ICYMI | #156

Our weekly roundup of stories you may have missed.

UN Security Council passes temporary Gaza ceasefire resolution

The UN Security Council has approved a resolution on Gaza demanding an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan. 14 of the 15 member countries voted in favour of the resolution, with the US the only country to abstain. Human Rights Watch and other rights groups have called on Israel to “immediately respond” to the resolution “by facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid, ending its starvation of Gaza’s population, and halting unlawful attacks”. The number of people killed in Israel’s war on Gaza stands at 32,333.

EU and Egypt reach new migration deal

The European Union has announced a new 8 billion-euro aid package and “strategic partnership” with Egypt, with the aim of reducing migration from the country. The deal mirrors existing border control agreements with North African countries like Tunisia, and has been widely criticised by rights groups amid widespread reports of illegal deportations and violence against migrants by Egypt’s authoritarian regime. As Human Rights Watch say – “the blueprint is the same as the flawed EU deals with Tunisia… stop migrants, ignore abuses.”

Food insecurity on the rise in Haiti

Port closures and gang roadblocks in Haiti are worsening the humanitarian situation, as new reports show that around 5 million people face food insecurity in the country. Violence in Haiti has continued to rise since armed groups forced Prime Minister Ariel Henry to stand down last month. Talk of UN or US involvement in the crisis continues despite opposition from many Haitians due to the destabilising effect of past foreign interventions in the country.

Protest in Berlin against forced exmatriculations

Hands Off Student Rights is organising a protest in Berlin against a new law which would allow forced exmatriculations as a regulatory measure at Berliner universities. The law was proposed by the Berliner Senate in February and could be used to repress political student organising. Join the protest tomorrow, 26 March from 12-14:00 at Rotes Rathaus.

Senegal holds elections

Elections took place peacefully in Senegal on 24 March. Deadly clashes between state forces and protesters broke out in February when President Macky Sall attempted to postpone the elections until later this year. Opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, who had been disqualified and jailed based on claims of defamation but has since been freed, endorses current opposition candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye. So far, no one has claimed victory in the election, but Faye is in the lead and is celebrated by voters across the country.

Rohingya refugees rescued in Indonesia

On 21 March, an Indonesian search and rescue ship was able to rescue 75 Rohingya Muslim refugees. The capsized boat reportedly transported 151 people meaning that more than 70 people are still missing at sea. This is not an isolated case – in 2023 alone, an estimated 569 Rohingya died or went missing while trying to flee Myanmar and overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh.

The Muslim Rohingya minority in Myanmar has been subjected to mass displacement and violence at the hands of the local security forces for decades forcing about 1 million people to flee across the border to Bangladesh, with numbers peaking at 740,000 in 2017.

European powers meet for Nuclear Energy Summit

At the Nuclear Energy Summit on 21 March, Europe was divided once again over the question of nuclear energy. Pro-nuclear powers like France are pushing for a nuclear revival as a means of gaining independence from Russian gas, while anti-nuclear states like Germany and Austria see nuclear power plants as a threat to safety and fear long-term pollution through nuclear waste.

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Header image courtesy of Montecruz Photo. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED.