🇮🇱 #Israel’s High Court Rules on Ultra-Orthodox Military Connoscription Amid Rising Tensions: https://theatlasnews.co/latest/2024/07/02/israels-high-court-rules-on-ultra-orthodox-military-connoscription-amid-rising-tensions/

In a landmark decision, Israel’s High Court of Justice has ruled that ultra-Orthodox Jewish men, previously exempt under longstanding policies, must now be drafted into military service. This ruling addresses the exemptions granted to those studying in religious seminaries, known as yeshivas, and could have significant implications for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government, which includes ultra-Orthodox political parties. @AtlasNewsTelegram

This ruling also includes a directive to halt state funding for yeshivas whose students are exempt from military service.

Historically, from 400 exempt students in 1948, the figure has risen to 63,000 today. In parallel, the ultra-Orthodox population, currently comprising about 13 percent of Israel’s national demographic, is projected to grow to 16 percent by 2030.

In response to the High Court’s ruling, the Israeli government has been tasked with implementing measures to increase the connoscription rates of ultra-Orthodox men gradually. Initial steps involve drafting an additional 3,000 men from the community, adding to the approximately 1,000 who currently serve.

Full article on theatlasnews.co

🇺🇸 🇧🇼 🇳🇪 U.S., #Botswana Strengthen Military Cooperation Amid #Niger Withdrawal: https://theatlasnews.co/latest/2024/07/02/us-botswana-strengthen-military-cooperation-amid-niger-withdrawal/

Between June 18th and 21st, the #UnitedStates and Botswana finalized plans for the joint military exercise ‘Southern Accord 2024′ (SA24), scheduled to take place from August 5th to August 16th. From June 24th to 26th in Botswana, the two nations co-hosted the African Chiefs of Defence Conference, marking the conference’s first time in Africa. Approximately 40 African military leaders, along with Admiral Rob Bauer, Chairman of NATO’s Military Committee, attended. On June 27th, the U.S. transferred a C-130 Hercules transport aircraft to the Botswana Defence Forces (BDF) through the Excess Defense Articles program. @AtlasNewsTelegram

The effort to strengthen defense and cooperation ties in Africa coincides with the United States’ recent reduction of troops from Chad in late April. Additionally, General Michael Langley of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) noted that the U.S. is ‘on-track’ to complete its withdrawal from Niger’s Airbase 201 by September 15th, at the Nigerien government’s request.

While the U.S. has maintained relations with Botswana since its independence from Britain in 1966, the country has become increasingly significant amid the U.S.’s reduced presence in the Sahel due to rising terrorism threats. As a result of their longstanding relationship, Botswana has seen BDF officers and non-commissioned officers trained at U.S. military education institutions. Additionally, since 2008, the North Carolina-Botswana partnership under the National Guard State Partnership Program has focused on developing Botswana’s air, ground, and special forces, as well as peacekeeping operations and emergency management.

Through the Excess Defense Articles program, the U.S. facilitates the transfer of excess defense equipment to foreign governments or international organizations to modernize partner forces.

Full article on theatlasnews.co

🇱🇧 🇮🇱 #Hezbollah Commander Killed in Israeli Airstrike (Geolocated): https://theatlasnews.co/latest/2024/07/03/hezbollah-commander-killed-in-israeli-airstrike-geolocated/

Hezbollah has confirmed that Muhammad Nimah Nasser, commander of the Aziz unit, was killed today during an #IDF airstrike in Tyre, #Lebanon. @AtlasNewsTelegram

Media showing the aftermath of the strike indicates that one motor vehicle was targeted, likely with a low-yield warhead consistent with previous Israeli strikes targeting high-profile targets.

The strike can be located in southeastern Tyre, near the Lebanese Italian Hospital (33.2502228, 35.2323708).

The killing of Nasser follows weeks of Israeli strikes targeting key Hezbollah commanders involved in operations along the Lebanese border, which comes amid rapidly escalating tensions and fears of an all-out war with Israel.

Last month, regional Nasr unit commander Taleb Abdullah was killed in a strike in Jouaiyya, making one of the most high profile strikes against Hezbollah since October 7. Back in January, Radwan unit commander Wissam al-Tawil was killed in an Israeli strike in Tyre.

Following both strikes, Hezbollah responded with large-scale rocket and drone fire over the border, so retaliation is expected with the killing of Nasser. Via theatlasnews.co

🇨🇩 🇷🇼 Humanitarian Truce Begins Between the #M23 and the #DRC/#Congo: https://theatlasnews.co/latest/2024/07/05/humanitarian-truce-begins-between-the-m23-and-the-drc/

As of midnight local time today, a ‘humanitarian truce’ has begun between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the DRC’s M23 rebels. The truce is to last for a minimum of two weeks and allow aid to reach the beleaguered populations of the eastern DRC Province of #NorthKivu. @AtlasNewsTelegram

The truce, referred to as a “humanitarian truce,” was brokered by the US, which announced it yesterday. The truce is only supposed to apply between the DRC and the M23, meaning fighting is likely to continue between the DRC and the many other armed groups operating in the eastern DRC.

As mentioned, the truce is set to last two weeks, from July 5th to July 19th, though the US, EU, and UN have expressed hopes for it to extend beyond that and become a more permanent ceasefire.

Amidst the truce, aid is expected to reach people in need, of whom there are many. North Kivu itself has approximately 2.8 million internally displaced people (IDPs). An additional hope is that some of those displaced, a significant portion of whom have taken shelter in and around the North Kivu Provincial capital of Goma, may be able to return home with the pause in fighting. However, it is unclear how many people may actually return home under the temporary truce.

Notably, the truce has not yet been officially acknowledged by either the DRC or the M23. However, the US did state in its announcement that it was supported by both the DRC and #Rwanda, which allegedly backs the M23 rebels.

The truce is reported to be holding thus far, producing a comparative calm over many areas of North Kivu.

The successful establishment of a ceasefire is being accompanied by hopes that it will lead to something greater, whether it be an extension or a permanent ceasefire between the DRC and the M23, the greatest source of insecurity in the eastern DRC.

Though many are hopeful for an extension, it is, unfortunately, unlikely to happen. Numerous ceasefires have been established between the DRC and several of the 120 different armed groups that operate in North and South Kivu, as well as Ituri, including several with the M23. However, none have held.

The most recent of such ceasefires was established in December. Also brokered by the US, the ceasefire produced a month of peace between the DRC and the M23, before it was broken by the DRC who began an offensive against the M23 with their allies from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in mid-January.

Fighting began and has continued up until the ceasefire that came into effect this morning.

Full article on theatlasnews.co

🇮🇷 Reformist Pezeshkian Wins Iranian Presidency: https://theatlasnews.co/latest/2024/07/05/reformist-pezeshkian-wins-iranian-presidency/

The reformist dark horse candidate Masoud Pezeshkian has won the run-off election and will replace the late Ebrahim Raisi as President of #Iran, the Associated Press reports. The run-off presidential election round on Friday pit centrist Pezeshkian against hardliner Saeed Jalili after none of the candidates were able to secure a simple majority of 50 percent required to win during the first round. @AtlasNewsTelegram

Pezeshkian and Jalili occupy opposite ends of the Iranian political spectrum, with Pezeshkian campaigning on a platform of collaboration with the West, rather than confrontation, as the nation wrestles with a sinking economy, discontent among the population for the ruling clerical establishment, and tensions with Israel and the United States.

Full article on theatlasnews.co

☢️ 🇦🇷 Radioactive Material Stolen in #Argentina … Again: https://theatlasnews.co/latest/2024/07/06/radioactive-material-stolen-in-argentina-again/

On Tuesday, July 2, Argentina’s Nuclear Regulatory (ARN) alarmed the public about a stolen radiopharmaceutical container in Buenos Aires. The incident occurred only six weeks after the theft of a container with the same radiopharmaceutical. @AtlasNewsTelegram

The container was stolen from a parked vehicle in front of the British Hospital in Barracas in southeastern Buenos Aires. The van driver told the Argentine news outlet Infobae that they noticed the missing container upon returning to their vehicle. Moreover, they linked the theft to rising insecurity in the area and doubted that the thief knew what they were stealing.

The 24cm x 24cm (9 in x 9 in) box, marked with a radioactive symbol, contains a Styrofoam insulator and a metal can. The metal can shields a glass container holding 45ml (1.5oz) of the radiopharmaceutical iodine-131, which is used for medical diagnoses and treatments. When handled by amateurs, the radioactive material could damage health.

A similar incident occurred in May. As Atlas News reported on May 16, a container of iodine-131 was stolen from the Argentine company Tecnonuclear in Saavedra in northern Buenos Aires. After the ARN triggered the same protocol, the container was found in a trash bin a week later on May 21, following an attentive citizen’s hint. The container was found to be undamaged. The ARN has launched an investigation into the incident.

The likelihood of the radioactive material being used to build a “dirty bomb” remains low, given the insufficient amount of material and iodine-131’s short half-life that quickly diminishes radioactivity. Via theatlasnews.co

🇫🇷 #France's Legislative Elections 2024: https://theatlasnews.co/latest/2024/07/08/french-legislative-elections-2024-new-popular-front-leads-but-no-clear-majority/

In the aftermath of the 2024 French legislative elections, no party has secured an absolute majority in the National Assembly, diverging from the traditional French pattern of one party dominating the Parliament. @AtlasNewsTelegram

The left-wing coalition New Popular Front (or Nouveau Front Populaire, NFP) emerged as the front runner with an estimated 182 seats, while the presidential coalition “Ensemble” experienced a significant drop, securing only 163 seats, down from their previous 245. The RN, the right-wing populist party Rassemblement National, decreased to third place, capturing 143 seats after initially leading in the first round.

While the formation of a “Republican Front” (a coalition of all French parties against the RN) is not something new in French politics, these results come as a surprise, especially after RN’s results in the European elections, and the French legislative election’s first round.

In the recent European Parliament elections RN emerged as the clear leader with 31.5 percent of the vote. This significant lead over other political groups, including the “Besoin d’Europe” coalition led by President Macron’s party at 15.2 percent, marked a notable shift in the French political landscape.

President Macron, citing the need for a clear majority in the French Parliament, dissolved the National Assembly, prompting new legislative elections that led to this sweep in an opposite direction than many expected.

Read more in the full article on theatlasnews.co

🇳🇪 🇲🇱 🇧🇫 Alliance of #Sahel States Sign Confederation Treaty: https://theatlasnews.co/latest/2024/07/07/alliance-of-sahel-states-sign-confederation-treaty/

The first summit of the members of the Alliance of Sahel States (#AES), #Niger, #Mali, and #BurkinaFaso, held on July 6th in Niger’s capital of Niamey, has produced the ‘Niamey Declaration’ which sets out to turn the alliance into a confederation. The AES summit occurred just one day before the Economic Community of West African States (#ECOWAS)- which the three Sahelian nations withdrew from early this year- held its own summit, to discuss how to reintegrate the withdrawn states back into the economic bloc. @AtlasNewsTelegram

The concept of a confederation of the nations in the Liptako-Gourma subregion is not a new one, with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed on December 1970 that sought to create the ‘Liptako-Gourma Region Integrated Development Authority.’ Moreover, amendments were made to the initial MOU in 2000, and most recently 2017.

Since coming to power through a series of successive coups between 2021 and 2023, the military juntas of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, have worked to remove themselves from regional platforms such as ECOWAS and cut ties with the West and other multilateral institutions. Speaking at the summit, Niger’s military leader, General Abdourahmane Tchiani, claimed that ECOWAS is a “threat to our states,” referencing the period after Niger’s coup during which the economic bloc placed heavy sanctions on the country and threatened military intervention in an attempt to force a handover of power back to Niger’s civilian leaders.

Despite announcing in March the creation of a joint force to address the terrorism ‘scourge’ facing the region, little gains have been made against the many al-Qaeda and Islamic State-linked armed groups making use of the three nation’s porous borders to conduct hit-and-run attacks.

As a result, the Permanent Strategic Framework for the Defense and Protection of Azawad (CSP-DPA), an umbrella group of Tuareg rebel groups operating in Mali, released a statement on the same day of the AES summit calling for Burkina Faso and Niger “not to let themselves be involved in any form of interference in the conflict opposing it [the Tuaregs] to the central military power in Bamako.”

Isolation from regional and international platforms has pushed the three nation’s military leaders to pursue an ever-closer relationship with the likes of Russia and China, with Chinese Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Lu Shan, donating $26 million to the country to be used in ‘a project of its choice for the benefit of the population,’ just two days before the AES summit.

How effective the confederation will be is yet to be seen, as Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso remain multidimensionally poor nations, with with a global poverty ranking out of 190 nations, of 6, 15, and 16, respectively.

Moreover, Mali is currently waging a multi-pronged counter-insurgency campaign with aid from Russia’s Wagner group against the likes of the Tuaregs, multiple al-Qaeda-linked armed groups, and multiple Islamic State-linked groups.

The military junta of Burkina Faso controls just half of its national territory, with the other half under competing claim by various militant Islamic groups, while 13 percent of Niger’s population will be at crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity between June and August this year, according to UNICEF statistics.

Thus, while a Sahel confederation has the ability to bring welcome change to the region, key issues must first be addressed. A deteriorating security environment, absolute poverty and malnutrition, as well as a lack of governmental transparency are likely to be key ‘speed-bumps’ on the road to an effective confederation framework.

Full article on theatlasnews.co