'Congress should disinvite Netanyahu', senior Israeli figures write in NYT

In a column in the American newspaper, Ehud Barak, Tamir Pardo, David Grossman and others tell Congress that the prime minister 'does not speak for us'; They call Netanyahu"the main obstacle" to ending the war and returning the hostages


Ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to the U.S. Congress , which is scheduled to take place at the end of next month, a number of prominent Israeli figures appealed to the members of Congress saying that "Congress has made a terrible mistake."
In a column in the New York Times, written among others by former Prime Minister and former Defense Minister Ehud Barak and former Mossad head Tamir Pardo, they wrote that American lawmakers "should ask Mr. Netanyahu to stay home

The column, titled "Netanyahu does not speak for us. Congress should disinvite him", calls on members of the U.S. Congress to cancel the prime minister's speech, which according to the authors is the "main obstacle" to ending the war and returning the hostages. Along with Barak and Pardo, the column is also signed by Israel Prize winner author David Grossman, Nobel Prize winner in chemistry Professor Aharon Ciechanover, President of the Israeli National Academy of Sciences Professor David Harel and attorney Talia Sasson, who previously worked at the State Attorney's Office. Most of the writers come from the opposite side of Israel's political spectrum.


Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint session of the U.S. Congress in 2015
(Photo: AFP)

The authors explain that "Netanyahu's appearance in Washington will not represent the State of Israel and its citizens, and it will reward his scandalous and destructive conduct toward our country." They add that Netanyahu has failed to present a plan for 'the day after' the war and to release the hostages, and that an invitation to address Congress should have been contingent on calling new elections.

According to them, Prime Minister Netanyahu is, despite the war, "pushing forward with a remaking of Israel as if nothing has changed." They write that: "Above all, many Israelis are convincedf that Mr. Netanyahu has obstructed proposed deals with Hamas that would have led to the release of the hostages in order to keep the war going and thus avoid the inevitable political reckoning he will face when it ends."
The writers also emphasized that most Israelis call for immediate elections, or at the very least for elections at the end of the war. "A large portion of Israelis have lost faith in Mr. Netanyahu's government," the column states.

They claim that the speech, which they say is a reward for Netanyahu, "will be carefully stage-managed to prop up his shaky hold on power and allow him to boast to his constituents about America's so-called support for his failed policies."
At the same time, in Washington, the voices of Democratic lawmakers calling for a boycott of Netanyahu's expected speech next month are increasing, while in the background he continues the public confrontation with the United States, claiming that there has been a "dramatic" reduction in the supply of weapons to Israel.
The last time Netanyahu was invited to speak before a special session of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, in 2015, almost 60 Democratic lawmakers boycotted the speech in which he attacked the nuclear agreement that then-President Barack Obama was about to sign.
Now, in his expected speech to Congress on July 24, the number of absent lawmakers is likely to be much higher, according to the Associated Press. However, according to the report, many of the Democrats are still debating, and are "torn" between their long-standing commitment to Israel's security and their opposition to the way Israel - under Netanyahu's leadership - is conducting the war in Gaza.

MUTINY!

Burundian soldiers get lengthy jail terms for refusing to fight rebels: Reports

More than 270 soldiers receive prison sentences ranging from 22 to 30 years handed by military court

James Tasamba |26.06.2024 - 



KIGALI, Rwanda

A military court in Burundi sentenced dozens of government soldiers to lengthy jail terms Tuesday for refusing to fight rebel groups in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, according to local media reports.

The soldiers were apprehended and detained at separate prisons earlier this year after reportedly refusing to fight Congolese M23 fighters.

In May, they were transferred to Rutana prison in southeastern Burundi.

They were accused of disobeying military orders.

The court in Rutana conducted the trial between June 18 and 22.

“More than 270 soldiers received jail sentences ranging from 22 to 30 years for having refused to fight alongside the Congolese army against the M23 rebels,” the Sosmedias Burundi news portal reported, citing military sources.

“It acquitted two soldiers and also ordered those convicted to pay a fine of $500 each,” it added.

Burundi sent troops to eastern Congo in August 2022 after the East African Community (EAC) bloc agreed to launch a joint mission against armed groups.

But when Kinshasa refused to renew the regional force's mandate after December 2023, Burundi's soldiers remained in DR Congo under a bilateral agreement.

Between September 2023 and January 2024, several Burundian soldiers, including senior officers, were reported killed in eastern DR Congo's North Kivu province.

The M23, an ethnic Tutsi-led rebel group formed in 2012, is one of the multiple rebel groups fighting in eastern Congo.

DR Congo alleges the rebel group is supported by Rwanda, a claim Kigali denies.

African countries including South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi have deployed troops in DR Congo under a Southern African Development Community (SADC) force to fight armed groups.

South Sudan says its 6M antelope make up world’s largest land mammal migration, but poaching on rise

Wednesday, June 19, 2024. -
Copyright © africanews

Brian Inganga/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved

Seen from the air, they ripple across the landscape — a river of antelope racing across the vast grasslands of South Sudan in what conservationists say is the world's largest land mammal migration.

The country's first comprehensive aerial wildlife survey, released Tuesday June 25, found about six million antelope.

The survey was conducted over a two-week period last year in two national parks and nearby areas.

It relied on spotters in airplanes, analysis of nearly 60,000 photos and tracking of more than a hundred collared animals over about 46,000 square miles (120,000 square kilometers).

The estimate from nonprofit African Parks, which conducted the work along with the South Sudan government, far surpasses figures for other large migratory herds, such as the estimated 1.36 million wildebeests surveyed last year in the Serengeti region straddling Tanzania and Kenya.

But they warn the animals face a rising threat from commercial poaching, in a nation rife with weapons and without strong law enforcement.

"South Sudan is the largest, large mammal migration in the world, at this stage," says Larry McGillewie, a pilot working for African Parks.

“This is a large migration, which needs to be protected."

The migration stretches from east of the Nile in Badingilo and Boma national parks into neighboring Ethiopia — an area roughly the size of the U.S. state of Georgia.

It includes four main antelope, the white-eared kob — of which there are some 5 million — the tiang, the Mongalla gazelle and bohor reedbuck.

The survey says some animals have increased since a more limited one in 2010, including the white-eared kob.

But it describes a “catastrophic” decline of most non-migratory species in the last 40 years, such as the hippo, elephant and warthog.

Associated Press journalists flying over the stunning migration of thousands of antelope saw few giraffes and no elephants, lions or cheetahs.

Trying to protect the animals over such a vast terrain is challenging.

In recent years, new roads have increased people's access to markets, contributing to poaching.

Years of flooding have meant crop failures that have left some people with little choice but to hunt for food.

African Parks estimates some 30,000 animals were being killed each month between March and May this year.

“We kill the animals because the crops have failed," says Wilson Ubaa, a resident in Lafon County.

"We don’t kill them when the harvest is good."

The government hasn't made a priority of protecting wildlife.

Less than one percent of its current budget is allocated to the wildlife ministry, which said it has few cars to move rangers around to protect animals.

Villagers nestled in and around the parks told The AP they mostly hunted to feed their families or to barter for goods.

A newly paved road between Juba and Bor — the epicenter of the illegal commercial bushmeat trade — has made it easier for trucks to carry large quantities of animals.

Bor sits along the Nile, about 27 miles (45 kilometers) from Badingilo Park. In the dry season, animals coming closer to the town to drink are vulnerable to killing.

Officials at the wildlife ministry in Bor told AP the killing of animals had doubled in the last two years.

Even when those involved in the industry are caught, the consequences can be minor.

A few years ago, when wildlife rangers came to arrest animal seller Lina Garang, she says they let her go, instead telling her to conduct business more discreetly.

Thirty-eight-year-old Garang says her competition has only grown, with 15 new shops opening along her strip to buy and sell animals.

“There is high competition, and there are a lot of meat sellers," she says.

"I don't have anything, my business has broken. How will we feed the children?"

Part of the challenge is that there is no national land management plan, so roads and infrastructure are built without initial discussions about where they are best placed.

The government has also allocated an oil concession to a South African company in the middle of Badingilo that spans nearly 90% of the park.

African Parks is trying to square modernizing the country with preserving the wildlife.

The organization has been criticized in the past for not engaging enough with communities and taking an overly militarized approach in some of the nearly two dozen areas it manages in Africa.

The group says its core strategy in South Sudan is focused on community relations and aligning the benefits of wildlife and economic development.

One plan is to create land conservancies that local communities would manage, with input from national authorities.

Meanwhile, African Parks has set up small hubs in several remote villages and is spreading messages of sustainable practices, such as not killing female or baby animals.

"The message now is hunting is not bad, that was the past message that we used, but too much hunting is bad, because it will destroy all the species," says David Liwaya, a Lafon site officer working for African Parks.

"We need to engage them slowly, to understand about the conservation through that approach."

Hopes of tourism around the animals may take a while.

For now, there aren't hotels or roads to host people near the parks, and the only option is high-end trips for what one tour company official called a “high-risk” audience.

There’s fighting between tribes and attacks by gunmen in the area, pilots told AP they’ve been shot at by people while flying overhead.

Locals trying to protect the wildlife say it’s hard to shift people's mentality.

In the remote village of Otallo on the border with Ethiopia, young men have started buying motorbikes.

What had been an all-day trip on foot to cross the border to sell animals now takes just five hours, allowing them to double the number of animals they take and make multiple trips.

One of them, Charo Ochogi, says he'd rather be doing something else, but there are few options, and he's not worried about the animals disappearing.

“Here in this village, I have a motorcycle and my future plan is to transport bushmeat for commercial and other essential business activities," he says.

The migration is already being touted as a point of national pride by a country trying to move beyond its conflict-riddled past.

Billboards of the migration recently went up in the capital of Juba, and the government has aspirations that the animals may someday be a magnet for tourists says Peter Alberto, Undersecretary for the Ministry of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism:

“So, you know, we'll try our best to demonstrate to the whole world that at least we are trying our best to make the wildlife in South Sudan known to the rest of the world."

South Sudan has six national parks and a dozen game reserves covering more than 13% of the terrain.

Has France's far-right National Rally really turned on Russia?

France's far-right, anti-immigration National Rally has hardened its stance against Russia in order to win over voters ahead of snap parliamentary elections. But there are concerns about the party’s true motivations on foreign policy and what would happen if the RN wins enough votes to run the government.


Issued on: 26/06/2024 -

French far-right figures Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella in Paris in Januray 2024.

 AFP - BERTRAND GUAY

By:Sarah Elzas with RFI

Russia is a “multi-dimensional threat both for France and for Europe”, RN president Jordan Bardella said on Monday in an attempt to clarify what has been a muddy relationship.

If the RN wins enough seats in the National Assembly in the 30 June and 7 July elections, Bardella could become prime minister, which would put him in charge of administering the army and approving budgets.

He would, however, share his foreign policy responsibilities with the president, who remains the head of the army and responsible for naming ambassadors and ratifying treaties

'Intransigent'

Presenting the RN's policy lines, Bardella said that as prime minister he would be respectful of the president’s role, though “intransigent” on his party's policies, which he said he would have the democratic backing to carry out.

The nationalist RN has pushed for more independent French foreign policy. It has moved away from being overtly eurosceptic and instead would like to see a reform of the EU. Until last week, the party had vowed to leave NATO's integrated military command.

The RN’s policy platform published online Monday focuses on immigration, insisting on the need to protect France from the a “migratory submersion”.

The platform also evokes the need to defend France’s territory “in a degraded international environment”, without giving any specifics.

The Gaza and Ukraine wars are not mentioned, though Bardella said he would not roll back France’s support of Ukraine.

Ukraine support?

"I do not intend to call into question the commitments made by France on the international scene and harm our credibility at a time of war at Europe's door,” he said.

However, he said he would not support sending French troops to Ukraine, nor sending long-range weapons

“My red line remains long-range missiles or any military equipment that could lead to escalation, by which I mean anything that could directly hit Russian cities,” he specified.

Nicolas Tenzer, who teaches political philosophy at Sciences Po in Paris, says the party’s voting record on Ukraine tells a different story from what Bardella is now saying.

“The National Rally, whether in the French or European parliament, has never voted for a single resolution in favour of Ukraine, nor for any resolution clearly condemning Russian aggression and war crimes,” he told RFI.

”If National Rally MPs were to win a majority in the National Assembly, they could block any budget in support of Ukraine. In practical terms, this means that Ukraine would be completely sacrificed.”

Muddy ties with Russia

Russia has supported far-right leaders around the world, and in Europe it has tried to exploit any divisions that could weaken support for Ukraine.

The RN’s relationship to Russia is unclear. Former RN leader and presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, who has visited Moscow on many occasions and has received positive Russian state media coverage, has said she admired President Vladimir Putin.

Last year the party finally paid off a €9.4 million loan it received from a Russian bank to keep itself afloat in 2014.

The relationship to Russia is problematic for a group of 170 diplomats who published an open letter Sunday raising the alarm of an RN government in charge of foreign policy.

“We have seen Russia invade sovereign states and destroy with a line of tanks what had guaranteed peace on the European continent,” they wrote.

Michel Foucher, a former French ambassador to Latvia and former director of the Foreign Ministry’s policy centre agrees that a government run by the RN, with its problematic ties to Russia, would make France more vulnerable.

“We must be sure that these people at the gates of power respect the code of ethics in terms of intelligence, in terms of interference. That is what worries me,” he told RFI.

“The Kremlin will have agents of influence and information. There are links [with the RN] that have long been established. So we must be vigilant.”

Foucher is also sceptical of Bardella’s statements.

“There is always doublespeak,” he said. “Just because Bardella says something doesn't mean he'll apply it, because in general he doesn’t.”

Imagining a far-right government in France, in the Spotlight on France podcast, episode 113, listen here.

Farage Urges Zelensky to Pursue Peace

PUTIN'S PUPPET

World » UKRAINE | June 26, 2024, Wednesday 

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has sparked controversy once again with a provocative statement urging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to pursue peace negotiations or face the risk of losing countless young Ukrainians. Quoted by the Times newspaper, Farage emphasized that Zelensky should reconsider his ambition to reclaim all territories lost to Russia in the conflict initiated by President Putin's invasion.

Farage, who has faced significant backlash previously for suggesting that Western actions provoked Russia's aggression in Ukraine, reiterated his stance despite criticism. He insisted that Ukraine must reach a peace agreement with Russia to prevent further casualties among its youth. The Reform UK leader also criticized former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson for prematurely dismissing the possibility of a peace deal, which Farage argued has led to unnecessary loss of life.

In response to Farage's comments, Zelensky's office characterized Farage's statements as influenced by "the virus of Putinism," expressing disappointment that such views are gaining traction. Farage, however, asserted that Western allies, including Britain, need to adopt a more pragmatic approach in mediating talks between Ukraine and Russia, suggesting that the goal of pushing Russian forces completely out of Ukrainian territory may be unrealistic.

Regarding Ukraine's objective of reclaiming all occupied territories, Farage pointed out the potential human cost, implying that such ambitions could lead to severe losses among Ukraine's young population. He underscored the complexities involved in restoring Crimea to Ukrainian control, suggesting it would be an arduous task.

Farage's remarks have reignited debate over Western policy towards Ukraine and Russia, highlighting divisions over the appropriate strategies for ending the conflict and ensuring regional stability.

 

Peru stops labeling transgender people as mentally ill – 

Indonesia eyes Cambodia rice firms to pad reserves, but plan may falter on export quota, local laws

In 2023, Indonesia produced 31.1 million tonnes of rice in 2023, up 1.4 per cent from 2022. PHOTO: AFP

Linda Yulisman
Indonesia Correspondent
JUN 26, 2024


JAKARTA – Indonesia’s recent plan to acquire Cambodian rice companies to shore up its rice supplies may hit a snag due to export restrictions and local land ownership laws, experts say.

State-owned logistics agency Bulog has begun talks with several Cambodian rice companies and some Indonesian banks about the acquisition plans. Bulog president director Bayu Krisnamurthi told The Straits Times that it is still early days yet and the matter will be discussed with all relevant parties in stages.

The wheels were set in motion after outgoing President Joko Widodo asked Bulog on June 10 to consider acquiring a rice producer in Cambodia to ensure that the country’s rice reserves are at a “safe level”.


Indonesia, the world’s fourth-biggest rice producer and the third-largest consumer of rice, plans to import more than 3.6 million tonnes of rice in 2024, in anticipation of a smaller harvest due to droughts, and to maintain stable rice prices for consumers, officials said.

In 2023, Indonesia produced 31.1 million tonnes of rice in 2023, up 1.4 per cent from 2022, according to Statistics Indonesia. The fourth most-populous nation in the world consumes about 30 million tonnes of rice annually.

Rice is a crucial staple for many in Asia. Indonesia imports less than 5 per cent of its total national needs, Mr Widodo said in May. From January to May 2024, Indonesia bought the most rice from Thailand, followed by Vietnam, Pakistan and India, with Cambodia a distant fifth, according to Statistics Indonesia.

Although the vast archipelago has plenty of land, the most suitable rice-planting areas are located in Java, which is already heavily planted, experts say. Paddy cultivation in the other main islands – Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Papua – is less productive due to factors like climate and soil fertility, as well as lack of infrastructure such as proper irrigation canals.

In addition, as urbanisation spreads in Java, which is home to 56 per cent of the country’s nearly 280 million people, farmland conversions into more-profitable industrial and residential developments are happening at a fast clip.

As such, Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman told Parliament on June 20 that a smaller rice harvest is expected in 2024 due to weather changes and a decline in cultivated areas, which shrank 36.9 per cent to 6.55 million hectares from October 2023 to April 2024.

Mr Widodo had said recently that it would be better for Indonesia to invest in a rice producer in Cambodia, rather than solely importing from its neighbouring countries.

But, while acquiring a rice producer there is a fairly straightforward process – Cambodia allows up to 100 per cent foreign ownership of companies that operate in the country – there are other factors at play.

Mr Bhima Yudhistira, executive director of Jakarta-based think-tank Centre of Economic and Law Studies, said there is no guarantee that such an acquisition would bolster Indonesia rice supplies because a Cambodian company, even one that is foreign-owned, would be subject to local laws and directives.

“If the Cambodian government decides that its rice should be prioritised for its domestic needs, the company cannot maximise its exports to Indonesia. Bulog must take into account such restrictions,” he told ST.

Bulog’s Dr Bayu said that for now the agency has not yet touched on export-related issues that acquired companies will face.

Under a memorandum of understanding on bilateral rice trade renewed in 2023, Indonesia can buy up to 250,000 tonnes of rice from Cambodia a year from 2024 to 2028. The bilateral rice trade is carried out both under a government-to-government arrangement between Bulog and Cambodia’s Green Trade Co., as well as a business-to-business scheme between Indonesia’s state-owned food company ID Food and Cambodia Rice Federation.

But this annual export allowance is a small amount, compared with Indonesia’s overall rice needs, said Mr Khudori, an agriculture expert from the Association of Indonesia Political Economy, who noted that the Cambodian rice comes from a surplus of domestic production.

For the first four months of 2024, Indonesia imported 2.26 million tonnes of rice, of which 25,000 tonnes came from Cambodia.

Mr Khudori said that increased consumption of rice worldwide, especially in areas like Africa, has added to the uncertainties in the global rice supply chain. At the same time, he noted that major rice-exporting countries such as India have imposed export restrictions when facing their own supply crisis or disruption in production.

Therefore, he suggested that Bulog should look into purchasing farmland in Cambodia for enhanced food security.

“Land acquisition will guarantee the acquired rice company secures paddy to be milled,” Mr Khudori said, highlighting the example of China’s land acquisition in Brazil and Africa to secure its soybean supply.

Elsewhere, Saudi Arabia has bought agricultural land in the US and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has done so in Africa for food security purposes. But for Indonesia, purchasing land for rice farming in Cambodia is easier said than done, experts say.

Mr Bora Chhay, Cambodia’s managing director at advisory firm Bower Group Asia, pointed out the restrictions concerning land ownership in Cambodia.

“Ownership of land for the purpose of conducting promoted investment activities is reserved exclusively for individuals holding Cambodian citizenship, or for legal entities in which more than 51 per cent of the equity capital is directly owned by Cambodian citizens or legal entities,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Bhima said that instead of looking abroad for solutions, Indonesia could tackle the current issues plaguing rice production.

These include inadequate warehouse and storage options that affect the quality of the rice stocks, and lack of investment in equipment and technology to help rice farmers and millers remain competitive.

Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said on June 20 that the acquisition proposal should be done in concert with domestic efforts to maximise local food resources, such as establishing new rice fields where possible, optimising existing ones, and improving watering systems.

MORE ON THIS TOPIC

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Indonesia tenders to buy 500,000 tonnes of rice: Traders

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Imperialism and the Accumulation of Capital - Nikolai Bukharin - 1924

Source: Rosa Luxemburg and Nikolai Bukharin Imperialism and the Accumulation of capital. Edited with an Introduction by Kenneth J. Tarbuck. (Allen Lane The ...

Archive.orgarchive.org/details/cu31924013841154

Imperialism and world economy : Bukharin, Nikolaĭ Ivanovich, 1888 ...

Oct 22, 2009 ... ... PDF etc.). See also the What is the directory structure for the texts? FAQ for information about file content and naming conventions ...

 WAR ON THE SUFI

ICC war crimes verdict for Timbuktu jihad police chief

By

 AFP

The International Criminal Court on Wednesday will issue a verdict in the case of a jihadist police chief accused of “unimaginable crimes” during an alleged reign of terror and sexual slavery in the fabled Malian city of Timbuktu.

Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud, 46, is accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including torture, rape and sexual slavery, and destroying religious and historic buildings.

Prosecutors say Al Hassan personally oversaw amputations and floggings as police chief when Islamic militants seized control of Timbuktu for almost a year from early 2012.

During the trial, which opened in 2020, prosecutors said Timbuktu citizens had lived in fear of “despicable” violence, citing the case of a man whose hand was amputated after being accused of petty theft.

“He was tied to a chair… and his hand was chopped off with a machete. A member of the armed group then held up his hand as a signal to others,” said then-chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda.

Bensouda said the women and girls of Timbuktu suffered most under the “gender-based persecution” in force under Al Hassan’s alleged reign of terror.

He is accused of forcing women and girls to “marry” fighters, with some victims raped multiple times, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors said he was “personally involved” in flogging women accused of adultery. Other women were allegedly beaten for what the Islamists saw as misdemeanours such as not wearing gloves.

Al Hassan himself told investigators that the people of Timbuktu were “scared out of their minds”, according to the prosecutor.

– ‘Pearl of the desert’ –

Founded between the fifth and 12th centuries by Tuareg tribes, Timbuktu is known as the “Pearl of the Desert” and “The City of 333 Saints” for the number of Muslim sages buried there during a golden age of Islam.

But jihadists who swept into the city considered the shrines idolatrous and destroyed them with pickaxes and bulldozers.

The militants from the Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and Ansar Dine groups exploited an ethnic Tuareg uprising in 2012 to take over cities in Mali’s volatile north.

Al Hassan is the second Malian jihadist tried at the ICC for destroying religious sanctuaries in Timbuktu, which is inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list.

The court sentenced Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi in 2016 to nine years in prison, reduced by two years on appeal in 2021.

On Friday, the ICC made public an arrest warrant for one of the Sahel’s top jihadist leaders over alleged atrocities in Timbuktu from 2012 to 2013.

Iyad Ag Ghaly, is considered to be the leader of the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), which operates in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

Also known as “Abou Fadl”, Ag Ghaly is wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed in Timbuktu, the ICC said.

These included murder, rape and sexual slavery, and attacks on buildings dedicated as religious and historic monuments.

Judges issued the warrant against Ag Ghaly in mid-2017, but the document has been kept under wraps for the past seven years because of “potential risks to witnesses and victims”.

by Richard CARTER

‘Shaken to the core’: Kenya shocked as protests turn deadly

By

 AFP

Kenya was in a state of shock Wednesday following unprecedented scenes that left parts of parliament ablaze and gutted, as protests over proposed tax hikes turned deadly, prompting President William Ruto’s government to deploy the military.  

“Deaths, mayhem”, read the front-page headline on the Standard newspaper, while the Daily Nation described the situation as “Pandemonium”, saying: “The foundations of the country have been shaken to the core.” 

The mainly youth-led rallies began mostly peacefully last week, with thousands of demonstrators marching in the capital Nairobi and across the country against the tax increases. 

But tensions flared sharply on Tuesday afternoon, as police officers fired live rounds on crowds that later ransacked the parliament complex, with rights groups saying the violence had left five dead and more than 30 injured. 

Hours later, Defence Minister Aden Bare Duale announced that the government had deployed the army to support the police in tackling “the security emergency” in the country. 

In a late-night press briefing, Ruto warned that his government would take a tough line against “violence and anarchy”, likening some of the demonstrators to “criminals”. 

“It is not in order or even conceivable that criminals pretending to be peaceful protesters can reign terror against the people, their elected representatives and the institutions established under our constitution and expect to go scot-free,” he said. 

The government has been taken by surprise by the intensity of opposition to its tax proposals –- mostly led by young, Gen-Z Kenyans — which culminated in the shocking scenes at parliament that played out live on TV. 

Images shared on local TV stations after crowds broke through the barricades showed the building ransacked, with burnt furniture and smashed windows. 

As police fired at the angry crowds, leaving several bodies strewn on the ground, protest organisers urged people to walk home together and “stay safe”.

– ‘Madness’ –

A heavy police presence was deployed around parliament on Wednesday morning, according to an AFP reporter, the smell of tear gas still in the air.

A policeman standing in front of the broken barricades to the complex told AFP he had watched the distressing scenes unfold on TV.

“It was madness, we hope it will be calm today,” he said.

Earlier on Tuesday, the rallies in various Kenyan cities had been largely peaceful.

However, tensions escalated in Nairobi in the afternoon, with some protesters hurling stones at police, who deployed tear gas and water cannon before firing live bullets. 

The Kenya Human Rights Commission said at least one protester had been shot by police, with AFP journalists seeing three people bleeding heavily and lying motionless on the ground near parliament. 

A joint statement by rights groups including Amnesty International’s Kenya chapter said police had shot dead five people. 

As dusk fell, internet services crashed, with global web monitor NetBlocks reporting that Kenya had suffered a “major disruption” before access returned overnight.

– ‘Brute force’ –

The unrest has alarmed the international community, with the White House appealing for calm and more than 10 Western nations — including Canada, Germany and Britain — saying they were “especially shocked by the scenes witnessed outside the Kenyan Parliament”. 

The head of the African Union commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, expressed “deep concern” over the loss of life, urging “all stakeholders to exercise calm and refrain from further violence”. 

Veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga, who heads the Azimio coalition, accused the government of unleashing “brute force on our country’s children”.

“Kenya cannot afford to kill its children just because the children are asking for food, jobs and a listening ear,” he said. 

Rights watchdogs have also accused the authorities of abducting protesters. 

The police have not responded to any requests for comment from AFP.

– Cost of living –

Long-running grievances over the rising cost of living spiralled last week as lawmakers began debating proposed tax hikes in the 2024 finance bill.  

The cash-strapped government says the increases are needed to service the country’s massive debt of some 10 trillion shillings ($78 billion), equal to roughly 70 percent of Kenya’s GDP. 

After rolling back some of the more controversial proposals — which would have affected bread purchases, car ownership, and financial and mobile services — the government now intends to increase fuel prices and export duties. 

Kenya’s treasury has warned of a gaping budget shortfall of 200 billion shillings, following Ruto’s decision to roll back some of the tax hikes. 

While Kenya is among East Africa’s most dynamic economies, a third of its 52 million population live in poverty. 

Suspected Houthi Attack Targets A Ship In The Gulf Of Aden, While Iraq-Claimed Attack Targets Eilat

The attacks follow the departure of the USS Dwight D Eisenhower after an eight-month deployment in which the aircraft carrier led the American response to the Houthi assaults. Those attacks have reduced shipping drastically through the route crucial to Asian, Middle East and European markets in a campaign the Houthis say will continue as long as the Israel-Hamas war rages in the Gaza Strip.

Associated Press
Updated on: 26 June 2024 



Suspected Houthi Attack Targets A Ship In The Gulf Of Aden | Photo: AP

Suspected attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels early Wednesday targeted a ship in the Gulf of Aden, while a separate attack claimed by Iraqi militants allied with the rebels targeted the southern Israeli port city of Eilat, authorities said.

The attacks follow the departure of the USS Dwight D Eisenhower after an eight-month deployment in which the aircraft carrier led the American response to the Houthi assaults. Those attacks have reduced shipping drastically through the route crucial to Asian, Middle East and European markets in a campaign the Houthis say will continue as long as the Israel-Hamas war rages in the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, the Houthis faced allegations they seized commercial aircraft that brought back pilgrims from the Hajj amid a widening economic dispute between the rebels and the country's exiled government.

The ship attack happened off the coast of Aden, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center said.

The captain “of a merchant vessel reported a missile impacted the water in close proximity to the vessel,” the UKMTO said. “The crew are reported safe and the vessel is proceeding to its next port of call.”

The UKMTO did not say if the ship had been damaged.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military said early Wednesday that a drone “fell off the coast of Eilat.” The military activated air raid sirens in the area.

The drone “was monitored by (Israeli) soldiers throughout the incident and it did not cross into Israeli territory,” the Israeli military said. “During the incident, an interceptor was launched toward the” drone.

The Houthis have faced issues with having enough currency to support the economy in areas they hold — something signaled by their move to introduce a new coin into the Yemeni currency, the Riyal. Yemen's exiled government in Aden and other nations criticized the move, saying the Houthis are turning to counterfeiting.

Aden authorities have demanded all banks move their headquarters there as a means to stop the worst slide ever in the Riyal's value and re-exert their control over the economy. Aden also is pushing for other businesses to leave Sanaa.

Meanwhile, the Houthis have taken captive local Yemeni employees of the United Nations, aid groups and the former US Embassy in Sanaa as part of a major crackdown. Following a pattern of their Iranian backers, the Houthis have aired repeated videos of the captives that appear to be taken under duress, alleging they are spies based in some cases on emails praising their work helping Yemenis.

AMERICA NEEDS TWO POLITICAL PARTIES

US congressman Jamaal Bowman, who accused Israel of genocide, loses in NY primaries

THEY HAVE IT IN THE DEMOCRATS

The victory of George Latimer, a pro-Israel centrist, has highlighted the party's deep divisions over the war in Gaza , and removed one of Israel's most outspoken critics

FORGET THE GOP THEY ARE THE TRUMP PARTY

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee's political action committee spent nearly $15 million on the primary, filling airwaves and mailboxes with negative ads in an effort to unseat Bowman

AP|Yesterday 


George Latimer, a pro-Israel centrist, defeated U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman on Tuesday in a Democratic primary in suburban New York that highlighted the party's deep divisions over the war in Gaza.

With the victory, Latimer has ousted one of the most liberal voices in Congress and one of its most outspoken critics of Israel. Bowman has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, where thousands of Palestinians have died in military strikes.

Latimer, who got into the race at the urging of Jewish leaders and had heavy financial backing from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, is a former state legislator who has served as Westchester County executive since 2018.

U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-NY, speaks during his election night party at the Grand Roosevelt Ballroom on June 25, 2024 in New York City
(Photo: Michael M. Santiago / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)

In a victory speech, Latimer called for more civility following the contentious election.
"We have to fight to make sure we don't vilify each other and we remember that we're all Americans, and our common future is bound together," he told supporters at an event in White Plains.

"We argue, we debate, we find a way to come together," he said, adding that all representatives had a duty to find ways to work across political divides and prevent the country from splintering.

Bowman had been seeking a third term, representing a district in New York City's northern suburbs. His defeat is a blow to the party's progressive wing and a potential cautionary tale for candidates trying to shape their messaging around the Israel-Hamas conflict.

His loss also disrupted what has generally been a stable primary season for congressional incumbents. Most current members of Congress have been able to repel challenges from within their party.

"This movement has always been about justice. It has always been about humanity. It has always been about equality," Bowman said at his election party in Yonkers, conceding that he lost the race but remaining unapologetic about his opposition to the war in Gaza.

His defeat is a blow to the party's progressive wing and a potential cautionary tale for candidates trying to shape their messaging around the Israel-Hamas conflict

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee's political action committee spent nearly $15 million on the primary, filling airwaves and mailboxes with negative ads in an effort to unseat Bowman, who has accused the influential pro-Israel lobbying group of trying to buy the race.

"The outcome in this race once again shows that the pro-Israel position is both good policy and good politics for both parties," the American Israel Public Affairs Committee said in a statement.

Some major progressive figures have rushed to Bowman's defense. In the final stretch of the race, he rallied with liberals Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders, while Latimer pulled in the endorsement of former presidential candidate and former New York Sen. Hillary Clinton.

On Israel, both Bowman and Latimer support a two-state solution. They have also both condemned Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel that killed around 1,200 people. But Bowman was one of a few progressives who rejected a symbolic House resolution in support of Israel following the Oct. 7 attack. Latimer firmly backs Israel and said negotiating a cease-fire with Hamas is a non-starter because he believes it is a terrorist group.


Westchester County Executive George Latimer speaks to supporters after winning his race against Democratic incumbent Representative Jamaal Bowman in the 16th Congressional District of New York's Democratic primary
(Photo: Spencer Platt/ GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)

Bowman was first elected in 2020 after running as a liberal insurgent against moderate U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel, a 16-term congressman who chaired a House committee on foreign affairs. Bowman, 48, embraced the political outsider strategy this year as well, depicting Latimer as a tool of Republican donors and pro-Israel groups.

Latimer said Bowman's criticism of Israel was only part of the reason why he decided to challenge the incumbent. He said Bowman hasn't been attentive to the needs of the district, maintained few relationships with its leaders, and was more interested in getting spots on cable news than he was in helping people.

During the campaign, Latimer, who has more than three decades of political experience, often displayed his deep regional knowledge and connections to make the case that he would be an effective member of Congress. Latimer has said" that's the sort of politics people expect from their elected officials, rather than caustic fights between the far right and far left,” a clear dig at Bowman.

Aside from his position on Israel, Bowman has been followed by lingering criticism over an incident last year when he triggered a fire alarm in a House building while lawmakers were working on a funding bill. He said it was unintentional, with the alarm going off when he tried to open a locked door while trying to vote. Bowman was censured by his colleagues in the House, and the incident drew embarrassing news coverage.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee's political action committee spent nearly $15 million on the primary, filling airwaves and mailboxes with negative ads in an effort to unseat Bowman

The congressional district's boundaries have shifted since Bowman first won office in 2020, losing most of its sections in the Bronx and adding more of Westchester County's suburbs.

Today, 21% of its voting-age population is Black and 42% is non-Hispanic white, according to U.S. Census figures, compared to 30% Black and 34% white in the district as it existed through 2022. Bowman is Black. Latimer is white.

Bowman, as the election neared, focused on driving up turnout in what parts of the Bronx remain in his district, telling supporters there that the contest could hinge on their votes. He spent the bulk of his election day in the Bronx, too, and a video posted to the social media site X showed Bowman walking down a street in the Bronx with a drum line behind him on Tuesday.

Latimer, 70, will be the prohibitive favorite to win in the general election. The district, which includes parts of Westchester and a small piece of the Bronx, is a Democratic stronghold.

Nationally, Democratic Party leaders have emphasized moving toward centrist candidates who might fare better in suburban races.

With Bowman's NY primary defeat, the squad sees its first loss

The expected defeat of Jamaal Bowman in Tuesday's Democratic primary is the first loss for a member of the squad, and with that a major loss for Palestinians.

Brooke Anderson
Washington, DC
26 June, 2024

NEW ARAB

Jamaal Bowman lost his congressional seat Tuesday, as predicted by polls and outside funding. [Getty]


The expected loss of Jamaal Bowman in Tuesday's Democratic primary is the first loss for a member of the progressive "squad", and with that a major loss for Palestinian voices in US Congress. What does this mean for the future?

In an institution where there is heavy pressure to conform to longstanding norms, Bowman found a home in the "squad" of young progressives, who, through working together, have been able to bring to the forefront issues such as organised labour, accessible healthcare, and human rights in US foreign policy, most controversially of Palestinians.

Though Bowman's fellow squad member have been able to build their brands — including their voter turnouts — on these issues (though not without challenges), Bowman struggled after his district's map was redrawn to include vast swaths of wealthy suburbs.

His district's remapping would make him one of the most vulnerable candidates in Congress for a primary challenge, leading to the most expensive House race in US history, with more than US$20 million in campaign spending.

Leading the big donors were the American Israel Public Affairs Committee through its super PAC the United Democracy Project; and Fairshake, a PAC backed by Silicon Valley executives linked to the cryptocurrency industry.

In the last election, Bowman survived his primary in part due to a split vote of his moderate Democratic opponents. This time, he had one strong opponent, Westchester County Executive George Latimer, who was able to consolidate the moderate Democratic vote.

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Brooke Anderson

Latimer dominated the early vote, with some towns voting 10-1 in favour of him against Bowman. The race was called before 10 pm, earlier than most close primaries, showing Latimer's solid victory of over 55 percent.

It's unclear when or if Bowman realised he didn't have a path forward in the race. What is clear is that in the last months before the election he became increasingly outspoken about his concerns over unconditional US military support for Israel as well as major spending in US elections by AIPAC, two issues he saw as inextricably linked.

In May, Bowman voted with Representative Rashida Tlaib of Michigan on a resolution recognising the Palestinian Nakba, or catastrophe, that forced hundreds of thousands from their homes with the establishment of Israel; in a campaign rally in the Bronx over the weekend, he accused Latimer of supporting genocide, referring to Israel's war in Gaza, which has killed more than 38,000 Palestinians since October; and he has repeatedly referred to AIPAC as being led by Republican megadonors.

Does Bowman's primary loss on Tuesday mean a more emboldened mega-donor class, as some progressives say they fear could happen? Or has his outspokenness opened the floodgates for more open criticism of big money in politics?

"I've seen this sometimes. Maybe Bowman, by the end of the race, saw that he didn't have a path, and he said: Let's go out swinging. Let's not sugar coat it," J. Miles Coleman, associate editor of Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, told The New Arab.

"He's still going to be in office for the rest of the year," he said. "We'll see if he becomes even more outspoken."