Overseas Security Advisory Council Newsletter 1/26/2023

 

January 26, 2023

Today's Headlines OSAC's daily selection of global security news

Africa

France said on Thursday that it was recalling its ambassador from Burkina Faso, a day after agreeing to demands from the ruling junta to pull out troops from the former French colony in Africa's Sahel region.

A Kenyan court on Wednesday found a Venezuelan diplomat guilty of murdering the Latin American nation's acting ambassador a decade ago at her home in an upmarket Nairobi neighbourhood.

A court in Mali has sentenced a man to death over a 2019 attack that killed three United Nations peacekeepers, the United Nations’ peacekeeping mission has said, without naming the defendant.

The Police Command in Nasarawa State has confirmed the alleged killing of 27 pastoralists in an ‘airstrike’ in the Doma Local Government Area of the State.

The ‘fight against crime and corruption’ is one of the African National Congress’ (ANC) six priorities for 2023, according to the ruling party’s 8 January statement. But it offers little beyond vague and poorly considered proposals on the way forwar...

Infants, the elderly, persons living with disabilities, pregnant women, outdoor workers, and those who are on chronic medications are the most vulnerable to death as a result of exposure to extreme heat. This is according to research conducted by th...

The deregistration of 291 Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) by the Zimbabwean government has sparked discomfort for those remaining as finalisation of the widely criticised Private Voluntary Act draws closer.

East Asia & Pacific

The figures come after a prominent government scientist said that 80% of China’s 1.4 billion population had already been infected.

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 25 — The police cautioned the public today against joining two planned marches to the Swedish embassy here on Friday as both would violate public assembly...

Europe

France said on Thursday that it was recalling its ambassador from Burkina Faso, a day after agreeing to demands from the ruling junta to pull out troops from the former French colony in Africa's Sahel region.

Two people were killed and several others injured when a 33-year-old stateless Palestinian man attacked them with a knife on Wednesday on a regional train travelling between Kiel and Hamburg in northern Germany, authorities said.

Spanish authorities said they were investigating what they called a possible "terrorist" incident after a machete-wielding man attacked several people at two churches in the southern port city of Algeciras, killing at least one person.

A Russia-based hacking group named Cold River is behind an expansive and ongoing information-gathering campaign that has struck various targets in government, politics, academia, defence, journalism, and activism, Britain said on Thursday.

Middle East & North Africa

The violence occurred during what Palestinian health officials described as a fierce, daytime operation in the Jenin refugee camp, a militant stronghold of the West Bank that has been a focus of nearly a year of Israeli arrest raids.

In the street, discontent over the collapse has been fomenting for several days. Wednesday morning was no exception. Protesters staged demonstrations in the North and the Bekaa, while many gas stations closed for business, with lines of motorists st...

South & Central Asia

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the fresh programme for Dhaka at a press conference the party's Nayapaltan central office on Thursday.He said the leaders and activists of their party's Dhaka north and south city units wil...

Supporters of Pakistan’s ousted prime minister Imran Khan on Thursday gathered outside his residence here to provide security and resist his possible arrest, days after the caretaker government of Punjab province withdrew the additional security pro...

The members of Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) staged rallies in different districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Wednesday against the acquittal of Rao Anwar, the former SSP of Malir district, in Naqeebullah Mehsud murder case.

Western Hemisphere

Bolivians nationwide participated in an opposition-led "national assembly" on Wednesday to discuss a slew of proposals, including whether to restart protests which ignited in December over the arrest of Santa Cruz Governor Luis Camacho.

A Kenyan court on Wednesday found a Venezuelan diplomat guilty of murdering the Latin American nation's acting ambassador a decade ago at her home in an upmarket Nairobi neighbourhood.

With threatening phone calls, burned minibuses and at least three drivers shot to death, street gangs more closely associated with Central America are imposing their brand of terror-based extortion on public transportation drivers in southern Mexico.

A group of Peruvian lawmakers on Wednesday submitted a motion seeking to impeach President Dina Boluarte after a little over a month in power citing "permanent moral incapacity".

OSAC Analysis Unclassified OSAC analytical reports and other resources

Western Hemisphere

Published: January 25, 2023

OSAC reissued this Country Security Report (CSR) on January 25, 2023 following minor updates.

Consular Messages - Department of State travel advisories and alerts

Africa

Locations frequented by U.S. citizens and other Westerners in Dar es Salaam and elsewhere in Tanzania continue to be attractive targets to terrorists planning to conduct attacks.

East Asia & Pacific

Planned demonstrations are scheduled to occur on Friday, January 27, 2023 between 8:30am and 4:00pm in the vicinities of the Embassy of the Netherlands and the Embassy of Sweden.

Middle East & North Africa

The U.S. Embassy in Beirut informs U.S. citizens that demonstrators have blocked streets in locations around Lebanon in recent days including in downtown Beirut, Tripoli, and Saida. Plan ahead for the possibility of traffic delays and other potentia...

Western Hemisphere

The U.S. Embassy informs U.S. citizens of ongoing demonstrations in Barrancabermeja, Santander protesting against a license for open-pit coal exploitation. Demonstrators have blocked main roads leading to Barrancabermeja.

A demonstration is taking place at the U.S. Embassy in Lima. Demonstrations continue to impact various neighborhoods in Lima and other areas of the country including in Cusco, Puno, and Arequipa. Avoid any demonstrations.

Events - Upcoming OSAC meetings, webinars, and training courses

Global

OSAC's Energy Sector Committee (ESC) invites all ESC members to save the date for the upcoming ESC Spring Meeting at ExxonMobil Houston Campus in Spring, Texas on March 22 - 23, 2023.

Event Start Date: January 31, 2023

All OSAC Cameroon Chapter members are invited to attend an in-person meeting on Tuesday, January 31 at 11:00 local time.

The Europe Regional Committee (ERC) in partnership with the OSAC United Kingdom Country Chapter will be delivering a half day Crisis Management Workshop for Young Professionals in London on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. A full day Spring Conference and...

The Africa Regional Committee invites all Full Access Members to "Save the Date" for their Spring Conference taking place in South Africa, March 28 - 30, 2023.

Event Start Date: March 29, 2023

All OSAC ASC members are encouraged to "save the date" for our next in-person Health, Safety, and Security Seminar hosted by Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN on April 13 - 14.

Join the OSAC Energy Sector Committee (ESC) on Thursday, January 26, 2023, at 11:00 AM ET for the launch of the ESC's monthly "coffee chat" series.

East Asia & Pacific

OSAC members based in New Zealand are invited to attend OSAC New Zealand's country chapter relaunch on 23 February 2023.

All current and prospective OSAC Pan-Asia Regional Committee (PARC) members are invited to attend a networking reception hosted at the Executive Order Bar & Lounge in San Francisco, CA on Wednesday, February 8th from 5:00 – 7:00pm PST.

South & Central Asia

All current and prospective OSAC Pan-Asia Regional Committee (PARC) members are invited to attend a networking reception hosted at the Executive Order Bar & Lounge in San Francisco, CA on Wednesday, February 8th from 5:00 – 7:00pm PST.

Western Hemisphere

OSAC's Latin America Regional Committee (LARC) invites all members to save the date for the LARC's Spring Conference in Miami, FL on March 8.

All current and prospective OSAC Pan-Asia Regional Committee (PARC) members are invited to attend a networking reception hosted at the Executive Order Bar & Lounge in San Francisco, CA on Wednesday, February 8th from 5:00 – 7:00pm PST.

Event Start Date: February 21, 2023

All OSAC Uruguay Chapter members are invited to attend a hybrid meeting on Tuesday, February 21 at 14:00 Uruguay local (12:00 Eastern).

The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of State or any affiliated organization(s). Nor have these opinions been approved or sanctioned by these organizations. This product is unclassified based on the definitions in E.O. 13526. OSAC’s full disclaimer and copyright policy is available on our site.

Comments