At dawn on 23 September, Syrian and Russian fighter jets roared over eastern Aleppo, bringing new death and destruction to the city’s besieged inhabitants. The attacks followed several days of relative quiet, but the ensuing days and nights were worse than ever. The chaos makes it difficult to determine exactly how many were killed, but… Read more »
Month: September 2016
This Week in South Sudan – Week 38
Monday 19 September A SPLA spokesperson openly accused UNMISS of “making South Sudan very conducive for rebellion” Foreign Policy Journal: “South Sudan’s American-Made Robber Barons” Tuesday 20 September The SPLM (IO) criticized the United States government and the UN for receiving Taban Deng Gai in the US. Taban Deng attended the 71st sessions of the… Read more »
Women, Peace and Security?
The Norwegian government had lofty ambitions to implement UN Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security in Faryab Province in Afghanistan. However, attempts to realise these ambitions were half-hearted. The role of the gender adviser became a political alibi for the Norwegian Provincial Reconstruction Team’s haphazard efforts to implement the resolution. The UN Security Council… Read more »
Rhetoric as Required
From “the pre-emptive defence of Norway”, to “conflict resolution and peace”, even in the event of “war-like actions”, Norwegian politicians have adapted their rhetoric on Afghanistan as required by circumstances and public opinion. From day one, the Norwegian government has been enthusiastic in its support of intervention in Afghanistan. But over the years many different… Read more »
This Week in South Sudan – Week 37
Tuesday 13 September In response to a recent UN report, the SPLA denied responsibility for the July fighting in Juba, saying it was ‘outraged’ by the report and ‘UN’s continuation of negative smear campaign against top leadership of the military’. Taban Deng Gai vowed to shortly integrate SPLA (IO) forces in Equatoria into the SPLA faction… Read more »
The End Of Migrants As We Know Them?
The UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants holds the promise of progress. But ahead of the summit, communications staff were pushing a warped view of migrant diversity. Even the International Organization of Migration (IOM) is straying from its mission to uphold the human dignity and well-being of migrants. When migration issues rose to the top of… Read more »
Refugee Resettlement as Humanitarian Governance: The Need for a Critical Research Agenda
This blog post suggests understanding refugee resettlement as an instrument of humanitarian governance from the selection of refugees to their long-term integration. It presents a five-point research agenda aiming to investigate resettlement’s power dynamics in multiscalar perspective, with a focus on: political economy; the UNHCR’s competing goals; and the role of discretion, persuasion and coercion… Read more »
This Week in South Sudan – Week 36
Monday 5 September The Government of South Sudan (GOSS) announced that despite their acceptance of the additional UN peacekeeping force, important details of the troop deployment still needs to be worked out, such as the exact number and the nationality of UN peacekeepers. Voice of America: “Some South Sudanese Want Restrictions on Troop Deployment” Tuesday… Read more »
Latest Kerry-Lavrov Deal on Syria Destined to Unravel
The agreement on managing the Syrian civil war, reached between the United States and Russia in Geneva in the early hours of Saturday, September 10, was both surprising and pre-determined. US Secretary of State John Kerry had invested so much effort in the endless rounds of marathon talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that… Read more »
Are We Nearing an End to Buddhist Extremism in Myanmar?
Ma Ba Tha and similar groups of extremist monks in Myanmar could face resistance after a government official finally rebuked their brand of nationalism. It took just one dismissive comment from the chief minister of Yangon to seemingly deflate Ma Ba Tha. The Buddhist nationalist organisation has become known for its provocative segregation policies and… Read more »