Overseas Security Advisory Council Daily News 2/1/2023

 

February 01, 2023

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

Africa

Pope Francis urged Congo’s people on Wednesday to forgive those who have harmed them as he presided over a Mass before an estimated 1 million people in a country wracked by decades of violence.

Improved security in Ethiopia's Tigray region since a November ceasefire has allowed aid to reach some previously inaccessible areas, but humanitarian needs remain urgent, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said.

A Sudanese teen refugee has been released from a detention center in western Libya where he was held for five months after being kidnapped and tortured by gunmen demanding ransom, his family said Wednesday.

In an exclusive, RFI reports that Iyad Ag Ghaly met with representatives of armed groups in the North, signatories of the 2015 peace agreement. The interview(s) took place at the end of last week, near Kidal.

Nigeria's human rights commission has appointed a special panel whose role will include investigating a Reuters report that the military ran a secret abortion programme in its fight against Islamist insurgents in the northeast.

East Asia & Pacific

Two years after Myanmar’s generals ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government, thousands of people have died in civil conflict and many more have been forced from their homes in a dire humanitarian crisis.

Taiwan has scrambled fighter jets and put navy ships and missile systems on alert in response to nearby operations by 34 Chinese military aircraft and nine warships

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck Mindanao in the Philippines on Wednesday, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said.

Europe

A gunman stormed the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran, Iran's capital city. This is the latest attack on the country's diplomatic missions abroad.

Turkey looks positively on Finland's application for NATO membership, but does not support Sweden's bid, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.

Researchers have identified a large network pushing pro-Russian themes and messages to French-speaking audiences around Africa, amid long-running efforts by Russia to gain influence in the region.

Half a million workers went on strike in Britain on Wednesday, calling for higher wages in the largest such walkout in over a decade, closing schools and severely disrupting transport.Europe is battling a cost-of-living crisis and the latest strikes...

Middle East & North Africa

A gunman stormed the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran, Iran's capital city. This is the latest attack on the country's diplomatic missions abroad.

Protesters streaming up the windswept hills east of Jerusalem interrupted Maha Ali’s breakfast.

Lebanon will adopt a new official exchange rate of 15,000 pounds per U.S. dollar on Feb. 1, central bank governor Riad Salameh said, marking a 90% devaluation from its current official rate that has remained unchanged for 25 years.

A Sudanese teen refugee has been released from a detention center in western Libya where he was held for five months after being kidnapped and tortured by gunmen demanding ransom, his family said Wednesday.

South & Central Asia

Bangladesh purchased a liquefied natural gas shipment after an eight-month hiatus, the latest sign that plummeting prices are making the fuel affordable again for energy-starved emerging nations.

Nepal's Supreme Court ruled on Friday that deputy prime minister Rabi Lamichhane had stood for election with invalid citizenship papers, annulling his status as a lawmaker and effectively removing him from office.

Several suspects have been arrested in connection with Monday's suicide bomb blast in a mosque in Pakistan's northern city of Peshawar that killed more than 100 people, according to local authorities.

Western Hemisphere

Brazil is preparing a task force of armed forces, police and government agencies to soon launch an operation to expel illegal gold miners who invaded the Yanomami indigenous reservation, officials said on Tuesday.

Haiti's Acting Prime Minister landed in the capital after a foreign trip to be greeted by police rioting, diminishing political credibility, ever-stronger gangs, and no promise of the international military aid he has pleaded for. With 14 police off...

Peru's police said on Tuesday it had dispersed protesters who were approaching Jorge Chavez International Airport near the capital city of Lima, as protests in the capital spark fear of new flight suspensions. On its Twitter account, the Peruvian Na...

OSAC Analysis Unclassified OSAC analytical reports and other resources

East Asia & Pacific

Published: January 30, 2023

OSAC reissued this Country Security Report (CSR) on January 30, 2023 to update the sections on Crime, Drug Crime, Protest & Demonstration Activity, Law Enforcement Concerns, Road Safety, and Safety Concerns for LGBTI+ Travelers.

Middle East & North Africa

Published: January 30, 2023

OSAC reissued this Country Security Report (CSR) on January 30, 2022 as part of a periodic update.

Western Hemisphere

Published: January 26, 2023

After over a month of unrest throughout Peru, demonstrations escalated in Lima on January 19. The spread of unrest to the capital posed an operational challenge to many private sector members, since until then Lima had been spared the violence and e...

Consular Messages - Department of State travel advisories and alerts

South & Central Asia

The U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe recommends that American citizens review the content of Tajikistan’s Country Specific Information on travel.state.gov, including the following security-related information. Tajik authorities maintain a high level of secu...

Western Hemisphere

The Cusco Consular Agency will suspend on-site operations for the rest of the day on January 31 due to ongoing civil unrest in the city. Protests continue to take place in prominent locations throughout the city center. Refrain from approaching pr...

Events - Upcoming OSAC meetings, webinars, and training courses

Global

Event Start Date: March 15, 2023

Please RSVP to mcnicholsjv@state.gov or wartenberglg@state.gov RSVP with your contact information; Company Represented; Full name and Nationality Refreshments will be served.

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.

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.

East Asia & Pacific

On Wednesday, February 22, 2023, from 10:00 - 11:00 AM EST, OSAC's Pan-Asia Regional Committee (PARC) invites all OSAC Full-Access members to participate in a VIRTUAL discussion on climate security in Asia with Dr. Scott Moore of the University of P...

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.

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

Event Start Date: February 17, 2023

Manila country chapter members are invited to a hybrid meeting on 17FEB2023 from 2-4 pm local (GMT +8).

Middle East & North Africa

Event Start Date: March 15, 2023

The OSAC Iraq-Baghdad Chapter will meet in-person on Wednesday, March 15.

South & Central Asia

On Wednesday, February 22, 2023, from 10:00 - 11:00 AM EST, OSAC's Pan-Asia Regional Committee (PARC) invites all OSAC Full-Access members to participate in a VIRTUAL discussion on climate security in Asia with Dr. Scott Moore of the University of P...

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 from March 7-9.

Event Start Date: February 08, 2023

All OSAC Ecuador – Guayaquil Chapter members are invited to attend an in-person meeting on Wednesday, February at 10:00 Guayaquil local.

Event Start Date: February 09, 2023

All OSAC Mexico – Tijuana Chapter members are invited to attend a hybrid Chapter revitalization meeting on Thursday, February 9 at 8:30 Tijuana local (11:30 Eastern).

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.

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