Stories to Follow This Week
UNICEF Reports 89 Boys Kidnapped in South Sudan by Armed Militants
At least 89 boys, some as young as 13, have been abducted in a northern state of South Sudan, according to UNICEF. Witnesses say that armed men forcibly removed the boys from their homes near the city of Malakal, which is currently under government control. Malakal has seen fighting between rebel forces and government troops with multiple violations of ceasefires. It is unclear which group is responsible for these abductions, but the issue of children abducted to be made into soldiers in South Sudan is, sadly, not new.
Yemen’s Former President Leaves House Arrest
Former president Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi is no longer under house arrest and has left the capital city of Sana’a. There are conflicting reports as to whether he escaped or was released as part of a political agreement among the country’s feuding parties. Yemen’s central government has been leaderless since Hadi stepped down on January 22nd amidst escalating sectarian tension between the Houthis (a coalition of of several Shia militias) and the predominantly Sunni-controlled government. Last week, the U.K., the U.S., and several other countries evacuated their embassies in Yemen, citing security risks. Given Yemen’s strategic location and its role in the United States’ fight against terrorism, these developments highlight yet another international security issue in the Middle East.
Nigerian Army Retakes Baga from Boko Haram
The northeastern Nigerian town of Baga has been under Boko Haram’s control since the militants attacked the city on January 3rd. According to locals, up to 2,000 civilians were killed by the Islamist group and thousands more fled across Lake Chad. Now, the Nigerian army has retaken the city, claiming to have killed many Boko Haram fighters. On February 7th, Nigeria’s election agency cited security concerns as it announced a postponement of the closely contested general election set to take place on February 14th. Last week, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on Nigeria to ensure the sanctity of the new dates and warned against changing the dates again. It is possible that the Nigerian Army’s recent successes against Boko Haram will reduce security concerns, allowing elections to take place.
Save the Date
Monday, March 2
NYU School of Law | Iran, ISIS and the Future of Gulf Security
Sunday, March 8
Carnegie Council | The Kurdish Spring: A New Map of the Middle East
More information here
Wednesday, March 11
NYU SCPS | Years of Living Dangerously: Documenting Climate Change
Terry Gross interviews The New Yorker editor David Remnick on his time at the magazine and his biggest regret. Source: NPR
PBS Frontline’s documentary “Putin’s Way”, which investigates the charges of criminality and corruption that have surrounded Vladimir Putin and his inner circle. Source: PBS
Just for fun, have you been pronouncing these city and country names correctly? Try it here
Roma is a second year M.A. student in International Relations. She is interested in traditional and non-traditional international security issues, the Middle East, ethnic and religious pluralism, and conflict mediation. Her past experience in related fields includes work with the Council on Foreign Relations, Congress, conflict mediation programs, newspaper and radio news outlets, and think tanks. She is currently interning at the Carnegie Council’s journal Ethics and International Affairs and attempting to write a thesis on ethnic minorities and security in Iran.
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