UN Security Council Endorses Kenya-Led Force in Haiti
The UN Security Council voted yesterday to authorize the deployment (WaPo) of a multinational mission led by Kenya to aid Haiti’s police in quelling gang violence and protecting basic infrastructure in the country. The United States has pledged at least $100 million in support so far, with further details about the mission’s size and rules of engagement set to be agreed upon (Haitian Times) in the coming weeks. The resolution greenlights the mission for one year, with a review due after nine months, and would be funded by contributions from UN members.
The authorization vote comes a year after Haiti’s interim Prime Minister Ariel Henry called for international intervention amid the country’s worsening security and humanitarian crises. A previous UN stabilization mission deployed to the country in 2004 withdrew in 2017 after criticism that it triggered a cholera epidemic. The resolution also calls on the mission to set up an oversight mechanism to prevent and investigate human rights violations.
“Many Haitians support a multinational security mission but some fear it could serve to prop up Henry, an appointed prime minister widely viewed as illegitimate. Progress toward elections has been slow, and efforts by Caribbean leaders to break the political gridlock have been unsuccessful,” Amanda Coletta and AyiboPost’s Widlore Mérancourt write for the Washington Post.
Singapore Authorities Freeze More Than $2.8 Billion in Assets in Money Laundering Probe
A senior government official said the total amount seized reflected islandwide raids (Straits Times) conducted in August and denied reports that the operation had been conducted at China’s behest. It is one of the world’s largest money laundering cases.
China/Taiwan: Several Taiwanese technology companies are helping Chinese tech giant Huawei build infrastructure for semiconductor firms across southern China, Bloomberg reported. China has been pushing to develop its own chip industry in the face of U.S. export controls.
South and Central Asia
FT: India Tells Canada to Withdraw Roughly Forty Diplomats
New Delhi told Ottawa that the diplomats must be withdrawn by October 10, the Financial Times reported. The Canadian foreign ministry and Indian government both declined to comment on the matter.
India: Police raided the offices (AP) of news site NewsClick and the homes of some of its reporters as part of an ongoing investigation into “anti-national activities.” An Indian press freedom group criticized the raids.
Middle East and North Africa
Tunisian President Says EU Plans for Aid Go Against Recent Deal
President Kais Saied said he rejects a financial support package (Reuters) from the European Union (EU) because it is smaller than previously agreed. The conflict could put at risk Tunisia’s cooperation with Europe in addressing unauthorized migration.
Libya: Libya’s envoy to the United Nations called for a “unified mechanism” (AP) to respond to the aftermath of deadly flooding in the coastal city of Derna last month. The country’s rival governments have led two separate relief efforts.
Sub-Saharan Africa
WHO Approves New Malaria Vaccine for Children
The only other vaccine previously recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) is in short supply (UN News). The WHO estimates that nearly half a million children die from malaria each year in Africa. The new vaccine will be rolled out in some African countries in early 2024.
Algeria/Niger: Niger’s military junta said it accepted an offer by Algeria to serve as an outside mediator following the country’s July 26 coup, but dismissed an Algerian proposal (Bloomberg) for a six-month transition to democracy, saying that they would decide the timeline.
Europe
EU Compiles Sensitive Technologies List as De-risking Step
Brussels is expected to publish today (AFP) a list of critical technologies to prevent countries from having access that could harm the EU’s security, political interests, or human rights. It comes amid European debates about how to “de-risk” but not decouple from China.
Vatican: Pope Francis said that Catholic priests can use their discretion (WSJ) in blessing same-sex couples as long as they do not imply that same-sex unions are equivalent to heterosexual marriages. The statement softens the Church’s position on such blessings.
Blinken Meets With Guatemalan President-Elect, Flags Interference With Transfer of Power
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with (Reuters) Guatemalan President-Elect Bernardo Arévalo de León virtually yesterday and voiced support for a peaceful political transition in the country following its runoff election in August. Guatemala’s Public Ministry raided election offices last week for at least twenty hours and has alleged procedural flaws in the registration of Arévalo’s political party. The ministry’s actions prompted condemnation from international rights monitors.
United States
U.S. Army Overhauls Recruiting, Looks Beyond High School Graduates
The U.S. Army will soon begin training recruiters in an effort to correct lagging performance in meeting enlistment goals, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth told the Associated Press. While one-fifth of Army recruits have more than a high school diploma, Wormuth says the Army aims to raise that to one-third by 2028, as well as recruit more people who have spent time in college and recent graduates.
