Overseas Security Advisory Council 1/11/2023
January 11, 2023
Today's Headlines - OSAC's daily selection of global security news
Africa
China has rapidly become Africa's most important infrastructure builder, and the footprint of Chinese construction companies is seen in cities, towns and villages across the continent. With the launch of Beijing's "Go Global" policy in 2000, and Pre...
Tigrayan rebels have begun handing in their heavy weapons, a key part of an agreement signed more than two months ago to end a gruelling conflict in northern Ethiopia, a spokesman for the rebel authorities said.
An Accra Circuit Court has remanded two persons into police custody for stealing and abetment of crime. The accused persons are: Anthony Abeika, a 22-year-old fuel attendant, and Mahuya Ibrahim, a 65-year-old scrap dealer.
Ghana’s inflation rate surged more than expected in December, driven by steep increases in food, transport and housing costs in the West African country.
President William Ruto has blamed war and conflict in neighbouring countries for the rise in illicit firearms among pastoral communities. Ruto says Kenya’s neighbouring countries continue to face various security challenges including war, armed conf...
An autopsy to find out what killed LGBTQ activist Edwin Kiprotich alias Chiloba has revealed he died of asphyxiation (a process of being deprived of oxygen, which can result in unconsciousness or death).
The interministerial council on road safety, established after the bus accident which left 40 people dead, has announced several measures to keep the roads safe. According to Prime Minister Amadou Ba, these measures "...are intended to be a break th...
Uganda has declared the end of a nearly four-month Ebola outbreak it struggled briefly to contain but was then able to swiftly bring under control despite the absence of a proven vaccine against the viral strain in question.
East Asia & Pacific
It would be first major energy extraction agreement with a foreign firm since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021. The 25-year deal underscores China's economic involvement in the region.
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will urge Papua New Guinea to deepen defence ties in an address to its parliament on Thursday highlighting Australian investment, as China also seeks to boost influence with the resource-rich Pacific natio...
More than 110 Rohingya have been sentenced to prison by a military-backed court in Myanmar for attempting to escape refugee camps without the proper paperwork.
The world's largest Muslim-majority country, and its third-largest democracy, banned people from having sex outside marriage or even living together, at the risk of prison time.
Europe
France's interior minister said if it wasn't for police officers' "extremely rapid intervention, there would surely be deaths."
German energy firm RWE said it would start demolishing a former settlement on Wednesday as part of plans to expand an opencast lignite mine and urged demonstrators to end a sit-in protest that has highlighted tensions over climate policy.
Turkey, Syria and Russia aim to schedule a meeting of their foreign ministers this month and possibly before the middle of next week, though no date or location has yet been chosen, a senior Turkish official said on Wednesday.
Russia's mercenary Wagner Group has claimed control over the eastern Ukrainian salt mining town, although Kyiv said its forces were holding out.
Counter-terrorism police are investigating after material contaminated with uranium was seized by Border Force officers at Heathrow. Reports suggest the package arrived at T4 on a flight from Oman on December 29.
Middle East & North Africa
The suspects are accused of attempting to steal a statue of Ramses II from the ancient southern city of Aswan.
Iran's hanging of protesters -- and display of their lifeless bodies suspended from cranes -- seems to have instilled enough fear to keep people off the streets after months of anti-government unrest.
Unnamed intelligence source tells Newsweek that Israel has struck at least seven targets related to the network over the past two years, and killed 10 Iranians
Turkey, Syria and Russia aim to schedule a meeting of their foreign ministers this month and possibly before the middle of next week, though no date or location has yet been chosen, a senior Turkish official said on Wednesday.
South & Central Asia
On January 1, an explosion was reported near a checkpoint at Kabul's military airport killing and wounding "several" people, a Taliban official had said
It would be first major energy extraction agreement with a foreign firm since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021. The 25-year deal underscores China's economic involvement in the region.
DHAKA- The first phase of the Bishwa Ijtema, the second largest congregation of the Muslims, will begin on the bank of the Turag River at Tongi, on the outskirts of the city, on January 13. The first phase of the Ijtema will begin with 'Aam Bayan' (...
Canada has issued a travel ban on former Sri Lankan presidents -- and brothers -- Mahinda and Gotabaya Rajapaksa for human rights abuses committed during the island nation's civil war. Both brothers resisted international pressure to investigate war...
Western Hemisphere
Brazil's 11-day-old government braced on Wednesday for more anti-democratic protests by far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro's supporters whose rampage through government threatened the country's political stability. The government of leftist P...
Colombia’s Vice President said on Tuesday that her security team found more than seven kilos of explosives buried next to a rural road that leads to her home in the southwestern province of Cauca. She described the incident as an assassination attem...
Haiti awoke Tuesday stripped of its last democratically elected institution — this time, its Senate — an alarming development that solidifies what some call a de facto dictatorship nominally in charge of a country wracked by gang violence.
A police officer on patrol was attacked and burned to death by protesters in the Peruvian region of Puno as the death toll from demonstrations in the wake of the ouster of former President Pedro Castillo rose to 47, authorities said Tuesday. José Lu...
OSAC Analysis - Unclassified OSAC analytical reports and other resources
Global
Emergency preparedness has become a critical consideration for OSAC members traveling overseas. Disaster supply kits, known as “go-bags” and "stay-bags," are necessary when preparing for an emergency. U.S. Embassies as well as U.S. companies encoura...
Africa
West Africans face historic levels of food insecurity that are likely to worsen throughout 2023, increasing risks of economic and political instability, crime, and terrorism. Private sector organizations operating throughout West Africa should note ...
Europe
The 52nd World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting will take place January 16-20 in Davos, Switzerland. The report provides information on potential security concerns to the private sector during the event. It also includes an overview of security m...
Consular Messages - Department of State travel advisories and alerts
South & Central Asia
Bishwa Ijtema, the world’s second-largest Muslim gathering, will occur in Bangladesh on January 13-15 and 20-22, on the banks of the Turag River in Tongi. The main gathering point is about three kilometers north of Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal Internat...
Western Hemisphere
Widespread violence occurred in Puno on January 9 and, due to ongoing civil unrest, U.S. citizens should avoid travel to the region. Multiple bus routes have been suspended in the Puno area, severely limiting movement within and outside of the city...
Events - Upcoming OSAC meetings, webinars, and training courses
Global
Please join our monthly meeting of security professionals to discuss ATFP related issues and the current security environment.
East Asia & Pacific
OSAC's Pan-Asia Regional Committee invites all OSAC Full-Access members to participate in a discussion on weapons of mass destruction (WMD) with BG(R) William King of Booz Allen Hamilton on January 11, 2023 at 11:00 AM EST.
OSAC members based in New Zealand are invited to attend OSAC New Zealand's country chapter relaunch on 23 February 2023.
OSAC Manila country chapter members are invited to attend a hybrid meeting on 19 January 2023 from 2-4 PM local.
Europe
OSAC's Pan-Asia Regional Committee invites all OSAC Full-Access members to participate in a discussion on weapons of mass destruction (WMD) with BG(R) William King of Booz Allen Hamilton on January 11, 2023 at 11:00 AM EST.
South & Central Asia
OSAC's Pan-Asia Regional Committee invites all OSAC Full-Access members to participate in a discussion on weapons of mass destruction (WMD) with BG(R) William King of Booz Allen Hamilton on January 11, 2023 at 11:00 AM EST.
Western Hemisphere
OSAC's Latin America Regional Committee (LARC) invites all members to save the date for the LARC's Spring Conference in Miami, FL on March 8.
The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of State or any affiliated organization(s). Nor have these opinions been approved or sanctioned by these organizations. This product is unclassified based on the definitions in E.O. 13526. OSAC’s full disclaimer and copyright policy is available on our site.
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