Patrick PiersonBy Patrick Pierson.
International justice made big headlines this week when Hissene Habre, the former ruler of Chad, was convicted of war crimes and sentenced to life in prison. And while it received much less press coverage, the trial of former Ivorian first lady Simone Gbagbo also got underway this week. In Kenya, protests regarding election reform continue while the government remains eerily silent on the details surrounding an attack on Kenyan soldiers by al-Shabaab back in January.
Two separate attacks against UN peacekeeping forces in Mali have been launched in the past week. This report suggests that UN forces are being targeted by Al Qaeda linked groups while also highlighting the fact that peacekeeping operations are not particularly well-suited to deal with these kinds of threat. In similar incidents, recent weeks have witnessed two separate attacks on police stations in Burkina Faso near the Mali border. This helpful chart shows who fights in, and who pays for, UN peacekeeping missions.
Public opinion seems to be in favor of more open border policies in East and West Africa. This comes as the Tanzanian government prepares to launch e-immigration services. At this week’s UN Environmental Assembly, tensions appear to have boiled over when an Egyptian delegate apparently referred to Sub-Saharan Africans as dogs and slaves.
In case you didn’t know, this summer’s Rio Olympics will mark the first time an Olympic team for refugees has competed in the games. The Zika virus, however, has reporters and athletes alike concerned about potential risks. As the economic situation in Venezuela continues, the largest airline in Latin America has now suspended flights to the country. And in a story emblematic of how interconnected the world is today, this report exposes a criminal network in Honduras which produces fake documents for Syrians and Palestinians seeking entrance to the United States.
And in case you missed it, check out this fascinating story on eagles that have been trained to take out drones.
