conflict - The African Mirror

Apr

2024

Why is Sudan still at war a year on?

A conflict in Sudan that erupted a year ago has wreaked havoc across swathes of the country, unleashed waves of ethnic violence in Darfur, driven millions into extreme hunger and created the world's largest displacement crisis. WHAT TRIGGERED THE VIOLENCE? Tensions had been building for months before fighting between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted in the capital Khartoum on April 15, 2023. The army and RSF had been in a fragile partnership after toppling a civilian government in an October 2021 coup, a move that derailed a transition from the rule of Islamist autocrat Omar al-Bashir, who was…

Mar

2024

By RYAN WOO and ELLA CAO

Dutch PM downplays conflict over ASML after meeting with China’s Xi

WORLD

DUTCH Prime Minister Mark Rutte downplayed conflict between the Netherlands and China over restrictions on the export of equipment made by Dutch firm ASML following a meeting with President Xi Jinping in Beijing. Earlier this year, the Dutch government began denying licences for ASML to export advanced "DUV" tool lines to China, joining a U.S. effort to curb chip exports to the world's second-biggest economy. Now in doubt is whether The Hague will allow ASML to continue servicing the billions of euros worth of advanced equipment it has already sold to Chinese customers that now falls under export restrictions when current licences…

Feb

2024

By DJAFFAR AL KATANTY

Eastern Congo residents scramble for food and safety as conflict intensifies

NEWS

AN intensifying conflict between the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) army and the Tutsi-led M23 rebels, allegedly backed by Rwanda, has disrupted food supplies to the eastern city of Goma, affecting over two million residents and displaced individuals. Clashes have escalated since the start of the year in towns and villages around the provincial capital as rebels seized territory, forcing thousands to seek refuge in the city. The use of heavy artillery and shelling has killed dozens, and hospitals in Goma have struggled to cope with the influx of injured civilians. The United Nations and other aid agencies have warned that the…

Oct

2023

By The African Mirror

Timeline of conflict between Israel and Palestinians in Gaza

WORLD

THE Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas launched its biggest assault on Israel in years early, firing a barrage of rockets from Gaza and sending fighters across the border. Israel said it was on a war footing and began its own strikes against Hamas targets in Gaza, with Israeli media reporting gunbattles between bands of Palestinian fighters and security forces in southern Israel. The following timeline, which begins with Israel's 2005 withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, details the major flare-ups in the conflict between Israel and Palestinian groups in the crowded coastal enclave, which is home to 2.3 million people. August 2005 - Israeli…

Jul

2023

By The African Mirror

Sudan clashes intensify with no mediation in sight

NEWS

CLASHES between Sudan's army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) intensified, as the war in the country's capital and western regions entered its 12th week with no attempts in sight to bring a peaceful end to the conflict. Air and artillery strikes as well as small arms fire could be heard, particularly in the city of Omdurman, as well as in the capital Khartoum, as the conflict deepens a humanitarian crisis and threatens to draw in other regional interests. The RSF said it brought down an army warplane and a drone in Bahri, in statements to which the army did not immediately…

Jun

2023

By The African Mirror

920 million people could face conflict over the world’s rivers by 2050: what our study found in Africa

ENVIRONMENT

THE Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project on the Nile River started operating in February 2022. It reinforced tensions between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt. The three countries rely most heavily on the Nile’s water. Sudan and Egypt consider the US$4.6 billion dam a threat to vital water supplies. Ethiopia sees it as essential for its development. SOPHIE DE BRUIN, Researcher in Environmental Change, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam This is just one example of how conflicts can arise between states that share river basins. And there’s a real risk that such conflicts will become more common as global temperatures rise. Hundreds of rivers…

Jun

2023

By BIRD STORY AGENCY

From conflict to regional peacekeeping: The steady rise of Sierra Leone

NEWS

SIERRA Leone has made remarkable progress in overcoming a tumultuous past marked by conflict and has emerged as a leading force in promoting peace in the region. On June 6, the tiny West African country was, alongside Algeria, elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in a voting session of the UN General Assembly. Other countries elected included Guyana, the Republic of Korea, Belarus and Slovenia. Sierra Leone's seat will be taken up later this year. The election of Sierra Leone, whose candidacy was backed by the African Union, is significant as it represents the country's successful…

Jun

2023

By The African Mirror

US imposes sanctions on companies tied to Sudan forces as fighting rages

NEWS

THE United States imposed sanctions on companies it accused of fuelling the conflict in Sudan, stepping up pressure on the army and a rival paramilitary force to stop fighting raging in Khartoum and other regions. The U.S. Treasury Department said it targeted two companies linked to Sudan's army and two companies tied to the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). "We will not hesitate to take additional steps if the parties continue to destroy their country," a senior U.S. administration official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity, said. "The targeting of the companies is far from symbolic," the official…

May

2023

By The African Mirror

Khartoum under bombardment as Sudan’s rivals talk

NEWS

SHELLING and air strikes pounded parts of Sudan's capital with little sign that warring military factions were ready to back down in a month-long conflict that has killed hundreds despite ceasefire talks in Saudi Arabia. Khartoum and the adjoining cities of Bahri and Omdurman across the Nile's two branches have been the main theatre of conflict along with western Darfur province since the army and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary started fighting on April 15. Shelling struck Bahri and air strikes hit Omdurman early on Sunday, according to a Reuters reporter and witnesses. "There were heavy air strikes near us in Saliha…

May

2023

By The African Mirror

Sudan: the longer the conflict lasts, the higher the risk of a regional war

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THE 2019 Sudan uprisings that ousted long-time dictator Omar al-Bashir and installed a military-civilian transitional government gave hope that the northern African country could finally transition to democratic rule. The country has been ruled by the military for most of its independence since 1956. Author MAY DARWICH, Associate Professor of International Relations of the Middle East, University of Birmingham But Sudan’s bumpy transition to democracy has come to a complete halt. The country now faces the worst conflict in its history as a full-blown civil war – with external entanglements – looms. The Sudanese armed forces and a paramilitary force…