The year 2024 is a huge year for elections and seen as a global test for democracy. More than two billion people across 50 countries are expected to go the polls this year and it is not only November’s USA presidential election that counts. International observers, including the European Union, will be in Senegal for…
Author: James Wilson
Voting at Gunpoint
Russia will hold another presidential election in March 2024. Given the totalitarian reality of Russia, there is no doubt that Putin will be re-elected for another 6 years, and that this will herald a period of geopolitical turbulence for Europe. Holding such elections in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine is a challenge for the…
The Gambia Supports Morocco’s Autonomy Plan for Western Sahara
The Republic of The Gambia reiterated on Thursday in Dakhla its “unwavering” support for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom and its endorsement of the Autonomy Initiative as the only “credible and realistic” solution for resolving the dispute over the Moroccan Sahara. This stance was expressed in a joint communiqué issued at the end of…
A Celebration of Humanity
Tonight (25th January) we celebrate the life and poetry of Robert Burns, the national poet of Scotland. Honouring a national poet is something that Scotland shares with Ukraine, two of the few countries in the world to do so. Robert Burns is renowned for the respect in which he held his fellow man. He was…
Azerbaijan Delivers Rebuke to Josep Borrell
Photo by İltun Huseynli on Unsplash Remarks made by Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission during the press conference following the Foreign Affairs Council held on 22 January 2024 have provoked a stiff response from Azerbaijan, through their spokesman for Foreign Affairs. Azerbaijan is aggrieved by the…
Morocco and Mauritania Strengthen Ties
Nasser Bourita the Moroccan Minister for Foreign Affairs African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates held a top level meeting in Rabat yesterday with the Foreign Minister of Mauritania Mohamed Salem Ould Marzouk. “His Majesty the King considers that Mauritania has its rightful place and importance in the Royal Initiative to promote access to the Atlantic Ocean…
Coming from Pyongyang to a City Near You
The Russian Air Force has used North Korean ballistic missiles at least three times in massive strikes on Ukraine’s rear infrastructure. But against the backdrop of a full-scale war with Ukraine, Russia is intensifying its range of ties with North Korea, and this Moscow-Pyongyang dialogue is a direct threat to the West. Ukraine is only…
Hostages
Russia is holding thousands of civilians hostage in the occupied territories of Ukraine, creating an atmosphere of terror and violence. Ukraine’s Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said that about 28 000 Ukrainian civilians are being held in Russian captivity, approximately 2,000 of whom are over 65 years old. It is important to understand that the Geneva Convention…
Release the Bulls
The transfer of long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine is key to the security of Eastern Europe. From the start of the invasion of Ukraine, Russia has systematically terrorised the civilian population of Ukraine with missile and drone attacks, in breach of international law and conventions governing the conduct of war. Neither sanctions nor any other…
Bulgaria Praises Morocco Reforms
The Republic of Bulgaria has commended the far-reaching reforms undertaken by the Kingdom of Morocco under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and the renewed efforts for political, economic and social development. Specifically Bulgaria has said that they consider the Moroccan autonomy initiative to be a serious and credible basis for resolving the…