Warzone News: Week of November 11, 2015
In Afghanistan, China‘s president made a visit and pledged his country’s commercial support. Protests in Kabul over the killing of six minorities turned violent. MSF has released a report on the American airstrike on it’s hospital in Kunduz.
In Burundi, a government crackdown on opposition members is spiraling into killings and even talk of genocide. An estimated 200 people have been killed since April, with nine people killed last weekend alone. A threatening speech given by the president is creating fears that violence could worsen.
In Central African Republic, hundreds of people marched in Bangui in support of the national army. A top U.N. official is advocating for relaxing the arms embargo on the country so that the army can restore peace. More clashes have left three people dead in a continuing pattern of violence in recent weeks.
In Chad, the government has declared a state of emergency in the Lake Chad region due to bombings and raids by Boko Haram in the area.
In Iraq, the military is planning an offensive to re-take the city of Mosul from ISIS, which could cause a new wave of refugees to flee the country. The cholera outbreak in Iraq has spread to Syria, Bahrain, and Kuwait.
In Israel and Palestine, flooding in Egypt is shutting down the use of tunnels into Gaza, where many make their living smuggling various goods. Israel’s parliament passed a law that increases penalties against Palestinians who throw rocks. More violence occurred in the West Bank, with six Israelis injured and two Palestinians killed. Israel’s president traveled to the U.S. where he re-affirmed his support of a two state solution, an encouraging sign after weeks of violence and deteriorating relations.
In Libya, the U.N. envoy, who is leaving his post, encouraged the warring parties to accept a peace deal.
In Myanmar, the “freest elections in decades” took place on Sunday, leading to a “landslide” victory by the opposition. The ruling military government have appeared to accept defeat. Final results are still a few days away. Here‘s a guide to the importance of the election. As expected, the Rohingya were not allowed to vote in the elections. Experts argue that how the victorious Aung San Suu Kyi and her party address the Rohingya issue will be a key indicator of Myanmar’s transition to true democracy.
In Somalia, Al Shabaab killed 15 Somali soldiers south of Mogadishu. The country plans to repatriate an estimated 300,000 refugees returning from Kenya over the next four years.
In South Sudan, a cargo plane crash killed at least 36 people, including government and U.N. workers. A U.N. report finds that rival sides in the conflict are increasing their weapons stockpiles.
In Syria, speculation about who is responsible for the downing of a Russian airplane last week could have an impact on Russia’s strategy in Syria. While investigations are on-going, officials say that a terrorist bomb is the likely cause of the attack. Syrian government forces achieved an important victory, taking control of an airport that ISIS had held for two years. Another incident of chemical weapons use was confirmed, although it’s not yet clear who is responsible. As world powers prepare to meet in Vienna for negotiations, questions remain about which Syrian opposition groups will be invited to attend.
In Turkey, clashes killed 16 Kurds near the Iraq border.
In Yemen, a cyclone hit the country’s southern coast, making conditions in the conflict-torn country even worse. An estimated 40,000 people have been displaced and a second cyclone hit the coast over the weekend. Fifty people were killed across Yemen during two days of intense fighting.