ICYMI | #146

Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed.

Namibia calls out Germany for defending Israel at ICJ

Namibia has criticised Germany’s decision to intervene in support of Israel in the genocide case brought by South Africa to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). A statement by the Namibian Presidency called out Germany’s “inability to draw lessons from its horrific history”, referring to Germany’s colonial genocide in Namibia against the Indigenous Herero and Nama people, often referred to as the first genocide of the 20th Century, which began 100 years ago. 

Attacks on Yemen

The US and the UK have launched military strikes in Yemen killing five people in response to Houthi rebels, who have formed the de facto government over much of Yemen, hijacking commercial ships in the Red Sea heading to Israel. US President Biden and UK PM Rishi Sunak have both faced harsh criticism for launching the attacks to protect Western trade interests without consulting Congress or Parliament. Houthi leaders have said they will continue to target ships as long as Israel’s war on Gaza continues.

A new phase in Sudan's war

There are fears that the war in Sudan could be getting worse, triggering even more atrocities and mass displacement, as the RSF paramilitary opens a new front against government forces in the east of the country. Food insecurity is an increasingly urgent issue in the country, as fighting continues to disrupt the harvest season. In nine months the conflict has resulted in 12,000 deaths and the displacement of 8 million people from their homes.

State of emergency due to gang violence in Ecuador

In Ecuador, a wave of gang violence came to a head when masked gunmen took over a TV news studio live on air, forcing the host and other staff members to the floor. President Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency and the start of an “internal armed conflict”. Almost 1000 people have been arrested in the last week. Once one of Latin America’s safest countries, recent years have seen a serious rise in gang violence in Ecuador.

AfD mass meeting with neo-nazi groups

High-ranking politicians from the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party took part in a secret meeting in November with members of extremist and neo-Nazi groups to discuss a so-called “masterplan” for immigration, a new investigation has found. On the agenda at the meeting was the disturbing idea of “forced migration” for asylum seekers and German citizens with a history of migration. The AfD currently sits in second in nationwide polls and first in all five eastern German states.

Solidarity Cinema Archive

Stuck at home with a January cold and looking for something good to watch? Solidarity Cinema is a huge online archive of films with a focus on struggle, solidarity, liberation and marginalised perspectives.

Click here to get access.

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