WORLD - The African Mirror

Jan

24

2025

Syria after Assad: A fresh chance for inclusive governance and power-sharing, or more of the same?

WORLD

THE end of a half-century of Assad family rule in Syria marked a turning point in the country’s deadly 13-year civil war after rebel forces led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) conquered Damascus. A peace resolution for Syria was long deadlocked, despite efforts by the United Nations to find a Syrian-led, Syrian-owned political transition. Talks on constitutional reforms, power-sharing between the government and opposition and institutional safeguards to protect the country’s multicultural and diverse heritage came up empty-handed. Now that former president Bashar al-Assad and his family have fled the country and amid the retreat of longstanding Russian, Iranian and…

Jan

23

2025

By SAMUEL GARRETT

Executive orders show Trump’s power and political theatre, but his honeymoon period may be short-lived

WORLD

IN a piece of pure political theatre, Donald Trump began his second presidency by signing a host of executive orders before a rapturous crowd of 20,000 in Washington on Monday. The orders immediately reversed swathes of Biden administration policy and ostensibly began what Trump christened a “golden age of America” in his inaugural address. But there are limits to what Trump can achieve through such orders. And they mask a deeper urgency for the new administration over how to deal with potential Republican in-fighting and a restless public anxious for change. What did Trump order? Executive orders are typically used…

Jan

23

2025

By The African Mirror

Aid surging into Gaza ‘at scale’ but massive needs remain: OCHA, WHO

WORLD

AID is surging into Gaza “at scale” in line with the ceasefire agreement that has seen Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners released and families reunited, but massive needs remain across the devastated enclave, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday. On day two of the ceasefire which entered into force on Sunday 19 January, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, welcomed the “surge” in lifesaving humanitarian assistance into the enclave, after 15 months of devastating Israeli bombardment. Aid trucks began entering Gaza “a few minutes after the deal entered into force on Sunday,” said OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke. “Up to now -…

Jan

23

2025

By DANIELE BELLOCCHIO

Hidden jungle hospital treats Myanmar’s war-wounded amid junta airstrikes

WORLD

This story was originally published by The New Humanitarian.By Daniele Bellocchio Soon after Soe Kan Naing arrived in Kayah in May 2023, the eastern state became home to some of the fiercest fighting between Myanmar’s ruling junta and a collective of ethnic armed groups trying to wrest control from the military rulers. So he decided to put his medical degree to work at a local hospital built to assist civilians caught in the crossfire and fighters of the armed groups battling the junta. “Most of the people we treat are victims of explosions, artillery shells, and landmines. In the majority…

Jan

22

2025

By ERIC REIDY

Gaza ceasefire: The sobering reality of a day after that may never come

WORLD

This story was originally published by The New Humanitarian.By Eric Reidy WITH the sounds of war starting to fall silent in the Gaza Strip after 470 days of brutal Israeli military assault and siege, a tiny crack of hope has opened for the Palestinian residents of the enclave that they will be able to gather the shattered pieces of their lives and begin the daunting task of rebuilding. But whether the deal reached by Israel and Hamas on 15 January will lead to a decisive end to the war remains entirely unclear. From a humanitarian perspective, almost anything would be…

Jan

22

2025

By The African Mirror

On day one, Trump pits his administration against transgender people

WORLD

PRESIDENT Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order signalling his administration’s opposition to gender diversity and transgender identity as a whole. Trump wants to reestablish multiple policies regarding trans-Americans that were in place during his first term, including housing trans people in federal prisons based on their sex assigned at birth while seeking to cement a broader message: In his administration’s view, trans and nonbinary people don’t exist. "As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female,” Trump said during his inauguration speech. In…

Jan

22

2025

By VRINDA NARAIN and FATEMEH SADEGHI

Syria’s new government is already oppressing women, posing a dire threat to their future

WORLD

AS the international community celebrates the fall of another dictatorship following the collapse of Syria’s Assad regime, the future of women’s rights remains precarious. Global leaders are commending Syria’s liberation and discussing the return of 5.5 million refugees, but women’s rights advocates are raising urgent concerns. Power transitions in Iran, Afghanistan and other Muslim-majority nations have often endangered women’s hard-won freedoms. That’s why it’s crucial to prioritize women’s rights in Syria to ensure their voices are not overlooked in the pursuit of stability and justice. Mistreatment of women Islamist militant forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) overthrew the Assad…

Jan

21

2025

By DAFYDD TOWNLEY

The key takeaways from Donald Trump’s inauguration speech

WORLD

DONALD Trump has been sworn in as president of the US for a second term – and this time there won’t be any arguments about crowd sizes. The most glaringly obvious difference in optics this time round for both those in attendance and the millions watching around the world was the fact this year’s ceremony was conducted indoors. The US has been experiencing significant snowfall and wintery conditions. As guests gathered in Washington DC to see Trump sworn in as the 47th US president, the temperature was around -6°C. Trump announced on social media last Friday that the ceremony would…

Jan

21

2025

By SARAH SCHIFFLING

Gaza: seven big issues affecting the delivery of humanitarian aid

WORLD

IF the new Israel-Hamas deal holds and their ceasefire begins on Sunday, the first stage includes a commitment to allow more humanitarian aid into the besieged territory. Announcing the deal to the US public, the outgoing president Joe Biden said the deal would “surge much-needed humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians”. And not before time – the humanitarian situation in Gaza is now catastrophic. Since late 2024, humanitarian organisations have warned of an imminent famine due to the severely restricted commercial and humanitarian food supply flows. There is little healthcare provision. Hospitals are destroyed, medical supplies depleted and healthcare workers overwhelmed.…

Jan

21

2025

By NATASHA LINDSTAEDT

Putin’s obsession with total victory is major obstacle for Trump’s Ukraine plan

WORLD

DONALD Trump has already walked back on his claim that he would solve the Ukraine conflict within 24 hours of taking office. Just as he once stated that he would resolve the healthcare crisis in the US easily, then backtracked to say “nobody knew that health care was so complicated”, Trump’s advisors have now admitted the war in Ukraine can’t be easily negotiated. Trump’s “art of the deal” does not really work in the real world of conflict resolution. Trump’s original plan was to give Ukraine additional military aid to provide a deterrence against further Russian aggression. This would incentivize…