Weekly update: 16 May – 22 May 2023 The following media round up on international and foreign policy issues from around the world for the period of 16 May to 22 May 2023.
Guernica 37 will provide weekly media updates from the International Criminal Court, European Court of Human Rights, United Nations, European Union and other sources. Should you wish to contribute or submit a media summary, opinion piece or blog, please send to Ned Vucijak at nenadv@guernica37.com for consideration.
Sudan - 21 May 2023
Sudan’s army, Rapid Support Forces sign 7-day ceasefire
Truce will come into effect 48 hours after signing of agreement and will be enforced by the US and Saudi Arabia, sponsors of talks say.
Warring factions in Sudan have agreed to a seven-day ceasefire following talks in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah, according to a statement from Washington and Riyadh, as fighting that has killed hundreds and displaced more than a million entered its sixth week. The ceasefire agreement was signed late on Saturday’
See here: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/5/21/sudans-army-rapid-support-forces-sign-7-day-ceasefire
Russia/Syria/Ukraine - 19 May 2023
Putin targets Ukrainian civilians because he could in Syria
The Syrianisation of the Ukraine war is no coincidence. Russia got away with it once — and believes it will again.
India - 22 May 2023
India hosts G20 tourism meet in Kashmir under heavy security
It is the first diplomatic event in the disputed region since New Delhi revoked its limited autonomy and took direct control in 2019.
A Group of 20 (G20) tourism meeting is being held in Indian-administered Kashmir amid high security, with China and Pakistan condemning holding the event in the disputed region.
The Himalayan territory of Kashmir is the cause of a dispute between India and Pakistan since their independence 75 years ago. The two nuclear powers – who claim it in entirety but rule over parts of it – have fought two of their three full-scale wars over the territory.’
See here: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/5/22/india-hosts-g20-tourism-meet-in-kashmir-under-heavy-security
Libia/Yemen- 19 May 2023 Arab Leaders laud Morocco’s efforts for resolution of Libyan crisis & solidarity with Yemen.
The Arab Summit, convened Friday in Jeddah, lauded Morocco’s efforts engaged for the settlement of the Libyan crisis and praised the Kingdom’s solidarity with Yemen. In their final declaration, the Arab leaders stressed the importance of the Libyan Political Agreement signed in Skhirat in 2015 for a lasting and peaceful resolution of the Libyan crisis.
Iran - 21 May 2023
Iranian border guards killed in southeastern province clash
Five Iranian border guards were killed in a clash with an unknown armed group trying to enter the country near the Pakistani border, state TV reported Sunday.
The fighting happened in the town of Saravan in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan, some 1,360 kilometers (850 miles) southeast of the capital Tehran. The report said the militants fled the area with casualties, but did not elaborate.
Ukraine/Russia- 22 May 2023
Live: Wagner ‘to leave’ Bakhmut; Ukraine denies city’s fall
Wagner Group mercenary forces will leave Bakhmut from Thursday until June 1 and transfer control of the eastern Ukrainian city to Russia, Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin says.
Ukraine denies Russian claims that Bakhmut has fallen as a deputy defence minister says Kyiv maintains a small foothold inside the city’
Bahrain/Lebanon- 21 May 2023
Bahrain to restore diplomatic relations with Lebanon
Relations broke off in 2021 after a senior Lebanese politician criticised Saudi Arabia's intervention in Yemen. Bahrain and other Gulf countries followed Saudi Arabia in recalling their diplomats towards the end of 2021 after a Lebanese minister criticised Riyadh's military intervention in the war in Yemen.
See here: https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/bahrain-diplomatic-relations-lebanon-restore
India - 22 May 2023
BBC gets India court summons in defamation case over Modi film
An Indian court has issued a summons to the BBC in a defamation case over its documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to reports in the Indian media.
The Delhi High Court on Monday issued the summons to the British broadcaster for its documentary film that questioned Modi’s leadership during the 2002 Gujarat riots in which at least 1,000 people were killed, most of them Muslims.
Russia - 20 May 2023
ICC members 'deeply concerned' by Russia's decision to put prosecutor on wanted list
The member states of the International Criminal Court on Saturday said they are "deeply concerned" by Russia's decision to place a court prosecutor and several judges on a wanted list.
The ICC's British prosecutor, Karim Khan, has been added to the Russian Interior Ministry's wanted list, state-owned news agency TASS reported on Friday, citing the ministry's database.
The Presidency of the Assembly of States Parties to the ICC, the court's management oversight body, said in a statement it "regrets these acts of intimidation and unacceptable attempts to undermine the mandate of the International Criminal Court to investigate, sanction and prevent the commission of the gravest international crimes.
EU/Venezuela/Colombia/Peru - 22 May 2023
Venezuelans, Colombians, and Peruvians lodge near-record numbers of asylum applications in the EU+
Over the last 12 months (April 2022-March 2023), EU+ countries have received many more applications for asylum compared to recent years, including before the pandemic. In March 2023, some 92 000 applications for asylum were lodged including more from Venezuelans, Colombians and Peruvians which, together, accounted for 16% of all applications lodged.
Ethiopia - 20 May 2023
Conflict pushes 3m deeper into poverty
GDP contracted by 25.9% because of the war in North Ethiopia.
Three million people have fallen below the absolute poverty line in conflict-affected regions.
A report presented to the House of Peoples’ Representatives (HPR) by Ministry of Finance officials reveals that one-third of the total population in regional states is directly impacted by the war in northern Ethiopia. Ethiopia’s GDP has decreased by 25.9 percent as a result of the war in northern Ethiopia.
War-related damages total USD 22 billion (20.4 percent of GDP), while economic losses total six billion dollars (5.5 percent of GDP), according to the report presented by the Minister.
GB/Ireland - 17 May 2023
British-Irish lawmakers push for EU-UK defence cooperation on borderless threats
Parliamentarians of the UK-Ireland Assembly on Tuesday called for a closer defence relationship between the EU and the United Kingdom due to the security threat Russia poses since the war in Ukraine.