Global Outlook

  The Sudanese conflict persists due to extensive international backing of Sudanese Armed Forces Commander General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Outside backing of this type has extended the military conflict while allowing the troops to conduct serious abuses against the local people. The SAF receives its key support from Egypt which has become its leading international partner. Since Egypt and Sudan border each other they have maintained long-standing military relationships throughout history. Following the start of the conflict Egypt has hosted Burhan and his representatives while simultaneously conducting Sudanese neighborhood talks parallel to mediation led by the U.S. Saudi Arabia together with IGAD. In response to this conflict Egypt supports both ceasefire implementation along with ruling the dispute within Sudan's national boundaries. The SAF receives support from Iran according to evidence presented by various sources. Military investigators show the Sudanese army secured vital...

  After the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad the politics of Syria has shifted drastically. Leading this charge is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham [formerly known as Al-Nusra front], an organisation that was originally affiliated with al-Qaeda seeking to implement its form shariah over the battered Syrian state. The current leader of HTS which is Ahmed al-Sharaa, alias Abu Mohammed al-Golani has stated publicly that he has laid down his plans of forming a government that will respect the ethnic and religious composition in Syria. However, because the group has links with jihadist ideology, the public has questioned the true mission of the group. An important characteristic of HTS’s operations is gradual seizure of state structures. They want to make sure they have loyalists in positions where they can make official decisions to make formalists accept them as the rightful rulers of Syria. This is reminiscent of strategies and policies used by Assad regime by appointment of loyalists to impo...

  Slowly, but steadily, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani transformed from a militant commander to the political leader of Idlib – at least during the first months into his administration. Yet the day to day realities of governance shed so much light on the leadership problems and more particularly the author’s weaknesses in managing the region. It remains to say that in an attempt to influence the population and introduce HTS and its leader Hayat as the rightful rulers of Syria, successes have been outnumbered by failures. Perhaps one of the most noticeable deficits that have characterised the phenomenon of crisis mapping is the poor governance structures. The creation of SSG was supposed to initiate a process of order and stability. However, it is stated that the SSG acts with undemocratic authority and the ministers, chosen by a consultative council which is controlled by HTS. This of course has caused a lot of dissatisfaction among people of Idlib province to lack proper representation. E...

  A Nation in Crisis Syrian civil war has crowned the country into great humanitarian issues. The crisis has claimed more than 250 thousand lives and forced over 11 million people either within the country or outside. This has made millions of people in the country to lack the most basic needs that hail from the destroyed infrastructure of the country by the war. Economic Devastation As evidenced by the data above the war has almost paralyzed the Syrian economy. More than ninety percent of Syrian pound has been devalued leaving the country in hands of hyper inflation and high poverty level. Housing and food have become expensive, for many people, and the level of unemployment has hugely increased. Healthcare System Collapse All these years the permanent infrastructure has been reported severely affected with many hospitals either being completely damaged or used by the fighting forces. Essential medicine is lacking and there is a shortage of health care human resource. Neglect of m...

  The recent modifications made to the Syrian curriculum in the past three years raised a lot of high stakes and concerns among the schools’ stakeholders and the global society. The current HTS which now runs the providence has made several changes that many regard as other extreme policies being rolled in to change the youth. These reforms of textbooks to the first primary to the third secondary grades have given a different view on the future of Syrian education and their corresponding consequence on the society. It is pertinent to note that the last regimes song and dance, including but not limited to, the anthem have been wiped clean of existence. Such kind of detachment of education from the Assad era may look like a desire to remain neutral, however, the content substitution points to the contrary. The old concept of ‘defending the homeland ’Has thus been replaced by the new concept of ‘for the sake of God’ indicating a shift from nationalist, to religious motivation. This al...

   A shocking video made on December 25, 2024, showed an armed incursion into the Shiite Alawite shrine of Abu Abdullah Al-Hussein Al-Khasibi in Maisaloon district of Aleppo city. Speaking of the unfortunate attack, it, led to the gruesome shooting dead of five shrine attendants, their bodies mutilated and the shrine burnt. This event has raised concerns in the minds of the Syrian minority especially the ALawaite community due to they view the event as antithetical to the protection of their lives and the free practice of their religion. The last President, Bashar al-Assad, belonged to such a sect as Alawite, which traditionally was in the shade, persecuted in Syria. Hathern one of their holiest place of worship has been violated in the recent past, sectarian tensions, and anger has risen, and the feeling of insecurity among the population is palpable. In return, wide civil protests started in several Syrian provinces including Latakia, Tartus, Homs describing the act as a bar...

  The effectiveness of the Syrian Interim Government (SIG) has always come under strong question in regard to its ability to govern, especially after it failed disastrously to administer Idlib in 2017. In the course of that period, internal fighting between different groups, including HTS, emerged, which objectively worsened the situation, leaving the population without even the most basic needs for life. Apparently, in the course of of 2017 the SIG failed to take full control over Idlib province, which can be described as an area filled with various forms of rebels and local councils. They had no clear state and military command and control and an ineffective and inconsistent fractious governance policy led to a state of systematic dysfunction. These fundamental needs like clean water, electrical power, and appropriate medical care were at some point ceased causing worsening off the quality of life of the populace. The lack of good governance also led to further vacum that helped ...

  US diplomats have made their way to Damascus for a historic engagement with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), marking the first American diplomatic mission to the Syrian capital in more than a decade. This bold move comes in the wake of dramatic changes in Syria’s political landscape, notably the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime just over a week ago. The delegation’s presence reflects a renewed sense of urgency among Western powers to influence Syria’s governance amid rapid shifts in power dynamics. The delegation includes Assistant Secretary of State Barbara Leaf, hostage envoy Roger Carstens, and senior adviser Daniel Rubinstein. Tasked with a multifaceted mission, they aim to engage with a wide array of Syrian voices, including civil society members, activists, and representatives of different communities. Their goal is to gauge aspirations for Syria’s future and identify ways in which the United States can lend its support. According to a State Department spokesperson, th...

  Recent violent actions of Al-Julani’s group perform cruel acts including flogging an orphaned child for selling cigarettes, power abuse. As it will be seen, this kind of approach represents the level of dominance that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has in some regions in Syria. It has gone further in oppression starting with gagging the dissenters to brutalizing citizens who are least protected. The flogging of the child who just attempted to feed his family just demonstrates the price people pay when they are forced to survive under the rule of this terror group, HTS. This is not an exception to the rule but is rather a part of a tendency to establish violence in Syria. Al-Julani, once an associate of Al-Qaeda, relentlessly has pursued the agenda of an Islamic state in the Levant. They belong to a group that is affiliated with terrorist organizations such Al-Qaeda, which raises eyebrows. The recent good results of HTS have brightened the militants in the eyes of other global terror ...

  The UN General Assembly has made a powerful statement by demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, with the resolution passing with 158 votes in favor. This overwhelming support underscores the growing international consensus on the need to end the violence that has devastated the Gaza Strip. The ongoing conflict has resulted in the deaths of thousands, with civilians, particularly women and children, suffering the most. The vote reflects a shift in the global community's approach to the Israel-Palestine conflict, signaling a desire for peace and justice amidst the humanitarian crisis. Alongside the ceasefire resolution, the assembly also expressed strong support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). The second resolution, which was adopted with 159 votes in favor, condemns a new Israeli law that threatens to halt the agency's operations in Israel. The law would prevent UNRWA from providing critical aid to Palestinian refugees, who rel...