Ananta Insights | Organisation of Islamic Cooperation: An Analysis by Ambassador Mahesh Sachdev | June 2025
L The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC; https://www.oic-oci.org) is a Jeddah-based inter-governmental organisation with present membership of 57 countries from Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America. It was founded in 1969 as an angry collective response to an attempt by a Zionist fanatic to set fire to the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem under Israeli occupation since […]
Ananta Insights | Arab League @80: An Assessment By Ambassador Mahesh Sachdev | May 2025
Introduction and History: League of Arab States, founded on March 22 1945, was among the first post-second World War international entities – predating even the United Nations and Britton Woods institutions. Its formation was aimed at several objectives. Its basic mission has been to improve coordination among its members on matters of common interest. The […]
Ananta Insights | Sudan Conflict 2.0: From Civil War to a War Among Quasi-States By Ambassador Mahesh Sachdev | April 2025
As the Sudan conflict entered its third year on April 15, it betrayed foreboding signs of a calamity entrenching itself. In particular, two related developments during the largely “Mayhem as Usual” anniversary week, pointed in that direction. Firstly, to mark that dubious anniversary, the RSF (Rapid Support Force) militia leader Gen Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo announced the […]
SYRIA: NOW FOR MORE DIFFICULT PART By Ambassador Mahesh Sachdev | March 2025
SYRIA: NOW FOR MORE DIFFICULT PART When Haiyat al-Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) led Sunni rebels launched their military campaign on November 27 last year from Idlib, they expected a series of hard battles against President Bashar al-Assad’s forces before eventual victory in one year. After all, 13 years of civil war were already over with government […]
Ananta Insights | West Asia & North Africa Digest by Ambassador Mahesh Sachdev | February 2025
IA) Political Developments: Pan-Regional and Global Issues Syria: Following “The Conference for Announcing the Victory of the Syrian Revolution” in Damascus attended by ministers from the interim government appointed by HTS and commanders of other allied militias, several announcements were made on Jan 29 of which two merit attention: First, declared Ahmed al-Sharaa as president of […]
Ananta Insights | West Asia & North Africa Digest by Ambassador Mahesh Sachdev | January 2025
IA) Political Developments: Pan-Regional and Global Issues Syria Conflict: Military Campaign: The blitzkrieg (“Operation Repelling the Aggression”) launched by Hi’yat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, or Syria Liberation Organisation) led rebel coalition from the Idlib exclusion zone on Nov 27 captured Damascus 11 days later on Dec 8, overthrowing al-Assad dynastic regime in power for 54 years. […]
Ananta Insights | West Asia & North Africa Digest by Ambassador Mahesh Sachdev | December 2024
IA) Political Developments: Pan-Regional and Global Issues There was no positive movement towards a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict between Hamas militia and Israel Defence Force (IDF) and the sporadic fighting continued during the month with no let up in civilian casualties. Much of the military action was focused on the northern part of Gaza. […]
Ananta Insights | West Asia & North Africa Digest by Ambassador Mahesh Sachdev | November 2024
IA) Political Developments: Pan-Regional and Global Issues Gaza Conflict: On Oct 17, the Israel Defence Force (IDF) said that it had killed Hamas Supremo Yahya Sinwar in Rafah on the previous day. The death was later acknowledged byHamas as well. Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu wasted little time declaring that the killing of Sinwar “settled […]
West Asia & North Africa Digest by Ambassador Mahesh Sachdev | October 2024
IA) Political Developments: Pan-Regional and Global Issues Gaza Conflict Israel-Hamas hostilities in Gaza ebbed during the month as the Israel Defence Force (IDF) established its dominance of the theatre. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant declared on Sep 10 that the IDF was close to completing its mission in Gaza and was shifting its focus on […]
West Asia & North Africa Digest by Ambassador Mahesh Sachdev | September 2024
IA) Political Developments: Pan-Regional and Global Issues Gaza Conflict Despite three rounds of negotiations during the month under review, a ceasefire betweenIsrael Defence Force (IDF) and Hamas remained elusive. The US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators met on Aug 3-4, 15-16 and 22-25. While the Israeli negotiating team participated in all of them, Hamas sent a […]