Af-Pak Digest by Ambassador Sharat Sabharwal | June 2022
H I G H L I G H T S • Overview • Developments in Pakistan• Developments in Afghanistan I Overview Pakistan: • Political Situation• Economy• Terrorism and Violence• Pakistan-India• Pakistan-China• Pakistan-US Afghanistan: • Conservatives continue to hold sway• Terrorism• Reports of clashes in Panjshir• Afghanistan-India II Developments in Pakistan Political Situation Having surprised both the army leadership and his political […]
Intersect: Africa
H I G H L I G H T S • UKRAINE WAR’S ECONOMIC FALLOUT• LOCAL RESPONSES• EUROPE LOOKS TO AFRICAN GAS• POLITICS AND UKRAINE WAR• RUSSIAN MILITARY STEPS• MINING AND MOZAMBIQUE• VAX PLANT TO CLOSE• BITCOIN WARNING• NOT SO JOLLY ROGERS• E-COMMERCE OF BLOOD• TOOZE ON AFRICA UKRAINE WAR’S ECONOMIC FALLOUT The economic repercussions of the Russian invasion of Ukraine has put paid to hopes […]
Af-Pak Digest by Ambassador Sharat Sabharwal | May 2022
H I G H L I G H T S • Overview • Developments in Pakistan• Developments in Afghanistan I Overview Pakistan: • Political turmoil• Economy• Terror violence grows and hits Chinese interests again• Pakistan-India• Pakistan-US Afghanistan: • Significant spike in violence • Eid message from the Supreme Taliban leader • Afghanistan-Pakistan• Afghanistan-Iran II Developments in Pakistan Political Turmoil Change of government took place […]
Af-Pak Digest by Ambassador Sharat Sabharwal | April 2021
I Overview Pakistan:• Pakistan Democratic Movement on the brink of breakup• Economy• ‘Gilgit-Baltistan’• Pakistan-India• Pakistan-US Afghanistan:• Peace and Reconciliation• Afghanistan-India• Afghanistan-Pakistan II Developments in Pakistan Pakistan Democratic Movement on the brink of breakup Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an alliance of opposition parties, came to the brink of a breakup in March. The month began with Yusuf Raza Gilani, the former […]
Intersect: Africa
INFRASTRUCTURE STIMULUS AU & AFC New Push. The African Union is setting up an infrastructure fund to help bridge the continent’s infrastructure financing deficit of $ 60 to 90 billion a year. Raila Odinga, African Union’s high representative for infrastructure, said the continent was facing infrastructure financing difficulties thanks to donor fatigue and higher debt levels. […]
Intersect: Africa
H I G H L I G H T S • COUPS AND THE KREMLIN• FOURTH COVID WAVE COUPS AND THE KREMLIN While the world’s attention is on the Ukraine, Russia is extending its influence into Francophone regions of the Sahel in countries like Mali and Burkina Faso. The latter two countries recently had coup d’etats against […]
Intersect: Africa
H I G H L I G H T S • ETHIOPIA UNDER SIEGE• SUDAN’S COUPSTERS• BLINKEN’S TOUR• MOZAMBIQUE ARMS UP• ISLAMIC STATE FACTIONS• DROUGHT AND BRIBES ETHIOPIA UNDER SIEGE Embattled Ethiopian president, Abiy Ahmad, signalled an interest in mediation efforts led by the African Union and the United States as his country’s present civil war completed its first year. Abiy […]
Intersect: Africa
H I G H L I G H T S • NEW CHINA DEBT STORY• GUINEA GAMBIT• COBALT IN THE CONGO• KENYA’S TRAIN OF DEBT• GHANA AND OTHERS• LESSONS FROM INDIA NEW CHINA DEBT STORY China is changing how it provides finance to African governments with a shift to smaller, more targeted loans and grants. State-backed financial institutions like the Export […]
Intersect: Africa
H I G H L I G H T S • CHINA’S AFRICA STRATEGY CHINA’S AFRICA STRATEGY Based on the writings of Chinese stategists, Nadege Rolland of the Washington-based National Bureau of Asian Research concludes in the report “A New Great Game? Situating Africa in China’s Strategic Thinking” that Beijing has an emerging, but seemingly informal, […]
Intersect: Africa
H I G H L I G H T S • NIGERIA ON THE BRINK• COVID THIRD WAVE• POLITICAL UPDATE• DARK SIDE OF INDIA IN AFRICA NIGERIA ON THE BRINK Embattled Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari asked the United States for assistance to tackle a spreading wave of insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and secessionist violence that is threatening to undermine Africa’s […]