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Photo: Russian military expands in Africa by building bases in Africa. Credit: Russian Ministry of Defence.

Russia Expanding Its Military Bases in Africa

By Kester Kenn Klomegah*

MOSCOW (IDN) – After years of negotiations with Djibouti, Eritrea and Somalia to establish naval bases, Russia has finally signed an agreement with Sudan, signifying further its return to Africa. Sharing a northern border with Egypt, Sudan is located on the strategic Red Sea coastline.

Moscow had a naval base in Somalia during the Soviet days, Eritrea appears to be steadily working for Russia, while Djibouti already hosts Chinese and American naval bases. China has a military base in Djibouti which was set up to support five mission areas. India is another Asian nation that has increased its naval presence in Africa. In order to protect its commercial sea-lanes from piracy, it has established a network of military facilities across the Indian Ocean.

: Kester Kenn Klomegah; THE WORLD; Russia; 18 November 2020

Photo: Former Ghanaian leader Jerry John Rawlings, centre, greets people outside St. Paul's Catholic Church February 2, 2020. Rawlings, a Catholic, died November 12 at age 73 in the nation's capital, Accra. Credit: Damian Avevor/CNS.

In Memoriam of Rawlings, A Charismatic Leader and a Stalwart for Pan Africanism

By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network

NEW YORK (IDN) – “A bear of a man with a booming voice.” That’s how some will remember Ghana's former President Jerry John Rawlings who died November 12 in the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, according to local media reports. He was 73.

“A great tree has fallen and Ghana is poorer for this loss,” said Ghana’s current president, Nana Akufo-Addo. Ongoing campaigns for the December 7 general elections were suspended in recognition of the former leader.

: Global Information Network; THE WORLD; Africa; 17 November 2020

Australia: Environmentalists' Market 40 Years on Going Strong

By Kalinga Seneviratne

CHANNON (IDN) – At the peak of the hippie movement in the West, in 1976, the traditional farming village here in this scenic setting was a battleground between loggers and environmentalists who had travelled from across Australia, to stop the clear-felling of the rainforest at Terania Creek close by. This was the first direct action protest in Australia.

Many of the environmentalists decided to settle in the region, buying cheap agricultural land and setting up communities with a "back to the land" philosophy.

: Kalinga Seneviratne; SUSTAINABILITY; Climate Action; 17 November 2020

Photo: Pro-European Union Euromaidan protesters in Kyiv, December 2013. CC BY-SA 3.0

Outmanoeuvring Russia, Not Spreading Democracy Is US Priority

Viewpoint by Jonathan Power*

LUND, Sweden (IDN) – It’s rather revealing that during the conflict which now besets Azerbaijan and Armenia the US is barely interested, happily leaving it to Russia to do the mediating and peacekeeping and the UN to deal with the refugee problems. Quite the reverse with the Ukrainian crisis that began in 2013. Why? What’s the difference?

As the crisis evolved and fighting broke in the east and south with pro-Russian Ukrainians on one side and pro Westerners on the other the US shipped in arms and Russia sent in troops without insignia. The fighting continues to this day.

: Jonathan Power; OPINION; 17 November 2020

Photo: Maxwell Matewere, addresses a local community in Malawi about the threat of human trafficking. Credit: UNODC

How I am Combating Human Trafficking in Malawi

By Maxwell Matewere

A Malawian crime prevention expert with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Maxwell Matewere, has been active in the anti-human trafficking field for more than two decades. The following is being republished from UN News,

LILONGWE (IDN) – I was a young, recent law graduate when I first experienced the horrors of human trafficking. It was in 1998. I was working for a human rights NGO and attending a workshop in South Africa. A taxi driver told me about two girls from my home country who worked in a bar in Johannesburg. He was very concerned about them.

: Africa & ME Editor; THE WORLD; Africa; 16 November 2020

Photo: A girl stands outside her home in the Tigray Region, Ethiopia. Credit: UNICEF/Tanya Bindra

World Future Council Joins the UN in Calling for an End to Fighting in Ethiopia

By Jutta Wolf

BERLIN (IDN) – With the Ethiopia domestic conflict further escalating, the World Future Council has called upon conflicting parties to "end the devastating infighting, to respect international humanitarian law and provide safety for all the country citizens, specifically children, women and the elderly".

The call comes in the wake of the United Nations reporting a considerable concern about military operations and airstrikes that have taken place in Tigray and Eritrea impacting on civilians, including women and children.

: Jutta Wolf; THE WORLD; Horn of Africa; 16 November 2020

Photo: Fire at Kilimanjaro National Park, United Republic of Tanzania. Credit: TANAPA/TANAPA

Kilimanjaro Threatened by Fires Which Shaped It

Viewpoint by Andreas Hemp*

BAYREUTH (IDN) – In October 2020, firefighters in Tanzania had to tackle a number of fires on Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest mountain and the largest free-standing mountain in the world. The mountain and surrounding forests fall into Kilimanjaro National Park, named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987. Andreas Hemp provides a glimpse into the mountain’s natural environment and the challenges it faces.

: Phil Harris; OPINION; 15 November 2020

Why Cybersecurity for Small Businesses is More Necessary Now Than Ever Before

By J W Jackie

RENO, Nevada, USA (IDN) – Nearly one-fifth of small businesses experienced either a hack, virus or data breach in 2019, according to data from B2B site The Manifest. While this proves that small businesses are indeed vulnerable to cyber attacks, it also serves as a warning to others that makes proper security precautions a necessity in 2020 and beyond. From the consequences that being unprepared can bring to the reasons behind why small businesses are such a target, prioritizing cybersecurity is critical as hackers continue to get smarter.

: Europe Editor; SUSTAINABILITY; Sustainable Industrialisation; 15 November 2020

Photo: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left), US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman (centre), and then-tourism minister Yariv Levin (right) during a meeting to discuss mapping extension of Israeli sovereignty to areas of the West Bank, held in the Ariel settlement, February 24, 2020. Credit: David Azagury/US Embassy Jerusalem.

Biden Administration Will Help Stem the Slide into A De Facto Bi-National State Reality

Viewpoint by Avi Gil

The writer is a former diplomat, who served under Shimon Peres for almost 30 years in various capacities. Ambassador Gil has been closely involved in Israel's policy-making and peace efforts, including the negotiations that led to the Oslo Accords. This article is being republished from The Blogs in the Times of Israel.

JERUSALEM (IDN) – Trump’s defeat marks the end of the Israeli right’s four-year celebration. At the global level, Trump has significantly intensified the erosion of the liberal world order. In a world where human rights are underrated, the on-going Israeli occupation provokes less condemnation, and the Palestinian plight has been pushed off the agenda.

: Opinion Editor; OPINION; 14 November 2020

Photo credit: Ms. Jane Mufamadi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Freedom Park Memorial Museum Complex in Pretoria, South Africa.

The Five-Nation BRICS Finds Unity in Cultural Diversity

Interview by Kester Kenn Klomegah*

MOSCOW (IDN) – Under the Russian Chairmanship of BRICS 2020, Moscow has organised and hosted a series of corporate conferences, business forums and other important events. For example, the Roundtable discussion on the theme “International Cultural Cooperation for Strengthening BRICS Unity” brought high-profiled participants from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. It was part of efforts at broadening the scope of cooperation in different directions, and steps toward attaining an admirably influential position and becoming active on the global stage.