Council – European Affairs Magazine

Yemen tensions between Houthis and Saleh become public

2 Maggio 2017 BreakingNews @en di

The head of the so-called Higher Political Council in Sana’a, Saleh, has canceled the decision of appointing Hisham Sharaf as Foreign Minister to take authority of Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation. This lead to discover to clash between the Houthi government leader, Saleh, and the head of non recognized organization, Habtoor. Habtoor is actually the Minister of Foreign Affairs and his proposal was to make belong to his party also Minister of International Cooperation and Planning, but the proposal was rejected by the President Saleh.

NCHR calls for review of preventive detention period in Egypt

28 Aprile 2017 BreakingNews @en di

New doubts in front of Human Right respect in Egypt according to international organisation. The National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) has called for a review of the preventive detention period, which can last up to over two years in Egypt — in violation of the law which specifies that suspects may only remain in remand for a three-month period. NCHR expressed its preoccupation in front of several cases of detention of innocent, whose have been detained for years in Egypt prisons. Especially in prisons which are reaching 300% of occupation. Overcrowding reached 400 percent in preventive detention cells and 160 percent in prisons, according to relative estimates reported by former interior minister Mohamed Ibrahim. Secretary General of the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights, Alaa Shalaby, said the organization’s annual report warned of the danger of expanding the preventive detention period and called for urgent action in this regard.

Iran: Final list of presidential candidates released

22 Aprile 2017 BreakingNews @en di

Iran’s Guardian Council approved six candidates to run for the May 19 presidential election. According to Iran’s Interior Ministry’s press release, Mostafa Aqa-Mirsalim, Es’haq Jahangiri, Hassan Rouhani, Ebrahim Raeisi, Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf, and Mostafa Hashemi-Taba are the 6 candidates who have been approved to run for the upcoming election. The qualified candidates can start their election campaign from now until May 18. The Guardian Council started the process of screening 1,636 hopefuls registered for the May 19 presidential election on Sunday.

Benghazi Defence Brigades quit Jufra as PC defence minister orders action against LNA

10 Aprile 2017 BreakingNews @en di

New evolutions in conflicts opposing the LNA (Libyan National Army) and BDB (Benghazi Defence Brigade) in the country. The Benghazi Defence Brigade has announced that it has pulled out of Jufra airbase near Hun and handed it over the general chief of staff of the Libyan army (the army supporting the Presidency Council). It says it has gone to another location, but has not disclosed there this it. However, in Tamenhint airbase, BDB is still in sate of siege by LNA. The PC (Presidency Council) of Tripoli ordered to its forces to move to Southern Libya to fight LNA and the Islamic State in the area, under the so-called operation: Al-Amal Al-Muad (“The Promise of Hope”).

Inter-Parliamentary Union Saudi: Shoura Council condemns Iran's blatant interventions in the region

6 Aprile 2017 BreakingNews @en di

During the 136th session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Dhaka, the Shoura Council condemned Iran’s interventions in the region and its attempts to provoke seditions and support armed militias. For that reason the Shoura Council called for countering and exposing threats to peace and security in the region. Moreover the humanitarian situation was discussed and the Saudi delegation expressed the necessity of more diplomatic and parliamentary efforts to end world crises. According to the Council the IPU meetings are a precious opportunity to discuss world problems and it also noted the efforts by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in the Yemeni crisis, as they offered the GCC initiative as a basis for a solution between the Yemeni political parties. Concerning the situation in Yemen the Council said the response of the Kingdom and other Gulf countries was an ethical duty and that the operation Decisive Storm is conformed to regional and international charters. In fine the Council expressed regret over the failure of the UN Security Council and the international community to find a solution to the crisis in Syria.

Eu, immigration crisis: more funding to Triton operation

24 Aprile 2015 Defence/Europe di

European Council decided to triple Triton operation funding. But Northern countries, like Great Britain, have denied to accept asylum seekers.

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€120m to support Triton and Poseidon operations. European Council have decided to increase funds to Mare Nostrum level on 23rd April. A choice which satisfied in half Italy because James Cameron, Angela Merkel and Francoise Hollande, in the previous summit, will render army assistance but will not receive asylum seekers. The Northern Europe leader have asserted that there is no common immigrant policy.

About a possible military operation in Libya, Merkel said it could based only on international law and United Nations resolutions. While European Council President Donald Tusk said leaders had asked EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini “to propose actions in order to capture and destroy the smugglers’ vessels before they can be used”.

After more than 800 died last Sunday ad several migrants who arrived to Italy from Libya, Europe lost the opportunity of a common immigration policy. Northern and Southern nations have different point of views.

Even about Mare Nostrum operation, ended last October, received different opinions. For some Eu members it was too expensive and stimulated more immigration. But Human Rights groups and Italian point of view are not in agreement because new Triton plan is “contributing to a dramatic increase in migrant and refugee deaths”.

Giacomo Pratali

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