Category: Politics

Wednesday, November 24 is a historic day for the South American country Colombia.  On this day five years ago, a peace agreement was signed between the Colombian government of President Juan Manuel Santos and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which saw an end to six decades of conflict. On the eve of the historic agreement’s fifth anniversary, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres lavished praise on the country’s peace deal efforts, saying that Colombia offers a fine example of peace in a world otherwise full of conflicts. 

Mr Guterres is in the country on a two-day trip which began on November 22. Upon his arrival in the country, he was welcomed by Colombia’s Vice-President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marta Lucia Ramirez along with two other officials.

On Tuesday, Mr Guterres travelled to the north western province of Antioquia to visit a site where former FARC rebels are being rehabilitated into a peaceful life. Colombian President Ivan also accompanied Mr Guerrillas. 

On his last day in Colombia, Mr Guterres will visit Bogota to be a part of a ceremony at the Special Jurisdiction of Peace, which is a judicial body formed by the peace agreement to investigate crimes committed during the conflict which killed thousands each year.

In less than 12 hours on Monday, Myanmar’s civilian National Unity Government (NUG) sold more than US$6 million worth of bonds to fund the “revolutionary movement” to overthrow the ruling military junta.

The NUG’s Public Voice Television said that the shadow government in Myanmar raised $6.3 million from 2 p.m. to midnight, and more than $2 million were raised in the first two hours itself. The television channel further said that the quick selling of the bonds, even though they will not generate interest income for buyers, showed that the public wants to uproot dictatorship at the earliest. The NUG, which has been called a “terrorist” movement by the junta, is yet to disclose how the funds will be used.

Those who purchased the bonds paid for it via international transfers to an account in the Czech Republic. A 27-year-old unnamed Myanmar citizen has revealed that she has invested $500 in the bonds. She further said that the buyers are not expecting to get the money back after two years, but are buying the bonds to be a part of the revolution.

While buying bonds is one way to help raise funds for the revolution, citizens can also voluntarily pay tax for the same. The NUG, which was formed in April, aims to raise $800 million for sectors like health care, education, and also for the military. 

On Sunday, after international criticism and large protests, a groundbreaking agreement was signed to reverse the military takeover. It has been nearly a month since the top general of Sudan ousted the prime minister.

In Khartoum, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan appeared for the televised ceremony at the presidential palace with a haggard-looking premier Abdalla Hamdok. Abdalla Hamdok had just been freed from his house arrest.

As a result of the 14-point agreement, a civilian transition has been restored that was interrupted by the October 25 coup, which threw the northeast African land into turmoil and set off street protests.

After weeks of crisis talks including Sudanese and outside players, the agreement declared that “the decision of the general commander of the armed forces to relieve the transitional Prime Minister is canceled” which released all the political detainees.

The country hopes that it will be able to return to its fragile transition process with the effect of full democracy that began post-2019 outset of president Omar al-Bashir.

On October 25, Mr. Burhan declared a state of emergency across the nation and ousted Mr. Hamdok’s government in an act that upended the two-year transition to civilian rule. This transition led to spark and protest in international condemnation.

On Tuesday, the current South African President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a four-day morning for South Africa’s last white president Fredrik Willem De Klerk. 85-year-old Klerk died in Cape Town on Thursday after battling cancer.

Statement from the President’s office said that President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared the National Flag to be flown at half-mast to show respect for the late former Deputy President. The mourning will start at sunset on November 17.

De Klerk was famous for overseeing the White minority rule in South Africa and peacefully transitioning it to a Black-majority government under his tenure. In 1994, he was appointed deputy president in a “government of national unity” after South Africa’s first all-race vote.

In preparation for this event to bring together government leaders, political party leaders, and civil society representatives, the government consulted with the De Klerk family and the FW de Klerk Foundation.

Despite winning praise globally for his role in ending apartheid, de Klerk’s legacy remains controversial at home. On Sunday, the speculations regarding giving De Klerk a state funeral were cleared by the De Klerk Foundation. They stated that his funeral will take place on November 21 in a private ceremony.

Post virtual summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, President Joe Biden has sparked fresh confusion regarding his administration’s approach over Taiwan. The meet was hours long which provided an early indication of whether the countries would be able to move beyond the issue after a generally positive meeting.

President Joe Biden said that Taiwan “makes its own decision” and the island is self-governing and “independent”. However, hours later he said that they are not encouraging independence” and expressed the historic US policy will remain the same for the island nation.

President said, “We are not going to change our policy at all, we are encouraging them to do exactly what the Taiwan Act requires. That’s what we are doing. Let them make up their mind”. He referred to the Taiwan Relations Act governing American policy.

Meanwhile, it is said that Biden’s choice of words might raise alarms in Beijing, as it considers Taiwan as its territory. Beijing has threatened to reclaim it if the people of Taiwan seek independence.

Earlier, according to the White House statement, Biden had assured Xi Jinping about his supports towards the One-China policy and will not change US strategy.

France President Emmanuel Macron has changed the shade of the blue in the official French flag. He switched the previously used brighter shade of blue to a darker navy blue on the national flag.

Though both the shades have been used for decades, a change in the flag color was brought by the president as a symbol of the French Revolution. The official said that it “evokes the memory” of the heroes who fought the trenches of World II, the French Revolution, and in the Resistance during World War II.

Under the presidential rule of Giscard d’Estaing in 1976, the government issued a brighter blue to match the blue on the European flag which was partly considered aesthetic. Navy blue is the color used by the French navy and many official buildings around the country. However, at the presidential palace, flags in the new hue were hoisted without fanfare last year.

Mr. Macron’s decision is reportedly facing some disagreements as some consider it ugly. The change in navy blue is also considered as a clash with the EU flag and another nostalgic for the pre-1976 version. Yet, all parties involved insist that the change in color should not be interpreted as anti-EU.

On Wednesday, a multilateral maritime security operations exercise in the Red Sea was started by the forces from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Israel, and the United States Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT).

This is reported as the first joint naval drill between the two Gulf countries, the United States, and Israel. It will be a five-day exercise that will include training on the USS Portland Vessel. According to the US, its focus is on enhancing the interoperability among the participating force’s maritime interdiction teams.

In respect to the drills, an Israeli naval officer said that this could help counter Iran’s “power projection” under the US auspices.

Under the US-broken deal “Abraham Accords”- the UAE and Bahrain normalized diplomatic relations with Israel last year. The normalization of the agreements leads to the drill among the nations. An unknown source said that it will increase the cooperation and safety of the Red Sea and Iranian terror in the region.

The 5th Fleet of America is based in the Gulf Island state of Bahrain. The Fleet will operate in the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, and parts of the Indian Ocean.

On Wednesday, the UN Security Council council expressed deep concern about the increasing violence in Myanmar. An immediate end to the fighting was called along with the military to exercise utmost restraint, in a rare statement that was agreed by the 15-members.

In the Feb 1 coup, after the military ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government, a militia group was formed. To flush them out, an imminent army attack was suggested as a buildup of heavy weapons and troops in Chin state was being reported amid the statement issued by the UN.

The statement said, “The members of the Security Council expressed deep concern at further recent violence across Myanmar. They called for an immediate cessation of violence and to ensure the safety of civilians”.

However, the Junta of Myanmar has not issued any comment on the situation of Chin which has become a forefront of resistance against military rule. The government of Myanmar is helpless due to the protest and violence. In the country, the junta is struggling to govern the nation and face armed resistance from militias and ethnic minority rebels. The rebels are called “terrorists” with a shadow government.

Asia-Pacific trade group minister’s called the forum of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) to meet virtually, on October 22. In view to recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic and addressing other issues that will include climate change.

The 21-economy group that involves the United States, China, Japan, and Singapore will conduct the meeting of finance ministers. It came as a disruption to the global economy that recovered from Covid-19 and cloud the outlook for governments and central banks alike.

The recovery process has been uneven, with some groups disproportionately affected by the pandemic, such as women and indigenous peoples.

It is likely that the group will acknowledge that economic activity is rising across the region, but there is still a long way to go since new strains of the virus are preventing a full-scale recovery, and recovery rates vary across countries.

Several regional member nations, including Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, have seen a decline in infections from earlier this year’s peaks. However, vaccination rates and balancing reopening against the risk of a spike in cases remain major policy considerations.

At the two official meetings between the Indian and Afghan sides on the sidelines of the ‘Moscow Format meeting’, the Taliban said that India offered extensive humanitarian assistance to the Afghans.

In Russia, the Indian delegation led by Joint Secretary JP Singh, PAI (Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran Division), and the Taliban delegation led by Deputy PM Maulavi Abdul Salam Hanafi met on the sidelines of the ‘Moscow Format’ meet, in the Taliban controlled Afghanistan. It was stated by the Taliban that both sides took into account each other’s “concern”.

In a statement Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s spokesperson said, “Meeting with Mr. JP Singh, Special Representative of India for and the accompanying delegation. Both sides consider it necessary to take into account each other’s concerns and improve diplomatic and economic relations. The Indian side finally expressed readiness to provide extensive humanitarian assistance to the Afghans”.

Afghanistan’s inclusive government and the validity of using Afghan territory against India for terrorist activities have been a source of concern for India. New Delhi has been contemplating how much to engage the current leadership, yet in the joint statement of the Moscow Format, the participating nations agreed to provide “humanitarian assistance” to Afghanistan.