Blinken Talks DRC Conflict, Environmental Protection on Africa Tour |
During a trip to Rwanda, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he and Rwandan President Paul Kagame discussed the “credible reports” (Reuters) that Kigali is supporting the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The United Nations says that the territory controlled by M23 grew threefold between March and July of this year. Rwandan Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta rejected the accusations of supporting the rebels and said Kigali promotes peace in the region.
Blinken’s visit wraps up a three-nation tour meant to debut the Joe Biden administration’s sub-Saharan Africa strategy (AP), which Blinked said will treat African countries as a “major geopolitical force.” In the DRC yesterday, he announced that U.S. and Congolese officials will work together (NYT) to examine the risks of oil and gas extraction in environmentally sensitive areas.
|
|
|
“Biden’s [Africa] strategy supports a just energy transition and the region’s post-pandemic economic recovery. It also emphasizes the importance of strong democratic institutions and transparent governance. To truly forge new partnerships with Africa, however, the United States should place economic diplomacy at the core of its engagement,” the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Zainab Usman writes for Foreign Affairs.
“The announcement of the [U.S.-Congolese environmental] working group was seen as a hopeful sign by some scholars who have studied the threats to the rainforest, especially because Congolese officials had been insisting that the rainforest question is a sovereign matter,” the New York Times’ Edward Wong writes. For the Africa in Transition blog, CFR’s Ebenezer Obadare writes that African leaders will have to hold the Biden administration accountable for its policy reset. |
|
|
North Korea’s Kim Was ‘Seriously Ill’ Amid COVID-19 Surge, Sister Says |
The sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Kim Yo-jong, said he was “seriously ill” (The Guardian) during a recent COVID-19 outbreak. Kim Jong-un declared North Korea’s “victory” over the virus, state media reported, but last month, the World Health Organization said the country’s COVID-19 outlook was getting worse. Think Global Health interviews Victor Cha about the health, political, and economic factors behind North Korea’s COVID-19 outbreak.
Japan: Prime Minister Kishida Fumio reshuffled his cabinet (Kyodo) in an effort to distance himself from ministers with ties to the Unification Church. The killer of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo held a grudge against the church and believed that Abe had links to it. |
|
|
Kashmir Militants Attack Army Post |
|
|
Middle East and North Africa |
Emirati Court Overturns Sentence Against Khashoggi-Linked Lawyer |
A court in the United Arab Emirates overturned the sentence (NYT) of Asif Ghafoor, an American lawyer who was imprisoned in July on charges of tax evasion and money laundering. Ghafoor, known for working with murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi, is expected to be released from prison.
U.S./Iran: In an unsealed probe, the U.S. Department of Justice said that a member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps sought to kill former U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton. Axios reported that the investigation also referenced a plot to kill former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. |
|
|
Sierra Leone Imposes Nationwide Curfew After Anti-government Protests |
|
|
Germany’s Scholz Promises Price Support for Energy Consumers |
Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised (Bloomberg) tax relief and other measures to help Germans cope with rising energy costs triggered by the war in Ukraine. Germany could begin rationing energy if it does not secure sufficient reserves by the winter.
For Foreign Affairs, Wolfgang Ischinger discusses Germany’s military and economic response to the war.
Russia/Ukraine: New satellite images showed destruction at a Russian air base in Crimea. An unnamed Ukrainian official told the Washington Post that Ukrainian special forces destroyed nine warplanes at the base, while Moscow said an ammunition explosion caused the destruction. |
|
|
Protesters to Rally in São Paulo to Demand Respect for Brazilian Elections |
Thousands of people are expected to attend today’s demonstration (AP), which comes in response to President Jair Bolsonaro’s unsubstantiated claims that Brazil’s electronic voting system is unreliable.
Costa Rica: Authorities are preparing to legalize the residency status of two hundred thousand migrants, most of whom are from Nicaragua, Reuters reported.
|
|
|
Trump Pleads Fifth Amendment in New York Fraud Investigation |
|
| Council on Foreign Relations |
58 East 68th Street — New York, NY 10065
|
1777 F Street, NW — Washington, DC 20006 |
|
|
|
