This is a roundup of news articles, reports, and other materials focusing on (in)security issues and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of Security in Context. The goal is to shed light on knowledge production on security-related issues of public interest from critical perspectives and from global south readings by highlighting media from four particular regions: Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, and developing Asia. Entries may include academic journal articles, think tank reports, non-governmental organizations releases, official documents or government-commissioned research, and regular news items. The material included covers SiC's key security issues: Climate Change, Security and International Relations, Migration and Displacement, Covid-19 and Capitalism, Technologies of Surveillance, Gender, Race, Ethnicity and Sexuality, Arms and the Military-industrial Complex, and Censorship.
You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each roundup to admin@securityincontext.com.
Latin America and the Caribbean
Deadly Landslides Hit Southern Peru
February 8, 2023
More than a dozen people have been killed, injured, or gone missing due to a series of landslides that unfolded after several days of rain in Southern Peru.
Several Caribbean islands rattled by earthquakes
February 8, 2023
An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.0 struck parts of Trinidad with no immediate reports of damage or injuries. Additionally, a 3.5 magnitude earthquake also struck the islands of Antigua, Barbuda, Dominica, and the French Islands of Guadeloupe.
February 7, 2023
The avian flu has once again become a threat to Brazilian flocks and production. An estimated total of 1.2 million birds have already been killed preemptively as a result of 75 confirmed outbreaks in 9 countries in Central and South America.
24 Dead in Chile as Wildfires Expand; Foreign Help Coming
February 6, 2023
24 people have died as a result of one of Chile’s worst natural disasters in years and 1,000 others have suffered from injuries as firefighters still try to gain control of the raging wildfire.
Tourism and mining industries cutting operations in Peru because of political protests
January 30, 2023
Due to the escalating political protest in Peru, which have consisted of dozens of people killed in clashes with security forces, tourism and mining corporations have decided to suspend or cancel their operations in the country.
Africa
More Kenyans hit by climate change count on fish farming
February 9, 2023
Increasingly unpredictable weather in Kenya has forced many farmers to rely on aquatic agriculture via fish in order to make a living, with one county, Kirinyaga county, having assisted farmers in the region since 2019 in order to develop their aquatic agricultural industry.
South Africa battles with water crisis
February 9, 2023
South Africa is in the throes of a water crisis, which has heavily impacted their economic hub, Gauteng, and is leaving an estimated 40-45% of homes in the country without tap water.
Surgery risks are disproportionately high for women in Africa - new study
February 7, 2023
Compared to surgeries on an international scale, women in African countries are twice as likely to experience major complications following a surgery, as well as a higher rate of death compared to surgeries performed outside of Africa.
Robberies surge as criminals take advantage of South Africa’s power outages
February 4, 2023
Annual crime data from South African police is now indicating that, because of the acute energy crisis across the country, criminals have been taking advantage of outages to commit crimes under the cover of darkness where surveillance is limited.
Fuel, cash shortages cause fury among Nigerians ahead of election
February 2, 2023
Nigeria has been experiencing fuel shortages and issues with new currency swapping at banks, both of which have exacerbated tensions ahead of the country’s upcoming general election on February 25.
Hundreds Gather to Memorialize Renowned African Human Rights Lawyer
January 28, 2023
Hundreds of people gathered in the memory of Swaziland’s Thulani Maseko, a human rights lawyer who was assassinated in his own home in front of his family the week prior.
Middle East
Syrian White Helmets chief slams U.N. earthquake response
February 10, 2023
Raed Al Saleh, head of the Syrian White Helmets emergency response group, condemned the UN for failing to send an appropriate aid response to certain areas of the country that were affected by the devastating earthquake. He argues that the aid convoy that arrived 4 days late is part of regularly scheduled humanitarian assistance and that no additional earthquake relief has been sent to opposition-controlled regions in Syria.
Turkey-Syria quake: Damascus slams West’s discrimination, US sanctions against Syrians
February 9, 2023
Bashar al-Jaafari, Syria’s ambassador to Moscow, castigated the West’s response to the horrific earthquake that rippled through Turkey and Syria. He claims that most humanitarian assistance has gone to Turkey while harsh US sanctions on Syria remain.
On fourth day of the quake, first UN aid convoy reaches northern Syria
February 9, 2023
A UN convoy of 6 trucks carrying aid to Northern Syria arrived through the only crossing authorized by Turkey for UN aid 4 days after the earthquake.
February 8, 2023
The regional division in Syria, inflamed by foreign intervention, has made it very difficult to establish safe and reliable humanitarian corridors. The different political factions within Syria have compromised the flow of humanitarian aid.
What is behind the wave of strikes and factory closures?
February 7, 2023
Egypt’s monetary policy has left its manufacturing industry on shaky ground as many factories shut down and workers strike for better wages and more job security.
Developing Asia
China joins multinational naval maneuvers in Pakistan to protect sea routes, CPEC
February 10, 2023
The AMAN-23 international maritime exercise began in Karachi on February 10 with China serving as the host nation with Pakistan and more than 50 other participants. The exercises are anticipated to improve participants' ability to cooperate against threats and instabilities in the Indian Ocean area and to protect crucial international marine communication channels and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
North Korea is sanctioned for cybertheft by South Korea for the first time
February 08, 2023
South Korea has taken the first unilateral actions to stop cybercrimes that it claims are connected to funding Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs by sanctioning North Korean individuals and groups for stealing cryptocurrency assets and planning cyberattacks. The US deputy national security advisor for cybersecurity claims that this type of crypto theft is essential to the advancement of North Korea’s “missile and other harmful programs.”
Laos's inflation rate is on the increase and has reached a 23-year high
February 08, 2023
Laos' inflation rate, which has been alarmingly rising since 2000, reached 40.3 percent year-over-year in January, according to government data released this week. One of the primary causes of inflation, according to a study released by the Lao Statistics Bureau on February 6, is the rising cost of fuel, gas, and other imported products, which is exacerbated by the Lao kip's devaluation.
February 03, 2023
The military junta in Myanmar has imposed martial law in 37 townships across eight of the nation's 14 states and provinces, giving local commanders complete control over places where they are encountering staunch opposition to their rule. A countrywide state of emergency that has been in effect since the regime's coup two years ago was extended the day before the decision was made.
Small and medium agricultural enterprises can boost national economy and household income
February 05, 2023
Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) play a significant role in strengthening Nepal's agricultural sector, yet this is usually overlooked in national plans. According to a survey by the South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment, SMEs account for around one-third of the agriculture sector and 80% of the industrial sector's GDP contributions in Nepal. Approximately 66% of the nation's population relies on farming for a living, yet small and medium-sized businesses, particularly in the agriculture sector, confront several obstacles to expansion.
Key inquiries regarding the Peshawar tragedy that must be addressed
February 02, 2023
A time-consuming and laborious process will be required to profile each person while also examining hours of CCTV video from the single camera outside the mosque's front gate and the property, which has more than 2,000 employees working for the several units and 200 to 300 visitors every day. The task of retrieving forensic evidence from among the wreckage of the fallen roof, which resulted in the greatest amount of damage and casualties, is equally challenging. It is unclear how a suicide bomber with explosives got to enter with just one access and departure point, where guards check all visitors' identity and examine their cars.
Key Issues
This section includes the latest and most pressing news regarding SiC's key security issues.
As many leave, Myanmar's regime shuts the door on better life overseas
February 10, 2023
The economy has been severely damaged by the internal turbulence and global isolation that followed the military takeover. Many people who are desperate to leave their current situation of unemployment and danger have come to passport offices in search of work. By shutting the nation's passport offices, the dictatorship has severed a lifeline for those who are struggling to deal with the upheaval after the coup and the economic collapse.
February 10, 2023
The Holy Synod Secretariat of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church has sent letters to Archbishops in the Tigray region in hopes of repairing rifts in the church following 2021’s formation of a separate Tigray Orthodox Church.
Three protesters killed in attack on UN convoy in DR Congo
February 8, 2023
Three protesters were killed during an attack on a UN convoy in the DRC after peacekeepers and Congolese soldiers tried to protect the convoy.
A test balloon to gauge the wind of China-US relations
February 08, 2023
The abrupt emergence of the meteorological research balloon above the US during a period of continued stress and uncertainty in US-China relations has sparked a range of responses from the US, including the White House, Congress, the media, and the general people. The details included within can be put together to provide a more accurate evaluation of the pressure, temperature, and meteorological conditions surrounding US policy toward China.
Aid to quake-hit Syria slowed by sanctions, war’s divisions.
February 7, 2023
Providing humanitarian aid to Syria has been tragically difficult. Many aid corridors have been closed because of infrastructural damages caused by the earthquake. Additionally, providing aid to Syria has many political obstacles, as U.S. sanctions on Syria make it difficult for aid to flow through government channels.
Ukrainian drone market key focus area: Defense Minister Reznikov
February 5, 2023
Ukraine looks to improve and bolster its drone program amid its conflict with Russia. Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, stated that “[t]his is about adjusting the artillery and about inflicting damage on the enemy (strike drones).”
Algeria spares no effort to achieve African integration
February 3, 2023
Algeria is dedicated to integrating itself more firmly into Africa’s developmental projects, mentioning how the country’s own high levels of development may be able to help others.
