Showing posts with label April Kent. Show all posts
Showing posts with label April Kent. Show all posts
By April Kent

In February, the United States presented a draft resolution negotiated with China to the U.N. Security Council to impose restrictions aimed at frustrating North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. The proposed sanctions have been widely hailed as the toughest U.N. sanctions regime in over two decades, with one U.S. official quoted as saying, “this resolution will be felt, it will have an impact... The DPRK (North Korea) has never been subject to the kind of pressure that is in the resolution.” However, others have expressed doubts. The New York Times reported that analysts in South Korea and China are less than certain that sanctions will be sufficient to force North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons. The Wall Street Journal also recently published an article elaborating on the loopholes and oversights that will allow China to continue playing “a double game of rhetorically deploring North Korea’s nuclear program while propping it up in practice.” Whether the sanctions will have their intended effect remains to be seen.
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April 27, 2016
By April Kent

Namibia is currently facing possible punishment for violating mandatory United Nations sanctions imposed on North Korea. On February 29, Vice News reported that a munitions plant was being built by North Korea in Namibia, citing a UN report. Namibia’s Minister of Defense Penda ya Ndakolo initially denied its existence to local Namibian newspaper, Die Republikein. However, the government has now confirmed that North Korea constructed the plant, but insists the project is not in violation of past United Nations Security Council sanctions. The UN has begun an investigation to determine when the plant was built, with the cooperation of the Namibian government.
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April 25, 2016
By April Kent

On April 15, Adam Szubin, the acting undersecretary of Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence, warned against overusing sanctions in an address at the Center for a New American Security. He cautioned that “Even when sanctions do work, they can come with negative side effects,” such as retaliation from foreign governments, strain on diplomatic relations, and dampening commercial activity. Szubin’s concerns come as a reaction to the introduction of a bill in early April by Senators Mark Kirk and Marco Rubio that would keep Iran from gaining even indirect access to the U.S. financial system or using U.S. dollars in business transactions. The issue has become particularly important in this U.S. election year, as the remaining Republican presidential candidates have all vowed to tear up or back away from the nuclear deal, which Obama administration officials say would be calamitous.
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April 22, 2016
By April Kent

The European Union is expected to hold discussions about whether Russia has fulfilled the Minsk agreement, impacting the automatic extension of sanctions against the country. This comes after senior European officials warned in early February that time is running out for Russia and Ukraine to fully implement last year’s cease-fire and peace agreements, saying “difficult” issues must now be tackled. German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, explained, “[w]e still don’t have a sustainable cease-fire, which is naturally a prerequisite for the implementation of different points in the Minsk agreement.” However, Russia’s Permanent Ambassador to the European Union, Vladimir Chizhov, stated at the end of February that he expected anti-Russia EU sanctions to expire as soon as summer 2016: “I think that at some point, I hope that already in the summer, they will simply no longer be in force,” Chizhov said in an interview with Rossiya 24 television. The Minsk agreement was negotiated by Ukraine, Russia, Germany, and France, and lays out steps to secure the end of the armed conflict in Donbas, Ukraine, which broke out in 2014 after people in the region refused to accept the forceful change of power in Kiev. The conflict has resulted in over 9,000 deaths and the displacement of more than 2 million people, according to the UN.
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April 22, 2016
By April Kent

On April 5, United Nations sanctions monitors reported that South Sudan violated the sanctions regime by failing to stop Darfur rebel group training in its territory. The panel of experts tasked by the United Nations to examine the existing sanctions regime in South Sudan last month recommended targeted sanctions on “high-level decision makers responsible for the actions and policies that threaten the peace, security and stability of the country.” As the conflict in the country continues, a new report from the United States-based Enough Project has proposed a “modernized” sanctions strategy against Sudan similar to that used by the United States to push Iran into serious negotiations. The report argues for easing sanctions which affect public health or education while tightening those on financial transactions by companies and individuals belonging to the National Congress Party, particularly the military and security services. Many view the report as offering renewed hope for peace in South Sudan.
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April 20, 2016
By April Kent


Photo Credit: "Clashes in Burundi" by REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic 
is licensed under CC Commercial 2.0. 

On February 15, European Union foreign ministers released a statement that they were prepared to strengthen economic sanctions on Burundi following the failure of peace talks with opposition leaders: “The EU... stands ready to impose restrictive measures against those whose actions might have led or might lead to acts of violence and repression (and) serious human rights violations.”

The United Nations has repeatedly warned that the situation in Burundi has serious genocidal overtones, “catapulting the country back to the past” more than a decade after the civil war between Hutus and Tutsis in which tens of thousands were killed. As a result of the current political crisis, at least 400 people have already been killed and 220,000 have fled to neighboring countries.

The conflict erupted on April 25, 2015, when the ruling political party in Burundi announced that the incumbent President of Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza, would run for a third term in the upcoming election. The announcement sparked protests by those opposed to Nkurunziza seeking an unconstitutional third term in office, setting off widespread demonstrations in the capital. In January 2016, Amnesty International published satellite images it believed to portray mass graves where killings took place. That same month, the African Union announced a plan to send 5,000 peacekeepers to Burundi, but the plan was shelved after President Nkurunziza declared a military intervention “too early.”
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April 19, 2016
By April Kent

The European Union has imposed sanctions on three prominent Libyan politicians for opposing a newly formed unity government. The leaders of the new government arrived in Tripoli in late March, in the midst of warnings and an air blockade imposed by hostile armed groups. Although it is backed by the U.S. and European allies, the unity government has faced opposition from rival factions that have made it impossible to establish its authority in the country. The European Union governments waited for months before agreeing to impose sanctions for fear it would derail attempts to make peace between the rival governments. It is hoped that the targeted measures will put the new government in a good starting position and accelerate the process of implementing a contested political agreement.
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April 18, 2016
By April Kent

The United States Treasury on Friday announced that it has imposed sanctions on four North Koreans, including the ambassador to Myanmar, and a North Korea-owned company based in Egypt, over connections to North Korea’s illicit weapons trade. All have ties to the Korea Mining Development Trading Corp., which U.S. officials have labeled Pyongyang’s “primary arms dealer.” It is hoped that the sanctions would obstruct North Korea’s funding for expansion of nuclear capabilities and weapons of mass destruction. Adam Szubin, the Treasury Under Secretary, stated “North Korea’s continued violation of international law and its commitment to the proliferation of ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction pose a serious threat to the United States and to global peace and security.” Although the U.S. has taken similar actions many times against North Korea, sanctioning an ambassador is unusual, demonstrating a more robust stance by the U.S.
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November 19, 2015
By April Kent

The U.N. Security Council recently unanimously approved a resolution condemning the killings, torture, and human rights abuses plaguing Burundi, threatening sanctions against perpetrators of the violence. The resolution called for Burundi’s government “to immediately convene an inclusive and genuine inter-Burundian dialogue.” At least 240 people have been killed in Burundi since protests began in April against President Pierre Nkurunziza's successful bid for a third term. Many in the international community have pointed to the language used by the government to describe its opponents as reminiscent of the rhetoric that paved the way for the genocide in Rwanda. Britain’s U.N. Ambassador Matthew Rycroft stated, “We know that in the worst case what we’re talking about is a possible genocide, and we know that we have to do everything that we possibly can to prevent that.” The country’s foreign Minister countered that “Burundi is not in flames,” dismissing international concerns that his country is at risk of a Rwanda-like genocide.
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November 17, 2015
By April Kent

At the beginning of October, Iranian Oil Minister Rokneddin Javadi invited foreign investors to help develop its oil fields and improve pipeline and refinery infrastructure in the country. This past Friday, Reuters has reported that the U.S. State Department recently cabled a “demarche” to embassies around the world to reiterate that sanctions on Iran are still in place and will not be lifted until the International Atomic Energy Agency verifies compliance with the terms of the Iran Nuclear Deal. The U.S. wants to prevent a rush by Western companies to invest in Iran’s oil industry and other businesses. European oil executives from Royal Dutch Shell and Eni have already been sending small teams to Iran to meet with Iran’s oil minister about potential opportunities. American companies, on the other hand, face tighter restrictions: the Iran Nuclear Deal does not include easing many of the sanctions that have prevented U.S. companies themselves from doing business in Iran.
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October 16, 2015
By April Kent

The European Union is preparing for a four-month suspension of sanctions on Belarus, officials announced on Friday. This move comes in the wake of shifting perceptions of Belarus’ President Lukashenko, known as Europe’s “last dictator” and a close ally of Moscow, following his decision to release six jailed political prisoners in August and hosting of peace talks for Ukraine in February. A formal decision will be made by October 31, barring any last-minute crackdown. As Lukashenko seems poised for re-election, the EU has emphasized that “the conduct of the elections will be an important factor” in the decision to formally lift sanctions. The newly gained access to European capital markets would help Belarus attract EU investment, cutting its dependence on Russia. Lukashenko is highly invested in boosting Belarus’ economy, which is exposed to the recession in Russia and shrank by 4 percent in the period from January to July 2015.
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October 13, 2015
By April Kent

The U.N. Security Council is considering imposing sanctions on two South Sudanese for ceasefire violations that froze implementation of a peace agreement signed last month. Clashes between government and opposition forces are ongoing, with each accusing the other of breaking the peace. The situation has given rise to concerns over whether sanctions will be effective in ending the conflict. The South Sudanese government has focused on the need to prioritize diplomacy over penalties. Foreign affairs minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin remarked “Our friends have unfortunately turned their backs against us and are now the one spearheading negative campaigns for sanctions. We have pleaded with them to help us address these differences through peaceful dialogue but they seem to have made up their minds.” International human rights organizations, however, have advocated taking actions that target the elites perpetuating the war. Sanctions could be an important first step toward ultimately replacing a corrupt political system.
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September 19, 2015
By April Kent

This past Thursday, Senate Democrats blocked a resolution that would have disapproved the Iran Deal, effectively ensuring that it will go into effect without a showdown between Congress and the President. The Iran deal has been offered as proof that economic sanctions can be used effectively to change the behavior of repressive regimes while avoiding military action. But the question of what to do next remains a challenge. The United States agreed to lift many of the sanctions that have blocked Iran’s integration into the world economy. However, President Obama promised to maintain sanctions to punish Iran for terrorism and human rights abuses. One expert explains: “There is a tension between ensuring that Iran has an economic incentive to keep the agreement with its nuclear constraints and ensuring companies keep doing business with Iran, while at the same time policing Iran’s support for terrorism with sanctions.”
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September 16, 2015
By April Kent

The U.S. government has begun drafting unprecedented economic sanctions against Chinese companies for cyber espionage on U.S. businesses, hoping to make cyberspying too costly to continue. The potential sanctions come at a significant moment, as President Ki Jinping of China is scheduled to arrive in Washington for his first state visit next month, and tension is mounting over maritime skirmishes in the South China Sea and China’s recent economic troubles. The U.S. government has not yet decided whether to issue the sanctions, but a positive decision is expected this upcoming week. The announcement has given rise to concerns about whether China will retaliate and the worry that sanctions will only create unnecessary friction. China’s Ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai, recently remarked that he hoped “nobody will do anything so nonconstructive,” and that “the U.S. side will make the smart choice.”
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September 15, 2015
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