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Description: Afghanistan’s deputy government spokesman, Hamdullah Fitrat, accused the Pakistani military of targeting civilian sites including two mosques, two schools and a health center in the most recent cross – border attacks in the Kunar province. The attacks have reportedly killed three civilians in Kunar and left additional 14 people gravely injured including several children. Pakistan’s Information Ministry quickly denounced the accusations claiming that the Afghan government used inconclusive images in their accusations as the infrastructure damage has not been consistent with the claimed attacks. Impact: The most recent attack likely proves the pre
Description: With sporadic fighting continuing across the country, JNIM and FLA fighters have extended their offensive into Mali’s northeastern city of Tessalit which was captured by the FLA, while JNIM claimed an attack was also conducted on several military outposts in northern Burkina Faso. JNIM publicly called on Mali’s civilian population to rise against the military junta as the Al Qaeda linked militants also stated that Sharia law would be imposed in JNIM – controlled territories. Bamako and Segou experienced wide – scale blockades as JNIM and FLA fighters raised checkpoints, restricting access, limiting trade and population movement. Impact: JNIM’s a
Description: Peru’s National Jury of Elections (JNE) has requested a detailed IT audit of the 12 May general elections, citing possible fraud and other administrative irregularities. Almost 3% of the complete votes remain unaccounted for, as left – wing congressman Roberto Sanchez and ultra – conservative Rafael Lopez Aliaga are separated by less than 28 thousand votes in second place. Keiko Fujimori has secured more than 17 percent of the votes, awaiting a runoff challenger. Piero Corvetto, the chief of Peru’s election authority resigned from his post citing delayed results, however, he denied any wrongdoing and irregularities in the election process. The election results h
Description: After the most recent Senate hearings, US president Trump has declared that hostilities with Iran have been terminated, however, the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would remain. Trump was quick to renounce Iran’s latest proposal which stipulated a gradual reopening of the Strait, confinement of the country’s nuclear program and even relocating the uranium stockpile to a third country for distillation. The US President additionally announced that US naval forces in the region would facilitate the freedom of navigation through the Strait under operation Project Freedom. Under the latest revisions by the Senate, Trump stated that he did not need approval to
Description: Yemen’s coast guard has reported than an oil tanker called the M/T Eureka has been hijacked by armed militants from Somalia’s coast and was being diverted towards the Gulf of Aden. The attack marks the fourth seizure of an oil tanker in the Horn of Africa after Somali pirates managed to seize the Honor 25 late last month. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, an organization that provides maritime security information, has officially declared the security situation in the region as substantial and cautioned maritime traders of increased hijackings. The four vessels remain somewhere off the Somalian coast with retrieval operations mobilizing. Impa
Description: Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have conducted drone strikes on Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, killing five civilians. The frontline in the civil war has recently spread across the central and southeastern Kordofan and Blue Nile state as both the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) primarily leverage airstrikes as the main offensive tool. The country’s devastated economy suffered another setback as many imports were banned by the government in Khartoum in order to stabilize the currency. The civilian population across the entire country continues to absorb the brunt of the wartime consequences as basic living conditions are impossible to maintain
Description: The UN Security Council voted in favor of a resolution which would downsize the organization’s peacekeeping contingent in South Sudan from 17 thousand troops to 12 thousand. The vote passed 13 – 0 in favor with Russia and China abstaining with both countries raising concerns that the country could retract towards a widespread civil war after recent upscale in fighting between the military and opposition groups. The mandate of the reduced peacekeepers would be to prevent the civil war from happening, secure humanitarian aid corridors and protect the civilian population. UN troops were previously reported to have been blocked from fulfilling their duties by forces
Description: The US has expanded its sanctions portfolio on the Cuban government, imposing additional sanctions on individuals working or supporting the country’s energy, defense, metals and mining, financial services or security services institutions. President Trump signed the executive order which also highlights that secondary sanctions could be imposed to individuals or entities supporting or executing transactions with the individuals initially targeted. Cuba’s president, Miguel Diaz – Canel denounced the sanctions as economic coercion and accused the US of reinforcing a brutal and genocidal blockade on the island’s economy. President Trump has insisted that Cuba was n
Description: The Malian military after repositioning in the northeastern town of Menaka, clashed with fighters from the Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP) and managed to force the fighters to scatter and retreat in Mali’s inland and across the border with Niger. Mali’s military after the initial blitzkrieg from the FLA and JNIM, succeeded in establishing some sort of control over Mopti, Gao and Sevare, while Kidal still remains out of reach and under the complete control of the FLA – JNIM fighters. FLA’s spokesperson, Mahamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, while visiting Paris and meeting French defense and military officials, told the press that FLA and JNIM’s joint strategy is to e
Description: Republican majority Senate blocked a Democrat – led resolution to constrain President Trump’s administration from continuing to impose an energy blockade or order military action on Cuba as opposed to requiring approval from the Senate before doing so. Cuba has come under scrutiny in recent months after Trump ordered an energy blockade of the island and threatened to use military force if necessary. The Senate vote went in favor of the Republican party by 51 – 47 margin which leaves Trump’s administration discretionary powers to enhance, continue and even escalate the economic blockade. Cuba has been in a revolving energy and economic crisis, affecting the entir