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NL All Eyes on Sudan
In Khartoum, Sudan's capital, heavy fighting broke out in April last year between the government army the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary army Rapid Support Forces (RSF). A bloody war has been raging in Sudan ever since. But even before this escalation in 2023, the country was experiencing major problems. The population of [...]
Where is the focus on Congo?
Recently, a viral internet trend emerged when more than 50 million Instagram users shared an image with the text 'All eyes on Rafah'. Soon other 'All eyes on ...' images also appeared, such as 'All eyes on Sudan,' but often 'All eyes on Congo.' This trend reflects a broader push that the war in [...]
Kidnappings galore: Nigeria's security crisis
Photo: #BringBackOurGirls mural in West Vale, UK - Flickr Nigeria is engulfed by a wave of kidnappings carried out by various armed groups that are tightening their grip on Nigerian society. The glaring problem of mass kidnappings came into the spotlight after Boko Haram abducted 276 schoolgirls from Chibok in 2014, an act [...]
Opinion: Better late than never: Netherlands should really restore UNRWA support now
Photo: A Palestinian woman and children check the rubble of a building hit overnight by an Israeli bombardment in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on 20 April 2024 - Arab News This opinion piece originally appeared on Joop - BNNVARA Between October 2023 and February 2024, the war [...]
The People vs Dow Chemical
Two girls fetching water in the neighbourhood next to the former Union Carbide plant @Giles Clarke This article originally appeared on Vice Versa. Forty years ago, tonnes of toxic gas leaked from a plant in India, killing thousands - and now, in 2024, Dow Chemical is facing the [...]
With the honest story, Lara Sibbing cycles through the EU and the Netherlands
The European Parliament elections are coming up. Also on 6 June, Green-Left-PvdA will appear on the ballot paper with a shared list in which 'green' and 'red' come together. In the run-up to these elections, we therefore speak to several GL-PvdA candidates. In this interview Lara Sibbing - number 16 on the list - about [...]
Europe wants companies to protect people and the environment, but is Germany standing in the way today?
Germany continually delays final approval of the European Care Obligation Act, despite having a negotiated deal in place. Criticism and outrage in Brussels at the unusual prevarication. The bill from Labour Party MEP Lara Wolters should oblige European companies to prevent human rights violations and environmental damage within their value chain. An important step within the European [...]
China's growing influence in Europe's backyard
Photo: Construction of a bridge over the Morača Valley, Montenegro, as part of the Bar-Boljare highway - Wikimedia Commons China has been pushing for some time to become the new global superpower. The Belt and Road Inititave been part of this expansion drive. China is keen to expand its global footprint and [...]
Review "Foreign Aid and its Unintended Consequences" by Dirk-Jan Koch
In his new book, Professor Dirk-Jan Koch presents a new take on foreign aid: identifying unintended consequences, both negative and positive. A successful attempt, argues Bram van Leeuwen, but stronger systemic criticism is needed. With the provocative title "Foreign Aid and its Unintenteded Consequences", Dirk-Jan Koch called on interested parties to take a [...]
Frozen Russian assets: where are they and what should be done with them?
Ever since the first months of the war in Ukraine, many, including Ukrainian authorities, have advocated the use of frozen Russian assets for Ukraine's reconstruction. In practice, however, this wish has been hard to realise, including in the Netherlands. Indeed, freezing Russian assets is anything but smooth, and deploying [...]
