Overseas Security Advisory Council Daily News 3/21/23

 

March 21, 2023

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

Africa

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday that the US has formally determined that armed forces on all sides of the conflict in northern Ethiopia have committed war crimes.

At least three Kenyan legislators and several protesters have been arrested and then released for participating in protests in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, in which opposition supporters demanded the resignation of President William Ruto.

An American held hostage in West Africa for more than six years has been released, in a stunning turn of events that left the former captive "thrilled to be free," officials and his family said Monday.

French journalist Olivier Dubois was hugged by emotional reporters at a briefing in Niger on Monday announcing the release of him and U.S. aid worker Jeffery Woodke who had been held hostage in West Africa for years by Islamist militants.

Senegal's president has rejected claims that it would be unconstitutional for him to seek a controversial third mandate, again refusing to confirm whether he plans to do so in an interview published Monday.

East Asia & Pacific

The Biden administration has been stressing to Beijing that the expected unofficial visit shouldn't be used as a pretext by Beijing to step up aggressive activity in the Taiwan Strait.

Chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, Albert Ho, walks after his arrest by police, in Hong Kong, China March 21, 2023. REUTERS/Tyrone Si

Two Russian strategic bomber planes flew over the Sea of Japan for more than seven hours, the Russian defence ministry said on Tuesday in a statement released as Japan's prime minister was beginning a visit to Ukraine.

Thailand will hold elections on May 14, Election Commission Chairman Ittiporn Boonpracong told Reuters on Tuesday, a day after parliament was dissolved. The announcement come as parties step up campaigning for a nationwide electoral contest that is ...

Europe

Several French refinery sites were still blocked from delivering products after two weeks of strikes in France, causing production to be disrupted while the government requisitions workers at the Fos refinery,

Two Russian strategic bomber planes flew over the Sea of Japan for more than seven hours, the Russian defence ministry said on Tuesday in a statement released as Japan's prime minister was beginning a visit to Ukraine.

Middle East & North Africa

Israeli lawmakers on Tuesday repealed a 2005 act that saw four Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank dismantled at the same time as Israeli forces withdraw from the Gaza Strip.

Saad ibrahim Almadi was arrested in 2021 for social media posts on Yemen and the killing of Jamal Khashoggi

South & Central Asia

The sudden downpour has led to waterlogging and flooding in low-lying areas in Mumbai, causing chaos for commuters and residents alike.

Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal was set to face a vote of confidence in parliament on Monday after his old coalition allies pulled out of the government over the choice of a new president, one of his aides said.

The United Nations youngsters’s company on Tuesday warned that after final summer time's devastating floods, 10 million individuals in Pakistan,

Sri Lanka’s tourism-dependent economy was devastated by the ... respectively, amid the anti-government demonstrations. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse.

Western Hemisphere

The lightweight, high-speed internet system has also proved a new and valuable tool for Brazil's illegal miners, with reliable service for coordinating logistics, receiving advance warning of law enforcement raids and making payments without flying ...

The 6.8 magnitude quake struck the Ecuadorian coastal province of Guayas at midday on Saturday, with residents reporting shaking in much of the country as well as in Peru's northern border towns.

The state of Tamaulipas may not top Mexico's violence rankings, but the Gulf Cartel's fragmentation is raising concerns.

The U.S. State Department cited credible reports of arbitrary killings, arrests and torture in Nicaragua, as well as harsh and life-threatening conditions in the country's prisons, in an annual human rights report released on Monday.

OSAC Analysis Unclassified OSAC analytical reports and other resources

South & Central Asia

Afghanistan / India / Pakistan - South & Central Asia Update: March 15
Published: March 15, 2023

OSAC is trying a new product format: a brief update about topline private sector security concerns in each region. This update covers Pakistan's growing economic turmoil, Indian authorities searching BBC offices in Delhi and Mumbai, and leadership t...

Consular Messages - Department of State travel advisories and alerts

Western Hemisphere

Due to shots being fired in the vicinity of Belmart on 15 Octobre, Tabarre, all Mission personnel are temporarily restricted to the U.S. Mission compounds.

Events - Upcoming OSAC meetings, webinars, and training courses

Global

Event Start Date: April 05, 2023

OSAC Tanzania Country Chapter Meeting

Event Start Date: April 26, 2023

The U.S. Embassy in Lilongwe invites you to attend U.S. Department of State’s Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) Country Chapter meeting, on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, from 9am to 10:30am at Farmer’s Daughter Café.

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.

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.

Event Start Date: March 29, 2023

Africa

Tanzania Country Chapter Meeting

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.

Event Start Date: March 28, 2023

OSAC Phnom Penh country chapter members are invited to attend a chapter meeting at the US Embassy on 28 March from 3:30 - 5:30p local.

Event Start Date: March 29, 2023

OSAC Tokyo country chapter members are invited to a meeting at the Disney Ambassador Hotel from 3-5p local on 29 March.

Event Start Date: March 29, 2023

Join the Japan Country Chapter for our first in-person OSAC meeting in several years. During this kickoff meeting we will introduce the Japan Country Chapter Team and formulate OSAC priorities for the rest of 2023.

Event Start Date: April 20, 2023

OSAC Manila country chapter members are invited to attend a meeting on 20 April 2023.

Europe

Event Start Date: March 30, 2023

All OSAC Bulgaria Country Chapter members are invited to attend the Chapter's upcoming webinar, "How to Stop a Crisis," on March 30, 2023 at 3:00 PM Sofia local (EET).

Middle East & North Africa

The OSAC Middle East and North Africa Regional Committee (MENA RC) will hold its 9th annual conference May 31 - June 1 on the campus of NYU Abu Dhabi.

Event Start Date: March 22, 2023

The OSAC Iraq-Baghdad Chapter will meet in-person on Wednesday, March 22.

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.

Event Start Date: March 24, 2023

The OSAC Chennai Chapter is happy to invite you for their first meeting in 2023 hosted by BNY Mellon on March 24, 2023.

Western Hemisphere

Event Start Date: April 13, 2023

Join OSAC Dominican Republic for their first Chapter meeting in several years on Thursday, April 13 at 8:15 AM ET!

All Full Access OSAC members are invited to participate in OSAC's 1.5 day intensive Crisis Management Forum May 9-10, 2023 at the US Department of State Headquarters in Washington, DC. Registration is required.

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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