Isabelle Aboaf

Report Reveals COVID-19 Enforcement Disproportionately Impacts Europe’s Ethnic And Racial Minorities

Amnesty International (AI) released a report on Wednesday revealing patterns of biased law enforcement in Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic, a finding reflective of the long-standing inequality Black Lives Matter protesters are marching against across the globe. AI studied the enforcement of coronavirus lockdowns in Western and Eastern Europe and

Isabelle Aboaf June 29, 2020

Burundi Elects New President Amid Concerns Over Election Integrity

Evariste Ndayishimiye, candidate for the governing Burundian party CNDD-FDD, was declared the winner of Burundi’s May 20th election by the Commission Electorale Nationale Indépendante (CENI). Ndayishimiye campaigned to “fight poverty and develop the country” and received approximately 67% of the vote while his opponent, Agathon Rwasa of the National Freedom

Isabelle Aboaf May 28, 2020

UNGA Passes Resolution Condemning Myanmar’s Human Rights Abuses Against Rohingya

The UN General Assembly, in a vote of 134-9 with 28 abstentions, issued a condemnation of Myanmar’s human rights abuses against the Rohingya and other ethnic minorities in the state. Myanmar, a Buddhist-majority country under the leadership of Aung San Suu-Kyi, has long deemed the Rohingya to be ethnic Bengalis

Isabelle Aboaf January 4, 2020

Bolivia’s Interim President Signs Legislation To Allow New Elections

Bolivia’s interim President Jeanine Áñez signed legislation earlier this week to enforce a two-term limit on the presidency and create a board to set a date for new elections. The move comes after former President Evo Morales sought a fourth term in October and emerged with a victory in an

Isabelle Aboaf December 1, 2019

Hong Kong Citizens Encounter Tear Gas At Halloween Protests

Hong Kong protestors gathered Thursday night in a city-wide Halloween masquerade despite a recent ban on masks made by city leader Carrie Lam’s government. Protestors on Halloween night donned disfigured masks of unpopular politicians, including Carrie Lam as The Joker and Xi Jinping as Winnie the Pooh – an image

Isabelle Aboaf November 1, 2019

Afghan Voters Cast Presidential Election Ballots Amid Taliban Security Threats

Afghanistan’s presidential elections were held last Sunday after being delayed twice due to failed peace talks between the Taliban and the US. According to Al Jazeera, bombings and rocket attacks in the Helmand, Nangarhar, Ghor, Kandahar, and Maidan Wardak provinces prevented or discouraged Afghan voters from going to the polls.

Isabelle Aboaf September 30, 2019

National Livelihood On The Line As Pacific Islands Speak Out Against Australia’s Fossil Fuel Reliance

Pacific Island nations’ futures are increasingly threatened by human contributions to climate change. Last week, 18 members of the Pacific Islands Forum met to discuss pressing national issues. The regional summit saw tension between Australian leadership and smaller Pacific island governments on issues of climate change, fossil fuel reliance, and

Isabelle Aboaf August 20, 2019

US, South Korea Conduct Joint Military Exercise Despite North Korea Condemnation

The United States and South Korea proceeded with planned joint military exercises early last week, despite North Korea’s characterization of the exercises as provocative and threatening. North Korea claims that the drills jeopardize ongoing nuclear disarmament negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang. The exercises are aimed to assess Seoul’s military capability

Isabelle Aboaf August 11, 2019

Iran Deems British Plans For European Fleet In Gulf “Hostile” And “Provocative”

Iran condemned a proposal introduced by the UK for a European-led naval mission to accompany tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s busiest oil shipping lane. Britain ordered its Royal Navy, by way of warship, to escort British vessels in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. Iran reacted in

Isabelle Aboaf August 5, 2019

Deadly Car Bombing Near Mogadishu Airport

A bomb went off Monday outside the Afrik Hotel near the international airport in Mogadishu, Somalia, killing at least 17 and wounding at least 18 others. The blast knocked witnesses to the ground and destroyed multiple buildings nearby. Reports detailed a thick black smoke all throughout the surrounding area after

Isabelle Aboaf July 29, 2019

US-Taiwan Arms Deal Reflective Of Greater Asia Security Concerns

Last week, the State Department approved an approximately $2.2 billion arms deal with Taiwan, including 108 General Dynamics M1A2T Abrams tanks and 250 Stinger missiles manufactured by Raytheon. The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced Monday that the Chinese government and Chinese companies would impose sanctions (the details of which remain unclear)

Isabelle Aboaf July 23, 2019

African Leaders Establish Continental Free Trade Agreement

African political and economic leaders held a summit last week to work towards finalizing a $3.4 trillion free trade bloc known as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). This effort would unite economies across the continent, encompassing 1.3 billion people, 55 nations, and a combined GDP of approximately $2.5

Isabelle Aboaf July 16, 2019

Japan Resumes Commercial Whaling After Three Decades

Whaling ships in Japan resumed commercial whaling efforts Monday after more than 30 years of participation in the international community’s efforts to curb the practice. Whaling vessels received permits from the fishing ministries to catch 227 Minke, Bryde’s, and Sei whales the next year (the IUCN Red List of Threatened

Isabelle Aboaf July 8, 2019

U.S. And Taliban Gather In Qatar For Latest Round Of Peace Talks

A delegation of political leaders from the U.S., Taliban, and Afghan government convened in Doha, Qatar beginning 29 June for a seventh round of peace talks aimed at ending the nearly two decade-long conflict in Afghanistan. The meeting comes at a time when violence continues to ravage Afghan communities. U.S.

Isabelle Aboaf June 30, 2019

Arrest In Guatemala Highlights Longstanding Calls For Indigenous Justice

General elections held in Guatemala on 16 June became the venue for a high-profile arrest that signified—at least in part—justice for the Maya Ixil people, many of whom lost loved ones in a 1982 genocide under the dictator, Efrain Rios Montt. The 36-year Guatemalan Civil War (1960-1996), during which 80

Isabelle Aboaf June 23, 2019

Latest Attack In Central Mali Results In Nearly 100 Deaths

An overnight attack this past Sunday in central Mali left nearly 100 people dead. An additional 19 villagers were reported missing according to the Malian government, but numbers are likely to increase as authorities continue to investigate. The casualties belong to a traditional village, Sobame Da, primarily home to the

Isabelle Aboaf June 16, 2019

Taliban Delegation And Afghan Political Leaders Gather In Moscow For Peace Talks

This past week, A 14-member Taliban delegation along with other Russian and Afghan political leaders were invited to meet for peace talks in Moscow. Attendees included the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, a representative of the Afghanistan High Peace Council and Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan’s former president. The talks were provoked

Isabelle Aboaf June 3, 2019

Capital Punishment Roughly Halved Following 2018 Iran Drug Law Reform

Drug offence executions in Iran have been approximately halved in 2018 following historic drug law reforms. According to Human Rights Watch and Harm Reduction International, approximately 225 individuals had been executed in 2018, 91 of whom possessed drug offences, whereas in 2017, these executions numbered 507 and 288 respectively. In

Isabelle Aboaf March 17, 2019

Author: Isabelle Aboaf