Is South Africa’s foreign policy contradictory or a balancing act?
Cape Town, South Africa – The South African foreign service has had a hectic year of navigating several tricky diplomatic endeavours. It began with South Africa doing joint naval drills with Russia and China in February 2023. By March, authorities in Pretoria were saddled with a dilemma: execute the International Criminal Court’s warrant for the arrest of Russian President Vladimir Putin over alleged war crimes related to the war in Ukraine when he attended the BRICS Summit that August, or risk being seen as noncommittal to the rule of law. Ultimately Putin’s withdrawal from the summit – after an awkward trip by a few African leaders led by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to Ukraine and Russia – saved Pretoria from having to decide. Within months, the US ambassador to South Africa accused it of sending weapons to Russia via the ship Lady R. Not long after, South Africa’s Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor had a call with the chairperson of Hamas’s political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, followed by a visit to Iran to strengthen relations with it. By December, South Africa had hauled Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing it of genocide in its war in Gaza. Then this January, Ramaphosa drew criticism when he hosted the leader of the Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), General Mohamed Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, who has been accused of human rights abuses in Sudan, where a war is raging between the RSF and the army. Critics of Ramaphosa’s government say all of this is proof of Pretoria’s inconsistent foreign policy, arguing that it is quick to scrutinise the human rights records of some countries but appears to turn a blind eye to that of others. They argue that hosting RSF commander Hemedti and being reluctant to criticise Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have punctured Pretoria’s stated commitment to values of justice and equality in the post-apartheid era. “South Africa has no principled approach towards these global conflicts,” wrote Greg Mills and Ray Hartley, analysts at Johannesburg-based think-tank the Brenthurst Foundation, in a recent op-ed in local paper the Daily Maverick. “It professes to want to mediate, but it picks and chooses when and which of its principles apply. It is a matter of time before another indiscretion undermines the spin doctoring.” A complex balancing act? However, some analysts say such criticisms are steeped in naivety about the country’s foreign policy, which they say is focused first on Africa, and then to ensure a world where no country exerts too much global influence. They argue that any apparent inconsistencies are due to a complex balancing act between these objectives. Oscar van Heerden, an international relations scholar and author of ‘Consistent or Confused: An Analysis of Post-Apartheid South Africa’s Foreign Policy, is one of them. He says a “complex range of factors”, including historical alliances and economic interests, influence the country’s foreign policy. “The country is in fact very consistent in its foreign policy in Africa and the world. Our founding father, Nelson Mandela, also reminded the world that your enemies are not my enemies, and I think the country has stayed true to that,” van Heerden told Al Jazeera. Zwelethu Jolobe, an associate professor of politics at the University of Cape Town, agrees with the seemingly zigzag approach, saying the country is “trying to promote an alternative world order”, due to its enduring belief in a “multipolar society”. “South Africa knows the world is a complex place … and in order for us to have world peace, multilateral diplomacy is the best way to have international relations and that is at the core of its foreign policy doctrine,” he told Al Jazeera. Hemedti’s visit in particular has proved to be a thorny issue as fighting between the army and the RSF continues to wreck Sudan. Rights groups including Human Rights Watch have said the “RSF has committed a wide range of horrific abuses including the forced displacement of entire communities and amongst the most egregious abuses against civilians were torture, extrajudicial killings, and mass rapes.” Against this backdrop, the South African presidency said in a statement that it “welcomed the briefing by Dagalo and the mediation efforts between the RSF and the Sudan Armed Forces in finding lasting peace”. Dagalo, who has also visited to Kenya and Ethiopia, told the media that he had briefed Ramaphosa on the “efforts taken to end this war”. In response, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the chief of the Sudanese army, criticised Ramaphosa and other leaders for hosting Hemedti. Still, some say the controversial visit is only the latest case of South Africa getting involved in peace talks on the continent as a nonaligned actor. For years, South Africa has been active in various peacekeeping missions across the continent including the ongoing United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), to which it has the sixth largest contingent of 62 countries involved. It is also often involved in various mediation efforts including the successful ones in South Sudan and most recently between Ethiopia and rebels in its Tigray region. Former presidents Mandela and Thabo Mbeki were also respected as continental statesmen who helped bring opposing sides to dialogue over the years. The former helped resolve a dispute between Libya, the United States, and United Kingdom, while his successor was a negotiator during the first civil war in Ivory Coast. And now, van Heerden says South Africa is once again determined to “play both sides” as the precedents show that it “does not see things in black and white”. “You can only bring people together in one room when you have built trust over a period,” he said. Van Heerden also dismissed the view that the country is siding with autocrats. “The world is changing and the world needs to adapt and change,” he said. “We cannot put our eggs in the Western basket; there are new important players like India, China, and Brazil.” ‘The complex nature of foreign policy’ Since the beginning of
Tunisia’s Saied wants to make the central bank fill the budget deficit
Tunisian President Kais Saied is preparing to seek direct financing for the government’s budget from the Central Bank of Tunisia in a move analysts say could worsen the financial difficulties the country has been experiencing since before its 2011 revolution. Shortfalls in the budget have already resulted in the absence of state-subsidised goods like flour, rice and coffee from supermarket shelves as inflation pushes the prices of other goods beyond the reach of many households. With gaps in last year’s budget as well as a 10.6-billion-dinar (about $3.4bn) shortfall in the current year, the state is looking to compel the Central Bank to purchase government bonds as a way to raise direct funding. Government proposals were discussed by the parliament’s finance committee on Wednesday with what are understood to be instructions to fast-track its passage to parliament next week, where it can be voted upon during its plenary session. “Tunisia has run out of credit,” Hamza Meddeb of the Carnegie Middle East Center said. “Its negotiations for a further loan with the International Monetary Fund [IMF] appear stalled. There are no new payments coming from the European Union for its part in helping curb the flow of irregular migrants and no sign of financial help coming from elsewhere. Tunisians demonstrate against Saied during Tunisian Republic Day in Tunis on July 25, 2023. The sign in Arabic reads: ‘Freedom for all political prisoners’ [Hassene Dridi/AP Photo] “Tunisia needs cash immediately. It can’t wait,” he said. The legislation – if passed, as looks likely – would threaten the bank’s independence and, by devaluing its own currency, risks triggering a wave of inflation that its outgoing governor, Marouan Abassi, previously likened to that of Venezuela, where percentile increases in the cost of goods and services are now measured in the hundreds. The Central Bank authorised a brief raid on its reserves in 2020 and released 2.8 billion dinars (roughly $900m) under exceptional legislation to help combat the spread of COVID-19. At the time, international bodies, including the IMF were happy to waive the implications of the move, given circumstances that were, by any measure, unprecedented. The Central Bank has remained a respected pillar of the Tunisian state, retaining broad control over interest rates, helping mitigate the worst effects of the country’s economic decline and proving vital in maintaining the confidence of international financial backers, such as the IMF and World Bank. “Central banks … rely upon their independence,” economist, Aram Belhaj from the University of Carthage said. In addition to their critical role in helping control inflation by setting interest rates, they also tie the hands of politicians, Belhaj explained. “If you have politicians with unrestricted powers, they will use the central bank to finance expenditures, possibly funding electoral objectives. Therefore, the independence of the central bank is crucial. It effectively limits political pressure,” he said. Tunisian health workers protest during a general strike organised by labour unions demanding pay raises and more government support in Tunis on June 18, 2020, as unemployment and poverty rise [File: Hassene Dridi/AP Photo] While the current legislation does not explicitly mark the end of the bank’s independence, it does undermine a 2016 law that separates the state from the central bank and is the subject of sporadic presidential criticism. “The new legislation is not part of a broader approach that would allow the Central Bank to integrate [with the economy] or become more involved in growth and development issues,” Belhaj said. “It’s just a modification that allows the government to obtain an advance of 7 billion Tunisian dinars [$2.24bn] – which is an incredibly large amount – to finance the budget deficit,” he said. Tunisia had been in negotiations with the IMF for a further $1.9bn bailout. However, what looked to have been a finalised deal was rejected by Tunisia in April when Saied rejected the body’s “foreign diktats” intended to curb spending on subsidies and government salaries – said to be, per capita, among the highest in the world. “This speaks as much about desperation as anything else. It tells us that the state didn’t have any other options. They needed capital, and they needed it immediately. All other options would have required negotiations and time,” Meddeb said. “Moreover, we don’t even know which funds the government is drawing upon, and that’s critical. If it seeks to access the bank’s foreign reserves, it risks Tunisia’s devaluation of the dinar. If it accesses our domestic reserves, we’re essentially printing our own money to pay our bills. “Neither makes Tunisia a particularly attractive option to investors or backers.” [embedded content] Adblock test (Why?)
Mother of 6-year-old missing in Gaza recounts last phone calls
NewsFeed The mother of missing 6-year-old Hind Hamadeh from Gaza has told Al Jazeera about the last phone calls she had with her daughter. Hind’s sister Layan and other family members are believed to have been killed by an Israeli attack while they were on an emergency call. Published On 1 Feb 20241 Feb 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
‘Our gathbandhan is very strong’: Champai Soren with 43 MLAs meets Jharkhand Governor
“We have demanded from the Governor that the process to start the formation of the new Government should begin. The Governor has also assured us that the process will begin soon,” Champai Soren said.
Kentucky House clears measure for moment of silence at start of school day
The Kentucky House overwhelmingly passed a bill on Wednesday instructing public schools to set aside time for a moment of silence at the start of each school day. The measure easily cleared the House on a 79-17 vote and moves on to the Senate. Republicans have supermajorities in both chambers. Under the bill, the moment of silence would last one to two minutes at the start of the first class each day in public schools across the Bluegrass State. Students would decide how to use that time, and school personnel would be prohibited from instructing them on their silent reflection. Parents would be notified of the policy and encouraged to offer guidance to their children on how to spend that time. KENTUCKY KIDS COULD SOON FACE CLASSROOM CELL PHONE BAN THANKS TO ‘COMMON SENSE’ BILL: ‘GET DISTRACTIONS OUT’ Every student would be expected to remain seated and silent during that time. During the House debate, Democratic Rep. Tina Bojanowski said she sees the bill as “a way to push prayer into public schools,” adding that it raises constitutional concerns. Public schools were barred from leading students in classroom prayer following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling decades ago that said it violated a First Amendment clause forbidding the establishment of a government religion. Another critic of the bill, Democratic Rep. Josie Raymond, said: “This is something that belongs in the home realm for families to discuss with their children.” In praising the bill, Republican Rep. Tom Smith said what has been lacking in schools is taking the “time to thank God for our day. And I think that’s what’s going to watch over our education and our kids.” The bill’s lead sponsor is Republican Rep. Daniel Fister.
Georgia Gov. Kemp signs bill officially defining antisemitism in state law
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Wednesday signed a law defining antisemitism in state law, proclaiming support for Jewish residents despite concerns the measure would hamper people opposing the actions of Israel. The Republican governor said by enacting the law, he was “reaffirming our commitment to a Georgia where all people can live, learn and prosper safely, because there’s no place for hate in this great state.” Kemp likened it to when he signed a measure in 2020 that allows additional penalties to be imposed for crimes motivated by a victim’s race, religion, sexual orientation or other factors. That hate crimes law was spurred by the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man pursued and fatally shot while running near Brunswick, Georgia. HARVARD ANTISEMITISM TASK FORCE HEAD SKIPS PANEL ON ANTISEMITISM: ‘NOT APPROPRIATE AT THIS TIME’ The antisemitism definition measure had stalled in 2023, but was pushed with fresh urgency this year amid the Israel-Hamas war and a reported surge in antisemitic incidents in Georgia. Sponsors say adopting the 2016 definition put forward by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance will help prosecutors and other officials identify hate crimes and illegal discrimination targeting Jewish people. That could lead to higher penalties under the 2020 hate crimes law. The definition, which is only referred to in the bill, describes antisemitism as “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.” Kenneth Stern, the author of IHRA’s definition, told The Associated Press that using such language in law is problematic, because an increasing number of Jews have adopted an antizionist position in opposition to Israeli actions. Lawmakers in more than a half-dozen additional U.S. states are pushing laws to define antisemitism. Opponents of the Georgia law warned it would be used to censor free speech rights with criticism of Israel equated to hatred of Jewish people. A coalition of organizations, including Jewish Voice for Peace and CAIR, issued a joint statement saying that the Georgia bill “falsely equates critiques of Israel and Zionism with discrimination against Jewish people.” But supporters say the definition will only come into play after someone has committed a crime. State Rep. John Carson, a Marietta Republican who was one of the bill’s sponsors, said he believed the measure would be challenged in court the first time it is used, but predicted it would be upheld. “I’m very confident this will stand up, like it has in other states,” Carson said.
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Cori Bush’s campaign pays $17,500 more to her husband, bringing his total to $120K, new filings show
Rep. Cori Bush, who is now facing a Justice Department probe into her campaign spending on private security, paid her husband an additional $17,500 from her committee in recent months, new filings show. The Missouri Democrat’s new filings, submitted to the Federal Election Commission late Wednesday night, show that her campaign made seven additional payments for $2,500 each to her husband, Cortney Merritts, between October 1 and December 31. The new payments maintained the steady flow of checks to her husband over the past two years. After Bush and Merritts married in February 2023, her office revealed they had been together before she entered office in 2021. Merritts initially gathered money for security services starting in January 2022, but Bush’s committee switched their description to “wage expenses” in April 2023 as they continued to bring headaches to the campaign. CORI BUSH’S CAMPAIGN CONTINUES TO SHELL OUT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO HER HUSBAND FOR PRIVATE SECURITY Merritts has now collected $120,000 from Bush’s campaign coffers. Politicians can pay family members from their committees as long as they provide “bona fide” services at fair market value. He pocketed the money as Bush’s campaign simultaneously spent significantly more with St. Louis-based companies such as PEACE Security for private detail. She’s spent over $770,000 on such services. Meanwhile, Merritts, whose online accounts and posts have indicated he worked at a railroad company for years before starting a moving company, did not have a private security license as of late February 2023. He also did not appear in a Washington, D.C., database of licensed security specialists, Fox News Digital previously reported. The ordeal triggered at least two complaints from watchdog groups in the following weeks. The first complaint, filed to the FEC in March 2023 by the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, is still pending. The ethics committee has since cleared Bush in a second complaint from the Committee to Defeat the President. Fox News Digital reached out to Bush’s campaign numerous times over the past several years regarding the payments – first, regarding the security payments in general as she pushed to defund the police, then regarding the payments to Merritts after they married – but they did not respond to a single inquiry. Due to this, Fox News Digital confronted Merritts in October as the couple left a D.C. fundraiser for California Democrat candidate Derek Marshall. During the exchange, Merritts appeared to backtrack about his role on the campaign after telling the videographer he doesn’t have one. CORI BUSH’S CAMPAIGN PAID HER HUSBAND FOR SECURITY SERVICES – BUT HE DOESN’T HAVE A PRIVATE SECURITY LICENSE “I have a question for you,” the videographer said. “What’s your role on the campaign right now?” “I don’t have a role in the campaign, man,” Merritts responded. “You don’t have a role at all?” the videographer countered. “They were reporting you had wages on the campaign for security, and then it was a general wage. I was just wondering what you’ve been doing on the campaign?” “Yeah, I mean you can Google what it is,” Merritts replied. “You can also Google what happened with the FEC report came back 5-0, that it was all completely above board.” “So you’re not doing any more work with her campaign?” the videographer said. “Am I doing work with the campaign?” Merrits said. “Obviously, I am. I’m still [inaudible], right?” “You’re still a part of it?” the videographer asked. “Am I still employed with it? Yes, so obviously, I’m going to work with it,” Merritts said. “What’s this whole ‘gotcha’ s—? I’m not a politician, man, so ask me a question, man-to-man, and I’ll answer. So what’s your question?” “That was it, about the campaign,” the videographer responded. “I’m still in the campaign; I still do security with the campaign. Have a good night, man. Be safe,” Merritts said before getting into the car with Bush. WATCH: CORI BUSH’S HUSBAND CONFRONTED OVER THE THOUSANDS IN CASH HE HAS RECEIVED FROM HER CAMPAIGN Earlier this week, Bush confirmed the Justice Department is investigating her campaign spending on security services and said her office is “fully cooperating.” “Since before I was sworn into office, I have endured relentless threats to my physical safety and life,” Bush said in a Tuesday statement. “As a rank-and-file member of Congress, I am not entitled to personal protection by the House, and instead have used campaign funds as permissible to retain security services.” “These frivolous complaints have resulted in a number of investigations, some of which are still ongoing,” Bush said. “The Federal Election Commission and the House Committee on Ethics are currently reviewing the matter, as is the Department of Justice. We are fully cooperating in all of these pending investigations.” Bush’s campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
South Dakota Gov. Noem seeks to bolster Texas security efforts at US-Mexico border
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem said Wednesday that her administration is considering boosting its support for Texas’ efforts to deter immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border, such as sending razor wire and security personnel. The second-term Republican governor blasted conditions at the border in a speech to a joint session of the Legislature, a gathering she requested Monday after visiting the border last week. Noem, once seen as a potential 2024 presidential candidate, has made the border situation a focus during her tenure. “The United States of America is in a time of invasion,” Noem said. “The invasion is coming over our southern border. The 50 states have a common enemy, and that enemy is the Mexican drug cartels. They are waging war against our nation, and these cartels are perpetuating violence in each of our states, even right here in South Dakota.” DEAD, NOT ON ARRIVAL: WHERE THE BIPARTISAN BORDER DEAL STANDS IN CONGRESS BEFORE ANYONE HAS EVEN SEEN IT Border security has taken center stage in numerous states and in Congress, where Republicans are conditioning aid to Ukraine on a border security deal, and pushing to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Even President Joe Biden has said that he would shut down the border if given the emergency authority to do so, as part of a deal. Noem cited illegal drugs, including fentanyl, and violent crime affecting communities and tribal reservations. She said she plans to “very publicly” support the Oglala Sioux Tribe in its lawsuit filed last week against the federal government, seeking more law enforcement support. In November, Tribal President Frank Star Comes Out declared a state of emergency on the Pine Ridge Reservation due to increasing crime. A federal judge ruled last year that the federal government has a treaty duty for law enforcement support on the reservation, but he declined to rule on the funding level the tribe sought. The governor also said South Dakota is willing to send razor wire to Texas. Her administration is “exploring various legal options on how we can support Texas and force (the) federal government to do their job,” she said, and also is considering options to provide personnel. Democratic state Sen. Shawn Bordeaux said Noem “should focus on South Dakota.” He added, “I think it’s a shame that she’s using the Mexican border for her own political purposes to try to advance her own agenda and align it with former President Trump, and she’s doing it at the expense of the tribes.” He said Noem has previously paid little attention to area tribes during his 10 years as a state lawmaker and two years as a Rosebud Sioux tribal councilman. BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ADMITS BORDER ISN’T SECURE AFTER CLAIMING FOR YEARS IMMIGRATION WAS NOT A CRISIS “I’m just a little perturbed that we haven’t heard nothing until now and all of a sudden it’s a big thing in the middle of our session to interrupt us with whatever this ploy is to get a little more attention, in my view,” Bordeaux said. Republican House Majority Leader Will Mortenson said Noem “painted a pretty vivid picture of the situation on the border and made a compelling case, need for action at the border.” Lawmakers will look for specific proposals she might put forth during the ongoing session, he said. Noem has deployed South Dakota National Guard troops three times to the border, including last year, and she has visited several times, including on Friday. Other Republican governors have deployed troops and visited the border too. In 2021, Noem drew criticism for accepting a $1 million donation offered by a wealthy Republican donor to help cover the cost of a two-month deployment of 48 troops to the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas.
Journalists, activists targeted in Jordan with Israeli-made Pegasus spyware
The mobile phones of more than 30 people in Jordan, including journalists, lawyers and activists, were hacked with the Israeli-made Pegasus spyware over several years, a new investigation has found. The joint investigation, conducted by the Access Now internet advocacy group, the Citizen Lab rights group and other partners, highlighted on Thursday at least 35 cases of people who were targeted with the software, which is made by Israel’s NSO Group. Most of the cases dated from 2020 to late 2023. “We believe this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the use of Pegasus spyware in Jordan, and that the true number of victims is likely much higher,” Access Now said. While its report refrained from accusing Jordan’s government of deploying the spyware, it signalled that its use coincided with a dialling up of repression of “citizens’ rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly”. The Jordanian government had no immediate comment on the report. ‘Pegasus much more intrusive’ Pegasus, which can seize control of a phone’s microphone and camera and access documents, made headlines when a 2021 leak suggested there were about 50,000 potential victims of the malware around the world, many of them dissidents, journalists and activists. Those targeted in Jordan include two Human Rights Watch employees: Adam Coogle, deputy director for Middle East and North Africa, and Hiba Zayadin, senior researcher for Jordan and Syria. Both had received threat notifications from Apple in August that state-sponsored attackers had attempted to compromise their iPhones. Access Now said Coogle’s phone was hacked in October 2022, just two weeks after the publication of a report documenting the persecution of citizens organising peaceful political dissent. According to the report, many of those targeted had either worked on or covered a monthlong teachers’ strike in 2019, which prompted the authorities to arrest hundreds of teachers and dissolve their union. Public schools’ teachers take part in a protest as part of their strike in Amman, Jordan October 3, 2019 [Muhammad Hamed/Reuters] The report also said about half of those found to have been targeted – 16 in all – were journalists or media workers. Among them was Daoud Kuttab, a Palestinian-American journalist, who had his phone hacked three times in 2022 and 2023 and faced a further seven failed attempts. He said most journalists working in the Middle East expect their phones to be tapped, adding he had learned not to click on links in messages purporting to be from legitimate contacts. “In the past, it was only people overhearing what you say, but Pegasus is much more intrusive,” he was quoted as saying by The Associated Press news agency, expressing fears that bad actors could get access to his contacts. “I don’t want to burn my contacts, I don’t want to hurt them,” he said. Global market NSO Group faces multiple lawsuits from Apple and others, but it continues to sell its products to governments around the world, claiming that it sells the spyware only to vetted intelligence and law enforcement agencies in the interests of peace. But cybersecurity researchers who have tracked its use in 45 countries have documented dozens of cases of politically motivated abuse of the spyware – from Mexico to Thailand and Poland to Saudi Arabia. In 2021, the United States blacklisted NSO Group, accusing it of developing and supplying the spyware to foreign governments “that used these tools to maliciously” target a range of actors, including journalists and activists. Access Now’s regional policy director Marwa Fatafta said there was generally no oversight of companies offering such spying software, allowing the surveillance sector to continue its “secretive and shady” manner of business. “Governments are feverishly purchasing their technologies to spy on their citizens and to crack down on civil society,” Fatafta said. The NGO reiterated its call for an outright ban on any spyware that enables rights abuses. Adblock test (Why?)