Weekly World News: January 7, 2024
Warships off Guyana, ports in Somaliland, and Japan's growing government scandal: The News You Might Not Have Heard About for the Week of January 7, 2024
This is the Weekly World News from Anthropological Inquiry, highlighting news stories from around the world that are being under-reported in American media, through local reporters and sources expressing their own perspectives in their own words.
In the first week of January, 2024, American media has been covering the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, and the Presidential race between Trump and Biden, but at the same time a crisis is escalating between Venezuela and Guyana as a British warship is dispatched to South America; Ethiopia concluded an agreement to control a port on the Gulf of Aden in Somaliland, a breakaway republic not acknowledged by the government of Somalia; and Japan’s governing party the LDP is rocked by a corruption scandal that threatens to bring down the government.
SOUTH AMERICA:
British Warship Sent to Guyana
In Brief
Essequibo is the western region of the South American country Guyana. It is rich in gold, diamonds, and oil, and borders Venezuela. Venezuela has long claimed the territory, and last year Venezuelan President, Nicolás Maduro, declared he would put annexation to a vote. The vote was overwhelmingly in favor, igniting an international crisis. Elections in Venezuela are widely assumed to be predetermined by the autocratic Maduro government, but I would caution readers not to presume this one does not represent genuine national sentiment. Nationalism is a powerful force in Venezuela, and it is not inconceivable that many Venezuelans would support annexation of territory they believe to be rightly their own. None of the people who actually live in Essequibo participated in this vote, as they are citizens of Guyana, not Venezuela.
Guyana was originally colonized by the Dutch, starting in 1581, and while Spain recognized Dutch sovereignty in the region with the Peace of Munster in 1648, the exact boundary between “Dutch Guyana” (now Guyana) and “Spanish Guyana” (now eastern Venezuela) was never clearly demarcated, leading to the current dispute. The colony of Dutch Guyana was transferred to British control in 1814, and when Guyana became independent in 1966 it joined the Commonwealth of Nations, which is why the United Kingdom is showing military support for Guyana today. Though Maduro’s rhetoric may seem shockingly bellicose to many readers, his tone is reflective of the political theater dominant in Venezuela, and it is important to watch his actions more closely than his words. As of the new year, Venezuela has taken no actual military actions, though Maduro has ordered the government to begin granting oil drilling permits in Essequibo.
UK: BBC
December 6, 2023
Essequibo: Venezuela moves to Claim Guyana-controlled region
Venezuelan voters on Sunday approved a referendum claiming rights over Essequibo, ratcheting up tensions. … Meanwhile, Brazil said on Wednesday that its military was reinforcing its presence on the border with Guyana and Venezuela by moving more troops and armoured vehicles there.
UK: BBC
December 23, 2023
Guyana: UK to send warship to South America amid Venezuela Tensions
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson told the BBC: "HMS Trent will visit regional ally and Commonwealth partner Guyana later this month as part of a series of engagements in the region during her Atlantic Patrol Task deployment."
Guyana: The Guyana Chronicle
January 1, 2024
We will always be neighbors
“I approached the meeting with a clear understanding that Guyana wants first of all peace and stability within this region. We will do everything to ensure that we enjoy peace and stability, the region enjoys peace and stability,” President Ali said, while addressing a group of private sector stakeholders… “I did not go into the meeting looking at Maduro as someone who is trying to take away two thirds of Guyana. I went to the meeting knowing that I am representing the people of a country, knowing exactly where our position is and knowing that we wanted peace and stability and presenting the case that Guyana is going to continue along the path of the ICJ but at the same time we are open to dialogue on all consequential matters.”
Venezuela: El Universal
January 2, 2024
Maduro sobre Guyana: “Nadie nos va a amenazar, ni hoy, ni nunca.”
Maduro on Guyana: "No one is going to threaten us, not today, not ever”
Sobre la disputa de Venezuela y Guyana por el Esequibo, el mandatario nacional dijo que “en este momento, pudiéramos decir, estamos pasando por un momento de turbulencia … Porque Guyana actúa no como la República Cooperativa de Guyana, Guyana está actuando como la 'Guyana británica', aceptando que una nave de guerra vaya hasta sus costas y desde sus costas amenace a Venezuela. Porque esa nave de guerra, desde que partió hacia sus costas, fue con una voz de amenaza a Venezuela. Y las declaraciones impertinentes, insolentes, de la Cancillería inglesa han sido para reafirmar su amenaza a Venezuela. Así que ellos actúan, el presidente de Guyana actúa como un presidente de una Guyana británica colonial. Actúa como un país maniatado, sometido … No acepto sus excusas, no las acepto! Él trata de excusarse, el presidente Irfaan Ali, diciendo que desde guyana jamás van a amenazar a venezuela. pero es que no es él el que ha proferido una palabra de amenaza, son sus dueños, es el antiguo y declinado y putrefacto ex-imperio británico que ha mandado una nave”
Concerning the dispute between Venezuela and Guyana over Essequibo, the national leader said that “at this moment, we could say, we are going through a moment of turbulence… Because Guyana is not acting like the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Guayna is acting like ‘British Guyana,’ allowing a foreign warship in its waters, and allowing it to threaten Venezuela. Because this warship, since it arrived, has been a threatening voice against Venezuela. And the impertinent, insolent declarations of the English Foreign Ministry have only reaffirmed this threat to Venezuela. So they act, the President of Guyana is acting like the president of a British colony. They act like a country bound and subdued. … I do not accept their excuses, I do not accept them! President Irfaan Ali tries to excuse himself saying that Guyana will never threaten Venezuela, but it is not him who has uttered a word of threat, it is his owners, it is the old and declining, rotting ex-Empire of Great Britain that has sent a ship…” (Translation by A. M. Kramer)
AFRICA:
Ethiopia’s Controversial Port Agreement in Somaliland
In Brief
Ethiopia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government of Somaliland that would grant it access to the port of Berbera on the Gulf of Aden. Ethiopia is the world’s most populous landlocked country since it lost access to the Eritrea when the coastal region of Eritrea declared its independence in 1993. More recently Ethiopia has been struggling economically. Currently all ship-borne imports and exports must transit through ports in Djibouti, increasing the cost of goods in Ethiopia, and making Ethiopian exports more costly. Recently, Ethiopia was forced to default on a billion dollar Eurobond loan, and it is sorely in need of ways to increase its revenues. This explains why the Ethiopian government began speaking with great urgency about needing a port last year, sparking alarm among its coastal neighbors. Many were afraid Ethiopia was preparing to invade Eritrea, but instead Ethiopia announced an agreement with the government of Somaliland to control the port of Berbera. Somaliland is not recognized by any international body nor by any UN member sate, and Somalia claims its territory. This is why Somalia has responded furiously to the agreement with Ethiopia, calling it an abrogation of Somalia’s sovereignty.
Somaliland occupies the norther coast of the Horn of Africa was ruled by the Sultan of Isaaq before it was colonized by the British Empire, and became British Somaliland in 1884. The southern coast of the of the Horn of Africa was colonized by Italy in 1889 and became Italian Somaliland. In 1960, both British and Italian Somaliland gained independence and united to form the modern state of Somalia. In 1967 the former prime minister, Abdirashid Ali Shermarke, was assassinated and the government was overthrown in a military coup installing General Mohamed Siad Barre took control. In 1981 the Somali National Movement launched the Somaliland War of Independence against the Siad Barre dictatorship. After ten years of brutal civil war, the SNM was able to establish an independent government in the north under Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal, who had been the Prime Minister before Siad Barre’s coup. Since 1991 Somaliland has remained relatively stable while Somalia descended into further warfare. Nevertheless, the Somali government, the African Union, the United Nations, and all its members have refused to acknowledge the independence of Somaliland. Current reports suggest that one condition of access to the port in Berbera is that Ethiopia will become the first United Nations member to recognize Somaliland as an independent state.
Global: Eurasia Review
November 9, 2023
The Horn of Africa States: A Historic Opportunity for Zeila and Harar - OpEd.
by Dr. Suleiman Walhad
A Jimma University study on Industrial Parks in Ethiopia in 2019 recommended that the Government of Ethiopia should work “day and night” on the development of ports with neighbouring countries. The study reasoned that this would help reduce costs of both imports of materials and exports to foreign markets for goods produced in the industrial parks of Ethiopia and even outside the Industrial Parks.
Ethiopia: Addis Fortune
December 30, 2023
Ethiopia’s Eurobond Default: Now What?
Ethiopia has stumbled into a precarious fiscal zone, marked by its first-ever default on external debt. The missed 33 million dollar coupon payment on a one billion dollar Eurobond, issued a decade ago, has sent ripples through the bond market, revealing the fragility of emerging economies in the global financial terrain. A country with a storied past and a complex present, Ethiopia has come to embody the broader trouble developing countries face in managing external debt facing economic headwinds.
Ethiopia: The Reporter
December 30, 2023
To Sea, or not to Sea
[Interview with Paulo Antonio Govanni, President of the Eritrean Seaman Union]
“Ethiopia’s claim to ownership of any Eritrean seaport is not based on natural rights, as the port belongs to a sovereign country within internationally recognized boundaries. It’s crucial to understand the historical context to appreciate this claim fully. Eritrea was not originally part of Ethiopia; rather, it was colonized by Ethiopia. The UN placed Eritrea under Ethiopian administration through federation, against the will of the Eritrean people. In 1961, Ethiopia forcibly annexed Eritrea, still against the will of the local population. However, it’s important to note that a landlocked country can have legal access to a neighboring country’s port through diplomatic agreements based on international rules and regulations. In recent years, from 1991 to 1998, Ethiopia used Eritrean ports based on a special agreement between the two countries. Ethiopia then voluntarily ceased using the port in 1998.”
Somaliland: Dhacdo
January 1, 2024
Ethiopia signs agreement with Somaliland paving way to sea access.
The details of Monday’s agreement with Somaliland have not been made public but a statement from Mr Abiy’s office said it would “pave the way to realise the aspiration of Ethiopia to secure access to the sea”. Talks leading up to the MoU have focused on the Somaliland port of Berbera. Mr Abiy’s national security adviser, Redwan Hussien, also said on X that the arrangement could also enable Ethiopia to access a “leased military base” on the sea. An MoU is not legally binding but can lead to a treaty imposing obligations on those parties who have signed. Nevertheless, the development is being portrayed by Addis Ababa as a major diplomatic victory. The prime minister, who signed the MoU with Somaliland’s President Muse Bihi Abdi in the Ethiopian capital, wrote on X that “all that can be said is thank God”. Speaking at the signing, President Abdi said the agreement included a section stating that Ethiopia would recognise Somaliland as an independent country at some point in the future.
Ethiopia: ENA
January 2, 2024
MoU Signed with Somaliland Manifestation of Ethiopia’s Desire to Develop Together.
[Note: This article initially erroneously gave the year as 2023. I think we’ve all had Tuesdays like that before…]
The Memorandum of Understanding that Ethiopia signed with Somaliland to secure seaport is a manifestation of the nation’s desire to develop together, Transport and Logistics Minister Alemu Sime said … Congratulating employees of the ministry and all Ethiopians on the signing of the MoU, the minister said lack of seaport has created many challenges to the logistics sector. Seaport is related to sovereignty, Alemu said, adding that the implementation of the MoU is crucial to alleviating logistics service.
Somalia: SNTV
January 2, 2024
Madaxweynaha Jamhuuriyadda “Taako ka mid ah dalka Ethiopia ma qaadan karto.”
The President of the Republic: “Ethiopia Cannot Take a Part of the Country.”
by Ahmed Ali Kaahiye
Madaxweynaha ayaa yiri: “Wixii dhacay 1-dii Janaayo waxa ay jebinayaan shuruucda iyo xeerarka caalamiga ah, mana noqon karaan kuwoo dhaqan gala .” “Madaxweynaha ayaa sheegay in labada dal [Soomaaliya & Itoobiya] ay ahaayeen kuwo deris ah qarniyaal badan, taariikhda ka dhaxeysana ay astaan u ahayd colaado iyo burbur. “Jamhuuriyadda 3-aad ka dib, Ummadda Soomaaliyeed waxay qaadatay jihada nabadda iyo la wada noolaanshaha dalalka deriska ah, kamaanaan shaqayn in la kala qaybiyo shacabka Itoobiya, balse nasiib darro, waxaa dhacay wax aan Itoobiya maanta ka filaynay ma ahan.”
The president said: “What happened on January 1 violates international laws and regulations and cannot be enforced.” The president said that the two countries [Somalia & Ethiopia] have been neighbors for many centuries, and the history between them has been marked by conflict and destruction. "After the 3rd Republic, the Somali nation took the direction of peace and harmony with neighboring countries. We did not work to divide the people of Ethiopia, but unfortunately, what happened is not what we expected from Ethiopia today.” (Translation by Google Translate)
ASIA:
Japan’s LDP Government Faces Uncertain Future
In Brief
For years Japan has been jokingly described as a one-and-a-half party democracy. The Liberal Democratic Party, which is in fact politically conservative, has controlled the Japanese government for all but four years since it was founded in 1955 through a patronage system where alliances between powerful politicians and wealthy tycoons smother political opposition. Most recently, Shinzo Abe led the party’s resurgence in 2012, and was Japan’s longest-serving Prime Minister, having served nearly nine years when he stepped down in 2020, and was assassinated in a bizarre 2022 incident. During his time controlling the LDP he led the most powerful faction within the party, and now members of that faction are embroiled in a scandal that is shaking the Japanese government to its core.
Last year it was revealed that members of Abe’s faction had collected millions of dollars worth of political contributions that they did not report, and used improperly. The story grew as the Japanese police searched the offices of a growing number of politicians in the final days of 2023, and in the first three days of 2024, many government officials have already been forced to resign. Though the current government has several years left on its mandate, but it is widely expected that the entirety of the LDP party leadership will be forced to resign or face a vote of no confidence. With national approval of the LDP at historic lows, it now seems possible that Japan’s government may undergo the greatest change it has experienced in its history. The impacts of this are difficult to over estimate, given that Japan, under LDP leadership, has grown increasingly hawkish, including sending Japan’s military abroad for a non-UN mission for the first time since WWII. Whether Japan maintains its rightward shift, or charts a new course will profoundly influence many of the most contentious issues in east Asia, involving China, Taiwan, the US, and North and South Korea.
Japan: The Mainichi
December 23, 2023
LDP Political Funds Scandal Japan’s Top News Story of 2023
Members of the LDP's largest faction once led by the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, as well as those belonging to a faction led by former LDP Secretary General Toshihiro Nikai, came under investigation by prosecutors for allegedly failing to declare hundreds of millions of yen of fundraising party revenue in political funds reports. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida effectively forced out members of the Abe faction from his Cabinet in December, while prosecutors began questioning the faction's lawmakers on a voluntary basis.
Japan: The Asahi Shimbun
December 28, 2023
Prosecutors search offices of 2 lawmakers in LDP’s Abe Faction
Tokyo prosecutors searched the offices and residences of two lawmakers in connection with a widening money-in-politics scandal, sending shockwaves through the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The searches were the first to target individual Diet members of the Abe faction in the LDP over their suspected failure to properly report political funds. Investigators on the morning of Dec. 28 searched the office of Yasutada Ono in the Diet members’ office building in Tokyo’s Nagatacho district as well as his residence in the public dormitory for lawmakers in Tokyo’s Kojimachi district. Ono, a twice-elected Upper House member representing Gifu Prefecture, is suspected of failing to report more than 50 million yen ($355,300) he received from a slush fund in the Abe faction. According to investigative sources, most Abe faction members received such money, but the amount given to Ono was the largest.
Japan: Tokyo Shimbun
January 3, 2024
長く続いた自民1強も政治とカネから支持率最低水準へ…2024年、政治の構図に変化は起こるか?
The LDP, which has long dominated Japanese politics, has fallen to its lowest approval rating due to politics and money… Will there be a change in the composition of politics in 2024?
by Soda Shintaro
「従来、次の選挙でしっかり議席を伸ばし、その次に政権にチャレンジすると言っていたが、その考えを私は捨てている。次の選挙こそ、勝負だと考えている。国民の政治に対する不信感をみていても、今こそ立憲民主党が前に出て、政権を目指す。それが来年だ」昨年12月28日。立民の岡田克也幹事長は、党の仕事納めのあいさつでこう強調した。
On December 28th last year, Ritmin Secretary-General Katsuya Okada emphasized this in his speech at the end of the party's work: “Traditionally, I have said that I will steadily increase my number of seats in the next election and then challenge the government, but I have abandoned that idea. I believe that the next election is the decisive step. People's distrust of politics Even if you look at the feeling, now is the time for the Constitutional Democratic Party to come forward and aim for power. That will be next year." (Translation by Google Translate)
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