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Plusieurs milliers de personnes sont rassemblées mardi soir (16 janvier) à Belgrade à l’appel de l’opposition pour contester les résultats des élections en Serbie, près d’un mois après le scrutin remporté par le parti au pouvoir.

Laut dem finnischen Sicherheits- und Nachrichtendienst versucht Russland Asylwerber, die nach Finnland kommen, als Spione zu rekrutieren. Zuletzt hatte die Anzahl der aus Russland kommenden Asylwerber zugenommen. 

L’UE a besoin « de plus » de produits en provenance d’Ukraine, selon les producteurs de denrées alimentaires utilisant du sucre, tels que Coca-Cola — une déclaration en contradiction avec les demandes des producteurs de betteraves sucrières du bloc.

The final days of 2023 were marked by what could end up being a turning point for Europe’s energy and climate policy. Find out more in this week's Green Brief.

Le détroit est sous les feux de l'actualité en raison des attaques armées menées par les rebelles houthis du Yémen contre des navires de plusieurs pays empruntant l'une des voies commerciales internationales les plus fréquentées.

Emmanuel Macron n’a pas reconduit Agnès Pannier-Runacher au ministère de l'Énergie, dont le portefeuille revient au ministère de l’Économie. Qui, dès lors, pour incarner la stratégie énergétique française à Bruxelles  ?

C'est une extrême droite décomplexée qui veut faire le plein aux prochaines élections européennes, législatives et présidentielle. Surfant sur la vague brune mondiale, Most, les Souverainistes et le Mouvement pour la patrie multiplient les sorties racistes et homophobes, en se posant en défenseurs d'une identité croate prétendument menacée. Analyse.

- Articles / Une - Diaporama, Croatie, Novosti, Extrême-droite Balkans, Croatie droitisation, Politique intérieure

C'est une extrême droite décomplexée qui veut faire le plein aux prochaines élections européennes, législatives et présidentielle. Surfant sur la vague brune mondiale, Most, les Souverainistes et le Mouvement pour la patrie multiplient les sorties racistes et homophobes, en se posant en défenseurs d'une identité croate prétendument menacée. Analyse.

- Articles / Une - Diaporama, Une - Diaporama - En premier, Croatie, Novosti, Extrême-droite Balkans, Croatie droitisation, Politique intérieure

C'est une extrême droite décomplexée qui veut faire le plein aux prochaines élections européennes, législatives et présidentielle. Surfant sur la vague brune mondiale, Most, les Souverainistes et le Mouvement pour la patrie multiplient les sorties racistes et homophobes, en se posant en défenseurs d'une identité croate prétendument menacée. Analyse.

- Articles / Une - Diaporama, Une - Diaporama - En premier, Croatie, Novosti, Extrême-droite Balkans, Croatie droitisation, Politique intérieure

L'Italie veut délocaliser en Albanie une partie de ses demandeurs d'asile, ce qui constituerait un inquiétant précédent pour l'UE. C'est ce jeudi que la Cour constitutionnelle albanaise doit se prononcer sur la légalité de cet accord conclu par Edi Rama et Giorgia Meloni l'automne dernier.

- Articles / Kosovo 2.0, Albanie, Migrants Balkans, Populations, minorités et migrations, Questions européennes, Une - Diaporama

L'Italie veut délocaliser en Albanie une partie de ses demandeurs d'asile, ce qui constituerait un inquiétant précédent pour l'UE. C'est ce jeudi que la Cour constitutionnelle albanaise doit se prononcer sur la légalité de cet accord conclu par Edi Rama et Giorgia Meloni l'automne dernier.

- Articles / Kosovo 2.0, Albanie, Migrants Balkans, Populations, minorités et migrations, Questions européennes, Une - Diaporama

Wednesday, 17 January

Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Wednesday, 17 January

Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Wednesday, 17 January

Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Wednesday, 17 January

Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

"Wir sind zur Zusammenarbeit und, wie ich glaube, auch zum Erfolg bestimmt", sagte der umstrittene slowakische Ministerpräsident Robert Fico nach Gesprächen mit seinem ungarischen Amtskollegen Viktor Orbán. Dabei kritisierte Fico vor allem auch den brüchigen Zusammenhalt der Visegrad-Gruppe.

Die Freigabe der eingefrorenen Gelder für Ungarn im vergangenen Dezember hat im EU-Parlament für Furore gesorgt. Dort wurde der Schritt als ein Nachgeben gegenüber Ungarns Erpressungsversuche verstanden. Jetzt will das EU-Parlament die Kommission deshalb vor Gericht bringen.

Two years after the major attacks by non-state armed groups, a considerable number of forcibly displaced people have returned to Palma. Credit: UNHCR

By Kevin Humphrey
JOHANNESBURG, Jan 17 2024 (IPS)

There is cautious optimism regarding the conflict that has been raging in northern Mozambique, largely in the province of Cabo Delgado, since 2017. There are encouraging indications that the Islamic State (IS)-driven insurgency has significantly decreased thanks to the deployment of the Mozambique Defense Armed Forces (FADM), Southern African Development Community (SAMIM) forces, and a contingent of Rwandan troops (RSF).

Leleti Maluleki, a researcher at Good Governance Africa, told IPS: “With regards to the current state of the conflict, people are slowly moving back or returning to their villages and communities. It’s a sign of progress being made by the troops, and we hope it’s a sign of peace.”

There had been a decrease in the number of attacks by insurgents. 

“That’s a good thing as well, but it does not mean that the insurgency is over. We need to remember that there were stories of insurgents infiltrating the communities, so they are still among the people; they might have radicalized certain individuals, and they might have recruited some citizens. But we are seeing fewer and fewer attacks on a daily basis.”

The insurgency has claimed over 4,000 lives and displaced 946,000 since it started. According to a report from the United Nations Security Council published in February 2023, the number of IS fighters in the field has decreased from a peak of 2,500 (prior to SAMIM and the RSF joining the fight) to roughly 280.

Last year, Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General of the Office of Counter-Terrorism, said in August 2023 that counter-terrorism initiatives in Egypt, Mozambique, and Yemen had significantly limited the insurgents ability to conduct operations.

He warned, though, that “force alone cannot lead to changes in the conditions conducive to terrorism,” noting that it can fuel more violence and aggravate grievances exploited by terrorists.

At the same meeting, Domingos Estêvão Fernandes, Deputy Permanent Representative of Mozambique to the UN, pointed to the rising spread of terrorism in Africa, where fatalities linked to Al-Qaeda and Da’esh reached more than 22,000 over the past year—representing a 48 percent increase over 2022.

Fernandes it was important to address poverty, inequality, social exclusion, and discrimination based on religion and culture to address insurgency and recognize the risk of the misuse of emerging technologies.

He pointed to the achievements of the deployment of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission in Mozambique.

Amanzi Amade Bacar is a fisherman who has fled and returned several times from and to his house in Bagala, Mozambique. The 39-year-old husband and father hopes to return to his home and his original livelihood. Credit: UNHCR

“We must ensure predictable, flexible, and sustained funding for African Union peacekeeping operations,” Fernandes said, adding that government agencies and defense and security forces must partner with local communities to provide early warning systems.

Maluleki added that a new challenge is the insurgent’s use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), a tactic that works when the insurgents numbers are dwindling, which means decreasing the likelihood of insurgents getting up close to security forces. The use of these causes panic among civilians, which leads to further destabilization of the region regarding displaced persons and refugees.

When security forces reportedly killed Ibn Omar, the purported IS leader, and two of his followers, the anti-insurgency campaign also gained momentum. Mozambique’s president, Filipe Nyusi, recently made an announcement to this effect.

In terms of the future, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) heads of state at a summit in July 2023 laid plans for SADC forces to begin to leave northern Mozambique by December 15, 2024, and to complete the withdrawal by July 15, 2025. It was also noted that for this to happen, there was an urgent need for Mozambique’s defense forces to be capacitated to a degree where the removal of SADC troops would not compromise the gains of the past few years. Training and other help coming from the European Union and the United States to beef up the Mozambican forces were also mentioned at the summit.

Two years after the major attacks by non-state armed groups, a considerable number of forcibly displaced people have returned to Palma. Credit: UNHCR

Since the beginning of the insurgency, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimated that one million people had been displaced in the region. More recently, the International Organization for Migrants (IOM) reported that in September and October 2023, about 8,000 Cabo Delgado residents had become displaced.

“When it comes to the issue of displaced individuals, a lot of people lost their homes and ran away for safety. People displaced by the conflict went to neighboring, safer communities. Host communities are faced with overcrowding, and basic services are under severe pressure so the security situation needs to improve so that more people can return to their villages and relieve the burden on these host communities,” said Maluleki

This increase in displaced persons occurred in the run-up to local government elections in the area and also when the €20 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, put on hold due to the conflict in the region, was being considered for being given the go-ahead. Fortunately, the October 11, 2023, municipal elections in Mocimboa da Praia went ahead, with four political parties taking part.

Nyusi has said it is safe to restart the Cabo Delgado liquefied natural gas (LNG) project that was halted in April 2021 after rebel attacks on civilians.

“The working environment and security in northern Mozambique make it possible for TotalEnergies to resume its activities at any time,” Nyusi said. TotalEnergies confirmed it was working on restarting the project.

There are, however, still concerns, especially for the civilian population.

“The deployment of troops was primarily in two districts, and this is concerning because these are the districts where the government has its own interests because they are where the LNG project is. Only two of the five or six districts that the insurgents heavily targeted have received adequate security. All districts affected by the conflict need to be secured so that we can reach a true level of peace and stability and address the root causes of the conflict,” said Maluleki.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Die Innenminister Kroatiens, Italiens und Sloweniens haben sich darauf geeinigt, ihre Zusammenarbeit beim Grenzschutz auf den Westbalkan auszuweiten, einer häufig genutzten Transitroute für irreguläre Migration.