense of national identity been strengthened by the emergence of the so-called Islamic State? Not necessarily. If anything, mounting socio-economic and political tensions inside northern Iraq have been tearing at Kurdish nationalism for the last decade.
This Week in South Sudan – Week 43, Part 2
Friday 24 October The Tanzanian CCM defended invitation of South Sudan’s warring factions to Arusha, claiming it does not sabotage the IGAD peace process. The South Sudanese government accused of threatening international aid agencies. Nuer community in Uganda declared their support to Riek Machar. The SPLM dismissed the SPLM-in-Opposition’s claims on President Salva Kiir’s legitimacy…. Read more »
This Week in South Sudan – Week 43, Part 1
Monday 20 October The head of the SPLM-G10 faction, Pagan Amum Okich, accused Kampala and Khartoum for interfering in South Sudanese politics to serve their own interests. IGAD-led South Sudan peace talks postponed until 27 October. Tuesday 21 October The three main factions agreed on a intra-SPLM dialogue framework and communique in Arusha to support… Read more »
Putin steals the Asia-Europe show – and brings big disappointment
The most recent Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit attracted a sizeable crowd of world leaders to Milan last week (October 16–17), but the formal agenda was overtaken by the efforts to manage the violent conflict between Russia and Ukraine and facilitate dialogue between presidents Vladimir Putin and Petro Poroshenko. The European Union sought to deploy… Read more »
Norway’s Tightrope Walk in Myanmar
Are the people of Myanmar able to distinguish between Norway’s role in promoting peace and the commercial interests of Norwegian businesses? Now that several state-owned Norwegian companies have entered into large and risky ventures in Myanmar, Norway is walking a tightrope between peace and commerce. The maintenance of support for the peace process is critical…. Read more »
When will the South Sudan Peace Process move beyond delays and deadlocks?
The sixth session of Phase II of the IGAD-led multi-stakeholder peace negotiations officially opened on 22 September and adjourned on 5 October 2014. Participants included representatives of the Government of South Sudan, the SPLM in Opposition, the SPLM Leaders (former detainees), civil society organizations and faith-based organizations. Progress has been made in this round of… Read more »
Norway’s Outdated Citizenship Legislation
The war in Syria, the threat of Islamic radicalisation, and fears that terrorists may recruit Norwegian citizens have sparked renewed debate about Norway’s citizenship legislation. Meanwhile, another debate continues to be forgotten: We call for a reopening of the debate on dual citizenship, as Norway’s antiquated legislation is out of step with that of its… Read more »
New NATO Cyber Defense Policy: Unclear on Key Issues
Against the background of increasing dependence on technology and on the internet, NATO is advancing its efforts to confront the wide range of cyber threats. Presented at the organization’s 2014 summit in Wales, on 4 September 2014, a new defense policy states that there is no distinction between cyber attack and physical attack. The… Read more »
This Week in South Sudan – Week 42
Monday 13 October South Sudan’s former justice minister, John Luk Jok, warned of “disregard of the constitution.” Interparty dialogue in Tanzania between South Sudan’s political factions. UN envoy reported horrific levels of sexual violence in South Sudan, a Joint Communique with the SPLM has been sign to tackle the situation. The SPLM-in-Opposition claimed Ugandan military… Read more »