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NL US does not want allies, but followers
“Passing ships will be burned”. Those were the words with which the Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced on 2 March that the Strait of Hormuz would be blocked. Ships that tried to cross anyway would be set on fire. US President Trump made it clear that his allies would have to help open the Strait of Hormuz, and acting passively would be “a foolish decision”. Yet Germany, Spain and Italy indicated no mission [...] (yet).
Where is the escalation between Afghanistan and Pakistan coming from?
Photo: Afghan families cross the border after their forced departure from Pakistan and return to a precarious situation in Afghanistan (Flickr) Tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan have risen sharply again following a major attack in Kabul. A Pakistani airstrike on a rehab clinic is believed to have left potentially hundreds dead, according to the Afghan [...]
Mass displacement, white phosphorus and ecocide: where is our focus on Lebanon?
Source: Flickr The images are by now painfully familiar: families rushing out of their homes, residential areas turning into rubble and a population with nowhere that seems safe. Only this time, these images do not come from Iran or Gaza, but from Lebanon. Since the beginning of March, the Israeli offensive in the country has intensified rapidly. Hundreds of thousands of people are striking [...]
What's going on between Damascus and the Kurds in Rojava
Source: Macondo In recent weeks, people around the world have taken to the streets to protest for the rights and autonomy of the Kurdish people in northeastern Syria, known as Rojava. In cities such as London, Berlin and Amsterdam, demonstrators filled squares and streets to call on internationals to address the growing pressure [...]
Billion-dollar projects for prestige: Sisi's Egypt in search of international recognition
(Source: AFP) Sisi's Egypt has recently been busy putting itself on the map as an innovative, ambitious country eager to lend a helping hand as a mediator in the region. A few months ago, for instance, the North African country grandiosely opened the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The museum stands [...]
Tunisia 15 years after Arab Spring: hopes of democracy dashed
Source: FETHI BELAID / AFP Street vendor starts the Revolution An extraordinary and shocking protest triggered a historic chain reaction in early 2011. Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire out of dissatisfaction with his hopeless situation. Bouazizi's self-immolation sparked a historic movement, the Arab Spring, in which several corrupt regimes in the [...]
Why 2025 was a turning point for violence surrounding the olive harvest in the West Bank
Image: Flickr Every year, when the olives ripen and Palestinian families prepare for the harvest, the West Bank should experience a period of economic growth, social cohesion and cautious optimism. The olive harvest is traditionally more than just an agricultural event: it symbolises continuity and the bond between community and land. Instead […]
Trade over human lives: The Dutch role in the war in Sudan
Image: Sourcepixel The humanitarian crisis in Sudan has received extra attention in the news and on social media in recent weeks, but the conflict has now been going on for more than two years. While serious crimes are being committed, international attention is minimal. What role do the Netherlands and the EU play in the humanitarian crisis in Sudan and [...]
Moroccan Gen Z demands change: from hashtags to street protests
Source Marketscreeners Moroccan Gen Z demands change: from hashtags to street protests There have now been demonstrations in Morocco for several weeks. Thousands of Moroccans are taking to the streets from northern Tangier to southern Agadir. The question that can be asked is whether the protests in Morocco are part of a global wave in which Gen [...]
Africa Day 2025: A New Global Order - Tickets now available!
Afrikadag, the largest event in the Netherlands on Africa and international cooperation, returns on Saturday 15 November 2025 at Pakhuis de Zwijger Amsterdam. This year, Afrikadag celebrates a special milestone: the 30th edition! The theme of 2025 is "Africa in a New World Order". As global powers vie for influence, African countries claim their place on [...]