Diplomacy & Crisis News

En 1525, en Saxe, le moine Martin Luther s'insurge contre la vente des indulgences par l'Église pour financer la construction de la basilique Saint-Pierre de Rome. Le prêtre Thomas Müntzer le suit et appelle au soulèvement contre les seigneurs qui exploitent les paysans. Alors que châteaux et (...) / Idées, Histoire, Christianisme - 2023/01

« L'Amérique est déloyale au passé, déloyale au présent et promet solennellement de l'être à l'avenir. » Le 5 juillet 1852, devant six cents personnes, quand Frederick Douglass tient ces propos , l'esclavage est toujours en pratique dans le pays qui l'a vu naître en 1818 d'une mère esclave et d'un père (...) / Esclavage, Racisme, États-Unis (affaires intérieures) - 2023/01

Quel regard porta l'avant-garde photographique sur l'empire colonial français de l'entre-deux-guerres ? Pour y répondre, l'exposition « Décadrage colonial » explore les fonds photographiques du Musée national d'art moderne. En particulier la collection Bouqueret : sept mille photos prises entre 1920 (...) / Photographie, Art, Colonialisme, Colonisation, Politique - 2023/01

Les grandes puissances habillent souvent leurs ambitions stratégiques de considérations vertueuses à portée universelle : le droit des peuples, la défense de la liberté, la civilisation. Ces derniers temps, les valeurs de gauche sont volontiers mobilisées au service des objectifs stratégiques de (...) / Impérialisme, Armée, Information, États-Unis, Conflit afghan, Idéologie, Droits des minorités - 2023/01

In Geneva, at the United Nations Square for Human Rights, also known as the “Broken Chair
square”, Sudanese youth mobilized to organize the largest human rights exhibition under the
theme “Save the Civilians in Sudan.” The exhibition highlighted the dire human rights situation
following the war led by the Sudanese army and its allied terrorist and extremist groups. It
exposed the grave violations, inhumane crimes, and war crimes committed by the Sudanese
army against civilians, including the widespread destruction of civilian and vital infrastructure.
The exhibition also shed light on the atrocities inflicted upon the Sudanese people, resulting in
the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians—most of whom were women and children—
and the forced displacement of millions from their homes.

Rows of coffins lined United Nations Square, draped in the Sudanese flag, with images
depicting victims, suffering, and hardship filling the space—creating a striking and solemn
scene. Through this powerful artistic expression, the Future Youth Coalition, in collaboration
with the Sudanese Human Rights Organizations Coalition, aimed to shed light on the critical
human rights situation in Sudan.

The human rights exhibition was held on the sidelines of the United Nations Human Rights
Council session, from March 20 to 22. “A country engulfed in death, with no opportunities for
life—humanitarian tragedy is everywhere. This is the reality of human rights in Sudan after
two years of war led by the head of the Sudanese army,” stated Bashir Al-Samani, President of
the Future Youth Coalition.

The nearly 100 attendees experienced moments of deep reflection and sorrow as they watched
Sudanese youth express their grief for their country. Through powerful imagery, they bore
witness to the profound impact of conflict—scenes of loss and destruction, the suffering of
children, the anguish of displaced families, and the shattered aspirations of a generation. The
ongoing violence has severely impacted livelihoods, destroyed vital infrastructure, and
diminished prospects for the future, leaving many young people facing an uncertain path ahead.

As part of the human rights exhibition, the organizers hosted an open forum to discuss the
human rights situation in Sudan. Speakers from the Sudanese Human Rights Organizations
Coalition and the Future Youth Coalition addressed key aspects of the ongoing humanitarian
crisis, including displacement, summary executions, food insecurity, torture, sexual violence,
and reports of bodies being burned and disposed of in rivers. Photos and videos presented
during the forum offered documented evidence of these distressing events, highlighting the
grave human rights violations committed, particularly by extremist groups allied with the
Sudanese army.

The exhibition was inaugurated by Chair of the Coordination Committee of the Sudanese
Human Rights Organizations Coalition, alongside international human rights experts, senior
representatives of the coalition, and members of the Future Youth Coalition.
At the conclusion of the forum, participants endorsed the statement issued by 90 international
human rights organizations condemning the war crimes committed by the Sudanese army in
the city of Wad Madani.

A state of absolute humanitarian emergency

The ongoing conflict has resulted in severe humanitarian consequences, with an estimated
150,000 deaths and the displacement of over 12 million people. Among those displaced,
approximately 4 million—primarily women and children—have been forced to seek refuge
both within Sudan and in neighboring countries, according to United Nations estimates.
As stated by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell during a United Nations Security
Council meeting on March 13, “Sudan has become the site of the world’s largest and most
devastating humanitarian crisis.”

Worsening Humanitarian Crisis

As a member of the Future Youth Coalition Sudan, which organized this exhibition, explained
on this occasion, “Since the summer of 2024, cholera, malaria, and dengue fever have spread
extensively, and there is no available medication to treat patients. The needs are enormous, and
healthcare services have become either completely inaccessible or entirely lost due to the
destruction of hospitals and medical facilities from airstrikes, or their looting and occupation
by the army and its extremist allies.”

A Sudanese youth and member of the “What We Want” group, who lost many family members
at the outset of the war, added, “The international community must provide greater
international aid, establish safe humanitarian corridors, and exert pressure on the armed forces
and their allies to stop targeting and abusing civilians.”

The United Nations signals concern

According to the United Nations, approximately 30 million people, or two-thirds of the
Sudanese population, are in need of humanitarian assistance, including healthcare, food, and
other forms of aid. Reports indicate cases of famine in at least five regions of the country,
including the Zamzam displaced persons camp in Darfur. The United Nations has warned of
the potential spread of famine unless urgent funding is received, while the World Food
Program has been forced to suspend its operations due to the intensity of the ongoing
conflict.

The United Nations also warns of the risk of famine spreading without immediate funding
following a sudden reduction in contributions from major governmental donors, a decision that
represents a catastrophic blow to humanitarian aid in Sudan, a country currently under the
control of the Sudanese military and facing one of the most severe humanitarian crises.
According to the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, “Women and children
are at risk,” and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has described the
situation as “the world’s largest humanitarian disaster.”

According to reports from the United Nations Independent Commission of Inquiry, “A
staggering number of sexual assault cases” have been reported in Sudan, with “the full extent
of these atrocities still hidden due to fear, stigma, and impunity.” The Commission, under the
Human Rights Council, states that the majority of these sexual violence incidents are attributed
to paramilitary groups allied with the Sudanese army.

According to a member of the Forgotten Future Youth Coalition, many of the victims are
children, some of whom are under one year old, as confirmed by UNICEF reports. The
international organization highlighted the widespread use of rape as a weapon of war in Sudan,
with Bara’a Markaz emphasizing, “In my country, rape is extensively used as a weapon of war,
and the world must recognize that thousands of women and children have become victims of
acts committed with impunity. This must end immediately.”

De pénuries en soupçons de conflits d'intérêts, la pandémie de Covid-19 a révélé les failles de deux secteurs associés à la médecine. L'industrie pharmaceutique dont l'histoire montre qu'elle a marginalisé des traitements efficaces, mais peu lucratifs. Et les laboratoires d'analyses médicales qui, après (...) / Médecine, Santé, Industrie, Commerce, Industrie pharmaceutique, Finance, Crise sanitaire - 2023/01

De même que les écoles de commerce enseignent comment utiliser au mieux les moyens financiers ou les possibilités du marché, les nouveaux manageurs apprennent à gérer les êtres humains, ravalés au rang de ressource comme une autre. Ils jouent sur les sentiments (empathie, complicité, plaisir, mais (...) / Capitalisme, Néolibéralisme, Entreprise, Travail - 2023/01

Le 28 octobre 1962, officiellement, l'Union soviétique acceptait de retirer ses missiles balistiques nucléaires déployés à Cuba en échange de la garantie américaine de renoncer à tout projet d'invasion de l'île. En réalité, la crise fut résolue lorsque le président Kennedy envoya, la veille au soir, son (...) / URSS, États-Unis, Nucléaire militaire, Relations Est-Ouest, Diplomatie, Histoire - 2023/01

Depuis l'invasion russe de l'Ukraine, des millions de réfugiés ont afflué en Pologne, et beaucoup y sont restés. Dans ce pays d'émigration, longtemps rétif à l'immigration, les nouveaux venus ont accès au marché du travail et à l'éducation. Mais le système d'accueil polonais, prévu pour être temporaire, (...) / Immigrés, Pologne, Conflit russo-ukrainien 2022-, Solidarité, Société civile - 2023/01

Grands médias : y aller ou pas ? Tous ceux qui désirent changer le monde ont un jour affronté ce dilemme. D'un côté, la nécessité de populariser les luttes, l'extase de la visibilité. De l'autre, la soumission aux normes journalistiques et l'engrenage de la politique-spectacle. / France, Médias, (...) / France, Médias, Audiovisuel, Parti politique, Extrême gauche, Presse, Politique - 2023/01

La résistance à un envahisseur se nourrit de symboles partagés, d'un fond commun affirmant une identité, tout en construisant sa légende au fil des événements. La mobilisation patriotique en Ukraine puise aux sources les plus hétéroclites. Parmi elles, un hymne qu'entonnaient des combattants ukrainiens (...) / Ukraine, Russie, Conflit russo-ukrainien 2022-, Société, Identité culturelle - 2023/01

For some, Pre-2025 Economic Policy has more to do with long term Bad Policy Decisions than Recent Tariff Threats.

The most recent generation of trade policy arose at the end of the Cold War, reaching peak theory in 2000 when the belief that trade would eventually democratize a society was applied via open trade and Free Trade Agreements. The roots of this theory came from the progressive integration of Europe after the end of the Second World War, where former enemy nations tied their industries together in order to deter rational leaders from attacking an industrial base that was interwoven with their own economy. With the admission of China into the WTO, the early 2000s also expanded the European Union greatly as well as produced hundreds of Free Trade Agreements between individual nations, leading to eventual economic blocks and free trade zones.

The idea that trade barriers needed to be reduced worked well in theory, but if you were a smaller country outside of the EU, you were excluded and your economy was paralyzed in the European region without a direct agreement. Larger economies that were able to push for advantage also benefitted greatly. With trade barriers aligned with export policies being used since the 1950s to grow local industry in places in South Korea and Japan, China used trade restrictions to encourage international investment and manufacturing in China in order to access their growing market, while exporting at low cost abroad via the WTO trade liberalisation. This was permitted post China’s entrance into the WTO as many international companies used this situation to increase their own profits while avoiding socially responsible restrictions they faced under NAFTA regulations. Growth in international manufacturing enabled China to fund many government subsidized industries within China, exporting low cost products abroad with the help of China’s government. With the government having major stakes in all local industries, winning a commercial legal dispute against a China supported company was nearly impossible.

The existence of tariffs did not result in a frozen economy in the past. Countries like the United States and Canada did not have a free trade agreement on most goods before NAFTA, and both economies were productive and healthy during those pre-NAFTA years, even moreso than Canada is now over the last ten years. Many American and European trade agreements moved beyond a trade relationship, and were used to give added economic stability to countries bordering places like the United States and European Economic Community. The concept of a Trade War or Tariff War is not akin to a Hot War, and do not merit actions that would be taken to physically harm an offending trade partner or demand strategic support that was given willingly to the detriment of the other’s economy. As a contract between companies in two different nations would not give undue benefit to the party of one nation over the other, neither should the expectations of a more favourable position be expected by one side in a commercial trade agreement. Negotiated trade will be the only viable solution, as strategically detrimental actions will just lead to universal losses.

Before 2025, the post-Covid trade regimes already planned massive shifts as shortages of essential goods coming out of one dependent international source was seen as harmful in the event of future similar disasters. Many international companies moved from a China centered production model and took to the trend of Nearshoring their production closer to their main market. Mexico, who’s economy took a massive hit after China entered the WTO in 2001, is now able to bring back much of the manufacturing for the Americas since losing part of it in the early 2000s. While Mexico and the US are in intense negotiations over USMCA and future trade, the push for 0% reciprocal trade tariffs and an independently fuelled and supplied North America might become a beneficial trade giant if all NAFTA members can work out a mutual strategic trade arrangement with one another.

Challenging the traditional trade relationship needs to be done as a trade dispute, and not use language or actions of hot conflicts. History, location, and cultural ties make trade with certain regional partners inevitable in the worst of times, and attempting to break from this position can run the gauntlet from fantasy to foolish. Many countries wishing to break ties and using overly aggressive language look to be positioning their future fortunes on increased trade with China, but there are signs that China’s economy was already a lot worse off than imagined, with a tariff war with the US straining their economy further. Even if the US and China can come to a positive meeting of minds, China may stabilise at the level of a medium economic power, with a fraction of the economic opportunity of the US market.

Signs that China might become a less viable option when pulling away from the United States can be seen in information on Nearshoring to Mexico and now the US from companies leaving China. Self proclaimed experts on China have also discussed publicly unknown issues going on within China itself, with information being difficult to confirm at the best of times. One of the best measures of how life is for many in China is from accounts from Chinese soldiers who went to fight with Russia in Ukraine. Some of the accounts suggested that the nightmare that is the front line costs most lives, with the nearly $2000 a month pay often never being claimed as most do not survive. One account said that despite being sent into this real life Squid Game horror, he would still have gone knowing what he knows as he has nothing for him to make a life with in China. He warns others not to come, and it is unknown if he survived himself. Most of these accounts now look to be censored by China or Russia, but an economy that produces these scenarios is likely not in great shape. This was a few short years before 2025, and may be the reason why the US has chosen to pressure China on tariffs at this time. For countries hoping to move their US trade relationships towards a China focused option, they will simply tie themselves to a sinking economy over the next generation. Unfortunately, this is exactly the statements made by many G7 leaders in 2025.

Les dirigeants des Émirats arabes unis (EAU) imaginent une société du « tout numérique » dans laquelle un maximum d'usages de la vie quotidienne seraient informatisés. Ils prévoient pour cela d'investir massivement dans les technologies de l'information et de la communication : selon M. Frédéric Szabo, (...) / Armement, Défense, Technologies de l'information, Télésurveillance, Relations internationales, Émirats arabes unis, Commerce des armes - 2023/01

En deux décennies, le poids lourd de la fédération des Émirats arabes unis s'est doté d'importants moyens numériques pour encadrer et contrôler sa population, main-d'œuvre étrangère comprise. Au point, aujourd'hui, d'exporter cette technologie. / Technologies de l'information, Internet, Golfe, Émirats (...) / Technologies de l'information, Internet, Golfe, Émirats arabes unis, Sécurité, Télésurveillance, Défense - 2023/01

Félix d'Hérelle publie, en 1917, dans les Comptes rendus de l'Académie des sciences une courte note intitulée « Sur un microbe invisible antagoniste des bacilles dysentériques ». Le terme « bactériophage » — des virus n'infectant que des bactéries — apparaît pour la première fois. D'Hérelle n'a aucun (...) / Science, Histoire, Médecine, Recherche, Santé - 2023/01

Depuis l'invasion russe de l'Ukraine, des millions de réfugiés ont afflué en Pologne, et beaucoup y sont restés. Dans ce pays d'émigration, longtemps rétif à l'immigration, les nouveaux venus ont accès au marché du travail et à l'éducation. Mais le système d'accueil polonais, prévu pour être temporaire, (...) / Immigrés, Pologne, Conflit russo-ukrainien 2022-, Solidarité, Société civile - 2023/01

    An international human rights coalition has issued a statement on the sidelines of the 58th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. The statement, endorsed by dozens of international, regional, and Sudanese organizations, calls for urgent action to protect civilians in Sudan and to halt the violations, abuses, and war crimes committed by the Sudanese army and its allied terrorist and extremist groups.    It also demands an immediate cessation of the armed conflict that has been devastating Sudan since April 2023. This initiative follows recent international statements and appeals condemning the alarming deterioration of the humanitarian and human rights situation, particularly in the strategic city of Wad Madani in Al-Jazira State, which came under Sudanese army control in January.     According to President of the Future Youth Coalition, the humanitarian situation in Sudan has reached a critical level. The ongoing conflict has resulted in the forced displacement of over 14 million people, with nearly 3 million seeking refuge in neighboring countries. The crisis has affected approximately 25 million Sudanese, including 14 million children, many of whom are facing severe food insecurity and limited access to healthcare. Furthermore, more than 37% of the population is experiencing acute food shortages and a critical lack of essential humanitarian assistance.    Sudan is currently experiencing one of the most severe humanitarian and displacement crises globally, with nearly 150,000 civilians, including a significant number of women and children, losing their lives. The President of the Sudanese Human Rights Organizations Coalition and a co-signatory of the statement, confirmed that 90 international, regional, and Sudanese non-governmental organizations have endorsed the declaration. Among them, more than 50 Sudanese and international organizations hold consultative status with the United Nations.    The statement highlights reports of grave human rights violations and abuses allegedly committed by the Sudanese Armed Forces and allied groups in Wad Madani. These violations, documented through various sources, have raised serious concerns within the international community. Reports indicate incidents of extrajudicial killings, summary executions, arson, torture, violence against children, the disposal of bodies in rivers, and enforced disappearances. The statement underscores the urgent need for accountability and enhanced efforts to protect civilians and uphold human rights in Sudan.     The Sudanese Armed Forces and their allies have reportedly committed numerous grave atrocities upon entering the city of Wad Madani, resulting in at least 146 civilian casualties, based on initial estimates. Videos captured by eyewitnesses and widely circulated on social media depict serious violations and acts of violence against innocent civilians. Allegations against members and commanders of the Sudanese Armed Forces include extrajudicial killings, summary executions, torture, and systematic targeting based on ethnic identity. These reported acts may constitute crimes against humanity and war crimes, underscoring the urgent need for accountability in accordance with international law.     The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, expressed deep concern, stating, “I am alarmed by reports of the arbitrary execution of civilians by the Sudanese Armed Forces and their allied militias. It is crucial that an immediate investigation be conducted into these atrocities to ensure accountability and justice.” Recently, the United States imposed sanctions on the commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces, accusing him of obstructing the democratic process.     A delegation representing the Sudanese Human Rights Organizations Coalition and the Future Youth Coalition submitted the international statement to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. The delegation urged the High Commissioner to prioritize the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Sudan and to ensure its regular inclusion in the High Commissioner’s reports to the Human Rights Council, in accordance with agenda items 2 and 4 of the Council’s proceedings. The delegation further called on the International Commission of Inquiry on Sudan to document all crimes and violations committed by the Sudanese Armed Forces and their allies, and to press the de facto military government to grant the Commission unrestricted access to operate across all regions of Sudan.    In addition, the delegation emphasized the need to strengthen international mechanisms for ensuring accountability of Sudanese military leaders for war crimes against civilians, with the aim of holding them accountable before international criminal tribunals. The statement urged the international community to prioritize the situation in Sudan, with an immediate call for a ceasefire and the resumption of negotiations among all warring parties, without delay and without preconditions.    A swift transition to a democratic civilian government is imperative to ensure a peaceful transfer of power, facilitate the effective delivery of humanitarian aid, and ensure the safe and voluntary return of displaced persons. In addition, it is crucial to reinstate and strengthen health and education systems, providing essential services to all citizens without discrimination, while addressing the dire humanitarian and livelihood needs of the population.     This international statement, issued at the outset of the United Nations Human Rights Council session, represents the most significant and expansive global response to the crisis in Sudan. Launched during the international event “Death Coffins in Sudan,” held at the United Nations Human Rights Square, the statement has been widely disseminated to international bodies and non-governmental organizations. It serves as a vital call for collective action to protect civilians and address the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan.   

/ Démographie, Monde, Alimentation, Environnement, Pollution, Agriculture, Agroalimentaire - Espace et territoire / Démographie, Monde, Alimentation, Environnement, Pollution, Agriculture, Agroalimentaire - Espace et territoire

/ Monde, Commerce, Impérialisme, Agriculture, Géographie, Spéculation - Espace et territoire / Monde, Commerce, Impérialisme, Agriculture, Géographie, Spéculation - Espace et territoire

/ Russie, Ukraine, Frontières, Conflit russo-ukrainien 2022- - Europe / Russie, Ukraine, Frontières, Conflit russo-ukrainien 2022- - Europe