Overseas Security Advisory Council Daily News 2/23/2023

 

February 23, 2023

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

Africa

Media advocates troubled by move by Ethiopia's Somali regional authority to suspend licenses for 15 foreign media outlets.

Almost 40 percent of registered voters in Nigeria are under the age of 35. If they turn out for Saturday’s presidential election, they may well determine the outcome.

The 18 presidential candidates of Nigeria’s general election have signed a second peace accord in the capital, Abuja, in a bid to prevent unrest surrounding the February 25 polls.

At least 96 people have been killed in more than two weeks of clashes between security forces and clan members in the breakaway Somali region of Somaliland, a hospital director said Thursday.

The outgoing CEO of South Africa's beleaguered state-owned power utility, who was due to leave the company next month, has left with immediate effect, Eskom said on Wednesday, amid a worsening energy crisis.

East Asia & Pacific

Pacific island leaders arrived in Fiji on Thursday for a two-day meeting to formalise the return of Kiribati to the 18-member regional bloc, amid tensions between China and the United States in the strategically located region.

Egianus Kogoya, the dreadlocked rebel behind the kidnapping of a New Zealand pilot this month in the highlands of Indonesia’s Papua region, is at the vanguard of an increasingly dangerous and media-savvy insurgency for independence.

Police say kidnappers have released a woman who was held for several days in a remote part of Papua New Guinea and security forces are continuing to negotiate for the freedom of four other hostages CANBERRA, Australia: -- Kidnappers have released a ...

Europe

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday criticised Russia's decision to suspend a key nuclear treaty, but said there was "no evidence" that Moscow was moving closer to actually using an atomic weapon ... posture on nuclear arms use by Moscow.

Swedish intelligence now sees Russia as the single biggest threat to the country's security. In a warning ... I've said it too many times, I'll say it again, is absolutely clear. Article Five is a sacred commitment the United States has made.

Halk TV, Tele 1 and FOX penalised for reporting shortcomings in the Erdoğan government’s handling of the disaster Turkey’s media regulator fined three broadcasters for their coverage of the earthquake in the country’s south that killed more than ...

An off-duty police officer has been shot in Northern Ireland, where paramilitary groups have previously attacked members of the security services

Middle East & North Africa

Palestinian militants in Gaza launched rockets at southern Israel and Israeli aircraft struck targets in the coastal enclave early Thursday after a gunbattle triggered by an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank killed 10 Palestinians.

Israeli airlines can now fly over Oman after the Gulf nation opened its airspace for all carriers.

The Islamic State group has carried out its deadliest attacks in more than a year, killing dozens of civilians and security officers in the deserts of central Syria, even as people of northern Syria have been digging out of the wreckage from the reg...

South & Central Asia

Officials say Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban have reopened the key Torkham border crossing with Pakistan after keeping it shut for four days

Chennai: Due to maintenance work, the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) declared a power cut in several parts of Chennai on Friday (4). The power utility issued a notice stating that the power supply will be suspended fro...

Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan’s party said on Wednesday night that up to 700 of its activists and leaders had been arrested during protests designed to destabilise the government, which is urgently seeking an IMF bailout to avert a defau...

(Bloomberg) -- Sri Lanka’s election commission has instructed its lawyers to inform the Supreme Court about a lack of funds and the backing needed to hold local elections next month, the head of the government agency said. Most Read from Bloomberg H...

Western Hemisphere

A Haitian man believed to be a member of the gang involved in the recent killings of six Haitian police officers was arrested in the neighboring Dominican Republic and deported, authorities said Wednesday.

With its warm climate, beautiful beaches and proximity to the U.S., Mexico is a popular tourist destination for many Americans. However, recent incidents may have some people wondering if they should reconsider their travel plans.

Mexican lawmakers on Wednesday approved a controversial overhaul of the body overseeing the country's elections, a move critics warn will weaken democracy ahead of a presidential vote next year. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador argues the reorg...

The Biden administration said Wednesday it is considering the first-ever lease sale for offshore wind energy in the Gulf of Mexico, a key part of a push to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030 to help fight climate change. The proposed sale ...

Peruvian protesters have temporarily lifted blockades of a key mining highway in the country's south, sources told Reuters on Wednesday, a boost for activity at major copper mines that saw activity hit in recent weeks as supplies were choked off.

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...

Middle East & North Africa

Published: February 21, 2023

OSAC reissued this Country Security Report (CSR) on February 21, 2023 following substantive updates.

Consular Messages - Department of State travel advisories and alerts

Africa

Published: February 22, 2023

As of the afternoon of February 22, there have been no new reports of confirmed or suspected cases of Marburg virus disease (MVD) in Equatorial Guinea (EG) or the surrounding countries.  The last death of an individual infected with the Marburg viru...

Europe

Event: A protest has been scheduled to take place in front of the Parliament Building. This protest has the potential to spread to surrounding streets causing traffic congestion, detours, and road closures.

U.S. Embassy Vienna advises of two large demonstrations will be held in downtown Vienna this week. On Thursday, February 23 at 6:30 p.m., a self-described "Antifa Warm-Up Demo" will take place at Schottentor in the 1st District by left-wing activist...

Events - Upcoming OSAC meetings, webinars, and training courses

Global

The OSAC Academia Sector Committee cordially invites all ASC members to attend the Spring Health, Safety, & Security Seminar hosted by Vanderbilt University, April 13 - 14.

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.

The OSAC Energy Sector Committee (ESC) invites all ESC members to attend 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

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.

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

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.

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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