Despite gains in Brazil, forest destruction still 'stubbornly' high: report

Agence France-Presse
April 4, 2024

This photo taken on September 22, 2017 gives an aerial view of deforestation in the western Amazon region of Brazil CARL DE SOUZA AFP/File

The world lost 10 football fields of old-growth tropical forest every minute in 2023 and despite uplifting progress in the Amazon, the picture elsewhere is less rosy, researchers said on Thursday.

Tropical forests absorb carbon and are a vital ally in the fight against climate change, but they are also the most ravaged by deforestation.

High rates of tropical forest loss remain "stubbornly consistent" despite nations pledging in recent years to protect these critical environments, said researchers from the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the University of Maryland.

Around 3.7 million hectares of primary tropical forest -- an area almost the size of Switzerland -- was lost last year, they said.

"Impressive" declines in Brazil and Colombia were "largely counteracted by increases" in tropical forest lost elsewhere, said Mikaela Weisse from WRI, a nonprofit research organization.

"The world took two steps forward, two steps back when it comes to this past year's forest loss," said Weisse, director of WRI's Global Forest Watch, which uses satellite imagery to aid its analysis.
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They focused on tropical forests because of their particular vulnerability to deforestation and capacity to store carbon, and considered various causes of destruction including farming, logging and fires.

- Amazon gains -

The 2023 figures represent a nine percent decline in forest loss compared to 2022 but in general, rates have barely wavered from the highs of recent years, researchers said.


They said the amount of forest lost in 2023 represented the equivalent of 2.4 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions -- nearly half of US annual emissions from fossil fuels.

Aside from soaking up huge quantities of carbon, tropical forests protect soil, host the majority of the world's plant and animal species, and filter air and water.

But there was good news from Brazil, which lost 36 percent less primary forest than the year prior -- its lowest level since 2015.


This "dramatic" decline was most pronounced in the Amazon, a rainforest so vast that it stores the equivalent of around 20 years of emissions of carbon dioxide.

Researchers said this coincided with the first year of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who vowed to defend the Amazon and restore forest protections after former leader Jair Bolsonaro revoked environmental safeguards.

There were disparities across the country, however, with a very clear improvement in the Amazon but a deterioration in the Cerrado, the heartland of Brazil's agriculture industry.


In Colombia, where President Gustavo Petro has been trying to negotiate peace with armed groups, there was a roughly 50 percent decline in forest lost in a year.

Forest conservation was an "explicit goal" of these peace talks, Weisse said.

- Off track -


"The 2023 data shows that countries can cut rates of forest loss when they muster the political will to do so. But we also know that progress can be reversed when political winds change," said Rod Taylor, global director of forests at WRI.

By contrast, forest losses hit a record high for a third year running in Bolivia, in part due to the conversion of land for its growing soy industry.

Agriculture also played a major role in sharp increases in forest destruction in Laos -- where land is under pressure due to investments and demand from China -- and Nicaragua, researchers said.


The Democratic Republic of Congo -- home to the enormous Congo Basin, which absorbs more carbon than it releases -- lost more than half a million hectares of primary forest for another year in a row.

Outside the tropics, wildfires caused immense losses of forest, particularly in Canada which experienced record-breaking blazes.

Taylor said this was the second year of full annual data on forest loss since more than 140 countries agreed at the COP26 climate summit to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030.


But deforestation in 2023 was almost 2 million hectares above the level needed to meet this target by the end of the decade, said Taylor.

"Are we on track to halt deforestation by 2030? The short answer? No... we are far off track and trending in the wrong direction," he said

KCK Ecology Committee: 4 April is a call for environmental struggle

Öcalan is conducting the greatest struggle against the powers of capitalist modernity, said the KCK Ecology Committee.

ÖCALAN'S BIRTHDAY

ANF
BEHDINAN
Thursday, 4 April 2024

The KCK Ecology Committee issued a statement to mark Abdullah Öcalan's 75th birthday and called for "an ecological struggle."

The statement said: "We celebrate the 75th birthday of Rêber Apo [Abdullah Öcalan], who offered the peoples of Kurdistan and the world the opportunity to participate in this gallant struggle and paved the way for a new, free and ecological life.

Rêber Apo, who turned the fate of the Kurdish people around, has redefined the past half-century with the struggle for freedom which he spearheaded in the leadership of the PKK. In his 75 years of life, he fitted a struggle which, otherwise, would have only developed in decades. With his thought and philosophy – all of which are dedicated to freedom – he continues to effect millions of people. The most concrete example of this can be seen in today’s situation of the Kurdish people."

The statement added: "With the guidance of Rêber Apo, the people of Kurdistan rose from their ashes and recreated themselves. With the conspiracy and solitary confinement imposed on Rêber Apo, the objective of the forces behind the international conspiracy and the fascist AKP-MHP administration is to prevent his thoughts from reaching the people. Yet, Rêber Apo took every opportunity, despite the brutal conditions of the Imrali island-prison, to deepen and share his knowledge. The prison writings he prepared and the paradigm he established during the 25-year Imrali period appeals not only to Kurds; they are of global significance. He disabled the conspiratorial forces from achieving their aim; he has fulfilled his duties and responsibilities, and done much more than what one could imagine. He was appointed by the people themselves as a leader, to which he responded with extraordinary hard work and a great struggle. He formulated a new paradigm of democracy, ecology and women’s freedom and presented it to the entire human race.

Rêber Apo is conducting the greatest struggle against the powers of capitalist modernity, who continue to threaten the future of humanity every day via exploitation and immoral practices."

The statement continued: "In the face of the ecological catastrophe brought about by capitalist forces and the estrangement between humanity and the natural world, Rêber Apo chooses to celebrate his birthday by planting trees as a way to meet and connect with the land. In this way, he criticizes and shows an alternative to the consumerist lifestyle fostered by capitalist modernity. Rêber Apo refuses to monopolize any of his accomplishments; instead, he credits humanity, the Kurdish people, and the independence cause.

Only by accepting the ecological paradigm can the new life that Rêber Apo envisioned - a restoration to social ecology - be realized. As a result, April 4 should be celebrated by preserving the land, the water, and the trees that are under constant threat from capitalist modernity, as well as by fostering ecological solidarity while creating new parks, gardens, and habitats for the members of our planet. The “tree of life” tradition, as the tradition which is practiced in Kurdistan and many other regions of the world called, must be implemented more popularly. Taking steps to meet the soil and planting a tree, is the most meaningful way to celebrate April 4."

The statement underlined that "under the principles developed by Rêber Apo, we share a distinctive heritage of struggle, ideology, perspective, and organization that holds the prospect of a new and alternative ecological movement. Thus, in the paradigm he offered as a remedy, Rêber Apo emphasized the importance of connecting the women’s liberation movement to the ecological revolution. He described all the work carried out in the name of ecology, as the work of legends. He also stated that the 21st century is the century of women. Thus, the twenty-first century – which we approach with the objective of bringing about a women’s revolution – should also be a century in which the ecological revolution gains the support it deserves. We call on all parts of society to develop the ecological struggle, to establish Rêber Apo’s paradigm for an ecological and free life; for a life which is friend to nature and where the most beautiful values meet under the ideology of Jin, Jîyan, Azadî."

KCK: Let’s raise the struggle for Öcalan’s physical freedom

KCK stated that the birth of Abdullah Öcalan marks a new era, a new opportunity for Kurdistan as it gave the Kurdish people the chance to rediscover and embrace their own identity and connect with their historical roots.

ANF
BEHDINAN
Thursday, 4 April 2024, 14:00

The Co-Presidency of the KCK (Kurdistan Communities Union) Executive Council released a statement on the occasion of Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan’s 75th birthday on 4 April.

KCK pointed out that the birth of Öcalan marks a new era, a new opportunity for Kurdistan. “It gave the Kurdish people the chance to rediscover and embrace their own identity and connect with their historical roots. The eyes of the Kurds were reopened to an existence as honorable as their historical identity. The Kurdish people regained their rightful place among humanity as a dignified people."

The KCK statement released on Thursday includes the following:

“For many years, our people have celebrated April 4th with great joy and enthusiasm. The Kurdish people, especially women, add strong spiritual meaning to April 4th, the birthday of Rêber Apo (Leader Abdullah Öcalan). After gloomy winter months, the Kurdish people recapture apricity on this day as it resembles the moment drylands meet with torrential streams. It is a time of rejoice for the Kurdish people. It is the miracle of existence and freedom, found on the edges of unforgiving cliffs.

Kurds embrace April 4th as the day of their rebirth. They consider it to be their own birthday. Before 4 April, the future was a picture of bleakness for Kurds living under the policy of denial and annihilation by the colonialist genocidal system. All that was left to face, was a full-scale campaign of genocide. This atrocity had reduced the entire Kurdish identity to a biological dissimilarity. It represented neither living nor death, just a doomed Kurdish society experiencing whatever is worse than mortality. The circumstances of the Kurds were no different to being buried alive. Thus, the birth of Rêber Apo on April 4 was the harbinger and omen of the resurrection of a people who had been buried alive under a system of denial and annihilation.

The birth of Rêber Apo marks a new era, a new opportunity for Kurdistan. It gave the Kurdish people the chance to rediscover and embrace their own identity and connect with their historical roots. The eyes of the Kurds were reopened to an existence as honorable as their historical identity. The Kurdish people regained their rightful place among humanity as a dignified people. Despite our people being subjected to unimaginable agony and horrifying acts of genocide, they continue to strive for their goals, whatever the cost may be. Because our people understand and believe that the only road to salvation passes through Rêber Apo’s thoughts and philosophy. For Rêber Apo consistently turns agony and anguish into a source of beauty and puts it in the service of the freedom struggle.

The spirit which Rêber Apo encouraged within the Kurdish people flourished into a spirit of independence and democracy as it led to solidarity and fraternity at an international level. With the awareness and struggle developed by Rêber Apo, the already rich and multicultural land of Kurdistan and that of the Middle East were reconnected to their honorable essence. Despite all the subjugation and repression campaigns of the nation-state system, the unity between the peoples and cultures of the Middle East was secured again. It is an important development for humanity that the identities and cultures of Kurdistan and the Middle East are starting to coexist once again on the basis of fraternity. This development can be attributed to Rêber Apo’s democratic and communal paradigm, which opposes nationalism, racism, and misogyny. Put otherwise, Apoist philosophy is one devoid of any form of racism, nationalism, or sexism.

The Women’s Freedom thesis by Rêber Apo shines new light on the path of the freedom struggle of Kurdish women. There are very significant advances in Kurdistan and the Middle East as a result of the freedom struggle waged by Kurdish women. The strong will demonstrated by Kurdish women in the social, political, and military arenas is contributing to a significant awakening and awareness across Kurdistan as well as the neighbouring communities. This is now taking the form of an inevitable development. This conscious, intelligent, and inquiring resolve for women’s freedom cannot be silenced by any state authority. The most striking example of this is the resilient, unwavering, and strong position taken by Kurdish women against the misogynistic practices of the fascist, colonialist, homicidal AKP-MHP rule in Turkey. Once more, we witness it in Rojava through the women’s fight against ISIS gangs, who are the enemy of humanity. Again, the slogan “Jin Jiyan Azadî” echoing throughout Rojhilat (the part of Kurdistan under Iran’s control) is the voice of women rising up. As a result, the Kurdish women’s resistance – made possible by Rêber Apo’s awareness and influence – is the most remarkable condemnation of the violent, rapist capitalist system.

Rêber Apo’s ideas about democracy, ecology, and women’s freedom went beyond the borders of Kurdistan and took on universal dimensions. As his words and ideas spread throughout the world, he gets more and more support from emancipatory people. Because there is no trace of nationalism, racism, fascism, sexism, injustice, or immorality in Rêber Apo’s philosophy. Today, to stand up for Rêber Apo means to oppose capitalism; it means to stand up against racism, nationalism, male dominance, and anti-ecology ideologies destroying our environment. To stand with Rêber Apo means to be in favor of democratic socialism, to be anti-capitalist, to be in favor of women’s freedom, of democracy, and of ecology.

This year’s Newroz was regarded by our people as the Newroz for the physical freedom of the Leader. Our people made their demand for Rêber Apo’s freedom clear with an unwavering stance on the matter. They made it very evident that the Kurdish people’s top priority is to secure Rêber Apo’s freedom and that this is an urgent demand that could not be delayed. The resolute and determined attitude our people demonstrated at Newroz turned into a strong political will in the recent municipal elections. Our people stunned the fascist, genocidal, colonialist AKP-MHP administration. We are proud of our people for their democratic perspective which they demonstrated during Newroz and expressed during the local elections. We reaffirm our conviction that, in the face of the thieving, usurping, and trustee-appointing fascist regime, our people will keep acting with the same steadfast determination and defend their will to the very end. They will refuse to give up their municipalities.

The political attitude of our people, their enthusiasm, determination, and strong will, as reflected in the Newroz celebrations and local elections, will become more structured and active during 2024.

As the Freedom Movement, we will continue to put the fight against the isolation and solitary confinement of Rêber Apo at the center of all our struggle. We will guarantee his physical freedom. Based on this, we urge all of our patriotic people and their friends, particularly women and young people, to intensify the fight for Rêber Apo’s physical freedom and the lifting of his total isolation, to become more organized, and to make their acts more potent.”

 

 

Peace in Kurdistan: Solidarity greetings to Abdullah Öcalan on his 75th birthday



ÖCALAN'S BIRTHDAY
ANF
LONDON
Thursday, 4 April 2024, 

The Peace in Kurdistan Campaign issued a statement to extend solidarity greetings to Abdullah Öcalan on his birthday.

The statement said that "the Kurdish leader’s ideas are still urgent and topical, and he will be forever associated in our minds with youth because it is his ideas that so much inspire the young, the Kurdish youth in particular who have been inspired by Öcalan like no other.

Abdullah Öcalan is never simply to be seen as an abstract symbol of hope for the Kurds or as only the catalyst for Kurdish aspirations of liberation. Öcalan is a living human being, who has endured a third of his life behind bars, kept out of the sight of everyone, removed from his family and intimate friends, as well as from all those who consider themselves to be his supporters."

The statement added: "Just as his capture and sentencing were political acts all those 25 years ago, Öcalan’s continued imprisonment today after a quarter of a century remains a deeply political imposition. As such, his release would also become an important political action or message. It would be a positive sign for the country that holds him, as it would inform the world that Turkey is changing, that it is bent on resolving the conflict that drags it down and that tarnishes its image. Abdullah Öcalan’s release would mark an important historic step on the way towards reconciliation between Turk and Kurd, and it would offer an opportunity for settling the differences once and for all.

Öcalan still has a vital contribution to make as the unchallenged leader of the Kurdish people inside Turkey, whose status and authority as a political figure surpasses that of most others. Unlike those who have held high offices of state, Abdullah Öcalan has always been in touch with the people as head of a mass national movement and is regarded as a man of the people."

The statement continued: "From its origins as a traditional leftwing political movement operating under conditions of war and state oppression, the Kurdish national movement founded by Abdullah Öcalan has grown into a mass social movement that transcends national boundaries and has built its own institutions at all social levels and in different areas, extending its organisation of the people through enabling their own involvement and channelling their own talents.

Öcalan has above all been an educator who has taught the Kurds the value of understanding their own history and being true to their own identity as a people. He has taught his followers that the power lies within themselves and that they can draw upon their own talents to achieve results through political organisation and achieve results that might have seemed beyond their reach had Öcalan not provided that initial leadership."

Peace in Kurdistan said: "Abdullah Öcalan’s persisting influence arises from his ability to build a mass popular community based movement across the region as it represents undeniably the true will and genuine aspirations of a people too long denied recognition and representation in their own land.

Despite 25 years removal from public view, Öcalan is still very much with us all. He guides the Kurdish movement and continues to shape the thinking of new generations. Ocalan is impossible to eradicate despite all the efforts of the Turkish state to do just that, efforts that have included unnecessary cruelty inflicted on him, like restricting personal and family visits and obstructing all communication with the outside world."

The statement added: "The Turkish mistreatment of their single most important prisoner and their response to the possibility of his communicating with the outside world indicates that he remains a force with which to be reckoned. It is as if the Turkish state itself lives in utter dread of just one word of Öcalan escaping its captivity and thereby taking flight. And in this perception they may well be right. His words certainly would take flight within the hearts and minds of his millions of supporters who eagerly await such a prospect.

Only a few days before Abdullah Öcalan marked his 75th birthday alone in his prison cell, President Erdoğan and the AKP suffered a huge humiliating defeat in the country’s local elections, where in towns and cities around the country opposition parties, including Kurdish parties, made impressive gains. These results are signs that real change within Turkey is growing unstoppable. The scale of Erdoğan’s defeat surprised many and the outcome indicates that Erdoğan’s long grip on power is weakening.

This opens up scope for change in the state’s approach to the Kurds, which has been all about repressive measures and military action. The renewed prospects of positive developments for the Kurds in coming weeks and months is the best news that Abdullah Öcalan could hear and the best gift that he could ever receive. The possibility that one day he will be free is not beyond hope."

Peace in Kurdistan concluded by saying: "On Öcalan’s reaching this landmark birthday of 75 years, Peace in Kurdistan sends warmest heartfelt greetings of solidarity and friendship to him and to the Kurdish people. This day is an occasion to renew the commitment to redouble efforts to resolve the Kurdish problem and to grasp the emerging opportunities for peace.

We restate our demand for the immediate freedom of Abdullah Öcalan and all political prisoners as a vital prerequisite for achieving an enduring reconciliation between the Turkish state and the Kurds, which is absolutely vital for all their futures."

Freedom Shall Prevail, a graphic novel to celebrate Abdullah Öcalan's birthday

Freedom Shall Prevail: The Struggle of Abdullah Öcalan and the Kurdish People is a graphic novel published today to mark Abdullah Öcalan's birthday.


ANF
BERLIN
Thursday, 4 April 2024

Freedom Shall Prevail: The Struggle of Abdullah Öcalan and the Kurdish People is the first graphic novel to explore the life and struggle of Abdullah Öcalan.

The book will be first published in German, Kurdish and Turkish today to mark Öcalan’s 75th birthday. A gala will take place in Berlin. Reimar Heider, who translated many books of Kurdish People's Leader Öcalan into German, politician Hatip Dicle, Estella Schmid, comic book writer Sean Michael Wilson, politician Jörn Essig-Gutschmidt, politician Dilek Öcalan, Andrej Grubacic, Meyman publishing house representative Hasan Kanireş, Sinn Féin European representative Martina Anderson, Paul Kavanagh and artist Rotinda will take part in the book launch.

The English version of the book can be preordered here both as a paperback and as an e-book.

The book is written by Sean Michael Wilson, an award-winning graphic novelist from Scotland who lives in Japan, and illustrated by Keko, a Kurdish graphic artist who lives in Spain.

Paul Buhle, professor and comics historian, said: "A timely and important graphic novel, scripted by veteran Sean Michael Wilson and wonderfully illustrated by Kurdish artist Keko, captures the life and importance of one of the most intriguing figures on the world stage. From Marxist and anarchist, leader and martyr to persecution. Öcalan is seen here across his life. This is a fine and revealing work about the Kurds, the Middle East, and the struggles before us."

KURDISTAN (TURKIYE)

Van co-mayor Zeydan: No one will even think of usurping your will anymore

Speaking in Van on Wednesday night, co-mayor Abdullah Zeydan said: "No one will even think of usurping your will anymore."


ANF
VAN
Thursday, 4 April 2024, 08:33

After the decision of the Supreme Electoral Board (YSK) to reinstate the Metropolitan Municipality co-mayor of the People's Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), Abdullah Zeydan, some one hundred thousand people flocked to Musa Anter Park to celebrate Van's victory.

They will never find the courage to usurp the people’s will again

Van Metropolitan Municipality co-mayor Neslihan Şedal said: “This victory, this resistance is yours, congratulations. After this resistance, who would dare to usurp our will, who would dare to usurp our institutions? You have been displaying great resistance for two days. The winners of this resistance were women and young people. Never again will anyone find the courage to usurp this will. This resistance was not just about winning the municipality. This resistance is a great gift to our friends in prison. This success is also their success. The winner was the spirit of the youth, the winner was the spirit of 'jin, jiyan, azadi'. "We resisted very hard and tomorrow we will clean our streets from the trustee's garbage."



Zeydan: you showed how the Kurdish people have honor

Van Metropolitan Municipality co-mayor Abdullah Zeydan said: “Van is a place of honour and dignity. How happy we are that we are the children of honorable people like you. We said something to the vultures who wanted to collapse against the will of the people in this square. Our people protected their honor and will against all attacks. We said that we would not sacrifice your honor to these vultures. You showed how honorable the Kurdish people are, despite all the pressure, despite all the dirty relationships, despite the promises of money. You gave your message to the whole world by winning 14 out of 14 municipalities. Despite the vultures, you revived the hopes of freedom between those four walls of our comrades, Demirtaş, Kışanak, Yüksekdağlar, Bekir Kayalar, Nazmi Gür, who have been on hunger strike for 125 days in the prisoons today. From now on, no one will even think of usurping your will. We salute and thank you for your honorable resistance. Now is the time to serve."

Abdullah Zeydan of DEM Party reinstated as mayor of Van

The resistance from all over Turkey, especially in Kurdistan, yielded results. The Supreme Electoral Board (YSK) gave the certificate of election to the elected DEM Party Metropolitan Municipality Co-Mayor Abdullah Zeydan.


ANF
VAN
Wednesday, 3 April 2024

As a result of the resistance of the Kurdish people, their friends and democratic public opinion, the Supreme Electoral Board (YSK) was forced to return the certificate of election unlawfully granted to the AKP candidate to the democratically elected Metropolitan Municipality Co-Mayor Abdullah Zeydan of the DEM Party.

The DEM Party filed an objection to the YSK against the Provincial Election Board's decision to give the certificate of election to the AKP candidate. The YSK, which took the objection on its agenda today, decided to return the certificate of election to Zeydan.

Abdullah Zeydan commented on the YSK decision, saying, "We have been given back the certificate of election that we are entitled to. We salute the support and will of our people. We bow with respect in front of this upright stance and struggle of our people."

Background

The Peoples’ Democracy and Equality Party (DEM Party) achieved a historic victory in the local elections held on March 31, 2024, in Van. The people of Van province entrusted all fourteen municipalities, including the Metropolitan Municipality, to the DEM Party, establishing it as the leading party in the Provincial General Assembly by a significant margin. In the Metropolitan Municipality, where the DEM Party received 55% of the vote and the AKP just 27%, elected DEM Party Co-Mayor of Van Metropolitan Municipality, Abdullah Zeydan, has been denied office and replaced by the AKP candidate.

The illegal action against Zeydan was taken despite the fact that he completed all requisite legal procedures and successfully secured candidacy approval from the Supreme Election Board (YSK) after rigorous scrutiny. He garnered substantial support from the people of Van and was duly elected together with Neslihan Şedal.

However, merely five minutes before the close of business on Friday, March 29, 2024, and a mere two days before the election, the Ministry of Justice, via an administrative decision and correspondence, contested the legal credentials of Zeydan, who had been restored his full civil rights by a court decision when released from prison in 2022. Following Friday’s administrative decision and objection letter, which was essentially a directive, the authorized prosecutor's office resubmitted the matter to the court that had issued the decision to restore his civil rights two years ago. That same day, the court revoked their own previous decision and dismissed Zeydan’s civil rights application; and they pre-emptively informed the YSK prior to the formalisation of their new reversed decision, thus curtailing the right to object and appeal.

The very court that had initially ruled in favor of restoring the civil rights of Abdullah Zeydan reversed its decision.

The unlawful action against Zeydan was met with protests, starting from Van and spreading to the entire Kurdish region. People have been taking to the streets for two days in protest at the usurpation of the will of the people of Van. In addition to the Kurdish politics and population, democratic circles from Turkey and abroad also expressed their support for Zeydan against attempts to deny the will of the Kurdish voter

Resistance in Van: We will continue our struggle until we get results

Speaking in Van, Tuncer Bakırhan appealed to the government, saying, “As long as you usurp the will of this people, you are doomed to lose,” Tülay Hatimoğulları said that they would continue their struggle until the return of their mandate.

ANF
VAN
Wednesday, 3 April 2024

Protests continue in the Kurdish province of Van where the democratically elected co-mayor of the DEM Party was stripped of his civil rights by order of the Turkish government and unlawfully replaced by the AKP candidate.

The Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) held its Central Executive Committee (MYK) meeting at the Confederation of Public Employees' Trade Unions (KESK) building in Van. After the meeting, a march started in in the city centre. Tens of thousands of people participated in the march and frequently chanted slogans such as "Abdullah Zeydan is our honour", "We will win by resisting" and "Rights, law, justice". After the march, a statement was made at Feqiyê Teyran Park.

Addressing the people here, DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan said, "As I said before, Van is the heart of the Kurds and Kurdistan. Van, with its honourable stance, has given the answer that the Kurdish demands for freedom and democracy cannot be eliminated by oppression, persecution and trustee system, on Newroz Day, in the elections and today in this field. We feel honoured whenever and wherever we hear Van's name. Those who appointed trustees to our will for two terms are now trying to usurp the will of the people of Van again with a conspiracy, political and judicial coup. We will not allow this. Neither their political coups nor their judicial coups will succeed as long as you stand together here with honour despite all the pressure, batons, guns and pepper gas. We promise you that we will protect all the 14 municipalities we have won here."

Bakırhan emphasised that no one can usurp the will of the people of Van and continued his speech as follows: "The calculations made in Ankara, in those dark depths, are doomed to be shattered by hitting the Newroz field and the Castle in Van. They think that we will swallow this injustice. We call on them to deliver the mandate to the people of Van. I would like to appeal to the YSK (Supreme Election Board); do not be an instrument to this political coup. You authorised Abdullah Zeydan with your own hand and approved his candidacy. Now stand by your decision. Please do not remain under the pressure of the government, which has received the necessary response from the people of Turkey in this election. I hope and wish that you will not ignore the will of this people.”

Bakırhan further stated the following: “Another call is for the AKP candidate. If you are Kurdish, if you are a human being, if you are a believer, if you are a person of this land, do not let yourself be deceived. Do not accept the mandate. Tomorrow you will have to lower your head when you walk among the people of Van, on the streets of Van. Do not stand by the AKP-MHP government that will usurp the will of this people. Kurdish people are honourable. They do not forget those who do good, those who do right and those who are not a tool of conspiracy games. If you want to live with your people in your own region with a conscience, honourably and with your head held high, do not lay hands on to the mayor’s office, which is the right of Abdullah Zeydan and Neslihan Şedal.

The election in Van is being discussed all over Turkey. For the first time, Turkey has formed a great alliance against this unjust and unlawful decision against Van. We convey our thanks to the political parties, leaders, democratic mass organisations, labour and professional organisations who embrace Van and stand behind the will of the people of Van. Be sure that for the first time, the labourers and oppressed people of Turkey are in solidarity with the people of Van in a strong way. Do not worry, you are not alone. The labourers and the poor all over Turkey are with you. Once again, I call out to the AKP government; as long as you usurp the will of this people, you are doomed to lose. On 31 March, you lost. Turn from this wrong path, this is not a right path. It will lead nowhere. Your miscalculations have disappeared here today as they did yesterday."

Speaking after, DEM Party Co-Chair Tülay Hatimoğulları stated the following "While we are speaking here, we are addressing not only you but also 85 million people living in Turkey. The YSK, which approved the candidacy of Abdullah Zeydan, reported a problem with his candidacy 48 hours before the elections, 5 hours before 17.00 on Friday, and this problem is communicated to the AKP and AKP's candidate before it is communicated to the DEM Party. They plotted against us while the elections were still taking place. However, you will foil their conspiracy. We appeal to the YSK; the Provincial Electoral Board has taken this decision with a 2 to 1 vote, that is, with an annotation. This morning, our esteemed lawyers and party officials conducted a study and submitted a very broad objection to the YSK. Until this objection is officially finalised, until our objection is accepted, the DEM Party will continue to put forward a democratic struggle in the strongest way together with our people and continue this struggle until Abdullah mayor is given his mandate. We held our MYK meeting here in Van today. All of our MYK group, our Party Assembly, and a significant majority of our MPs will remain in Van until this decision is approved positively. We will carry out this struggle together with the people of Van."

After the statement, thousands of people marched towards Van Courthouse where the Provincial Election Board is located.

The police once again attacked the people as they marched along the Maraş Street in the city centre shouting slogans.

Anti-riot vehicles, gas bombs and rubber bullets were used in the attack and MPs were also targeted. While the public was seriously affected by the intensive use of gas, many protesters were subjected to police violence. Clashes spread to all side streets.

KNK: Stop Erdogan’s coup in Van and stand up for democracy

Today is the day of solidarity, said the KNK, calling on members of national parliaments, governments, trade unions, civil society organizations, bar associations and political parties to take a stand against flagrant lawlessness.

ANF
NEWS DESK
Wednesday, 3 April 2024

Kurdish politician Abdullah Zeydan, who ran as co-mayor with Neslihan Şedal for the DEM party and won the election with a large majority, was stripped of his civil rights by order of the Turkish government and replaced by the AKP candidate who was given the certificate of appointment as mayor. The protests in Van and many other cities against the appointment of AKP candidate Abdulahat Arvas as mayor continue.

The Executive Council of the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) released a statement calling for solidarity against the Erdoğan regime’s flagrant lawlessness that ignores the will of the people.

Noting that the Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party achieved a significant victory in the local elections held in Turkey on March 31, 2024, KNK said that the DEM Party’s electoral strategy, in which its voters supported opposition CHP candidates, prevented Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling AKP-MHP alliance from winning the municipalities of major cities like Istanbul and Ankara. The DEM Party itself won 81 municipalities in Kurdistan.

The result in Van province stood out. DEM Party candidates won the Van Metropolitan Municipality and all fourteen district municipalities. The DEM candidate for Van Metropolitan Municipality, Mr Abdullah Zeydan, won 55.5% of the vote. The AKP candidate came in a distant second with just 27.2% of the vote. However, per the Justice Ministry’s order, the Van Provincial Election Board ruled on April 2 to hand the “certificate of election,” a document that signifies the elected candidate’s right to govern, to the second-place AKP candidate.

“The legal reasoning behind this move was extremely faulty. Mr. Zeydan applied on time, received his appeal documents, finalized the restitution of his divested rights, and campaigned for months. It is obvious that this is a political attack on the right of voters in Van to choose their representatives and has nothing to do with the law,” said the KNK statement, which further included the following:

“The Erdoğan regime has now trampled on the will of the Kurdish people and the voters of Van for the third time in the past 10 years. It is well past time for the dictatorial practices of the fascist AKP-MHP regime to come to an end.

The Kurdish people and their allies are on the front lines of the global fight for democracy today. The international community must not let them do so alone. Standing together with the DEM Party against this coup can help move Turkey towards democracy and will signal to autocrats everywhere that stealing elections has consequences.

The UN, the Council of Europe and the EU, of which Turkey wants to become a member, must support the Kurdish people and the principles of democracy in Turkey against Erdoğan’s authoritarianism. They must not waste time in taking action. There have been frightening signs since yesterday that special paramilitary units are being deployed in Kurdistan to prevent the Kurds from standing up for their democracy and their fundamental civil rights. These units were responsible for thousands of assassinations and disappearances of Kurdish politicians, activists, and civil society leaders in Kurdistan in the 1980s and 1990s. Curfews and travel bans are being imposed to prevent information from coming out of the region. We fear that they may return to such tactics again.”

The statement concluded: “We call on members of national parliaments, governments, trade unions, civil society organizations, bar associations and political parties: Today is the day of solidarity. Please take a stand against the Erdogan regime’s flagrant lawlessness that ignores the will of the people. Democratic societies must stand together with the DEM Party, Kurdish voters, and all defenders of democracy in Turkey and Kurdistan.”

Venezuela's Maduro accuses U.S. of building 'secret' bases in disputed region Essequibo

Agence France-Presse
April 4, 2024

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (Agence France-Presse/Federico Parra)

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday accused the United States of building "secret military bases" in Essequibo, an oil-rich region of Guyana that Caracas claims as its territory.

"We have information proving that in the territory of Guyana Essequibo, temporarily administered by Guyana, secret military bases of the (US) Southern Command... a body of the CIA, have been installed," Maduro said.

He said the bases are an "aggression" against the people of southern and eastern Venezuela and were built "to prepare for an escalation against Venezuela."

Maduro's provocative remarks came as parliament held a ceremony commemorating a recent law laying out the defense of Guyana Essequibo, four months after a controversial, non-binding referendum overwhelmingly approved the creation of a Venezuelan province in the disputed region, sparking fears of a military conflict.

He also claimed that his counterpart, President Irfaan Ali, "does not govern Guyana" and that "Guyana is governed by the Southern Command, the CIA and ExxonMobil."

Southern Command, part of the Department of Defense, maintains a US Security Cooperation Office in Guyana.

The office serves as a military consultant to the Guyana Defense Force, coordinating "security cooperation engagement activities" and providing military support and training.

The dispute over Essequibo -- which makes up about two-thirds of Guyana's territory and has been administered by Guyana for more than a century -- intensified in 2015 after the discovery of oil deposits by US-based energy giant ExxonMobil.

Tensions soared after December's referendum. Days later, US forces held joint US-Guyana military exercises.


Both countries pledged last year not to use force to settle the border dispute, which is currently before the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

(AFP)

CRIMINAL CAPITLI$M

500 Indian And Sri Lankan Maids Duped In Singapore In 2023 - Here's how it happened?

 By Saumya Joshi | Published: Thursday, April 4, 2024

 In 2023, Singapore witnessed a surge in scam cases, reaching a record high, as disclosed by Home Minister K Shanmugam. These scams predominantly targeted migrants, with an 18 percent rise in reported cases, particularly affecting individuals from India and Sri Lanka. 

The police reported a total of 46,563 scam incidents, resulting in a loss of SGD 651.8 million, marking the highest number of scam cases since tracking began in 2016. Among the victims were approximately 500 foreign maids from South Asian nations, primarily India, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar, who migrate to Singapore seeking better job opportunities, higher wages, and a stable socio-economic environment.

 Maid from Myanmar Falls Victim to Scam via Viber Messaging App in 2020 

In 2020, a maid from Myanmar found herself targeted through the messaging application Viber, where she was contacted by an individual claiming to be a bank staff member. The imposter requested her personal details under the guise of "updating" her ATM card. Unbeknownst to her, approximately SGD2,600 was withdrawn from her account, leaving her with only SGD45. Fortunately, she was able to recover SGD1,700 from the bank, according to a report by a Singaporean newspaper. 

Government Measures to Combat Scam Spike and Protect Migrant Workers Measures to prevent the surge in scams and safeguard migrant workers are being implemented by the government. 

When asked about tracking the number of affected workers and preventive actions, Minister Shanmugam assured that efforts are underway to raise awareness and provide training to workers to recognize and avoid scams. 

The police had previously noted that foreign maids were primarily targeted by phishing, Internet love, and loan scams in 2021. 

Under the Ministry of Manpower's mandatory settling-in program, workers are required to adopt self-protection measures against scams. Additionally, authorities conduct regular anti-scam education initiatives to keep workers informed about the latest scam trends and empower them to advocate for scam prevention within their communities. 

The annual scam statistics for 2023 reveal that Singaporeans have incurred losses exceeding $2.3 billion since 2019. To mitigate the impact of financial scams, efforts are focused not only on educating workers but also on implementing the Domestic Guardians Programme. This program trains migrant domestic workers on preventing common crimes like housebreaking, trespassing, and abuse.

Javier’s Milei’s Amputation Regime for Argentina

The country’s new president has imposed a set of brutal austerity measures as part of a so-called “chainsaw plan.” The carnage is already mounting.

JACOB SUGARMAN
THE NATION

Javier Milei, Argentina’s new president, lifts a chainsaw during an election rally on September 25, 2023, in Buenos Aires.(Photo by Tomas Cuesta / Getty Images)

BUENOS AIRES—The crowd marches languorously down Diagonal Norte toward Argentina’s presidential palace bearing a series of cardboard characters painted a metallic grey. Together, they spell out the phrase “Son 30,000”—the estimated number of people who were killed or forcibly disappeared during the US-backed dictatorship that ruled from 1976 to 1983.

It’s just after noon on March 24, the country’s Day of Memory for Truth and Justice, and hundreds of thousands have taken to the street to commemorate the victims of the Argentine junta and declare “nunca más” (never again). But this year’s march is uniquely fraught. In November, Argentina elected economist and television personality cum politician Javier Milei—a self-styled anarcho-capitalist who openly denies the junta’s crimes.

Earlier that morning, while demonstrators flooded Plaza de Mayo outside, the Casa Rosada released a nearly 13-minute video on X, formerly Twitter, providing a “complete” accounting of the period, with testimonials accusing left-wing guerilla groups of acts of terror. Six days before, the human rights organization HIJOS (Hijos por la Identidad y la Justicia contra el Olvido y el Silencio—“Children for Identity and Justice against Forgetting and Silence” ) published a statement announcing that one of its members had been bound and sexually assaulted, and that her assailants had spray-painted the letters “VLLC” on the wall of her home. (Milei’s personal slogan is “Viva La Libertad Carajo,” or “Long Live Freedom Dammit.”)

“He’s an idiot,” said Beatriz Conde, a 73-year-old retiree from nearby Avellaneda. “I should apologize to the idiots, poor things. Milei is worse. He has no heart. He’s garbage.”

Conde noted that she’s been unable to survive on her pension, whose value has plummeted since Milei took office in December. She has also struggled to secure her prescription medication, which is in increasingly short supply.

“I’m here because the country is collapsing, and this guy is going to be the death of its elderly,” she continued.

Francisco Manterola, a 32-year-old history teacher from Buenos Aires, was similarly concerned that his country was careening toward catastrophe. Manterola, who had dressed his 6-month-old daughter in a white handkerchief like those worn by the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo, said that he was afraid of losing his job as an archivist at the Ministry of the Interior—one of four he’s currently working to make ends meet.

“We hope it doesn’t happen, but they’re firing people indiscriminately,” he said. “We’re nothing more than numbers on an Excel spreadsheet to this government.”

In late February, Milei appeared at the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, to take his victory lap after defeating former economy minister Sergio Massa in Argentina’s runoff presidential election. There, he gave a bear hug to a diffident Donald Trump and delivered a jeremiad against the perils of socialism to a half empty auditorium at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. Prior to that, he made a pilgrimage to Israel to express his support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s campaign in Gaza and detail his own plans to move Argentina’s embassy to West Jerusalem—an announcement he has since walked back.

In Argentina, however, things have grown increasingly dire. A 54 percent devaluation of the peso announced days after Milei entered the Casa Rosada, coupled with a 36.6 percent inflation rate for 2024 through February, has priced essential goods out of the reach of working families while driving thousands more into destitution. A recent report from the Argentine Catholic University’s Social Debt Observatory found that 57 percent of the country is now living below the poverty line—the country’s highest rate since 2004.

Although that figure cannot be laid at the feet of an administration that has only been in power since December, it’s clear that Milei’s so-called “chainsaw plan” is already creating carnage. In addition to removing subsidies for services like transportation, gas, and electricity, Milei has deregulated broad swaths of the Argentine economy via an 86-page executive order, lifting basic controls on supermarket prices and creating limitations on severance pay and maternity leave as part of a frontal assault on workers’ rights. (The Senate subsequently voted down a massive “omnibus bill” that would have endowed Milei with sweeping legislative authority.)

Despite the brutality of these measures, however, Milei has often appeared to delight in the outrage he’s engendered if not the harm he has inflicted. Speaking to a group of school children at his alma mater in the middle-class neighborhood of Villa Devoto in February, he joked about the size of a donkey’s genitalia while railing against public education and legalized abortion. Then, at this year’s International Economic Forum of the Americas in Buenos Aires in March, the Murray Rothbard acolyte made a crack about bureaucrats “fisting” the general public during a speech in which he boasted that his government had frozen 200,000 social welfare programs and fired 50,000 state workers, with plans to terminate the contracts of an additional 70,000.

Argentina doesn’t have a president so much as a troll in chief—a pickup-truck decal of the comic-strip kid Calvin peeing made flesh. (Indeed, Milei has threatened to “piss” on provincial governors who refuse to back his reforms.) And whether or not he ultimately succeeds at enacting his legislative agenda, an entire nation remains at his mercy.

“The government believes that it’s doing the dirty work now and that its austerity program will bear fruit later,” said Martin Burgos, an economist at the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences. “The question is whether the path that it has chosen is going to produce positive results, and there’s reason for skepticism. Monthly inflation hit 20.6 percent in January, and while it dipped to 13.2 percent in February, these numbers are ultimately unsustainable.”

The Milei administration has been quick to tout its success in achieving Argentina’s first monthly budget surpluses since 2012, but this “victory” has come at a steep human cost. A February report from the Argentine Institute of Fiscal Analysis found that roughly one-third of the country’s $2.7-trillion-peso (approximately $3.1 billion) reduction in public spending came from cuts in the form of government pension payments failing to keep pace with inflation. The reduction itself was the largest in 30 years.

“You have to look at how Argentina got here in the first place,” said Mark Weisbrot, codirector of the Center for Economic Policy Research. “In June 2018, Argentina took out a $57 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund, the IMF’s largest loan ever. In accordance with the agreement, the Mauricio Macri administration cut spending and raised interest rates in order to restore market confidence. Instead, these policies pushed the country into a recession and the borrowed money fled the country. The government then doubled down with more fiscal and monetary tightening and sank the economy even further, triggering an inflation-depreciation spiral.”

“Milei has so far made it worse,” Weisbrot continued. “Annual inflation has been more than 700 percent during his first three months, and the peso has fallen by more than half.”

Although the official value of the peso has dropped precipitously, the dollar has remained comparatively weak in the country’s black market, at least in part because so many Argentines have been converting their savings to pay for these exorbitant new costs. Burgos warns that if inflation continues apace, and Argentina grows more expensive in dollars as well, it could see a decrease in exports, which would further deplete reserves.

“A new devaluation would, in turn, generate more inflation, and the problems that we’ve been having would only be amplified, because the speed of these inflation increases will accelerate,” he added.

For the Argentine middle class, the crisis has already arrived. Cecilia Fanti, who opened a 65-square foot bookstore in 2017 and now runs two successful outlets in Buenos Aires, is fearful about the future of her business if the recession drags on for more than a year. Sales at Céspedes Libros were down 32 percent in February amid rampant inflation and increased production costs.

“Books are expensive,” Fanti told The Nation. “This is true all over the world, but an average book now costs 20,000 pesos (around $22), which is approximately 10 percent of a minimum monthly salary in Argentina. Who can afford that?”

Exacerbating matters, the Milei administration has already attempted to repeal a law protecting independent bookstores from supermarkets and other large retailers by ensuring their books must be sold at the same price. The demise of the “omnibus bill” has provided these shops with a reprieve of sorts, but there’s no guarantee Milei won’t strike the law down via executive order.

“This is a government of brutes,” said Fanti. “They don’t understand culture because they have no interest in culture. To them, it’s the stuff of communists and leftists. They want to deregulate books like they would any other product, for purely dogmatic reasons. But beyond questions of ideology, these people can’t comprehend that film and publishing are functioning industries that generate jobs and money.”

Last month, the Milei administration suspended operational funding for the National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts, citing its commitment to a “zero-deficit budget.” The reasoning behind the decision, which is expected to scuttle both domestic film productions and international film festivals, drew criticism from no less than France’s prestigious film magazine Cahiers du Cinema. Milei has similarly pledged to shut down the national wire service Télam—a move that would limit the public’s access to news around the country and put upwards of 700 journalists out of work.

One such journalist is Silvina Molina, the 56-year-old editor of the news agency’s Society section and its former Gender editor. Like the rest of her colleagues, she learned of Milei’s plans when he announced them during an address to Congress on March 1—mere hours after the government’s director of public media oversight, Diego Chaher, had assured staff that the agency’s finances were in order. That Monday, Molina was locked out of her office with a police unit guarding the entrance. Now, after 13 years at Télam, she is uncertain not only about her own future but how she’ll be able to care for her mother, who suffers from Alzheimer’s. In March, Molina learned that the monthly cost of her mother’s care would be increasing 150,000 pesos—or 43 percent.

“If you talk to my colleagues, you’ll hear plenty of stories like this,” she told The Nation. “The uncertainty is really difficult. Not knowing whether you have a job or whether you’ll be able to find work. It’s very distressing.”

Uncertainty and distress are perhaps the only constants for the residents of Villa 31, one of Buenos Aires’s most notorious slums. On the Saturday before Argentina’s national day of remembrance, Viviana Rodriguez’s soup kitchen is teeming with children between the ages of 5 and 10, with a few adults lingering outside the entrance. A cauldron of chicken and potato stew is bubbling on a gas stove in a narrow kitchen, and the sound of cumbia emanates softly from the space’s big-screen television. The kids occupy themselves with felt-tip markers and few bowls of cheese puffs while a rooster crows outside on a street named for the former first lady and populist icon Eva Perón.

Rodriguez, 53, has lived in Villa 31 for 35 years and operated the soup kitchen since 2018, offering a range of services from rudimentary healthcare to support for the victims of gender-based violence. But since Milei assumed office, she has been forced to cut the kitchen’s days of operation from three to one. As she tells it, there’s simply not enough food to go around.

“We’re not getting the goods we need,” she said. “We used to get assistance from the federal government. Now there’s nothing at all.”

Rodriguez, who is part of the social organization Movimiento Libres del Sur (Freemen of the South Movement), observed that while there were other soup kitchens in the area open during the week, each was completely overrun. Meanwhile, her calls to government officials had gone unanswered.

“What are we going to do?” she asked, surveying the intimate scene in front of her. “To tell you the truth, we’re in a real bad way.”

Just over 100 days into his first term, the pain from Milei’s brand of governance is only beginning.

Russia could pay off its entire external debt tomorrow, in cash

Russia's external debt fell to $326bn in February. Set against its $600bn in reserves, even counting out the $300bn of frozen CBR money, Russia could pay off its entire debt in cash tomorrow – the basis of Putin's Fiscal Fortress. / bne IntelliNews

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By Ben Aris in Berlin March 30, 2024

Russia external debt has been falling steadily and reached $326.6bn in December 2023, compared with $322.3bn in the previous quarter and $383.6bn at the end of 2022. It could pay the entire amount off tomorrow – in cash. (chart)

The Kremlin has been paying off its external debt. Low external debt means Russia doesn’t need to tap international capital markets so is not vulnerable to any sort of sanctions on bond issues, which are easy to apply and enforce.

Coupled with Russia’s strong current account surplus, which was up to $5.2bn in February from $4.5bn in January, thanks to high oil prices, Russia can fund itself easily on this profit. (chart)

At the same time gross international reserves have been rising and are now hovering around $600bn at the end of the first quarter. Half of these reserves are frozen. About $150bn are in monetary gold (up from $135bn pre-war) and the rest in yuan.

Even counting out the frozen funds, Russia can cover its external debt dollar for dollar with cash, whereas everyone in the West is massively leveraged, including the Ukraine where the debt-to-GDP ratio is almost at 100%.

It is these rock-solid fundamentals – no one else in world has even remotely similar metrics – which is the essence of Putin’s Fiscal Fortress. It is a ridiculously strong basis, which means even if the West manages to reduce Russia income from oil and gas exports, it will still have a massive amount of wiggle room.

And its ongoing commodity exports to the global south mean that it will continue to enjoy the raw materials subsidy for its economy. Because of their external debt (USA, Italy, much of G7, everyone in Africa and even China) everyone else is a lot more vulnerable to a global slow down. Russia is probably currently the least vulnerable on a macro fundamentals basis.

 

Russia’s external debt $bn

Russia’s current account $bn

Having said that, MinFin is increasingly turning to the OFZ domestic T-bill market to fund the deficit – expected to be RUB1.6 trillion year, down from RUB3.4 trillion last year, or 0.8% of GDP and 1.9% of GDP respectively.

Pre-war MinFin used to issue around RUB2 trillion (c$20bn) of OFZ a year, and most of them on a very long maturity of up to 20 years. Yields on these bonds were a hansom 6-7% and foreign investors poured in to buy billions of dollars’ worth.

Post-war of course those foreigners have left with non-rez share falling from a peak of c34% to c7% now. (chart) Moreover, the cost of this borrowing has gone up as yields have risen to c14%. So, this is relatively expensive borrowing.

Moreover, the volumes issued have gone up dramatically. In an underreported story Siluanov said at the start of last year MinFin planned to issue about RUB1.5 trillion of OFZ but ended up issuing RUB2.5 trillion. (It would have been more, but oil prices recovered in Q4).

The plan for this year, at the start of last year, was also for RUB1.5 trillion, but in December Siluanov was already talking about RUB4 trillion – that is almost double pre-war levels. And the $3-6bn of annual Eurobond issues has also obviously stopped.

The total outstanding OFZ has doubled to cRUB20 trillion (chart) since the pandemic started when Russia spent around 3% of GDP on economic relief (globally a very low level). You can see issues jumped again since the war started and total outstanding is now cRUB20 trillion (c$200bn). So, the debt situation is not quite as rosy as first appears.

Still, even $200bn worth of outstanding domestic debt is not bad at all. Firstly there is a pool of some RUB19 trillion of liquidity in the banking sector so again all this debt can be covered in cash by domestic resources.

Secondly, £200bn is about 10% of GDP, so even this borrowing is extremely modest by developed economy standards and easily managed.

Total volume of outstanding OFZ RUB bn

Sunni militant attack on security forces jolts Iran

By bne Tehran bureau April 4, 2024

At least three military bases in Iran’s south-eastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan have come under insurgent attacks in the early hours of April 4 security forces, with at least 11 security forces reported killed.

The Jaish ul-Adl militant group has claimed responsibility for the operations which led to the death of at least 15 of their members, according to Iranian officials in the latest of attacks on the country by the groups operating on the border with Pakistan.

The attacks targeted an Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) base in the city of Rask and two others in Chabahar.

The terrorists also entered residential buildings and took two hostages; images are now circulating in Iranian media of injuries, including children.

Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the IRGC ground force, said the attackers were all equipped with explosive vests, some of which blew up during the operations. He said sanitisation operations were underway and that the situation was under control in both cities.

Iranian mortalities included two members of Iran’s Law Enforcement Command, two border guards and seven members of the IRGC and popular mobilisation groups (Basij).

Jaish ul-Adl, a Sunni separatist militant organisation which was formed in 2012, is designated a terrorist organisation by Iran. The country has repeatedly claimed that Iran's enemies, including Israel, fund the group.

The group operates mainly in south-eastern Iran, which has long borders with Pakistan and has carried out multiple attacks against military personnel in Iran.

Its assault in December 2023 on a police station in the city of Rask, where 11 Iranian security personnel were killed and several others were wounded, was one of the deadliest in years in the region.

In 2023, at least three similar fatal attacks occurred in Sistan-Baluchestan province, which shares a border with Pakistan. These attacks were carried out by Jaish ul-Adl and its affiliated groups.

In January, Iran's confrontation with the group on Pakistani soil caused tensions between Tehran and Islamabad. On January 16, Iran launched missiles and drones on a village in Pakistan's Baluchistan province, claiming it targeted Jaish ul-Adl militants in retaliation for attacks on its military personnel over the past month.

Pakistan condemned the attack as a violation of its sovereignty and retaliated with airstrikes on Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan province on January 18, claiming to target Baloch separatist hideouts.

The two sides settled the issue before the end of January and exchanged ambassadors.