Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Thembisa Fakude
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The Kurds in Iraq are preparing for a referendum to redress the mistakes of the past
The Kurds are known as the “world’s largest number of people without a nation”. There are over 30 million of them scattered around the world, although they live mainly in Syria, Turkey, Iran and Iraq. They have used their large numbers and history of being oppressed to justify a...
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How has Qatar fended amidst a sociopolitical and economic blockade by its neighbours?
On 5 June 2017 Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain imposed land, air, sea blockade on the State of Qatar and started a coalition against it. Also, Jordan relegated its diplomatic relationship with Qatar. The blockade on Qatar has had limited impact on the economy. It...
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Does Lebanon’s Jroud Arsal represent yet more ethnic cleansing of Sunni Muslims?
On 4 January 2014, the so-called Islamic State in the Levant — Daesh — declared its capture of the city of Fallujah in Iraq. There followed a number of reports about atrocities committed by the new ‘government’ in the city. In early 2016, Iraqi forces aided by the US-led...
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Qatar unwavering as deadline extends by 48 hours
Speaking on the list of demands put forward by the Saudi-led coalition against Qatar, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement that “he hopes they will be reasonable and actionable”. The list, which was subsequently presented to Qatar, invited widespread criticism; many have called the list...
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As Mohammad Bin Salman moves closer to the Saudi throne, the region faces a bleak future
There is never a dull moment in the politics of the Middle East, says the old adage, and this week has been no different. After a lot of speculation, it is now official; Mohammad Bin Salman, the 31 year-old son of the King of Saudi Arabia has become the...
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The unfair targeting of Qatar exposes Africa’s client states
The ongoing blockade of Qatar led by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt has exposed the harshness of Middle Eastern politics. How did the situation sink to this level in such a short time? What has led some African countries to join the blockade in...
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Saving the planet simply isn't on Trump's agenda
Politics and egos aside, the withdrawal of the US from the Paris Agreement on climate is likely to set a dangerous precedent. The dishonouring of agreements signed by predecessors could become a commonplace in future, throwing international relations into disarray. Is Donald Trump’s decision to do so, though, more...
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Trump should clarify his anti-Muslim position during his trip to Saudi Arabia
At the end of his tenure as the President of the United States, Barack Obama gave a stunning warning about Donald Trump’s election campaign promises. Its gist was that the Republican candidate would soon face a sobering reality check on his most controversial policies. President Trump has already reneged on...
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Hamas’ new Charter a reminder of what South Africa did right
The long awaited Hamas Charter was unveiled in Doha, Qatar, on Monday. The document has presented a number of policy shifts from the movement’s long held political positions. The recognition of the 1967 border as the framework for the future Palestinian state, although transitional, represents the acceptance by Hamas...
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Should the Middle East impose a laptop ban on US and UK flights bound for the region?
The US and Britain have banned the carrying of electronic equipment bigger than a mobile phone in the cabins of airlines flying from a number of Muslim-majority countries. The ban includes laptops, iPads and other devices on board flights bound for the two Western allies. The US ban covers 10...
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What was lacking at the Humanitarian and Development Forum for Palestine in Doha?
The Humanitarian and Development Forum for Palestine (HDFP) held in Doha, Qatar recently brought a number of organisations to discuss the emerging sociopolitical and economic realities in the region pertaining to Palestine. Amongst the organisations that were represented at the forum were the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the...
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The revised US position on Palestine-Israel is likely to create political chaos
Donald Trump met the Prime Minister of Israel in Washington yesterday. The meeting in the White House was followed by a historic press conference between the two leaders. It lasted less than an hour and in that time the hopes of achieving peace in the Middle East were dashed,...
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Why did Morocco decide to join the African Union?
The ongoing territorial dispute between the Sahrawi people of the Western Sahara and the Kingdom of Morocco is one of the manifestations of the unfortunate tragedies of the West’s colonisation of Africa. The less known and indeed less understood struggle of the people of the Western Sahara led by...
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South African opposition leader stirs angers after visit to Israel
The leader of the official opposition party in South Africa, Mmusi Maimane, visited Israel in December 2016 and his visit invited a huge backlash and criticism from the community. The relationship between the Palestinians and South Africans goes back a long way, and understanding that is important in trying...
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Germany’s future role in the Middle East
There are two crucial elections coming up in Europe; Germany and France will be electing their chancellor and president respectively in 2017. In France’s case, there are a number of potential presidential candidates, including the incumbent president Francois Hollande of the Socialist Party. Nicolas Sarkozy and Alain Juppe are...
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20 years on: How Al Jazeera has impacted journalism
Al Jazeera Media Network (AJMN) turned 20 on 1 November. Over the years the network has grown from one channel to a multi media platform. AJMN now broadcasts in three different languages; Arabic, English and Balkan. Its online platforms have expanded in other languages as well including Turkish, Mandarin...
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Neither the Peshmerga nor Iraqi forces will bring peace and stability to Mosul
The fight for Mosul has raised additional concerns and diverted attention from the Syrian conflict and the fighting in Aleppo, which US Secretary of State John Kerry described as possibly amounting to “war crimes.” The world’s concentration is now fixated on another immediate problem which is to drive Daesh...
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Russia is scapegoating Al-Nusra Front in Aleppo
The United States has hinted at escalating its involvement in Syria by directly targeting the Syrian government troops in Aleppo. This comes after reports emerged that the troops are gathering outside Aleppo in preparation for a final intervention to take over the city. The US has been humiliated by Russia...