CounterVortex weekly headlines
Darfur: 'ethnic cleansing' targets Massalit
Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported that "ethnic cleansing" and crimes against humanity are being committed in El Geneina, capital of Sudan's West Darfur state. The crimes are described as "among the worst atrocities against civilians so far in the current conflict in Sudan." The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are responsible for the widespread attacks and massacres that have been carried out against the Massalit ethnic minority. The wave of attacks commenced in April 2023, with the start of the conflict. Since then, it is estimated that between 10,000 and 15,000 people have been killed in El Geneina. HRW called for these killings to be investigated as genocide. The RSF meanwhile continues to close a ring around El Fasher, North Darfur, the last city in Darfur region it has not yet taken.
https://countervortex.org/blog/darfur-ethnic-cleansing-targets-massalit/
War crimes seen in Mali conflict
An Islamist armed group linked to al-Qaeda killed at least 32 civilians, including three children, and set fire to over 350 homes in central Mali in January, forcing about 2,000 villagers to flee, Human Rights Watch reports. Earlier in January, a Bambara ethnic militia formed to oppose the jihadists killed at least 13 civilians, including two children, abducted 24 other civilians, and looted property and livestock in central Mali. These attacks, which HRW said are apparent war crimes, occurred amid a cycle of reprisal killings and communal violence in central Mali, pitting the Dogon and Bambara against the Fulani.
https://countervortex.org/blog/war-crimes-seen-in-mali-conflict/
Tunisia: lawyers strike amid crackdown on dissent
In an unprecedented move, striking lawyers from across Tunisia rallied in front of court buildings in Tunis, effectively bringing all proceedings to a halt. The unified action comes in response to what legal professionals are describing as a dangerous escalation by the government targeting their community. The Tunisia Lawyers Council called for a nationwide strike after police conducted a raid on the headquarters of Tunisia’s bar association and arrested Sonia Dahmani, a prominent attorney and critic of the government. The Tunisian General Labor Union (UGTT) joined other civil society organizations in lending support to the striking lawyers.
https://countervortex.org/blog/tunisia-lawyers-strike-amid-crackdown-on-dissent/
Uprising in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir
Three protesters were killed and six injured as Pakistani security forces fired on crowds during angry street demonstrations in Muzaffarabad, capital of Azad Jammu & Kashmir. The paramilitary Rangers were mobilized after a police officer was killed amid protests over high food, fuel and electricity prices. A "wheel-jam and shutter-down" strike had been called by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), but was called off as Islamabad agreed to a Rs 23 billion ($86 million) subsidy for the region. The new deadly violence erupted just as the Rangers were starting to withdraw from Muzaffarabad. A curfew remains in place in the city.
https://countervortex.org/blog/uprising-in-pakistan-controlled-kashmir/
Tuvalu regains full sovereignty over security relations
Australia and Tuvalu released a joint statement announcing new commitments to improve security relations, and remove the veto power Australia previously had over the small island nation's security relations with other countries. The announcement concerned implementation and interpretation of the Falepili Union, a bilateral treaty entered into last November, which expands upon the Australia-Tuvalu Security Partnership of 2017. However, it eliminates the 2017 provision that limited Tuvalu's sovereignty in foreign affairs—a sensitive matter given Australia's growing regional rivalry with China.
https://countervortex.org/blog/tuvalu-regains-full-sovereignty-over-security-relations/
Protect indigenous rights in biodiversity framework
Amnesty International cautioned against potential threats to indigenous peoples' rights in the monitoring process for progress towards the Global Biodiversity Framework. The organization emphasized the imperative for states to engage in consultations with indigenous communities and secure their "free, prior, and informed consent" in conservation projects, in line with the Universal Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The statement warned against "fortress conservation," in which original inhabitants are forcibly evicted from protected areas.
https://countervortex.org/blog/protect-indigenous-rights-in-biodiversity-framework/
Audio:
Podcast: the betrayal of Darfur —again
In Episode 226 of the CounterVortex podcast, Bill Weinberg discusses the alarmingly under-reported humanitarian disaster in Darfur. A generation later, the genocide is back on—but this time there is no global campaign to stop it. Even last time around, elements of the campist pseudo-left portrayed the "Save Darfur" movement as a Zionist conspiracy, because atrocities by an Arab-led regime happened to be useful to Israel in the "whataboutery" game. Alas, such cynical voices are at it again. Yet another example of how a global divide-and-rule racket is the essence of the state system. Listen on SoundCloud or via Patreon.
https://countervortex.org/blog/podcast-the-betrayal-of-darfur-again/
From Global Ganja Report:
Cannabis or marijuana? New book explores semantic question
Legalization in states across the country has led to a reassessment of the word "marijuana." Is it a dated term with racist roots? Many advocates insist that it is, and that the word should be abandoned in favor of “cannabis.” Others dissent from the new dogma. Now, Cannabis vs Marijuana: Language, Landscape and Context, a new book by David Paleschuck, dives into the debate.
https://globalganjareport.com/node/1952
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