Editor’s note: Due to the evolving coronavirus pandemic, CFR has suspended all in-person events. CFR anticipates convening a number of discussions online and/or via teleconference. Stay up to date with CFR’s resources on COVID-19.
Top of the Agenda
Washington Pulls $1 Billion in Aid to Afghanistan
Washington will reduce aid to Afghanistan by $1 billion this year due to a leadership impasse in the country that is hindering a U.S.-brokered plan for Afghan talks with the Taliban, the U.S. State Department announced.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attempted to negotiate (NYT) a power-sharing agreement in Kabul between Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, the official victor of a recent election, and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, who also claimed victory. Pompeo said aid could be restored if the Afghan leaders change their behavior, otherwise $1 billion could also be cut in 2021. Pompeo said cuts would not affect U.S. assistance to Afghan security forces, while Ghani said his government aims to reverse the U.S. decision (TOLO) and seek alternate sources of funding.
Analysis
“The secretary’s sudden trip from Washington, even with the novel coronavirus upending life in the United States and consuming its government, was a dramatic indicator of U.S. officials’ growing alarm at the lengthening political stalemate here — both for its potential to erupt into a violent civil conflict and to undermine the peace process,” Pamela Constable and John Hudson write for the Washington Post.
Cambodian authorities have used the coronavirus outbreak as a premise to jail opposition activists and people critical of the government’s response, Human Rights Watch said.
China: President Xi Jinping called for a united front (SCMP) to fight the coronavirus during a phone call with the leaders of France and the United Kingdom.
India Breaks Up Longest-Standing Protest Against Citizenship Act
Indian authorities broke up (Reuters) a monthslong Delhi sit-in against the country’s controversial new citizenship law, citing a ban on public gatherings due to the coronavirus.
Middle East and North Africa
Libya Attacks Continue
Six people were killed within forty-eight hours as fighting continued in Libya (Anadolu) despite calls for a cease-fire due to the coronavirus, the UN-recognized government said.
United Arab Emirates: Emirati and U.S. forces held a biennial major military exercise (AP) modeling the storming of a city at the UAE’s Al-Hamra Military Base.
Sub-Saharan Africa
African Finance Ministers Call for Debt Waiver
A joint statement from African finance ministers called for a waiver (Reuters) of some $44 billion in debt and said that Africa needs around $100 billion in emergency stimulus funds.
Switzerland: The World Health Organization (WHO) suffered an attempted cyberattack (Reuters) earlier this month. A senior official said there has been a rise in hacking attempts amid the coronavirus crisis.
Americas
Brazilian Soccer Clubs Donate Stadiums for Field Hospitals
More than half of the clubs in Brazil’s top soccer league offered their stadiums to health authorities for use as field hospitals (AFP). Sao Paulo authorities are planning to install two hundred hospital beds in a city stadium.
United States
Fed Signals ‘Aggressive’ Market Intervention
The U.S. Federal Reserve said (WSJ) “aggressive efforts” must be taken to shield the public and private sectors from economic fallout of the coronavirus, signaling a new openness to extending loans to private businesses and increasing purchases of government debt.
