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📰 The gift of warships

📰 The gift of warships

and al-Sisi in Turkey

Ross Crabtree & Billy Robinson
September 05, 2024

Hello,

Today's key updates include U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's upcoming visit to Haiti, where the U.S.-backed Kenyan security mission faces challenges. Meanwhile, Egypt’s executive is making a diplomatic visit to Turkey, signalling a potential thaw in relations strained since President al-Sisi's 2013 removal of former President Mohamed Morsi.

Updates from conflict zones in Ukraine and the West Bank are also included.

Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇰🇭 🇨🇳 Beijing gifts Phnom Penh two warships and funds construction of naval base: Cambodia's Defense Ministry announced Wednesday that China will provide its navy with two Type 56 corvettes, similar to those docked for months at the strategically important Ream Naval Base, which is being expanded with Beijing's support. The base's expansion has fueled concerns over a potential permanent Chinese naval presence in the Gulf of Thailand. Ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata confirmed the delivery of the new warships by next year but declined to address reports that China may hand over expanded facilities at Ream, including a pier for larger vessels. She noted the final phase of construction is nearing completion. The U.S. and others have expressed concern that a Chinese naval base at Ream would give China access to the Malacca Strait, a crucial shipping route. Worries grew after two corvettes began docking at the newly built pier in December. Beyond military projects, China funds major infrastructure in Cambodia, including airports, roads, and private developments, with 40% of Cambodia's $11 billion foreign debt owed to China.

2️⃣ 🇭🇹 🇺🇸 🇰🇪 US-backed mission to Haiti struggles, as Secretary Blinken prepares to visit Port-au-Prince: Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Haiti this week to support efforts to restore order amid escalating gang violence. He will meet with Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille and Edgard Leblanc Fils, coordinator of the transitional council aimed at paving the way for elections once gang control is curbed. Blinken’s trip will focus on Haiti's democratic transition and U.S. support for stability and humanitarian aid. He will also meet with leaders of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, led by Kenya, which deployed 400 police officers in June with plans to expand to 2,500. After Haiti, Blinken will visit the Dominican Republic to meet with President Luis Abinader. This marks his first trip to Haiti since the MSS deployment, a mission struggling to control gangs in Port-au-Prince despite $300 million in U.S. backing.

3️⃣ 🇪🇬 🇹🇷 President al-Sisi visits Ankara, signalling thaw in Egypt-Turkiye relations: The presidents of Türkiye and Egypt found common ground on the Gaza conflict Wednesday, emphasising the need for a permanent ceasefire and uninterrupted humanitarian aid. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi discussed the issue during al-Sisi's first official visit to Ankara, as the two nations work to repair long-strained relations. Erdogan stated, "Türkiye and Egypt share the same stance on the Palestinian issue," underscoring the urgency of ending the 11-month conflict, establishing a lasting ceasefire, and ensuring the flow of humanitarian aid. This meeting follows Erdogan's February visit to Egypt—the first in over a decade—after the nations restored diplomatic ties. Ankara has since softened its criticism of al-Sisi's government in an effort to strengthen relations and attract investments amid economic challenges. This trip marks al-Sisi's first visit to Türkiye since his election in 2014, following his role in the military ousting of Morsi.

4️⃣ 🇺🇦 🇷🇺 Ukraine’s losses in Kursk offensive outweigh gains, say analysts: Ukraine’s diversion of troops to the Kursk offensive has left parts of Donetsk, including Pokrovsk, which is becoming increasingly vulnerable, according to war analysts. Since August 6, Ukrainian troops have taken control of dozens of villages across more than 1,000 square kilometres, fortifying their positions against a Russian counterattack. Pokrovsk, a key industrial hub in Donetsk with a pre-war population of nearly 400,000, is at risk of falling to Russian forces, who are now less than 10 km away after months of bombardment and heavy frontal assaults. The town, a vital logistical centre for Ukraine’s military, could soon be captured, potentially opening up the front line and serving as a significant propaganda win for the Kremlin.

5️⃣ 🇪🇺 🇱🇧 🇨🇾 EU Funding linked to human rights violations of refugees in Lebanon and Cyprus: European aid intended to manage sea migration to Lebanon is funding practices that violate human rights, according to a Human Rights Watch report published Wednesday. The report details how Cyprus forcibly returned Syrian refugees to Lebanon, where Lebanese authorities subsequently deported them. Interviews with 16 Syrians who attempted to leave Lebanon revealed that 15 experienced abuses by Lebanese and/or Cypriot authorities. Lebanon, hosting around 775,000 registered Syrian refugees, is the highest per capita refugee host. The EU has provided Lebanon €16.7 million from 2020 to 2023 for border management, with an additional €32 million allocated through 2025. Despite this, officials from both Lebanon and Cyprus deny violating human rights, citing migration pressures.

Major Story

Author: Chadica

🇵🇸🇮🇱 ONE WEEK INTO ISRAEL’S DEADLY WEST BANK RAID

For over a week, Israeli forces have been engaged in their deadliest operation in the occupied West Bank since the Gaza conflict began, focusing on the Jenin refugee camp, a stronghold of Palestinian militancy that has intensified since the Hamas attack on Israel.

The operation in Jenin has resulted in 18 of the 33 reported Palestinian deaths, with the majority claimed to be militants by the Israeli military. The Israeli military expects the toll to rise as they continue their operations, evidently targeting Hamas and Islamic Jihad. One Israeli soldier has also been killed.

Israeli officials justify the operation in Jenin, Tulkarem, and the Al-Faraa refugee camp as necessary to counter increasingly sophisticated and lethal attacks against Israeli civilians. The raid has severely impacted Palestinian civilians, cutting off water and electricity, confining families to their homes, and hindering ambulance access to hospitals.

Jenin, a historic flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, was originally established for Palestinians displaced in the 1948 Nakba. Over time, it evolved into a dense urban area under Israeli military occupation since 1967. During the second intifada in 2002, Israeli forces devastated large parts of Jenin, resulting in significant casualties on both sides.

In recent years, the Palestinian Authority's influence in Jenin has waned, with many locals viewing it as complicit in the occupation due to its security coordination with Israel. Clashes between the Authority’s forces and Palestinian militants have occasionally occurred.

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Other News

1️⃣ 🇹🇭 Thai Cabinet finalised, awaits King’s approval: Thailand's new Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, has announced her cabinet, which will soon be submitted for royal approval and could take office by mid-September. She expects royal endorsement from King Vajiralongkorn by the end of the week, with the new government in place by September 15. The cabinet is set to mix continuity and new faces, with Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa and Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira expected to retain their positions. The new lineup will include 11 new ministers.

2️⃣ 🇬🇧 🇷🇺 Sanctioned Russian oligarchs permitted to invest in UK North Sea oil producer: The government is facing mounting criticism after allowing a company linked to two sanctioned Russian oligarchs to acquire a stake in the UK’s largest North Sea oil producer. The investment firm LetterOne, co-owned by oligarchs Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven, has secured nearly 15% of Aberdeen-based Harbour Energy. Critics argue that sanctioned individuals should not have stakes in critical national assets. Although LetterOne itself is not sanctioned, it received shares in Harbour following Harbour's £8.5 billion acquisition of German firm Wintershall, which was partly owned by LetterOne. The shares in Wintershall were exchanged for those in Harbour, which has criticised the government's windfall tax. The deal is expected to increase Harbour's oil and gas production by 500,000 barrels per day. Under the deal’s terms, LetterOne, chaired by former banker and Labour minister Mervyn Davies, will earn dividends from Harbour's profits.