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1 May 16 – May 31
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May 16 – May 31
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CONTENTS
Foreword (General Observations)………………………………………....3
Americas………………………………………………………………………..6
Arms Control and Disarmament…………………………………………..12
China and East Asia…………………………………………………………16
Europe…………………………………………………………………….........18
Middle East & West Asia…………………………………………………….22
South Asia……………………………………………………………………..31
United Nations………………………………………………………………….39
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Area Briefs: 16-31 May 2016
General Observations
Pakistan
Continuing the downward slide in Pak-US relations, the US crossed another security red
line by carrying out a drone attack in Balochistan – outside the FATA area – targeting
and killing Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour on 21 May. Most
commentators see this killing as a message for Pakistan – a form of pressure to get
Pakistan to toe the US line on Afghanistan. The messages coming from the Obama
Administration and the US Congress are all hostile signaling to Pakistan that should lead
to the Pakistani leadership – civilian and military – reevaluating the whole spectrum of
Pakistan’s relationship with the US.
In a similar hostile vein, the US House of Representatives moved to restrict US military
aid to Pakistan with the passage of the $602 billion National Defence Authorisation Act
(NDAA) in which three Pakistan-specific amendments were added, placing specific
conditionalities. These include Pentagon certification that Pakistan was conducting
military operations to disrupt the Haqqani network and end its “safe haven” in North
Waziristan as well as actively coordinating with the Afghan government to fight Haqqani
network along the Pak-Afghan border.
Earlier, on May 17, at the eighth round of the Pakistan-US Security, Strategic Stability
and Non-proliferation Working Group (SSS&NP) in Islamabad, the US chose to pressure
Pakistan on its tactical nukes while ignoring India’s growing nuclear arsenal, its ballistic
missile defence programme and its nuclearisation of the Indian Ocean. The US also chose
to ignore Pakistan’s move to gain Nuclear Suppliers’ Group (NSG) membership while
supporting India’s efforts to gain NSG entry.
Meanwhile, Pakistan finally put in a formal request for NSG membership, which will be
decided at the NSG Summit to be held in the second week of June 2016. Since NSG
decisions are based on consensus, there is an expectation that either both states will get
the membership or neither will. China has made its position clear: that no non-NPT
member will be admitted into the NSG, thereby reducing India’s chances of membership
along with Pakistan’s.
Pakistan’s relations with Afghanistan also seem to have entered a downward spiral,
especially in the wake of the Mullah Mansour killing. The Pak Army’s decision to hand
over the Angoor Ada border crossing structure to Afghanistan as a goodwill gesture for
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better border security cooperation received no reciprocal response from the Afghan side.
Unfortunately, it also revealed the differences existing between the civil and military
leaderships when the Interior Minister questioned this handing over gesture and claimed
the government was unaware of this decision.
In the immediate post-Mullah Mansour period, revelations were made of Afghan
operatives being arrested in Balochistan who admitted to being on missions of target-
killings and other terrorist activities in this volatile province. According to Balochistan’s
Home Minister, Sarfaraz Bugti Pakistan’s security forces arrested six agents of the
National Directorate of Security (NDS), the Afghan intelligence agency.
Pakistan moved diplomatically to counter the Modi government’s attempts to pass a law
which seeks to penalize anyone showing Jammu and Kashmir as disputed territory.
Pakistan expressed its ‘serious concern’ to the United Nations (UN) Secretary General
and the President of the UN Security Council (UNSC) in this regard. The bill in question
is the Geospatial Information Regulation Bill.
On the domestic political front, the Panama Leaks issue continued to dominate the
political landscape and seemed to have brought governance to a complete halt. The Prime
Minister addressed the National Assembly on the issue of his family’s names coming up
in the Panama Papers but the Opposition felt he had failed to answer the seven questions
put up by the Opposition for the PM to answer. However, the government began
negotiations with the combined Opposition over the formation of a judicial commission
but the negotiations were deadlocked over the Terms of Reference (TORs) for such a
Commission.
The sudden news of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif requiring heart surgery and his
departure for London to this end added to the chaos in governance as it became evident
that there was no constitutional provision for an acting PM. Political speculation and
uncertainty may grow in the coming weeks as the PM stays in the UK for post-surgery
recovery.
International
As Pak-Afghan relations deteriorated, a new nexus seemed to be emerging between Iran,
India and Afghanistan. On May 23, India made public its decision to invest $500m in
Iran – developing the Chabahar port. A trilateral agreement was signed by Iran, India and
Afghanistan to build a transport-and-trade corridor from Chabahar through to
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Afghanistan. The agreement was inked after Indian PM Modi, Afghan President Ashraf
Ghani and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani met in Tehran.
The Iranian leadership sought to allay Pakistan’s fears over this new development by saying that
Gwadar and Chabahar could complement each other but most analysts see this new India-Iran-
Afghanistan trinity as a move to counter the CPEC and the Pakistan-China cooperation over
Gwadar port.
President Obama’s visit to Hiroshima while on a visit to Japan was a historic occasion as
he was the first US President to visit the city the US had dropped a nuclear bomb on
during World War II. Unfortunately, Obama offered no apology for the use of the bomb
against Japan – one of two that were used, the second targeting Nagasaki – a gesture that
some feel should have been made.
May 29 that 700 migrants are feared drowned in a series of shipwrecks off the coast of
Libya during the last few days. The boats sank south of Italy as the migrants tried to
reach Europe in unseaworthy vessels.
On a visit to Greece, Russian President Putin made clear his opposition to the placement
of US missiles in European states like Romania where the US had placed land-based
missile launcher – the first such system in Europe.
The migrant crisis continues in Europe with more boats capsizing and people dying at
sea. Some 600 Libyan migrants were rescued at the end of May but many perished as
their boats capsized. While migrants continue to risk their lives to reach Europe, the
swelling of their numbers in Europe has led to a resurgence of far-right anti-migrant
political parties in many European countries.
--- Dr Shireen M Mazari
Director General
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AMERICAS
Domestic
On May 27, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said he would “cancel” the
Paris climate deal.
Donald Trump maintains that there is no evidence that humans are responsible for climate change.
He called for more drilling, fewer regulations and the approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline
from Canada. “Any regulation that’s outdated, unnecessary, and bad for workers or contrary to
the national interest will be scrapped and scrapped completely,” Trump said. “We’re going to do
all this while taking proper regard for rational environmental concerns.”
On May 27, the communication company Verizon, reached an agreement on a four-year
contract with two unions representing almost 40,000 workers who had been on strike since
April 13.
According to reports the agreement includes two key concessions from the company including a
commitment to create about 1,500 new union positions in the United States, and the inclusion of
some 65 Verizon Wireless retail workers in the new contract. In his statement, Chris Shelton,
president of the Communications Workers of America, said, “The addition of new, middle-class
jobs at Verizon is a huge win not just for striking workers, but for our communities and our country
as a whole.”
On May 27, the US Federal Reserve laid the groundwork for an interest rate increase in the
next two months.
Federal Reserve Governor Jerome Powell said that he felt the economy was on a “solid footing”
and within reach of the Federal Reserve’s inflation and employment goals. He added, however,
that the uncertainty surrounding Britain’s June 23, 2016 Brexit referendum was an argument in
favor of exercising “caution.” The Federal Reserve will hold its next policy meeting on July 26-
27, 2016.
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On May 27, supporters in San Diego greeted Republican presidential nominee Donald
Trump, amid a large counter-protest organised against him.
Demonstrators outside the San Diego Convention Centre criticised Trump’s rhetoric against
illegal immigration by marching and chanting slogans. More than 1,000 people turned out for
anti-Trump rallies in San Diego, a city on the US-Mexico border whose San Ysidro port of entry
sees nearly 300,000 people a day cross legally between the countries. Many who live and work on
opposite sides of the border consider San Diego a bi-national city. Almost a third of the city’s
population is Latino.
On May 27, Republican nominee Donald Trump refused an offer to debate Democratic
candidate Bernie Sanders.
Trump’s campaign said the debate would be “inappropriate” since Hillary Clinton was poised to
win the nomination. Sanders’ campaign had said it was willing to participate in a debate with
Trump who became the Republican nominee. Trump had joked about his willingness to debate
Sanders during an appearance on the Jimmy Kimmel show.
On May 26, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reached the number of
delegates required to secure the party’s presidential nomination.
Trump defeated 16 other Republican contenders and according to the AP has 1,238 delegates.
Republicans will finalise their nomination at a convention in July. Although Trump has secured
the required amount of delegates, his nomination by a divided Republican Party is not yet secure.
Unbound delegates in the party are free to support the candidate of their choice.
On May 17, both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders won primary elections in “a
demonstration of how divided the Democratic Party is in the drawn-out national race to
win the nomination for November’s general election.”
Clinton defeated Sanders in Kentucky by a narrow margin while Sanders beat her in Oregon. In
Kentucky, the two candidates will likely split the 55 delegates. In Oregon, Sanders will take only
a handful more of the 61 delegates in that state. Clinton’s substantial lead in delegates implies
that she would eventually be her party’s nominee. However, she remains more than 100 delegates
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short of “sealing the deal.” The Democratic Party’s final major contests including California are
scheduled for June 7, 2016.
International
On May 28, the US military base in Okinawa, Japan, imposed a midnight curfew and a ban
on alcohol after the arrest of an ex-Marine suspected of killing a Japanese woman.
The restrictions will remain in place until June 24, 2016. Kenneth Shinzato, 32, was arrested on
May 19, 2016 but has not yet been charged. Okinawan residents resent the US base and the
incident has reignited tension. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe raised the woman’s death with US
President Barack Obama ahead of the recent G7 summit in Japan.
On May 27, President Barack Obama became the first serving US president to visit
Hiroshima since the World War II nuclear attack.
The President was in Japan to attend the G-7 Meeting in Japan. Obama said the memory of August
6, 1945 must never fade, but did not apologise for the nuclear bombing. He spoke to two survivors
and called for a world without nuclear weapons. At least 140,000 people died in Hiroshima and
another 74,000 three days later in a second bombing in Nagasaki.
According to The NY Times on May 23, the US drone strike on Taliban leader Mullah
Akhtar Muhammad Mansour is being seen as a message to Pakistan.
According to the US, Mansour was a “stubborn obstacle to reconciliation talks.” Obama’s
decision to target the Taliban leader suggests he has “little patience for Pakistani sensitivities.”
In the words of Vali Nasr, a former State Department official and expert on Pakistan, “The
Administration is no longer worried about blowing up anything . This is literally carrying out an
operation, not against an Arab terrorist leader, but against a Pashtun ally of Pakistan, inside
Pakistani territory.”
On May 18, all seven crew-members survived when a B-52H Stratofortress bomber
crashed shortly after taking off from a US air force base in Guam.
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The Stratofortress is a long-range heavy bomber and has been “the backbone of the manned
strategic bomber force in the United States” for almost four decades. Since 2004, the US Air Force
rotates B-1, B-2 and B-52 bombers through Guam to boost US security presence in the Asia-
Pacific region. A B-52 crashed off Guam in 2008, killing all six crew-members on board.
According to CNN on May 16, Saudi Arabia owns $117 billion of the US debt.
Amid rising tensions between the two countries, the Kingdom has threatened to sell off American
assets if Congress passes a bill allowing 9/11 victims to sue foreign governments. Saudi Arabia
owns $116.8 billion of US Treasuries as of March 2016, making it the 13th largest foreign holder
of US debt. The figure remains well behind the $1 trillion-plus owned by China and Japan each.
Unlike other major owners of US debt, the Treasury Department kept Saudi Arabia’s precise
holdings secret since the 1970s. The holdings were lumped together with that of other oil exporting
nations, including Venezuela and Iraq.
The US Senate passed legislation on May 17 allowing families of September 11 victims to
sue Saudi Arabia’s government for damages.
The White House has threatened to veto the bill. According to James Kreindler, a prominent trial
lawyer representing 9/11 families, the bill would pass the House and become law. He said, “It
would be crazy for President Barack Obama to veto bipartisan legislation which would open US
courts to victims of the worst terrorist attack in US history.” Senator Charles Schumer, a New
York Democrat and a co-sponsor of the bill, said it was long overdue. “Today the Senate has
spoken loudly and unanimously that the families of victims of terrorist attacks should be able to
hold the perpetrators, even if it’s a country, a nation, accountable,” he said.
Latin America
On May 31, a special commission in Haiti recommended dismissing the disputed results
of 2015’s first-round presidential election and holding a new vote.
Commission President Pierre Francois Benoit said “zombie votes” and other problems meant the
October 2015 ballot could not be considered legitimate. Haiti has been under an interim president
since February 2016. A run-off vote had been due in April 2016 but was postponed.
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On May 31, Brazil’s interim anti-corruption minister, Fabiano Silveira, resigned after a
recording suggested he tried to derail an investigation into the state oil company, Petrobras.
Silveira is the second interim minister to step down, a week after the planning minister resigned
following the release of a similar recording. Both men were appointed by interim president, Michel
Temer who replaced Dilma Rousseff as president on May 12, 2016 after she was suspended to face
a Senate impeachment trial. She has argued that impeachment proceedings against her are
designed to stop the investigation into Petrobras.
On May 30, Latam, the largest airline in Latin America, said it is suspending its flights to
Venezuela because of the country’s worsening economic situation.
The suspension came a day after Lufthansa announced its decision to suspend its operations in
Venezuela
On May 29, German airline, Lufthansa, announced its decision to suspend flights to
Venezuela from June 18, 2016 due to economic difficulties in the country.
The company said currency controls in Venezuela made it impossible for airlines to convert their
earnings into dollars and send the money abroad. Venezuela’s principal source of income is its oil
industry. The economy has been hit hard by a sharp drop in the price of oil. The country has high
inflation and severe shortages of basic goods. Lufthansa noted that the demand for international
flights to Venezuela had dropped in 2015 and in the first quarter of 2016.
28, gunmen in Venezuela killed 11 people, including three teenagers and a Colombian
national.
The unidentified attackers ordered the victims out of their homes before shooting them dead in the
western Trujillo state. The gunmen then fled the scene in cars and motorcycles. Venezuela’s crime
rates are increasing, as the country's economy is in recession due to falling oil prices. In 2015, the
Venezuelan Observatory of Violence group released its report for 2014, recording 24,980 violent
deaths. Local NGO reports say the figures are for a country at war. The government disputes the
claims, saying the rates are much lower.
A student demonstration in Chile turned violent on May 27 as police used tear gas and
water cannons to divert the march.
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According to the government the protesting students had refused to take an alternative route
suggested by police in central Santiago and hurled stones at them. The students are demanding
that the government of Michelle Bachelet speed up reforms that would guarantee free university
education for all Chileans. “We are tired of waiting,” read banners carried by students in the
demonstration. President Bachelet assumed office in 2014. She had promised to implement a
number of social measures to reduce inequality.
---Amina Afzal
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ARMS CONTROL AND DISARMAMENT
On May 30, Japan put its military on alert in anticipation of a possible North Korean
missile launch. South Korea also stated that it had detected evidence of launch
preparations.
Japan ordered its naval destroyers and Patriot anti-ballistic missile batteries to stay ready to
shoot down any missile aimed at the country. According to Japan’s Ministry of Defence, missile
tubes on a Patriot missile battery were elevated to a firing position. South Korean defence
officials also confirmed that North Korea was preparing to launch an intermediate-range
Musudan missile.
On May 27, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stated that Iran was
honouring all of its obligations and had rectified its sole violation of the nuclear
agreement signed with six world powers on 14 July 2015.
In February 2016, a month after the nuclear agreement, IAEA noted that Iran had produced
heavy water beyond its allocated limit of 143.3 tonnes. However, IAEA in its latest findings
reported that Iran was now below the prescribed limit and in compliance with its obligations.
Heavy water is a potential concern for proliferation because it is used in reactors that produce
substantial amount of plutonium. The July 2015 Agreement had also put restrictions on Iran’s
uranium enrichment programme. According to the IAEA, Iran was keeping its uranium
enrichment commitments as well. Iran’s total number of 5,060 centrifuges are now producing
limited amount of fuel-grade enriched uranium that can only be used for peaceful purposes. The
IAEA said that Iran had served notice of plans to build rotor tubes for centrifuges. Iran is
allowed to do so but under certain limitations.
On May 27, the Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully test-fired an advanced version of
BrahMos land-attack surface-to-surface supersonic cruise missile system at the Pokhran
field firing range.
The missile was launched by a Mobile Autonomous Launcher (MAL), which met all the flight
parameters and successfully hit the designated target. Indian army officials present on the
occasion stated that the successful test of the missile empowered all three wings of the armed
forces. Moreover, BrahMos’ air-launched version is also getting ready to be tested from SU-
30MKI fighter aircraft of the IAF in the coming months.
On May 27, US State Department spokesman Mark Toner stated that any country
including Pakistan could submit application for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers
Group (NSG), and it would be considered based on consensus.
Mark Toner also expressed confidence regarding consensus in the NSG in favour of Indian
membership into the group. He said that President Barack Obama, during his visit to India in
2015, had affirmed the US view that India had met the NSG membership requirements. He also
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clarified that the forthcoming meeting of the NSG had not been called to discuss the prospects of
India joining the group. NSG members will meet in South Korea in June 2016, to discuss various
issues. NSG, the 48-member group, was founded in response to the Indian nuclear test in 1974.
This body seeks to reduce nuclear proliferation by controlling the export and re-transfer of
nuclear materials. Though the Indian nuclear tests prompted the creation of this body, India
wants to join the group. India is a non-signatory to Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) but
is being supported by the US for NSG membership.
On May 24, US Senator Edward J. Markey stated that admitting India into the NSG
would cause a perpetual arms race in South Asia.
Senator Markey warned that enabling India to become a member of the NSG would trigger an
action-reaction phenomenon leading to an escalation of the arms race in the region, which
would ultimately result in the development of battlefield nuclear weapons. He said that the US
has repeatedly carved out exemptions for India through US-India nuclear deal in 2008 and,
since 2010, the US Administration has been actively supporting Indian membership of the NSG.
If India attains membership in NSG it would be the only member country, which is not a party to
the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
On May 23, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying reiterated China’s
firm stance that all countries seeking Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) membership must
sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Earlier, on May 20, Vikas Swarup, India’s External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, said
that India was not required to sign the NPT to attain membership of NSG, as France was
included into the group without signing the NPT.
China had opposed the Indian bid to get NSG membership on the grounds that it was not party to
the NPT, as all the multilateral export control regimes including NSG regard the NPT as an
important standard for providing membership. In an effort to counter China’s stance, Vikas
Swarup stated that India did not need to sign the NPT for NSG membership. He further said that
NPT allows for civil nuclear cooperation with non-NPT countries. NSG members have to respect
export controls and safeguards which have to be in accordance with the NSG guidelines. France
was not a NPT member but was a member of the group without signing the NPT. However,
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying, dismissed the Indian assertion that
France was included in the NSG without signing the NPT. France was the founding member of
the group; therefore, the issue of accepting its membership does not arise. NSG is an important
component of the non-proliferation regime and it takes NPT signatory status as a precondition
for the countries seeking membership. China’s position is not directed against any specific
country but applies to all the non-NPT countries.
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On May 20, Pakistan’s Foreign Office announced that the country formally applied for
membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in an effort to help further non-
proliferation efforts.
The formal application seeking the membership of NSG was submitted on May 19 by Pakistan’s
Ambassador in Vienna. The Pakistani envoy stated that her country’s decision to seek
membership of the NSG reflects Pakistan’s strong support for global non-proliferation efforts.
While citing its credentials for membership, Pakistan said that it has expertise, manpower,
infrastructure and the ability to supply NSG-controlled items, goods and services for a complete
range of nuclear applications for peaceful purposes. Pakistan has already taken numerous legal,
regulatory and administrative measures to improve the safety and security of its nuclear
facilities. Pakistan’s national export control lists are also harmonised with the control lists of
NSG, Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and Australia Group. Moreover, the country
has stressed the need for adoption of a non-discriminatory criteria-based approach by the NSG
for providing membership to countries. It is believed that Pakistan’s application would
complicate the Indian attempt to seek NSG membership, as both the states are non-signatories to
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The candidature of both countries will be decided at
the NSG’s plenary session in June 2016.
On May 26, Egypt’s cabinet approved a deal with Saudi Arabia for peaceful cooperation
on nuclear power.
The deal was initially signed on April 8, 2016, when Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Abdel Aziz
visited Egypt. The agreement was signed in an effort to establish cooperation in peaceful uses of
nuclear power and nuclear security. Egypt has moved ahead with its plan to build the country’s
first nuclear power plant, located in Dabaa in the coastal governorate of Marsa Matrouh,
expected to be completed in 2022. During King Salman’s visit, Egypt and Saudi Arabia also
signed loan agreements worth $24 billion. On May 19, 2016, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-
Sisi also approved a $25 billion loan from Russia to fund the building of the nuclear power
plant.
On May 24, the Obama Administration assured its lawmakers that India has taken steps
to address the concerns over liability, including the insurance pool that had kept the US
corporations away from signing nuclear power contracts with the country.
Nisha Desai Biswal, Assistance Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, informed
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that India has taken certain steps addressing key
concerns of the US nuclear industry. The measures that are being adopted by India would treat
each company differently. Some companies are moving aggressively to ink commercial
agreements with India while others are moving with caution. Westinghouse Electric Corporation
of the US and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) are making progress towards
reaching a deal on the sale of AP-1000 reactors to India. The agreement in this regard is
expected to be signed during the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the US in June
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2016. Westinghouse and NPCIL need to address the cost issue and conservatism in its model to
share risks with its suppliers on a comparable basis.
On May 18, India successfully test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear capable
Prithvi-II missile.
The test of the surface-to-surface missile was carried out as a user trial by the Indian army in
Chandipur. Initially there was a plan for two trials of Prithvi-II in quick succession. However,
after the first successful trial, the second trial was abandoned owing to technical problems. The
Prithvi-II missile is capable of carrying 500 kg to 1000 kg of warheads. It has a strike range of
350 kilometres.
On May 18, Israel successfully tested a maritime missile interception system, known as
Iron Dome of the Sea.
According to Israel’s navy, the system can shoot down short-range rockets. The successful test of
the system proved the Israeli navy’s ability to protect Israel’s strategic assets at sea against
short-range rockets.
--- Abdul Moiz Khan
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CHINA & EAST ASIA
China
On May 20, Beijing warned Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen against seeking
independence, cautioning that peace would be ‘impossible’ if she made any moves to
formally break away.
The comments came soon after Tsai called for “positive dialogue” with the Chinese mainland in
her inaugural speech. She, however stopped short of any compromise on Beijing’s demands that
she back its “one China” principle. This evoked a strong response from Beijing with Chinese
Foreign Ministry spokesman saying that the ‘One China Policy’ is a prerequisite for China to
develop relations with other countries. Tsai Ing-wen, leader of the Democratic Progressive Party
(DPP), was sworn in as Taiwan’s new President on May 20, 2016 and is traditionally known for
favouring independence from China. Although Taiwan is self-governed, it has never formally
declared independence from the mainland, while Beijing considers Taiwan as its integral part.
On May 19, China urged the United States to “immediately stop close-in reconnaissance
actions” after confirming that a US Navy EP-3 spy plane had conducted flights over the
South China Sea.
Beijing denied Pentagon report that its fighter jets had conducted a close-range interception of
US surveillance planes. Tensions are likely to continue between Beijing and Washington over the
South China Sea even as Washington continues to step-up its military presence in the region. The
development has also fuelled concerns over the growing risk of accidental military clashes in the
South China Sea. In April 2001, a US spy plane collided with a Chinese fighter jet over the South
China Sea killing a Chinese pilot while forcing the US spy plane to make an emergency landing
at a base on Hainan Island.
Japan
On May 27, during his visit to the Japanese city of Hiroshima, US President Barack
Obama called for a “world without nuclear weapons”. He was accompanied by Japanese
Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe.
President Barack Obama paid tribute to the victims of the US atomic bombing in 1945 and also
met the survivors of the attack, but issued no apology. Both President Obama and Japanese
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe laid wreaths at the cenotaph. Meanwhile, in his speech, President
Obama acknowledged that he had failed to achieve his goal of nuclear non-proliferation that he
set in Prague in 2009 at the start of his presidency. Many survivors of the US atomic bombing at
the end of WWII had demanded an apology from the US, the only country to have ever used
nuclear weapons. There were also demonstrations held near the ceremony by protesters
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demanding an apology. The bombing killed an estimated 80,000 people on the spot while the
effects of radiation later brought the death toll to 140,000.
Myanmar
On May 23, Myanmar’s State Counsellor and Foreign Minister, Aung San Suu Kyi asked
to be given ‘enough space’ to address the plight of the country’s Rohingya Muslim
population, as visiting US Secretary of State John Kerry pressed Suu Kyi to promote
respect for human rights.
Suu Kyi said her new government was committed to addressing the issue of ‘deep hatred’ in
western Rakhine State, where tens of thousands of Rohingya are confined to displacement after
fighting erupted between the country’s Buddhists and Muslims in 2012. Suu Kyi, has faced
international condemnation for not speaking up for the Rohingya Muslims, while analysts have
voiced concerns that the plight of minorities are not at the top of her agenda. The Rohingya,
most of whom live in apartheid-like conditions, are seen by many Myanmar Buddhists as illegal
immigrants from Bangladesh and referred to by many as Bengalis.
Vietnam
On May 23, during his visit to Vietnam, US President Barack Obama announced that the
US is lifting its embargo on sale of lethal weapons to Vietnam.
President Obama also said that the removal of the ban on lethal weapons was part of a deeper
defence cooperation with the country. The trip comes as the US seeks to strengthen its
partnership with its allies in Asia Pacific. Moreover, the two countries have drawn closer in the
wake of China’s increasing clout in the South China Sea. China claims almost all of the South
China Sea while Vietnam also has conflicting claims to parts of the sea. The lifting of the arms
embargo would enable Vietnam to upgrade its weapons systems and place Vietnam in a better
position to press its claims.
---Muhammad Abdul Qadeer
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EUROPE
On May 31, Poland’s justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro said he would appeal against a
decision not to extradite film director Roman Polanski to the US for statutory rape.
Zbigniew Ziobro, who is also the country’s prosecutor general, said he would make the appeal in
the Supreme Court. In October 2015, a judge had termed Polanski’s extradition “inadmissible.”
The Polish-born director, who lives in France, fled the US ahead of sentencing in 1978 after
admitting having sex with a thirteen year old. Polanski has dual French and Polish citizenship.
France does not extradite its citizens. Polanski often visits Poland. Swiss authorities turned down
a US extradition warrant in 2010, after placing Polanski under house arrest for nine months.
On May 31, French railway workers announced their decision to go on strike as unions
continue to protest against planned labour reforms.
The announcement will further disrupt the transport network already suffering from a fuel
shortage. Earlier, on May 26 strikes over labour law reforms gripped France as oil refineries,
nuclear power stations and transport hubs remained disrupted. Riot police arrested 77 people
while 15 officers were injured. Cars and shops were also vandalised. Meanwhile French PM
Manuel Valls maintained that reforms would not be withdrawn. He however hinted that the laws
could be amended. Meanwhile, public sector workers in Belgium are also going on strike over
budget cuts. The national strike there involves police officers, teachers and some civil servants
who will join train drivers and prison guards already on strike. The unions are protesting against
changes to working hours, a rise in the retirement age as well as budget cutbacks.
On May 29, French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel
marked the 100th anniversary of the battle of Verdun.
Numerous French and German soldiers died during 10 months of fighting in northeastern France.
Although France eventually emerged victorious, Verdun has become a symbol of Franco-German
reconciliation. The leaders visited the German military cemetery at Consenvoye, north of Verdun
followed by a ceremony at Verdun city hall, before laying wreaths and unveiling a memorial in
the city. The main commemorative ceremony was held at Ossuary Douaumont. The events were
aimed at educating young people. Some 4,000 French and German children participated in the
events.
According to Michael Gove and Boris Johnson (29 May), two leading Vote Leave MPs,
UK PM David Cameron must accept the failure of his government’s manifesto pledge to
reduce migration into the UK.
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The two asserted that the pledge was “corrosive of public trust” while Britain remained in the EU.
The government dismissed their claims saying it was an “attempt to distract” from the fact that a
Brexit would be “disastrous.” According to a survey, nine out of ten of the country’s top
economists say leaving the EU would be damaging. Brexiteers argue that the EU’s open borders
make immigration control impossible. Privately, angry Tories also talk of challenging the Prime
Minister’s position even if Britain votes to stay inside the European Union.
On May 29, UK religious leaders representing its main faith communities, joined forces to
oppose Brexit. They argued that the EU is vital to preserving peace, fighting poverty and
tackling the migration crisis.
In a letter to The Observer, 37 leading figures, including former archbishop of Canterbury Rowan
Williams, expressed hope that people would reflect before voting on June 23. The signatories
include Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner, the principal rabbi at the Movement for Reform Judaism;
Bharti Tailor, executive director of the Hindu Forum of Europe; Miqdaad Versi, assistant general
secretary of the Muslim Council of Great Britain, Anglicans Right Rev Paul Bayes, Bishop of
Liverpool and the Right Rev Stephen Conway, Bishop of Ely.
According to a declaration at the May 27, 2016 G7 meeting in Japan, the UK’s Brexit
referendum poses a serious threat to global growth.
The group warned that a UK exit from the EU would reverse the trend of increasing global trade,
investment and jobs. Investors remain nervous about what Brexit will mean for confidence in
Europe and its repercussions for the global economy.
BBC reported on May 29 that 700 migrants are feared drowned in a series of shipwrecks
off the coast of Libya during the last few days. The boats sank south of Italy as the
migrants tried to reach Europe in unseaworthy vessels.
Following the rescue of some 600 Libyan migrants on May 29, the weekly total of
migrants arriving in Europe reached 13,000.
An EU flotilla comprising Italian, German and Irish ships, operating in the Mediterranean,
conducted the rescue operation. Better weather has contributed to an increase in the number of
people attempting to crossing from Africa to Europe. The African route has become the main
migration route following an EU-Turkey deal to stop people from sailing to Greece. Irish and
German ships conducted several rescue operations involving unseaworthy vessels. Meanwhile,
4,000 migrants rescued from the sea earlier in the week arrived in Italy on May 29. Numerous
others drowned. In a similar operation caught on camera by Italian rescuers on May 25, a migrant
boat overturned after spotting a patrol boat. The Italian navy rescued 562 people, while five
perished.
20
During a May 27 press conference following his meeting with Greek Prime Minister,
Aleksis Tsipras in Athens, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia would retaliate
against the placement of US missiles in European countries such as Romania.
The system was placed in Romania in April 2016. According to the US the system is not intended
to target Moscow’s missiles. NATO said the missiles could not be used offensively as they don't
include explosives and are designed to hit targets in the sky. The missile system in Romania is the
first land-based defensive missile launcher in Europe. It is part of a larger NATO defence shield
including a command-and-control centre at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, a radar installation in
Turkey and four ships based in Rota, Spain. Meanwhile expressing his support for Russia, the
Greek prime minister said sanctions imposed over Russian actions in Ukraine were not productive.
The Greek premier said that Greek-Russia ties could help promote relations between Russia and
the EU, as well as Russia and NATO. “Greece can affect the relationships with the European
Union,” Putin said, “But we don’t expect from Greece the Labours of Hercules in the courtyard
of European bureaucracy.” However Putin said there would be “no discussions” about Crimea,
the Ukrainian peninsula that was seized by Kremlin-backed forces in 2014, leading to the
sanctions. The territory, which has an ethnic Russian majority, later voted to join Russia in a
referendum that Ukraine and Western countries maintain is illegal.
On May 24, Greek police begun clearing Idomeni, Europe’s largest informal refugee camp.
Thousands of people have been stranded for months at the Idomeni camp. Approximately 400 riot
police entered the camp to order its 8,500 camp residents to leave. 2,000 people left voluntarily in
government buses for government-run camps, but thousands were still left in Idomeni. Katy
Athersuch, a spokesperson for Médecins Sans Frontières at the camp, said, “It’s still a non-violent
situation, but it doesn’t mean it’s a normal situation. It’s not like people are being asked, they’re
being told. There’s a very heavy police presence, with police telling people to leave and then
bulldozers coming to push over their tents.”
On May 23, German Chancellor Angela Merkel held talks with Turkish President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan in order to boost the EU-Turkey migrant deal.
The EU’s controversial migrant deal with Turkey became more doubtful following accusations
that Turkey was “cherry-picking” skilled Syrian refugees while sending the “sick and illiterate”
to Europe. Merkel was unable to quell growing concern across the EU at Turkey’s handling of the
deal. She admitted that the agreement on visa-free travel to Europe for Turkish citizens, a key part
of the deal, was in jeopardy. She also expressed concern over moves by the government to strip
MPs of immunity from prosecution in a crackdown on the opposition. Earlier on May 22, the
Turkish President blamed Europe for not doing enough to shoulder the refugee burden in Turkey.
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The country holds more refugees than any other country in the world, after the Syrian civil war
forced 2.7 million Syrians to flee northwards across the Turkish border.
On May 24, Independent candidate Alexander Van der Bellen beat the Freedom Party’s
Norbert Hofer by a narrow margin of 31,000 votes to become Austria’s new president.
The President acknowledged a rift but said, “We are two sides of the same coin. Together we make
up Austria.” If he had won, Hofer would have become the first far-right head of state of a European
Union nation.
According to The Guardian on May 25, a mistrust of mainstream political parties is
increasing in Europe.
The narrow defeat of the nationalist Freedom party in the Austrian presidential election has
focused attention once more on the rise of far-right parties in Europe. Notwithstanding claims to
the contrary, however, the right’s share of the vote in national elections has remained stable or
even declined in some countries. Southern European nations, which have memories of fascism and
dictatorship, are reluctant to support rightwing extremism. The far left is gaining greater support
in these countries. Although some rightwing populist parties have surfaced recently, others have
remained significant for many years now. The political right in France for example enjoys a large
share of the vote but has remained unable, thus far, to break through nationally. The continent’s
traditional mainstream parties however are in full retreat. Across Europe, the centre-left social
democrats and centre-right Christian democrats who have dominated national politics for six
decades are now in decline.
---Amina Afzal
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MIDDLE EAST & WEST ASIA
Egypt
On May 30, an Egyptian court sentenced Muslim Brotherhood leader, Mohammed Badie,
and 35 other people to life in prison over violent clashes following the army’s overthrow
of president Morsi.
Badie has already been sentenced to death and prison terms in other trials. The court sentenced
48 defendants to jail terms between 3 and 15 years, and acquitted another 20. The authorities
have arrested thousands of Brotherhood leaders and members, including Morsi, since his ouster
by the army in 2013. Hundreds have been sentenced to death, although many have appealed and
won retrials. The country experienced violence for weeks after Morsi’s supporters set up protest
camps and demonstrated against his overthrow. Morsi had won the country’s first free election
in 2012, more than a year after a popular uprising ousted Hosni Mubarak. Protests in Cairo
demanding his resignation, prompted the army to overthrow his regime and detain him.
During his visit to Cairo on May 19, US Secretary of State, John Kerry, welcomed
French and Egyptian efforts to revive peace talks between Israel and Palestine.
Kerry was in Cairo to further explore a proposal by Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, to
mediate between the Palestinians and Israelis. Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu
rejected the initiative, saying direct negotiations are the only way to resolve the conflict.
Iran
According to Khaleej Times, on May 26, during a meeting with members of the
Assembly of Experts, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called for
vigilance against the “soft war” mounted by the West and aimed at weakening the
religious establishment.
Khamenei’s allies are worried about losing their grip over power and have accused President
Hassan Rouhani of betraying the anti-Western values of the Revolution that toppled the US-
backed Reza Shah Pahlavi. The Assembly of experts is an 88-member clerical body responsible
for picking the country’s next supreme leader.
On May 24, a hardline Iranian cleric, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, was elected as the
Speaker of Assembly of Experts.
Jannati is considered to be an ultra-conservative who called for the execution of opposition
activists after Iran’s disputed 2009 election and asked Iraqis to carry out suicide bombing
against US forces in Iraq in 2003. According to analysts, the election of Jannati signals that the
23
hardliners still hold power in Iran. He received the backing of 55 members of the Assembly. He
will serve as the Assembly’s speaker for two years. Jannati reiterated recent comments by
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that the Assembly should remain ‘revolutionary’.
On May 22, Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, arrived in Tehran on a two-day visit,
aimed at strengthening infrastructure, cultural and energy ties with Iran.
During his visit, Modi met with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Iranian
President Hassan Rouhani, followed by delegation-level talks. Agreements were signed between
the two countries including on the development of Chabahar port on the southern coast of Iran,
setting up of an aluminium smelter plant and construction of a rail line. India, Iran and
Afghanistan signed a tripartite agreement to turn the Iranian Chabahar port into a transit hub
bypassing Pakistan, which has been the only transit route for Afghanistan to the Indian Ocean. It
will connect India to Afghanistan and central Asia, providing Kabul an alternate route to access
the Indian Ocean. PM Modi said India would open a $500 million line of credit to develop
Chabahar into a regional trading hub. Besides developing the port, India will also help build a
500 kilometre railway line between Chabahar and Zahedan. The two countries also signed
agreements to cooperate in aerospace, biotechnology, nanotechnology and counter-terrorism.
Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Iran in almost two decades. His visit comes four
months after international sanctions on Iran were lifted.
On May 20, the US and European governments announced that they would no longer
prevent international companies from doing business with Iran if the country followed all
applicable rules.
France, Germany, Britain, the US and a high representative of the EU signed the statement
explaining their policy for doing business with Iran. In 2015, the US and the EU lifted economic
and financial sanctions on Iran after signing an agreement called the Joint Comprehensive Plan
of Action (JCPOA). In return, Iran agreed to significantly curtail its nuclear programme. By the
end of 2015, both sides had met the conditions included in the nuclear agreement and on
January 16, 2016 the US and EU started lifting the sanctions. Under JCPOA, all parties agreed
to take steps to ensure Iran’s access to trade, technology, finance and energy.
On May 17, Iran’s parliament voted on a bill obliging the government to demand
damages from the US for 63 years of “hostile action and crimes”.
The bill cites “material or moral damage” caused by the US during the coup against
Mohammad Mossadegh (1953), in the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), in the destruction of oil
platforms in the Gulf and in espionage against Iran. The Parliament did not specify a sum, but
Vice President Majid Ansari said that Iranian courts have already ruled that the US pay $50
billion in damages for its hostile actions towards the country. The law was passed in April 2016
by the conservative-dominated outgoing parliament in response to a US Supreme Court decision
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which said that Iran must pay nearly $2 billion in frozen central bank assets to the relatives of
those killed in the 1983 attacks in Beirut blamed on Iran.
Iraq
On May 30, Iraqi forces started a new operation in the Daesh held Fallujah in an attempt
to re-capture the city.
According to Lieutenant General Abdelwahab Al Saadi, the commander in charge of the
operation, Iraqi forces entered Fallujah under air cover from the international coalition, the
Iraqi air force and army aviation and supported by artillery and tanks. Only a few hundred
families managed to slip out of Fallujah ahead of the assault on the city, with an estimated
50,000 civilians still trapped inside, sparking fears the militants could try to use them as human
shields. Fallujah is one of two major urban centres in Iraq still held by Daesh. They also hold a
second city Mosul.
On May 17, at least 72 people were killed and more than 140 wounded as a result of three
bombings in Baghdad.
Daesh claimed one suicide bombing which killed 38 people in a marketplace in the Shia district
of Al-Shaab. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ordered the arrest of the security official in charge
of al-Shaab’s security. Attacks claimed by Daesh in and around Baghdad killed more than 140
people in a span of one week. The recent attacks have sparked anger and street protests over the
government’s failure to ensure security. The crisis was sparked by Abadi’s attempt to reshuffle
the cabinet in an anti-corruption drive. According to him, the crisis was obstructing the fight
against Daesh and creating space for more insurgent attacks on the civilian population. Daesh
has intensified its attacks on civilian targets in the face of losing ground to the Iraqi security
forces. According to the authorities, Daesh currently controls only 14% of Iraqi territory, down
from the 40% it held in 2014.
Israel
On May 22, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, rejected a multilateral French
peace initiative as he met his French counterpart, Manuel Valls.
On May 24, Palestinian Prime Minister, Rami Hamdallah, dismissed an Israeli proposal
for direct negotiations instead of a French multilateral peace initiative.
Valls was on a visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories in an effort to advance his country’s
plan to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts. Paris plans to hold ministerial-level talks on
June 3, 2016 as a first step in reviving Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, which had come to
a halt in April 2014. The gathering of ministers in Paris would include the Middle East Quartet
(the US, Russia, the EU and the UN), the Arab League, the UNSC and 20 other countries,
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without Israeli or Palestinian participation. US efforts to broker a two-state deal collapsed in
April 2014 and Kerry said any peace effort would require both sides to compromise.
PM Netanyahu rejected the multilateral French peace initiative. Instead, he offered to hold
direct talks with Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas in Paris. He also said that the 2002 Arab
Peace Initiative has some positive aspects, but it cannot be the basis for negotiations. The Arab
peace plan offers Israel full recognition by Arab states for Israel’s withdrawal from territory
captured in the 1967 Middle East War. President Abbas, however, welcomed the French
initiative to hold a meeting of foreign ministers from different countries. According to
Palestinian leaders, years of negotiations with Israel have not ended its Occupation, therefore
Palestine has pursued a strategy of diplomacy in international bodies. An increase in violence
since October 2015 has killed 205 Palestinians and 28 Israelis.
Libya
On May 16, the US, Italy and Libya’s neighbouring states agreed to arm Libya’s unity
government to fight Daesh.
According to US Secretary of State, John Kerry, a 25-member group had agreed to exempt the
Government of National Accord (GNA) from the UN arms embargo imposed to halt the Libyan
conflict. Kerry was speaking in Vienna after a meeting of senior officials from 21 governments
and four international organisations, called by Italy’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Paolo Gentiloni,
and John Kerry to address the crisis. The group included the permanent members of the UNSC
and Libya’s neighbours. Kerry said that there were no plans to deploy an international military
force in Libya to support the new government. However, he said, Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj
had come to Vienna with a request for equipment and training. Secretary Kerry reiterated,
“World powers will support the GNA’s exemption from the UN arms embargo to acquire those
weapons and bullets needed to fight Daesh and other terrorist groups.”
Qatar
On May 22, the three-day 16th Doha Forum started under the title “Stability and
Prosperity for All”.
Emir of Qatar His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attended the opening session of
the Forum at the Doha Sheraton. The opening ceremony was also attended by Yemeni President
Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, Afghanistan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, President of
Niger Mahamadou Issoufou, President of Mauritius Dr Ameenah Gurib, UN Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon and a number of other world leaders. The Forum was organised by the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with local and international research and study centres.
Presidents, international personalities, businessmen and academics participated in the forum, in
26
which 58 experts talked on different issues like economy, energy, security and defence. Qatar’s
Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohamad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, stressed the need to support
human rights and bolster security for the people of the Middle East region and around the world.
He further said that achieving peace in the volatile Middle East is directly linked to ending the
Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, including Jerusalem.
Saudi Arabia
On May 29, British Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, met with Saudi Arabia’s King
Salman in Jeddah and discussed bilateral relations and reviewed developments at both the
regional and international level.
Hammond was in Saudi Arabia for the first leg of a three-day visit to Gulf countries. He
welcomed progress in the Yemen peace talks, saying, “a solution to the conflict in the country
must be political, not military.” He also met his Saudi counterpart, Adel al Jubeir. Saudi Arabia
accused Iran of sowing ‘sedition’ in Iraq and urged the country to ‘stop intervening’ in the
affairs of its neighbours. Hammond said that world powers would not turn a blind eye to Iranian
attempts to destabilise the region.
On May 29, Saudi Arabia denounced Iranian demands over its pilgrims joining the
annual Haj in 2016 as “unacceptable” after Tehran accused Riyadh of raising obstacles.
In a joint press briefing with his British counterpart, Philip Hammond, Saudi Foreign Minister,
Adel Al Jubeir said that "Iran has demanded the right to organise demonstrations and to have
privileges... that would cause chaos during Haj.” Iran announced that its pilgrims would not
attend the annual Haj pilgrimage, blaming Saudi Arabia for ‘sabotage’ and failing to guarantee
the safety of its pilgrims. An Iranian delegation returned from Saudi Arabia without an
agreement for its citizens to perform Haj. Saudi Arabia accused Iran of effectively depriving its
citizens of performing their religious duty by refusing to sign a memorandum reached after talks
with Iran’s Haj and Pilgrimage Organisation. It was the second time the two countries failed to
reach an agreement over Haj arrangements. Relations between the two countries deteriorated
after hundreds of Iranians died in a stampede in the 2015 Haj and also after Riyadh broke
diplomatic ties when its Tehran embassy was attacked by protestors in January 2016 over the
Saudi execution of a Shia cleric.
On May 17, the US Senate unanimously approved legislation that would allow victims of
the 9/11 terrorist attacks to sue Saudi Arabia.
The Senate voted unanimously in favour of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act
(JASTA). It will next be taken up by the US House of Representatives, where the Judiciary
Committee intends to hold a hearing on the measure in the near future. If it becomes law, JASTA
would remove the sovereign immunity, preventing lawsuits against governments, for countries
27
found to be involved in terrorist attacks on US soil. It would allow survivors of the attacks, and
relatives of those killed in the attacks, to seek damages from other countries. It would also allow
lawsuits to proceed in the federal court in New York as lawyers try to prove that the Saudis were
involved in the attacks on the World Trade Centre and Pentagon. Saudi Arabia denies
responsibility for the 2001 attacks and strongly objects to the bill. In April 2016, it had warned
that it might sell up to $750 billion in US securities and other American assets in retaliation if
the bill was passed. The White House argues that the provision would hurt its ties with Saudi
Arabia and President Barack Obama has threatened to veto the bill when it comes to him for
signing into law.
Syria
According to Khaleej Times, on May 27, Daesh militants captured six villages from
Syrian rebels near the Turkish border in rapid advances.
Daesh captured villages east of Azaz including Kaljibrin, cutting off rebels in Marea from the
Azaz pocket. The attacks forced the evacuation of a hospital and trapped tens of thousands of
people amid heavy fighting. The advancements demonstrated Daesh’s ability to stage major
offensives and capture new areas, notwithstanding a string of recent losses in Syria and Iraq.
According to Human Rights Watch, around 165,000 civilians are trapped near the Turkish
border as a result of the fighting. Turkey has closed its borders with Syria for the past 15
months.
On May 21, the new commander of US forces in the Middle East, US CENTCOM Chief
Joseph Votel made a secret visit to Syria.
Votel flew into northern Syria from Iraq, where he met with US and Iraqi military commanders.
Votel said he felt a “moral obligation to enter a war zone to check on his troops and make his
own assessment of progress in organising local Arab and Kurd fighters” for what has been a
slow campaign to push Daesh out of Syria. He met with US military advisers working with
Syrian Arab fighters and consulted with leaders of the Syrian Democratic Forces, an umbrella
group of Kurdish and Arab fighters supported by the US. Votel, who has headed US Central
Command for just seven weeks, became the highest-ranking US military officer known to have
entered Syria since the US began its campaign to counter Daesh in 2014. The visit was revealed
after Votel left Syria. The US has no combat units in Syria, no diplomatic relations with Syria
and for the past two years has kept much of its Syria military mission a secret.
On May 19, Syrian government forces and allied militias advanced into Damascus’ rebel-
held Ghouta suburbs.
The development came as the UN envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, vowed in Geneva that
peace talks “were not going to be abandoned, frankly, ever.” In 2012, opposition groups
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expelled government forces from the Ghouta region. Syrian forces, supported by Lebanese and
Iranian fighters and Russian air power, responded by encircling the zone and slowly tightening
its blockade. Residents and rebels inside depend on smuggling routes and local farmland to
survive.
Earlier, on May 17, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 50 fighters
and two civilians were killed in clashes between rival anti-regime groups in Syria. Jaish al-
Islam, or Army of Islam, has been engaged in clashes with rival factions led by Al Qaeda’s
Syrian affiliate in the opposition stronghold of Eastern Ghouta. Head of the Syrian Observatory,
Rami Abdel Rahman, said that nearly three weeks of fighting had killed more than 500 fighters
and a dozen civilians. Eastern Ghouta is the largest rebel area in Damascus province, and Jaish
al-Islam has long been dominant in the district. However the organisation has recently been
challenged by Faylaq al-Rahman and Jaish al-Fustat, both led by Syria’s Al Qaeda affiliate Al-
Nusra Front. Syria’s weak opposition movement has been further damaged by infighting,
particularly between jihadist groups and their rivals. More than 270,000 people have been killed
and millions more driven from their homes since the conflict began in 2011.
On May 17, senior envoys from across the world gathered in Vienna in an effort to
restore earlier attempts on ending Syria’s civil war.
At the gathering, the 17-nation International Syria Support Group (ISSG) renewed its call for a
nationwide ceasefire and immediate humanitarian access to blocked areas. US officials said that
Washington still insists Assad should go, with an August 1, 2016 deadline for settling on the
framework under which he resigns. So far, UN-mediated peace talks in Geneva under envoy
Staffan de Mistura have made little progress and there are doubts the deadline would be met.
Turkey
According to Dawn, on May 27, Turkey accused the US of hypocrisy after its
commandos in Syria were pictured supporting a major ground offensive led by Kurdish-
Arab Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which comprises fighters from Kurdish People’s
Protection Units (YPG).
Ankara has branded YPG as a terrorist group. Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu,
said, “it was unacceptable that US troops had been seen in images taken by an AFP
photographer wearing insignia of the YPG.” Turkey accuses YPG of carrying out attacks inside
Turkey and being the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) which has fought an
insurgency against the Turkish state for more than three decades. Washington, however,
considers the YPG as one of the most effective fighting forces against Daesh inside Syria. The
issue has caused tensions between the two countries. The US, along with the EU, classified the
PKK as a terror group. It has so far resisted outlawing YPG despite intensive lobbying from
Turkey even as it continues working with the group in Syria.
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On May 22, Turkey’s Transport Minister, Binali Yildirim, an ally of President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan, was named ruling party chief. He would also be appointed the prime
minister.
Binali would replace Ahmet Davutoglu, a former foreign minister who resigned following a
power struggle with Erdogan. Yildirim was the only candidate at the ruling Justice and
Development Party (AKP) Congress in Ankara, receiving 1,405 votes from 1,470 delegates
present. By AKP convention, the posts of premier and ruling party chief are held by the same
person. According to analysts, the appointment of Yildirim as the next PM would further
consolidate the Turkish President’s grip on power. Yildirim would be more compliant to
Erdogan, who seeks a new constitution to bring a presidential system in Turkey. Erdogan first
came to power as prime minister in 2003, switching to the presidency in 2014. If he seeks a
second presidential mandate in 2019, he could stay in power until 2024. His critics have accused
him of authoritarianism.
On May 20, Turkey’s parliament adopted a highly controversial bill that would lift
immunity for dozens of pro-Kurdish and other MPs and could see them evicted from
parliament.
German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, is expected to raise concerns over the legislation in an
upcoming meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The EU is pressuring Ankara to
narrow its definition of ‘terror’ to stop prosecuting academics and journalists for publishing
‘terror propaganda.’ The bill was backed by 376 MPs in the 550-seat legislature while 140 voted
against the measure. Parliament speaker Ismail Kahraman said that it will become law directly
without being put to a referendum. Under current law, Turkish lawmakers have the right to full
immunity from prosecution. The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) says the
measure is aimed at expelling its members from parliament.
Yemen
On May 30, US lawmakers moved a joint resolution in the Senate seeking to regulate
Saudi Arabia’s military operations in Yemen.
Through this resolution, Senators Rand Paul, a Republican, and Chris Murphy, a Democrat,
seek to amend the National Defence Authorisation Act by linking the provision of US weapons
and ammunitions to Saudi Arabia to a presidential certification. The president’s certification
would consider how Saudi Arabia used US weapons in attacks against civilians, how it affects
US credibility in the region and how defence sales to the Kingdom enhance US national security
objectives. Earlier, on May 23, Amnesty International issued a statement, saying that it had
documented evidence that the Saudi military has used American, British and Brazilian-made
cluster bombs against Yemeni civilians. The BL-755 bomb, manufactured in Britain in the 1970s,
was located by Amnesty in Hayran in northern Yemen near the Saudi border. The human rights
30
advocacy group also claimed that hundreds of civilians, including children, have been killed
during the year-long Saudi offensive in Yemen.
On May 25, the UN’s Yemen envoy, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, said that Yemen’s
warring parties were closer to agreement at peace talks in Kuwait.
The progress in Kuwait talks came after Foreign Minister, Abdulmalek Al-Mikhlafi, said that the
government was ready to make concessions for the sake of peace. The main sticking point in the
talks has been the form of government to oversee a transition. Houthi rebels and their allies have
demanded a unity government. The government delegation insists that the legitimacy of
President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi must be respected. The government has also demanded
that rebels implement an April 2015 UNSC Resolution demanding their withdrawal from the
capital and other territory they have seized since 2014. According to a Western diplomat, the UN
envoy has proposed a “National Salvation Government” to overcome this problem. He further
illustrated that the proposed government “would be formed on a consensual and inclusive basis
and in accordance with the legal references, and would only replace the current government
once Sanaa and key government institutions are not under the control of non-state actors.”
Houthi spokesman, Mohammed Abdulsalam, however, warned that if no fair solution were
reached, the rebels would form the government in Sanaa.
Earlier on May 17, Yemen’s government announced it was suspending talks with Shia rebels,
accusing them of refusing to accept the legitimacy of the country’s internationally recognised
president. During a May 21 meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the Emir of
Qatar on the sidelines of Doha Forum, president Hadi agreed to send the government delegation
back to the talks. According to the UN envoy, the truce that began on April 10, 2016 is holding
around 80 to 90 percent, even as he acknowledged that a few instances of violence have been
reported.
On May 18, Amnesty International accused Yemeni rebels of carrying out a “brutal”
campaign of arbitrary arrests and torture of opponents since they seized Sanaa in 2014.
In a statement, the rights watchdog said, “Houthi insurgents have carried out a wave of arrests
of ... opponents, arbitrarily seizing critics at gunpoint and subjecting some to enforced
disappearance.” The Houthi insurgents are backed by troops loyal to ousted President Ali
Abdullah Saleh. The warring parties have discussed a deal to release half of the detainees and
prisoners they hold before the begining of Ramazan in early June 2016. However on May 17,
2016 Yemen’s government suspended its participation in the Kuwait peace talks. The Houthi
rebels overran Sanaa in September 2014 and went on to expand their control, advancing into
southern provinces.
--- Muhammad Shoaib
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SOUTH ASIA
Pakistan
External
On May 27, Iranian Ambassador in Islamabad, Mehdi Honardoost, said that Iran’s
Chabahar port is not a rival to Gwadar port, adding that both connectivity projects were
in the interest of the entire region.
Honardoost stressed that the Chabahar agreement was not limited to the signatories and said
that Pakistan and China were offered to join the Chahbahar port development deal before India,
but neither side expressed any interest. Meanwhile, Pakistani Foreign Affairs Adviser, Sartaj
Aziz also termed Gwadar and Chabahar as ‘sister ports’ adding that Pakistan may consider
linking the two ports in future. India signed the Chabahar deal with Iran and Afghanistan on
May 23 and is investing $500 million in the projects. Some analysts view Indian investment in
Chabahar as part of its strategy to counter China-Pakistan influence in the region, as it remains
wary of the development of Gwadar port by China under the CPEC.
According to Balochistan’s Home Minister, Sarfaraz Bugti on May 26, Pakistani security
forces arrested six agents of the National Directorate of Security (NDS), the Afghan
intelligence agency, responsible for targeted killings and bomb blasts across Balochistan.
According to authorities, five out of six alleged spies were identified as Afghan nationals. The
sixth one is Pakistani. The six agents were staying at different refugee camps in Pakistan. In a
confessional video shared with the media, one of the alleged spies admitted receiving training in
Afghanistan for carrying out subversive activities in Balochistan. Bugti accused the NDS of
working with the Indian spy agency RAW for sending agents into the country, disguised as
Afghan refugees and urged repatriation of the Afghan refugees to their home country. According
to reports, there are approximately 1.5 million displaced Afghans living in Pakistan while an
additional one million undocumented Afghans are believed to be living in different parts of the
country as well. Earlier, in March 2016, law enforcement agencies captured a senior RAW
operative, Kulbushan Yadhav during an intelligence-based raid in Balochistan’s Chaman area.
In August 2015, Pakistani authorities arrested two Afghan spies involved in planning terrorist
activities in Pakistan. Concerns remain high within Pakistan’s security establishment over the
increased presence of foreign spies operating in the country, especially in Balochistan, which
has come under renewed focus following the announcement of the multi-million dollar CPEC
project.
On May 26, Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs Adviser, Sartaj Aziz, said that the killing of
Taliban Chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour has further complicated the Afghan Peace
Process. Aziz, however, vowed to continue working with the Quadrilateral Coordination
Group (QCG) partners for reconciliation in Afghanistan.
32
Aziz warned that such moves would further destabilise Afghanistan and have negative
repercussions for the region. He said the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) partners
had agreed that a politically negotiated settlement was the most viable option and efforts should
continue to bring the Taliban on the table. Earlier on May 23, US President Barack Obama said
that Mullah Mansour was killed because he had rejected peace efforts, adding that Mullah
Mansour’s death had created an opportunity for establishing peace in Afghanistan. However,
later in Japan while meeting with the G7 leaders, US President Barack Obama ruled out any
chances of Taliban agreeing to talks under its new leadership with the Afghan government.
Mansour’s car was struck by a US drone while he was traveling through the Pakistani province
of Balochistan on May 21, 2016.
Dawn reported on May 25 that the US Senate Armed Services Committee chairman,
Senator John McCain, approved a proposal to set up a new fund of $800 million to
reimburse Pakistan for its efforts in the war against terror.
The proposed fund is different from the Coalition Support Fund (CSF), which reimburses
Pakistan for its support to US and coalition forces in Afghanistan. The new provision uses the
same payment method. However, it emphasises both Pakistani and US national security
interests. The new fund has also delinked Pakistan from Afghanistan. However, the bill requires
Pakistan to keep open ground communication lines to Afghanistan for receiving payments from
this fund. A sum of $300m is linked to taking action against the Haqqani network. Although, the
US Senate has proposed setting up new funds for Pakistan, however, Islamabad does not enjoy
support in the US Senate. Earlier in April 2016, chairman of the Senate’ Foreign Relations
Committee, Senator Bob Corker strongly opposed the use of any US funds for Pakistan to buy
American F-16 fighter jets.
On May 21, the US House of Representatives passed several amendments seeking to
restrict US military aid to Pakistan.
The House passed the $602 billion National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA), on May 19,
2016. However, members of the House of Representatives added three amendments related to
Pakistan. The amendments seek to block $450 million in aid to Islamabad unless specific
conditions are met. The bill requires Pentagon certification that Pakistan is conducting military
operations to disrupt the Haqqani network, not letting the network use North Waziristan as a
safe haven and actively coordinating with Afghanistan’s government to fight the network along
their border. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher’s amendment adds an additional requirement
that the secretary of defence certify to Congress that Pakistan is not using its military or any
funds or equipment provided by the US to persecute minority groups seeking political or
religious freedom. The NDAA-2017 also includes the ‘sense of the Congress’ that Shakil Afridi is
an international hero and that Pakistan should release him from prison. Shakeel Afridi, a
Pakistani doctor, was arrested by Pakistani authorities in 2012 and is believed to have been
secretly helping the Central Investigation Agency (CIA) in tracing Osama Bin Laden. Pakistan
33
maintains that its courts would decide Afridi’s fate and has rejected any demands for his release.
Meanwhile, strong opposition for Pakistan in both the US House of Representatives and Senate
reflects Washington’s growing acrimony towards Islamabad. Experts in Pakistan have urged the
government to review its policies vis-à-vis US.
Dawn reported on May 23 that Afghan Taliban chief, Mullah Akhtar Mansour, was killed
during a US drone strike on May 21 in Balochistan’s Dalbandin district.
In a related development on May 21, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Foreign
Affairs, Tariq Fatemi summoned the US Ambassador in Islamabad, David Hale to
express concern over the drone strike on Pakistani territory.
Fatemi told Ambassador Hale that such actions would adversely affect the ongoing efforts for
Afghan peace talks, while PM Sharif termed it an act ‘against the sovereignty of the state’. Also
in a separate meeting on May 25, Army Chief, General Raheel Sharif warned David Hale that
violation of sovereignty is detrimental to Pak-US ties. The drone strike targeting Mullah Akhtar
Mansour was the most high-profile US incursion into Pakistan’s territory since the 2011 raid in
Abbottabad which killed Osama bin Laden. Analysts fear the development would further strain
Pak-US relations. The strike targeting Mansour came soon after the US, Pakistan, Afghanistan
and China held another round of negotiations in Islamabad to discuss ways to revive the Afghan
peace negotiations. However, there are concerns that Mansour’s death would cause further
division in the Taliban circles and will also trigger a leadership struggle among the Afghan
Taliban. Mansour was heading the Afghan Taliban since the death of Mullah Mohammad Omar
was announced in July 2015.
On May 21, Pakistan handed over the Angoor Adda border crossing between Pakistan
and Afghanistan in South Waziristan to Afghan authorities.
According to the Pakistan military, the move reflects its ‘strategic intent to improve border
management’ between the two countries. Pakistan has repeatedly urged the Afghan government
to strengthen coordination on border management to stop illegal movement on both sides.
On May 17, the eighth round of the Pakistan-US Security, Strategic Stability and Non-
proliferation Working Group (SSS&NP) was held in Islamabad. Foreign Secretary, Aizaz
Ahmad Chaudhry, led the Pakistani side and the Under Secretary of State for Arms
Control and International Security, Rose Gottemoeller represented the US delegation.
During discussions, both sides expressed concerns over the ‘nuclear and missile developments’
in South Asia and called for a resolution of outstanding disputes between India and Pakistan.
These concerns come in the wake of Indian tests of supersonic interceptor missile and nuclear-
capable K-4 Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles. Concerns remain high, particularly in
India’s neighbourhood that such developments will exacerbated arms race in the region.
Pakistan also reiterated its proposal for the Strategic Restraint Regime (SRR) in South Asia.
During the meeting, the US pressed Pakistan to begin negotiations on Fissile Material Cut-off
34
Treaty (FMCT). Islamabad reiterated its demand for a broader Fissile Material Treaty (FMT)
requiring member states to reduce existing stockpiles of fissile material. The US has been
mounting pressure on Pakistan to put a restraint on its tactical nuclear programme, which
Pakistan believes is necessary for deterring India’s ColdStart Doctrine. Pakistan also expressed
its confidence regarding its credentials to become a member of the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group
(NSG).
On May 18, the fifth meeting of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) of
Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United States and China was held in Islamabad. The QCG said
direct peace negotiations were the only option to end violence in Afghanistan.
However, the participating nations were unable to reach an agreement on a future strategy for
bringing the insurgents to the talks. Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs Advisor, Sartaj Aziz informed
QCG members that the Taliban had not yet given any positive response for dialogue with the
Afghan government. Aziz, however, warned that negative statements about Pakistan from
Afghanistan would obstruct peace negotiations. Kabul and Islamabad remain divided on a
strategy for bringing Taliban to the negotiating table. Whereas Kabul insists on military action
against Taliban leaders living in Pakistan, Islamabad emphasises on dialogue as the only option
for bringing peace in Afghanistan. The Afghan government hardened its stance following April
19 attack in Kabul and said that peace through negotiations was no longer a priority.
According to Dawn on May 18, Pakistan expressed its ‘serious concern’ to the United
Nations (UN) Secretary General and the President of the UN Security Council (UNSC)
about efforts by the Modi government to pass into law the controversial Geospatial
Information Regulation Bill aimed at restricting geographical depictions of India and
disputed Kashmir to those that are government-approved.
The letter called upon the UN to uphold UNSC resolutions and urge India to stop such acts,
which are in violation of international law. According to the proposed bill, the Indian
government could penalise individuals and organisations depicting Jammu and Kashmir as
disputed territory. Pakistan says that a map showing disputed Kashmir as part of Indian
territory is “factually incorrect and legally untenable”.
On May 18, Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan, Gautam Bambawale said that
Pakistan-India talks must be held on all issues, including Kashmir, and said India is ready
to go ahead with talks.
In a related development on May 19, Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesman, Nafees
Zakaria said that sincerity was critical for normalisation of relations between Pakistan
and India.
Gautam Bambawale said that all issues would be addressed upon the resumption of the dialogue
process between the two countries. He also expressed his country’s willingness to expand trade
with Pakistan. In December 2015, India and Pakistan agreed on a comprehensive bilateral
dialogue (CBD), however, the dialogue ended following the Pathankot airbase attack. The
35
resumption of dialogue was delayed further following the arrest of senior Indian spy operative,
Kulbushan Yadhav, from Balochistan, which evoked a strong reaction from Islamabad.
On May 19, Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs Adviser, Sartaj Aziz, informed the Senate that
Pakistan is considering a proposal for tabling a resolution in the UN declaring the Indian
Ocean a nuclear-free zone.
The statement came days after India tested nuclear-capable K-4 submarine-launched ballistic
missiles (SLBMs) from its nuclear-powered submarine INS Arihant as part of its efforts to
develop second-strike capability. Aziz vowed to raise the issue with all major powers ‘bilaterally
and multilaterally’. Earlier, on May 15, India also tested its Advanced Air Defence Missile
Ashwin for its upcoming multi-layered ballistic missile defence system. Aziz said these two
developments are part of the massive conventional, nuclear and missile development
programmes being pursued by India, which are now leading to nuclearisation of the Indian
Ocean and would affect the maritime security of all the 32 littoral states in the Indian Ocean.
The adviser also recalled that Pakistan had in the past offered discussions on an anti-ballistic
missile-free zone in South Asia under nuclear confidence-building measures but regretted that
India has not responded positively. There are concerns in Pakistan that these development are
poised to trigger serious security implications for the region and beyond and will tilt the balance
of power in India’s favour. Security experts in Pakistan have also criticised the US for its muted
response vis-à-vis Indian missile development even as Washington has been pressing Pakistan to
avoid developments in its nuclear weapons programme.
Dawn reported on May 16 that according to the latest Annual Report of the US
Department of Defence to the Congress, China is likely to consider establishing
additional naval logistics hubs in countries with which it has longstanding friendly
relations and similar strategic interests ‘such as Pakistan’.
The Report added “China’s overseas naval logistics aspiration may be constrained by the
willingness of countries to support a (Chinese military) presence in one of their ports.” The
report also pointed out that Pakistan remains China’s “primary customer” for conventional
weapons and China engages in both arms sales and defence industrial cooperation with
Pakistan. The Pentagon Report also warned that China has entered a new phase in military
modernisation. However, Beijing rejected the Report, saying the US is distorting the facts. The
Pentagon report comes at a time when tensions between Beijing and Washington are rising,
characterised by increasing US naval patrols and exercises in Asia.
Dawn reported on May 16, that the US State Department assured Pakistan that it does not
support the demand for an independent Balochistan, and it respects the country’s unity
and territorial integrity.
The statement came in the wake of media reports which said that some Baloch separatists had
held two separate seminars in Washington D.C asking the US government and legislators to
36
back their struggle for an independent Balochistan. Although the situation in Balochistan has
considerably improved in recent years, however, separatist movements in the province still
remains a major security concern in the country.
On May 16, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif visited Beijing and met
his Chinese counterpart Gen Li Zoucheng and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.
During the visit, both sides discussed measures to improve military to military cooperation,
intelligence sharing and the security of CPEC. Li Keqiang also expressed the hope that China
and Pakistan would increase communication and coordination on global and regional issues in
order to safeguard peace and promote development.
Pakistan
Internal
On May 16, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, addressed the National Assembly on the
insistence of opposition parties to clarify his position regarding the data leaked in the
Panama Papers about his family’s offshore accounts and UK properties.
The premier suggested the formation of a joint committee to draft the terms of reference (ToRs)
for establishing the judicial commission to probe allegations related to Panama Papers
revelations. Meanwhile, the opposition staged a walkout from the House as they felt he had not
responded to the 7 questions asked off him by the Opposition. Later, on May 18, the opposition
ended its boycott of the parliamentary proceedings and agreed to participate in the joint
committee proposed by PM Sharif. Earlier on May 13, Chief Justice of Pakistan, Anwar Zaheer
Jamali, refused a government request to form a judicial inquiry commission, pointing out that
under the government-proposed terms of reference, it would serve no useful purpose.
India
On May 23, India announced an investment of $500m to develop the Chabahar port in
Iran and agreed on a tripartite agreement to build a transport-and-trade corridor through
Afghanistan. The accord was signed following Indian PM Narendra Modi and Afghan
President Ashraf Ghani’s meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran.
According to the agreements, India would build and operate two terminals and five berths with
cargo handling in the Chabahar port. Upon completion, the project will connect India to
Afghanistan and Central Asia, while Kabul will get an alternate route to the Indian Ocean.
Presently, India needs a transit through Pakistan to reach Afghanistan, while Pakistan does not
allow India land route access to Afghanistan through Wagah. The agreement comes as China is
37
building a $46 billion economic corridor with Pakistan in Gwadar. Chabahar is located near the
Iran-Pakistan border, and is approximately 60 miles from the Pakistani port of Gwadar.
Afghanistan
On May 28, Mullah Abdul Manan Niazi, a senior leader of the breakaway Taliban faction
led by Mullah Mohammad Rasool, signalled his willingness to hold peace talks with the
Afghan government. However, he also demanded the imposition of Islamic law and the
departure of all foreign forces from Afghanistan.
The withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghan soil has remains one of the main pre-conditions of
the Taliban for joining the peace talks. However, the official Afghan Taliban’s spokesman,
Zabihullah Mujahid, termed Rasool’s faction as a government loyalist. The Taliban leadership
has been in dispute since the revelation of Mullah Omar’s death in July 2015.
On May 27, US State Department deputy spokesman, Mark Toner, said that the new
Taliban leader, Mawlawi Haibatullah, is not on its list of designated terrorists and urged
him to opt for peace not war.
Afghanistan has also urged the new Taliban leader to join peace talks or face consequences.
Earlier on May 25, an audio message was released with Afghan Taliban new leader, Mullah
Haibatullah Akhundzada, rejecting peace talks. However, a day after Taliban spokesman,
Zabihullah Mujahid, denied that an audiotape attributed to Mullah Haibatullah was released by
the new emir.
On May 25, the Afghan Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, confirmed the death of
Mullah Akhtar Mansour, the group’ f ormer leader, in a US drone strike and announced
the appointment of Mullah Haibatullah Akhunzada as his successor.
The Taliban statement also said that Sirajuddin Haqqani and Mullah Yaqub, son of former
leader Mullah Omar, have been appointed as the group’s new deputy leaders. Mansour was
killed in Pakistani province of Balochistan on May 21 when his vehicle was struck by a US
drone. The US and Afghan governments says that Mansour had remained an obstacle to the
Afghan peace process. Mansour refused to participate in peace talks earlier this year. Instead,
he intensified attacks in Afghanistan. The killing of Taliban leader Mansour has created new
doubts about the future of peace in Afghanistan. Analysts predict the new chief would have to
consolidate the support of Taliban factions before going for talks and rules out any change in
Taliban’s direction under its new leadership.
On May 18, Afghanistan’s government signed a draft agreement with the Hezb-e-Islami
militant group led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.
38
According to the deal, the Afghan government would grant an official pardon to the members of
Hezb-e-Islami and lobby the UN to have the group removed from the UN terrorist blacklist. The
announcement comes as the QCG members met in Islamabad for laying the ground for peace
talks with the Taliban. Analysts hope the deal will lead to a peace agreement with the Hezb-e-
Islami.
---Muhammad Abdul Qadeer
39
UNITED NATIONS
On May 29, at least five UN peacekeepers were killed in an attack in central Mali.
A convoy of UN peacekeepers, known as MINUSMA, was ambushed some 30 kilometres west of
the town of Sevare in Mopti region. According to initial reports, five peacekeepers were killed
and another seriously injured. The UN did not immediately provide information regarding the
nationality of the dead soldiers. The attack came just two days after five Malian soldiers were
killed and four were injured. The death toll of MINUSMA soldiers in Mali has reached 64. The
North of Mali has seen repeated violence since it fell under the control of Tuareg-led rebels with
links to Al-Qaeda.
On May 26, South Africa, Russia and China, along with other countries, opposed the
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a press freedom watchdog group, and denied it a
consultative status in the UN.
New York-based CPJ reports and works on violation of press freedom in countries and conflict
zones around the world. It also advocates action on behalf of targeted journalists in conflicts. A
19-member UN Committee on Non-Governmental Organisations rejected CPJ’s application for
a consultative status, which, if approved, would have given it access to UN headquarters and to
participate in UN events. The committee rejected the CPJ’s application with 10 votes against,
six in favour and three abstentions. The US ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power
denounced the decision and stated that the US would overturn the NGO Committee’s decision by
calling for a vote in the 54-nation UN Economic and Social Council. UN Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon was disappointed by the NGO Committee’s decision.
On May 24, Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the
UN, stated that Pakistan fully supports an expansion of the number of African seats in the
UNSC on the basis of periodic elections and fixed rotation.
While speaking at a UNSC debate on UN- African Union (AU) Corporation, Ambassador Lodhi
underscored the importance of the role of the regional organisation in addressing the issues of
international peace and security. She stated that UN-AU cooperation should make effective use
of links between the regional bloc and sub-regional bodies. It is important that countries should
assist African troop and police contributing countries in strengthening their capabilities and
resources. Moreover, non-permanent members of the Security Council from Africa should utilise
their presidency of the Council to highlight regional issues.
On May 23, United Nations General-Secretary Ban Ki-moon stated that global
humanitarian action remains strained and urged the global community to shape a different
future for the world.
While speaking at the opening of the first-ever World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) at Istanbul,
Turkey, Ban Ki-moon said that he had proposed this summit four years ago out of concern for
40
rising humanitarian needs and a declining political will to address the instabilities. The Summit
aims at revitalising commitments to humanity, initiate firm actions and share innovations and
practices that can help save lives around the world. According to estimates provided by the UN,
130 million people need aid to survive and more people have been displaced. UN’s “Agenda for
Humanity”, the document Ban recently issued in order to guide the discussions and actions, is
based on thorough consultations from different parts of the world. During the Summit, the UN
chief underlined five core responsibilities of the world states to address the humanitarian needs
including: preventing and ending conflict, respecting rules of war, leaving no one behind,
working differently to ending needs, and investing in humanity. Pakistan also participated in the
WHS to find opportunities to showcase its achievements regarding disaster management.
Pakistan National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) hosted an exhibition to project the
country’s humanitarian response activities.
On May 21, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held an unprecedented
consultative meeting with member states of the Arab League in Cairo, Egypt, to discuss
regional issues including developments on the Palestinian issue, the Middle East peace
process and the political situation in Libya and Somalia.
Arab League Secretary General Nabil El Araby laid emphasis on the importance of enhancing
coordination and cooperation between the UN and the League of the Arab States on issues
related to peace and security in the region. Both sides also urged the creation of a fixed
mechanism for the two organisations to hold regular meetings. El Araby also stressed the need
to reconsider the way UNSC operates, enabling it to fulfil its global responsibilities.
On May 19, officials from the United Nations Security Council concluded a one-day visit
to Somalia and reiterated its call to legalise the 2016 electoral model immediately.
The UNSC officials visited Somalia with a very clear message that the international community
urges the country to hold elections in 2016 and the Council will do everything to support the
country. Somalia needs to approve the new electoral model so that practical preparations may
begin. The UNSC officials held numerous meetings with the Federal President of Somalia
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmake, regional presidents,
civil society members and African Union officials. Michael Keating, the Special Representative
of the UN Secretary General in Somalia, stated that Somalia’s security is important for the
international community and that is why the UN is highly concerned with the fair and legitimate
transfer of power in Somalia. The new electoral model was adopted during National Leadership
Forum conference in Somalia and it was submitted to the Federal parliament in April 2016 by
Somali Prime Minister Sharmake.
--- Abdul Moiz Khan
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