Diplomacy & Crisis News

Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Kosovo Zahir Tanin told the United Nations Security Council today that while opposition parties in Kosovo continue to try to generate, exploit and, if possible, prolong moments of ‘crisis,’ they appear to have become aware that the use of violence is counterproductive to their objective of gaining more political influence.

Reporting that the Russian Federation is backing a 48-hour humanitarian pause in and around Aleppo, senior United Nations envoys on the Syrian crisis today said they are “waiting for others on the ground to do the same,” and are ready to green light aid convoys to the war-ravaged city once assurances are received.

The United Nations Special Adviser on Prevention of Genocide, Adama Dieng, has expressed concern at inflammatory statements concerning the genocide in Rwanda that were made by a senior official of the ruling party in Burundi and cautioned that such statements could constitute incitement to violence.

The United Nations’ mission in Afghanistan has condemned last night’s attack on a university in the capital, Kabul, that killed 12 civilians and injured more than 50 others, mostly students.

Years of violence by Boko Haram in Africa’s Lake Chad basin, which includes Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger, have led to a worsening humanitarian crisis that has displaced 1.4 million children and left at least one million still trapped in hard-to-reach areas, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said in a report released today.

Le blog Les Clés du Moyen-Orient, qui décrypte l’actualité au Moyen-Orient depuis 2010, a publié le 22 août dernier un long compte rendu du dossier « Moyen-Orient, le nouveau « Grand Jeu » » publié dans le numéro d’été de Politique étrangère (n°2/2016).

Analysant chacun des six articles qui constituent ce dossier, l’auteur en fait une recension élogieuse et insiste sur son caractère fondamental et indispensable pour comprendre les enjeux de la crise moyen-orientale actuelle :

« Ce numéro d’été de Politique étrangère apparaît fondamental pour comprendre les enjeux dans lesquels se trouvent impliqués les principales forces en présence : l’Iran, l’Arabie saoudite, la Turquie, mais aussi, en tout état de cause, les États-Unis ou encore la France. Avec un riche panel d’analyses approfondissant la question d’un « nouveau ‘Grand jeu’ » qui se déploierait dans la région, cet ouvrage nous offre des clés indispensable pour mieux comprendre ce qui est survenu depuis : le coup d’État manqué en Turquie et la répression qui s’en est suivie, le siège d’Alep et les bombardements russes, les attentats perpétrés ou désamorcés au Liban, dans la région de la Békaa. »

Pour lire le compte rendu en intégralité, cliquez ici.

Pour lire intégralement l’un des articles du dossier, « La Russie a-t-elle une grande stratégie au Moyen-Orient ? » de Ekaterina Stepanova, cliquez ici.

 

L'Arabie saoudite et ses alliés peinent à défaire le mouvement houthiste, qui contrôle toujours la capitale du Yémen, Sanaa. Alors que la diplomatie piétine, les dégâts occasionnés par ce conflit s'aggravent et le pays connaît d'ores et déjà un désastre humanitaire. / Arabie saoudite, Proche-Orient, (...) / Arabie saoudite, Proche-Orient, Conflit, Géopolitique, Islam, Religion, Relations internationales, Violence, Yémen, Diplomatie - 2016/03

(Own report) - German government advisors are speculating about Russia's possible foreign policy offensives and discussing countermeasures to be taken. According to a research paper published by the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), Russia "has continuously developed and further diversified" its foreign policy "tool chest" over the past few years. Today it includes "enhanced military capabilities, alongside numerous 'soft' tools." like "the orchestrated disinformation campaign in traditional mass media and online social networks, the instrumentalization of ethnic minorities, use of civil society organizations, economic cooperation, or economic pressure." The research paper describes fictitious scenarios, such as Russian support for extreme right-wing parties in Western European election campaigns as well as steps to ward off Russian influence. The types of international activities being ascribed to Russia are practices long in use by NATO countries - particularly Germany.

Top General Skeptical Over Russian Deal; Kurds in New Fight; And Lots More

The courage of the men and women who in August 1791 revolted against slavery in Haiti &#8220has created obligations for us,&#8221 the head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said on the day set aside for remembrance of that rebellion, noting that &#8220all of humanity is part of this story&#8221 and efforts to teach the history of the slave trade will help build a better world.

While we’re at it, let’s just pick her foreign policy team of advisers…

Moscow-linked cyberthieves aren’t just stealing and releasing emails anymore -- they’re altering them to smear one of Putin's most vocal opponents.

Stressing the need for a 48-hour pause to the fighting in the Syrian city of Aleppo, the United Nations humanitarian chief today urged the United States and Russia to rapidly reach agreement on the security guarantees and operational modalities for a ceasefire there so aid workers can deliver life-saving assistance to those in desperate need.

The country's foreign policy has lost its mooring.

And now there’s no more avoiding the grim reality of Brazil’s economic and political crises.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has congratulated Brazil, the city of Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian people, the Rio 2016 Local Organizing Committee and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for having successfully concluded the 2016 Olympic Games.

Germany will urge residents to stockpile food and water in case of nation-wide attacks.

The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) is ramping up its response in north-eastern Nigeria, where initial assessments have revealed urgent health problems among populations in areas formerly held by Boko Haram insurgents.

A classic disinformation campaign about U.S. nukes reveals a lot about Moscow's military anxieties.

An alleged Malian Islamist accused of destroying historical and religious monuments in the fabled city of Timbuktu pleaded guilty in the first-ever international war crimes trial focusing on destruction of cultural heritage, the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced on the opening day of the landmark case, which was welcomed by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.