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📰 Druze protestors demand self-determination

📰 Druze protestors demand self-determination

and U.S. companies rush into DR Congo

Billy Robinson & Ross Crabtree
August 19, 2025

Hello and welcome back.

Developments from the Middle East lead today’s briefing: Druze protesters in Suwayda demand self-determination after deadly clashes, Israel strikes an energy facility near Sanaa, Yemen, and the EU pushes back against U.S. and Israeli efforts to end the UN peacekeeping mission in south Lebanon.

Our lead story turns to Syria, where Western support for the new regime in Damascus risks entrenching a political order that minorities refuse to join.

More details below ⤵️

Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇺🇸 🇨🇩 🇷🇼 U.S. companies rush into DR Congo to secure minerals following fragile peace deal: On June 27, DR Congo and Rwanda signed a U.S.-brokered peace accord in Washington, followed by an economic framework linking reconciliation to cross-border trade. Praised as a “historic turning point,” the deal risks repeating past failures. It hinges on Rwanda withdrawing troops and Kinshasa targeting FDLR rebels, yet most are in M23-held zones, making compliance near impossible without political suicide for the Rwanda-backed militia. For Washington, the agreement doubles as a strategy to counter China and lock in access to DRC’s critical minerals. U.S. firms swiftly moved on cobalt, copper, and lithium deals, but major projects face delays, disputes, and insecurity. With M23 excluded from negotiations and fighting ongoing, the accord looks more like a resource stability pact than a genuine peace settlement.

2️⃣ 🇵🇸 🇮🇱 🇪🇬 🇶🇦 Hamas agrees to ceasefire proposal as Israel advances on Gaza City: Hamas has endorsed a 60-day ceasefire plan brokered by Egypt and Qatar, offering the release of half the hostages in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. The initiative, aligned with an earlier U.S. framework, awaits Israel’s formal response. The development comes as Israel pushes to seize Gaza City, sparking mass protests in Tel Aviv and prompting thousands of Palestinians to flee under heavy bombardment. Israeli tanks entered the Sabra suburb Monday, with Army Chief Eyal Zamir declaring a “turning point” in the war. Mediators say the truce could lay groundwork for a broader settlement, but divisions persist over disarmament, Israeli withdrawal, and aid delivery. U.S. President Donald Trump rejected the proposal on social media, urging Hamas’ destruction.

3️⃣ 🇪🇺 🇱🇧 🇮🇱 🇺🇸 EU resists U.S. and Israel push to end UN peacekeeping mission in south Lebanon: European nations are pushing back against U.S. and Israeli efforts to terminate the UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, as the Security Council prepares to vote on renewing UNIFIL’s mandate before it expires in late August. Established in 1978, UNIFIL deploys around 10,000 troops along the Lebanon-Israel border and is credited by France and Italy with helping contain hostilities with Hizbollah, although many local actors in south Lebanon cite UNIFIL’s incompetence in preventing Israel’s invasion in late 2024. Israel argues the force has failed to curb Hizbollah’s presence and seeks its dissolution, while the Trump administration is pressing for a final one-year renewal followed by withdrawal. Lebanon insists UNIFIL remain, warning its army cannot yet assume full control without undermining stability. France’s draft resolution omits a withdrawal timeline, setting up a clash with Washington over the mission’s future.

4️⃣ 🇮🇩 President Subianto vows to fight corruption and food cartels in independence address: Marking Indonesia’s 80th independence anniversary, President Prabowo Subianto used his first State of the Nation speech to pledge a sweeping fight against corruption and food cartels. The 73-year-old former general said his administration has already saved $18.5 billion in state funds previously lost to graft, and vowed to confront “serakahnomics,” his term for greed-driven cartels that cost Indonesia up to $6.1 billion annually. He condemned palm oil shortages and rice price manipulation as examples of elites exploiting the poor, promising enforcement “even if powerful generals or politicians are involved.” Subianto also cited 1,000 illegal mines and millions of hectares of mismanaged plantations as key targets. He urged Parliament and political leaders to back his anti-graft drive, declaring: “We are not afraid of your greatness or wealth.”

5️⃣ 🇺🇳 🇸🇩 UN condemns RSF assault on El Fasher and warns of worsening humanitarian crisis: The UN voiced alarm over a major Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attack on El Fasher, the last government stronghold in North Darfur, and the besieged Abu Shouk displacement camp. Monday’s assault killed 40 civilians and injured 19, while forcing hundreds to flee, according to humanitarian agencies. UN officials condemned deliberate attacks on civilians, stressing displacement camps must never be targeted, as exit routes from El Fasher remain blocked and residents face hunger under siege. Acting Humanitarian Coordinator Sheldon Yett urged safe passage and a humanitarian pause to deliver food, water, and medicine. Violence is also escalating in South Kordofan, where 3,000 people fled Kadugli this month amid road closures and shortages. The UN reiterated that all parties are obliged to protect civilians under international law.

Major Story

🇸🇾 🇪🇺 🇺🇸 BACKING A STRONGMAN AT THE EXPENSE OF INCLUSION: THE WEST’S RELATIONS WITH SYRIA

Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s fragile transition has depended on whether the Kurdish-led northeast could be integrated into the new order. That possibility now teeters on collapse. A separatist-tinged Kurdish conference in Hasakah, mounting ceasefire violations, and the abrupt suspension of Paris negotiations reveal the depth of mistrust. Meanwhile, Turkey is preparing to back a limited Syrian operation against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), raising the risk of renewed confrontation.

Centralisation in Damascus

The transitional government, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) chief Ahmed al-Sharaa, has consolidated authority through exclusion rather than consensus. February’s “national dialogue” was a stage-managed affair that sidelined Kurds and major civic groups. A hastily drafted constitution handed Sharaa sweeping powers, from appointing a third of parliament to controlling the judiciary and cabinet. Elections scheduled for September promise little more than indirect rule by committees he hand-picks. Economically, a murky sovereign wealth fund and opaque $14 billion investment deals further cement the dominance of his inner circle.

Minorities have borne the brunt of this new order. Alawite civilians were massacred in March, Druze communities suffered abuses in Suwayda, and accountability has been elusive. These grievances erupted into the Hasakah conference, which Damascus denounced before walking away from Kurdish integration talks.

Western Endorsement of a Strongman

Despite these warning signs, Washington and Brussels have pressed ahead with their embrace of Damascus. The United States lifted sanctions in June and insists on rapid Kurdish reintegration, while EU officials have pledged long-term partnership. Their rationale is clear: contain Iran, avert an Islamic State resurgence, reduce Russian leverage, and repatriate refugees. But this pragmatic backing of Sharaa rewards authoritarian consolidation while silencing minority voices.

The Consequences of Exclusion

The West’s gamble risks backfiring. A political system monopolised by HTS, an economic order rife with patronage, and a military apparatus unaccountable for atrocities cannot draw minorities into Syria’s future. If pushed into such a framework, the Kurdish northeast and other communities may once again opt for armed resistance. The risk of renewed war looms larger with every failed negotiation.

A Narrow Window for Leverage

The United States and European Union retain tools of influence—aid, recognition, and investment—that Damascus craves. These should be tied to minimum conditions: inclusive September elections, transparency in financial deals, and genuine participation of opposition and civil society in constitutional dialogue. Without such guardrails, Western policy will not secure stability but perpetuate the grievances that have defined Syria’s cycle of conflict.

Other News

1️⃣ 🇸🇾 Druze protesters in Suwayda demand self-determination after deadly clashes: Hundreds rallied in Suwayda over the weekend, calling for Druze self-determination following last month’s violent clashes with Bedouin Sunni tribes. The fighting, which began on 13 July, left around 1,600 people dead—many of them Druze civilians—according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Though Damascus claimed its intervention aimed to restore order, Druze groups accused government forces of siding with Bedouins and committing atrocities. A ceasefire was declared days later, with Syria’s interim government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa pledging an inquiry. Activist Rayyan Maarouf described the protests as historic, noting it was the first time the Druze openly demanded self-determination in Syria.

2️⃣ 🇨🇩 🇺🇬 ADF massacres kill 52 civilians in North Kivu: At least 52 civilians, including women and children, were killed in a series of attacks by Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo between 9 and 16 August, according to the UN mission MONUSCO. The ADF, an Islamist militia linked to Islamic State, struck villages in North Kivu’s Beni and Lubero territories, burning homes, abducting residents, and looting property. The violence follows a July massacre of 40 worshippers in neighbouring Ituri. MONUSCO said the toll may rise and has reinforced its deployments, sheltering more than 200 displaced civilians. Despite joint Congolese–Ugandan military operations launched in 2021, the ADF continues to kill thousands and exploit North Kivu’s gold-rich zones while targeting civilians to avoid direct clashes with security forces.

3️⃣ 🇾🇪 🇮🇱 Israel strikes energy site near Sanaa, Yemen: Israel’s military said it struck an energy facility near Sanaa on Sunday, describing it as infrastructure used by Yemen’s Houthi movement. Houthi media reported the Haziz power plant south of the capital was hit, though no casualties were confirmed. The strike followed the interception of a missile fired from Yemen last week, one of many launched by the Iran-backed group since October in what it calls solidarity with Palestinians. Most Houthi attacks on Israel have been intercepted, but they have drawn repeated Israeli airstrikes on Yemeni targets. The Houthis have also targeted Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, later expanding to U.S. and UK vessels after Western forces launched operations to secure regional shipping lanes earlier this year.