Overseas Security Advisory Council Daily News 2/17/2023

 

February 17, 2023

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

Africa

The military said the youths were detained during raids a week ago in the Southwest town of Ekona, where separatist fighters were hiding.

Fighters from Democratic Republic of Congo's M23 rebel group killed at least 20 men and raped scores of women and girls in the east in November, Amnesty International said in a report on Friday.

Police fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of supporters of Senegal opposition leader Ousmane Sonko on Thursday after he left court in the capital Dakar where hearings are underway in a libel case against him.

South Africa declared a national state of disaster this week after floods hit seven of its nine provinces, damaged infrastructure and destroyed crops.

East Asia & Pacific

Large groups of mostly older people gathered in the cities of Wuhan and Dalian, in the latest sign of the economic fallout of China’s “zero-Covid” policies.

Taiwan's Defense Ministry says it found a Chinese weather balloon on one of its outlying islands, amid U.S. accusations that such craft have been dispatched worldwide to spy on Washington and its alli

North Korea threatened on Friday an "unprecedentedly persistent, strong" response as South Korea and the United States gear up for annual military exercises as part of efforts to fend off the North's growing nuclear and missile threats.

Europe

Tens of thousands of travellers faced flight delays and cancellations Friday as workers at eight airports in Germany went on strike to demand better pay. The full-day walkout, called by the Verdi trade union, prompted Germany's biggest carrier Lufth...

The 7.8-magnitude earthquake that killed tens of thousands across Turkey's southeast has reignited fears of an even more catastrophic death toll if a long-feared one hits Istanbul.A 7.6-magnitude earthquake with an epicentre on the city's eastern ou...

The RCN has announced walk-outs at more than 120 NHS employers in England in an escalation of its row over pay and staffing.

Middle East & North Africa

Protesters in Iran marched through the streets of multiple cities overnight in the most widespread demonstration in weeks amid the monthslong unrest that’s gripped the Islamic Republic, online videos purported to show Friday.

Syrian government forces and rebels have clashed overnight in northwest Syria for the first time since an earthquake devastated the region on Feb. 6, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Friday.

South & Central Asia

Indian tax authorities said on Friday they found "several discrepancies and inconsistencies" in the records of a "prominent international media company" it did not name, hours after ending a three-day survey of BBC offices in the country.

Western Hemisphere

The presidents of Colombia and Venezuela met on their border Thursday to sign an agreement designed to improve trade between the two countries and lift import duties on dozens of manufactured goods.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday said he would deploy Royal Canadian Navy vessels off the coast of Haiti in the coming weeks, in the midst of the island's humanitarian and security crisis.

Peru's top copper mines are starting to see activity hit harder by protests and blockades in the country's southern Andes, power data reviewed by Reuters shows, with Chinese-owned Las Bambas and Glencore PLC's Antapaccay currently worst affected.

OSAC Analysis Unclassified OSAC analytical reports and other resources

Africa

Published: February 17, 2023

On February 25, Nigerians will vote in national elections followed by state governorship elections two weeks later. Nigeria faces ongoing nationwide risks of violence from various armed groups against political candidates, political party figures, e...

Europe

Published: February 07, 2023

The 59th Munich Security Conference (MSC) will take place February 17-19 in Munich, Germany at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof (HBH). Almost one year after Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, the 2023 MSC will convene a series of high-ranking interna...

Consular Messages - Department of State travel advisories and alerts

Africa

Carnival starts Friday, February 17, 2023. Previous years have seen an increase in vehicular and pedestrian traffic in and around the area. Expect heavy traffic throughout the city from February 18-22, 2023. As the first major Carnival celebration p...

Europe

Event:  A limited labor strike is affecting some hotels and fuel deliveries in the Reykjavik area. The labor union leading the action approved a second round of strikes starting on February 15 that affect local fuel transport and extend the action t...

Western Hemisphere

The 2023 annual Carnival celebration began Wednesday, February 15 and will conclude early on Ash Wednesday, February 22. This year, official events have and will likely remain extremely limited; however, crowds of varying size with accompanying Rar...

Protests are expected to take place February 16 – February 19 in Cusco. Markets will remain open and public transportation is not expected to be severely affected. Avoid approaching any demonstrations encountered.

Events - Upcoming OSAC meetings, webinars, and training courses

Global

Event Start Date: March 01, 2023

All OSAC Somalia Chapter members are invited to attend meeting on Wednesday, 01MAR23 at 1300 local time. The meeting will focus local and regional ATFP issues and include a presentation from HALO Trust.

Please join the OSAC Council for a webinar on "How to Stop a Crisis" led by Michelle Newcome on 01 March 2023 at 11 a.m. ET.

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...

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.

Africa

The OSAC Africa Regional Committee cordially invites all Full-Access Members to attend a two-and-a-half day conference hosted at the Hilton Sandton in Johannesburg, South Africa.

East Asia & Pacific

All OSAC Pan-Asia Regional Committee (PARC) members are invited to attend the "Bouncing Back: Security in 2023 & Beyond" PARC Summit on April 26 - 27, 2023 at Bloomberg in Singapore.

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...

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).

Europe

Event Start Date: March 15, 2023

Please join the OSAC Germany for a country chapter meeting on March 15, 2023.

Event Start Date: March 01, 2023

OSAC Milan - Italy Chapter will hold a hybrid Country Chapter Kickoff Meeting on Wednesday, March 1 at 9:00am local time.

Middle East & North Africa

Event Start Date: March 15, 2023

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

Event Start Date: February 24, 2023

The OSAC UAE-Dubai Chapter will meet on Friday, February 24th to discuss crisis management desktop exercise fundamentals.

South & Central Asia

All OSAC Pan-Asia Regional Committee (PARC) members are invited to attend the "Bouncing Back: Security in 2023 & Beyond" PARC Summit on April 26 - 27, 2023 at Bloomberg in Singapore.

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...

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: March 06, 2023

Join OSAC Bahamas for a Chapter Revitalization meeting on Monday, March 6 at 3:00 PM ET!

Join the OSAC Energy Sector Committee (ESC) on Tuesday, February 28, 2023, at 12:00 PM EST for the second session of the ESC's monthly "coffee chat" series. This session will highlight country-level threats in Mexico, how threats translate into spec...

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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