Stories about International Relations from February, 2024
‘Am Abgrund’: The story of Azerbaijan's influence in Europe
The movie, which exposes corruption both within Azerbaijan and in numerous European countries, comes at a time of deteriorating ties between Azerbaijan and the West.
Local reactions to the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from ECOWAS
Many view the withdrawal as a reaction to the heavy sanctions imposed by ECOWAS on the three military-led countries.
Despite escalating sanctions, key machines imported from East Asia sustain Russia’s war effort in Ukraine
Despite sanctions against Moscow in place as early as 2022, Asia remains a major source of key imports for Russia's war effort, including in the area of dual use machines.
Anger and grief as Russians in Armenia and Georgia mourn Navalny’s death
At the time of writing this story, at least 387 people have been detained at events across 39 Russian cities since Navalny's death, according to the Russian human rights group OVD-Info.
We can do more to help Ukraine
Two years and thousands of sanctions later, Moscow’s war capacity remains intact — Russia keeps bombing Ukraine as much, if not more,than in February 24, 2022 when the full scale invasion began.
Armenia and Azerbaijan: The most recent flare up puts peace prospects on the backburner
Whether these recent developments further derail prospects for peace depends on steps taken in the coming months. For now, peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan is hanging by a thread.
Tensions escalate between Burundi and Rwanda
A year after borders reopened between Burundi and Rwanda, diplomatic relations between these two east African countries are yet again deteriorating
Yang Hengjun's death sentence jolts improving relations between Australia and China
"Something worth noting (and may not be readily apparent): Yang Hengjun is an Australian citizen. But to the Chinese government, he's Chinese."
Azerbaijan: Competition-free vote to settle Aliyev’s grip on power
"Each round of flawed elections was a lost opportunity for Azerbaijan to step away from post-Soviet autocracy towards democracy."
In Moldova, asylum was denied to five representatives of the LGBTQ+ community from Russia
In all five responses published this week, Moldovan imigration agency claims that 'some individuals have certain obligations to protect their country, and their avoidance of military service in Russia does not pose a risk of persecution.'
The perils of extracting limestone in Nepal's Indigenous Chepang communities
The escalating mining for energy transition minerals poses a direct threat to Indigenous rights and territories in Nepal, especially for the indigenous communities like Chepang, whose plights remain often unheard.
In Kazakhstan, ‘Bloody January’ is still a taboo topic
"The authorities do not need to dwell on this topic, because why would they? They killed people, tortured them — why [would they revisit this]?"
