About: the world this week, 12 May 2024 to 18 May 2024: Israel tunnels on; Russia pushes in Ukraine; Darfur-a forgotten war; Netherlands swings right; Slovakia’s PM is shot; India’s Elections, and a Billboard crash; and the Eurovision 2024 results.

Everywhere

Israel in Rafah

Israel has amassed enough troops at the edge of Rafah in the Gaza Strip to move forward with a full scale invasion while conducting precision strikes in the region. Israel Defence Forces (IDF) attacked and destroyed a Hamas Command & Control Center, located within a United Nations (UN) Compound. Video footage showed Hamas Terrorists liberally using UN Vehicles, as if it belongs to them.

Meanwhile, Israel ordered evacuation of civilians in many areas of Rafah for the moves ahead. And the rockets kept coming into Israel from Lebanon, and from Hamas inside the Gaza.

In a turn-around, the United States (US) resumed supply of weapons to Israel, perhaps seeing the steely resolve of Israel to enter Rafah. Then, there is talk about the ‘Day After’, when all this is over, and what happens next in the Gaza Strip.

Across the world Jewish people – especially in America and Britain – continue to be targets of pro-Palestinians, preventing them from going about their work and even attacking them, only because they are Jews. Anti-semitism getting a stranglehold in these parts.

Towards the end of the week, on entering Rafah, the IDF recovered the decomposed bodies of three Israeli hostages who were kidnapped from the Nova Festival on 7th October 2023, and held by Hamas in Gaza, Amit Bouskila (28), Shani Louk (23), and Itzhak Gelerenter (53). Israel was shocked and devastated. The also found numerous tunnels, and 50 of them ‘effortlessly’ crossing the border into Egypt. More, next week.

Ukraine

In the other war, in Ukraine, Russia is pushing into north-eastern Ukraine after making major advances over the past week. This is Russia’s most significant gains since Ukraine re-captured the Kharkiv region in 2022. More than 7500 people have been evacuated from the region. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, made a surprise visit to Ukraine’s capital Kyiv to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky and reassure support. He announced that US military assistance has started arriving in Ukraine after months of delays.

The Forgotten Conflict

Over the past four years, the remote Sudanese region of Darfur has been the scene of a bloody conflict that has led to the death of thousands and the displacement of more than two million people.

The United Nations (UN) calls it ‘the world’s worst humanitarian crisis’ and the United States calls it ‘genocide’. Some 9 million people require humanitarian assistance and about 4,000 people have been targeted and killed because of their ethnicity. The UN says a staggering 24.8 million across Sudan-almost one in two people in the country-now require help from the UN and aid partners.

Darfur lies in the western part of the Sudan, Africa’s third largest country, bordering Libya, Chad, and the Central African Republic. The population of Darfur estimated in 2002 was about six million, 80% of whom live in the rural areas.

The name ‘Darfur’ is derived from the word, ‘dar fur ‘, meaning the ‘Land of the Fur’, in Arabic. The Fur tribe once ruled the Islamic Sultanate of Darfur until the killing of the last Sultan of Darfur in the year 1916, after which the Sultanate was incorporated into the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan and came under British-Egyptian rule. Today, Darfur is home to approximately 80 tribes and ethnic groups consisting of nomadic and sedentary communities.

Labelling the ongoing conflict as one between ‘Arabs’ and ‘Black Africans’ could be misleading: there are no visible racial or religious differences between the warring factions in Darfur. All parties involved in the conflict are equally indigenous, equally black, and equally Muslim. Darfurians represent a multitude of ethnic and linguistic groups that include non-Arabic speaking groups such as, the Fur, Masalit, Zaghawa, Tunjur, and Daju, as well as Arabic-speaking such as Rizaiqat, Missairiyya, Taisha, Beni Helba, and Mahamid, among others.

A long history of internal migration, mixing, and intermarriage in Darfur has created remarkable ethnic fluidity: ethnic labels are often used only as a matter of convenience. For instance, in the Darfur context, for the most part, the term ‘Arab’ is used as an occupational rather than an ethnic label, for the majority of the Arabic speaking groups are pastoralists. On the other hand, most of the non-Arab groups are sedentary farmers. However, even these occupational boundaries are often crossed.

For several centuries, the Fur was the dominant political power in the region, particularly in the pre-colonial era. In the seventeenth century they established a kingdom that shared many of the characteristics of other Muslim states in the Sahelian belt (the region south of the Sahara Desert, stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west, to the Nile basin in the east.) From its capital at Al-Fasher, the Darfur kingdom established extensive political and commercial links with these states as well as with Egypt and North Africa.

The Darfur conflict began in 2003 when rebels launched an insurrection to protest what they claimed was the Sudanese Government’s disregard for the western region and its non-Arab population. The situation escalated when rebels, particularly the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), took up arms against the Government, protesting the unequal distribution of economic resources.

In response, the government headed by then President, Omar al-Bashir, equipped and supported Arab militia-which came to be known as Janjaweed-to fight the rebels in Darfur. The militias, however, also terrorised the civilians in the region and prevented international aid organisations from delivering much-needed food and medical supplies.

This conflict clearly pitted Sudanese Government forces, supported by the Janjaweed, against rebel groups resisting the autocratic rule of President Omar al-Bashir. The result was a devastating toll on Darfur. About 300,000 people lost their lives, and millions were displaced, including 400,000 refugees who were forced to flee to camps in the neighbouring country of Chad. In response to these atrocities, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants against several Sudanese senior officials, including Omar al-Bashir, on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur.

Despite a 2004 cease-fire and the presence of African Union (AU) troops that followed, by 2007 the conflict and resulting humanitarian crisis had left hundreds of thousands of people dead and more than two million displaced, internally as well as externally, as they were forced to flee from the fighting. In July 2007, the United Nations Security Council authorised a joint UN-AU peacekeeping mission (UNAMID) to replace the AU mission, although UNAMID troop deployment did not begin until 2008.

In July 2008, an International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor alleged that Bashir, as President of Sudan, bore criminal responsibility for the crisis in Darfur. The prosecutor accused Bashir of orchestrating genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity in the region and sought a warrant for his arrest; the Sudanese government denied the charges and proclaimed Bashir’s innocence. In March 2009, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Bashir on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, but not genocide. The warrant marked the first time that the ICC had sought the arrest of a sitting head of state. A year later, in July, another warrant was issued for Bashir on the charge of genocide.

Bashir was removed from power in 2018, which led to the formation of a Transitional Government under a Transitional Military Council (TMC) in September 2019. It carried out ambitious economic reforms and engaged in peace negotiations with armed groups leading to the signing of the Juba Peace Agreement in 2020, with almost all opposition groups. However, a year later in October 2021 the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) took over the country in a military coup. The then Prime Minister of the Transitional Government stepped down in January 2022 after efforts to reach a political settlement failed. A second attempt was made in January 2023. However, a consensus could not be reached and the political deadlock continues. The failed political process saw an eruption of a yet another conflict between the SAF and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which continues to this day.

The RSF evolved from the Janjaweed militia in the year 2013, and was used as border guards. And in the year 2015 it was granted the status of a regular force. In the year 2017, a law was passed legitimising the RSF as an independent security force. The Army and pro-democracy voices have demanded the RSF’s integration in the regular Armed Forces, which the RSF has resisted as this would lead to loss of power. The RSF is commanded by General Mohamed Hamden Dagalo commonly know as ‘Hemedti’ or ‘Little Mohamad’. He is one for the most powerful persons in Sudan and was formerly Deputy-Head of the TMC.

The once emerging potential of Sudan now lies in tatters, with conflict after conflict consuming the country. For most of its independent history, Sudan has faced substantial internal conflict rending it unable to play a leadership role in the region. This includes some of the longest lasting civil wars in Africa running in the country. South Sudan seceded from Sudan in 2011 and became an independent state of Africa.

This week, heavy fighting in and around the Town of El Fasher between the SAF and the RSF resulted in death of dozens of civilians.

Netherlands

This week, anti-Islam firebrand and populist leader Geert Wilders announced that he has managed to form a coalition government with three other right-wing parties veering Netherlands towards the hard right. This is the culmination of almost 6 months of tumultuous negotiations – after the General Elections. It is still unclear who would be the next Dutch Prime Minister, but it will not be Wilders, who gave up the chance in a bid to secure a deal. Wilder’s, Party of Freedom (PVV), will go into government with the conservative Liberal Party (VVD), the centrist New Social Contract (NSC), and the Farmer Citizen Movement (BBB).

The PVV, led by Geert Wilders, won a shock victory in the Netherlands’ Parliamentary Elections, six months ago, winning 37 of the 150 seats, but it was not good enough to form a government on its own.

Slovakia

This week, Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico, 59 was shot and injured outside the House of Culture in the town of Handlova, where he had been meeting supporters. A suspect was quickly detained. Four shots were fired after a government meeting, with one hitting the PM in the abdomen. He was rushed to Hospital when Emergency services dispatched a helicopter to air-lift him to the nearest hospital where he was operated upon. He is out of danger and on the road to recovery.

Handlova is located some 150 kilometres north east of Solvakia’s capital Bratislava. Security personnel were quick to cart the PM to safety while others grappled with the attacker, later identified as 71 year old Slovak poet Juraj Cintula. The reason behind the attack appears to be a politically charged one, with Cintula blaming Fico’s media policies for his drastic action.

Robert Fico is known for his pro-Russia, pro-Putin stance and has been a controversial figure in European politics. He has opposed supporting Ukraine against Russia’s aggression. Starting his fourth term as PM, Fico stopped arms shipments to Ukraine. Critics were concerned that he might steer Slovakia – a NATO member – away from its pro-western trajectory towards a path similar to that of Hungary under populist PM Viktor Orban.

India Elections

India’s Lok Sabha General Elections meander to the upcoming last three Phases of 20th May, 25th May, and 1st June. Four Phases have been completed and the wait for counting day on 4th June is excruciating. The high-voltage campaigning dropped down a few volts but the charge was steady. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) continues to brim with confidence in a winning a third consecutive term and gathering numbers of over 400 seats in the 543 seated Lok Sabha.

India’s Billboard Crash

In India, 16 people were killed and dozens injured when a giant 30-metre-tall Billboard, located next to a busy road in the Chheda Nagar area of Mumbai City’s Ghatkopar, fell over a petrol station and adjoining buildings crushing cars and trapping over 100 people underneath. This was caused by strong winds and rains during a thunderstorm on Monday, which also uprooted trees in the area. The storm brought traffic to a standstill in parts of the city and disrupted operations at the Mumbai Airport with at least 15 flights diverted.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) issued a statement saying the Billboard was illegal – constructed without their permission and standing for over a year at the location. Previously, the Billboard had been red-marked by Civic Authorities due to various violations, but no action was taken. The first notice, issued in March 2023, addressed non-payment of license fees. A second notice, highlighted damage to trees caused by Installtion of the billboard. The third notice, issued on the same day the structure collapsed, cited ‘unauthorised advertisement panels’. While the agency was responsible for the hoarding’s structural stability, records showed BMC’s garden department had separately registered police complaints that the Agency ‘killed’ trees that were planted on the periphery. The complaint was filed after holes were found drilled in the trunks of the dead trees in an attempt to inject poison into them. This had led to around 40 trees losing their leaves and eventually dying…a slow death.

The director of Ego Media Agency, Bhavesh Bhinde, who owns the Billboard was later arrested after a man-hunt. The 120×120 feet holding defied the permissible size of 40×40 and was erected on a 10 year lease and its weight was an astonishing 250 tons. The company had applied to the Limca Book of Records to recognise it as the largest commercial Billboard in India.

Eurovision 2024

The Eurovision Song Contest – the 68th Edition – staged in Sweden’s Malmo city ended late last week with the finals held on Saturday.

The winner was Switzerland’s Nemo -Nemo Mettler-a Swiss singer, who plays the violin, piano, and drums. His song ‘The Code’ won the contest giving Switzerland their first win since 1988. The Runner-up was Marko Purisic, a Croatian singer-songwriter, and music producer, known professionally as Baby Lasagna for the song ‘Rim Tim Tagi Dim’. In the third place was Aliona Olehivna Savranenko, known by her stage name Alyona Alyona, a Ukrainian rapper and songwriter along with Yana Oleksandrivna Shemaieva, known professionally as Jerry Heil, a Ukrainian singer, songwriter and You Tuber for the song ‘Teresa & Maria’. The fourth place went to Slimane Nebchi, a French singer-songwriter known professionally by the mononym, Slimane for the song ‘ Mon Amour’. Coming in at fifth was Israel’s Eden Golan for her song, ‘Hurricane’.

More historical stories coming-up in the weeks ahead. Sing with World Inthavaaram.