Haitian gangs becoming more powerful
Plus, Tunisia jails opposition leader and US provides support to Bangladesh
I will keep today’s introduction short. This issue is one for the wonks.
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Follow up on A6 topics
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Ukraine bans Telegram for state officials
Biden calls on Sudan’s warring parties to re-engage in negotiations
A6 - Where the World Happens
Haitian gangs seize more power and territory
Haiti’s government is struggling to wrest control of the country from gangs that have become exceptionally powerful.
A UN-backed mission to bring in around 400 police officers from Kenya is underfunded, and only a quarter of the Kenyan officers have been deployed.
While the reinforcements are welcome, expectations should remain low. The Kenyan officers face the severe disadvantage of being new to Haitian culture and have zero understanding of the nuances that could help them infiltrate the gangs.
Haiti’s police chief, Rameau Normil, told a UN staffer that Haiti has only 5,000 police officers to work a country of 11 million people.
As a result, the organized crime groups have solidified and expanded their power.
The Haitian gangs forced a government resignation this past April, and there were high hopes that the replacement regime would foster peace. That future seems elusive.
The UN said 1,379 people were killed in Haiti from April through June this year, and 428 others were kidnapped.
The violence has become so overwhelming that stakeholders worry the US will begin to negotiate with the gangs to prioritize stability.
Washington is mulling a plan to support a UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti.
Tunisia jails opposition presidential candidate
Ayachi Zammel, the only candidate who poses a real threat to unseat Tunisian President Kais Saied in the upcoming October elections, was sentenced to 20 months in jail last week for alleged forgery.
Zammel is accused of faking citizen endorsement paperwork required to run in Tunisia’s elections. Zammel said the move is politically motivated. The jailing is in line with Saied’s rapid bent towards authoritarianism.
Authorities have not said whether Zammel’s name would appear on the ballot. The only opposition candidate left on the ballot is Zouhair Maghzaoui, a member of the al-Shaab party that has supported Saied.
Saied was elected in 2019 and has torn down democratic institutions, concentrated power in his office, and arrested political rivals.
Earlier this month, authorities arrested 97 members of the Naha Islamist party and said they are being investigated for terrorism.
Saied’s shift towards authoritarianism has marked a reversal for Tunisia, which was briefly considered the only country to build a successful government in the aftermath of the Arab Spring.
The EU has pledged US$120 million to Tunisia to combat illegal immigration.
The US will provide hundreds of millions to Bangladesh after political crises
The US government has thrown its full support behind Bangladesh as it tries to navigate a sensitive intermediary period following the protest-driven collapse of the Sheikh Hasina government.
The US will provide Bangladesh with a US$202 million grant to “promote good governance, social, human and economic opportunity and resilience”.
Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus is now the prime minister, and he said the money will be used to reform the judiciary, police and financial sector. He also said Bangladesh needs to recover assets stolen by the Hasina government.
The constitution states that Bangladesh must hold official elections 90 days after parliament is dissolved and that caretaker governments can only rule for 120 days.
However, the protests were so dramatic that it seems unlikely Bangladesh will successfully turn over its government that quickly. In 2007, Hasina was installed as a caretaker leader. She didn’t give up power for 15 years.
The US embassy in Bangladesh said it hopes the money can be used to build an “equitable and inclusive future”.
The recent grant is on top of US$954 million that was pledged in 2021 to be distributed by 2026. Around US$425 million has already been distributed to Bangladesh.
Washington is making it explicitly clear that it wants a deep relationship with Bangladesh in the coming years, and it appears as if Dhaka is a willing partner.
The US military has left Niger
The final troops stationed in Niger have left the country, leaving behind a military vacuum that experts are worried will be filled by terrorists and Russian mercenaries.
The process began on May 19 following a 2023 military coup in the country. The government has since shifted its relationship towards Russia. Around 1,000 US troops had been stationed in Niger as part of a counterterrorism program.
The Sahel region, which covers the southern edges of the Sahara desert, has recently experienced significant political turmoil. Over the past few years, military coups on Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Niger, and Gabon have destabilized the region.
That instability has allowed terrorist groups to use the Sahel as a staging ground. Nigeria has also long struggled to oust Boko Haram from its northern territories.
The terrorists have already proven to be a disruptive regional force, and violence in the Sahel region has increased dramatically in the past two years.
The US is concerned that these groups could become more sophisticated and possibly develop capabilities for global attacks.
With the troops gone, Washington will now be on the outside looking in and will have to hope that the partnership with Russia is effective at combatting terrorism.
Earth may once have had a ring similar to Saturn
Hundreds of millions of years ago, Earth may have had a ring similar to Saturn’s, according to a recent analysis of craters that suggest the ring collapsed over tens of millions of years.
The ring likely formed 466 million years ago and would have been minuscule compared to the beautiful ocean of rocks circling Saturn. But, it still was a substantial seven-mile-wide debris field circling the planet.
Scientists believe the asteroid nearly collided with Earth, and, as it got sucked into the planet’s orbit, started to break apart. When the asteroid split, the remnants circled Earth for tens of millions of years.
The researchers analyzed the angle of 21 craters and noticed they were all close to the equator. The team said it was extremely unlikely that asteroids were randomly striking Earth in this pattern, suggesting they were falling to the ground after circling the planet.
The study also said that if the ring existed, it likely would have affected the planet’s climate by casting a large shadow over Earth that would have contributed to global cooling.
Environment: The warrior protecting huge swathes of the Amazon rainforest from drilling
Nemonte Nenquimo is the first woman president of the Waorani people of Pastaza in Ecuador, and she has dedicated herself to the deforestation emergency in the Amazon.
She is a world-leading voice in defending the Amazon against companies that are destroying the rainforest to exploit its resources.
Her new book details the scale of the destruction, and she says, “The forest is wounded”.
Her most significant victory was successfully protecting 500,000 acres of Amazonian land from oil drilling by registering the area as Waorani ancestral lands.
The new Ecuadorian president is trying to roll back the landmark case, so Nenqiumo has to fight the battle again.
Her story is one of resilience, bravery and dedication to her cause.
Kevin’s Article: Archaeologists reveal remarkable tales of resilience among women throughout China’s history
From the first four paragraphs:
The ongoing Paralympics exemplifies extraordinary human resilience, showcasing athletes with impairments, disabilities, and permanent injuries as they compete at the highest level.
This remarkable resilience has been a vital part of the human experience for thousands of years.
A study published on June 5 in the journal Archaeological Research in Asia tells the story of toughness among ancient women.
It pinpointed two case studies. One was about five women from Inner Mongolia who experienced a traumatic cranial injury, and the other, a single individual from the northern stretches of the Gobi Desert who navigated a challenging landscape despite having hip dysplasia.
Charity to consider: Bawar
From the About Page:
Founded in 1971, BAWAR was the first rape crisis center in the country. It was founded with the two-part goal of establishing a place where survivors of sexual violence could receive the quality counseling and advocacy they need, and to provide community education around these issues.
Although our name is Bay Area Women Against Rape, we serve anyone affected by sexual violence. BAWAR defines sexual violence by the narratives of the survivors who experienced the violence. We are here to believe and validate the community we serve in a trauma-informed, culturally appropriate and accessible way.
What I am reading
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How is inland migration reshaping China's economy? by
Thank you for the Haiti update, Kevin!