The State of Space Securitization in India

V.R. Chaudhari, the leader of India’s air forces, recently announced that the Indian Air Force is now effectively the “Indian Air and Space Forces”, a non-official designation that mirrors the American Air Force’s responsibility for space prior to the creation of the Space Force as a separate organization in 2019. Numerous Indian military officials and Prime Minister Modi himself have echoed Chaudhari’s emphasis on space as a security sector in the past year.

Philippines Dismantles Chinese Barrier in the South China Sea

Around Monday, September 25, Filipino divers severed a Chinese ball-buoy-barrier near the entrance of the contested Scarborough Shoal. The buoy’s placement is part of China’s policing strategy to block Filipino boats from fishing near the shoal. Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, responded, “what the Philippines [has] done is nothing but a farce that entertains itself. China will continue to safeguard the territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests of Hangman Island.”

Unprecedented Migration Through Central America

This year, Central America has had a 500% increase in migration compared to the first half of 2022. A significant number of migrants have embarked on a journey that has forced them to cross the dangers of the Darien jungle in Colombia. Migrants take this risk so they can make their way through Central America and Mexico and get to the Southern border of the United States.

Armenian Exodus

As of September 30th, an estimated 100,000 people have left Nagorno-Karabakh and entered into Armenia. This large exodus comes in the wake of Azerbaijan’s military offensive in the contested region. Local forces in Karabakh have since disarmed and disbanded. Ethnic Armenians in the region, fearing persecution from the Azeri government, fled almost immediately after violent conflict erupted on September 20th. The Armenian separatist government in the region will cease to exist after January 1st, 2024.

Kazakhstan’s Elite Infighting Continues

The mystery surrounding a wave of deadly protests that engulfed Kazakhstan in January 2022, known as ‘Bloody January’, is slowly unraveling. With around 238 dead, what caused the protests was a subject of debate for some time. At the time, officials tried to frame the revolt as an intricate plot involving foreign-trained terrorists and bandits. However, few outside of Kazakhstan bought into such a poor explanation. Another interpretation is that former President Nazarbayev and his relatives were attempting to undermine and even unseat Nazarbayev’s replacement Tokayev. This understanding of events just received further validation after the recent arrest of Samat Abish, former deputy head of Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee, and Nazarbayev’s nephew.

Kenya to Lead Haiti’s Peace Mission

The U.S. and Kenya have signed a security deal to guide defense relations between the two countries. Additionally, Kenya has also announced its intent to lead a multinational peace mission to Haiti, which will come with various obstacles. Kenya's ability to navigate the challenges will determine the success of the mission.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Addresses UNGA Describing the “New Middle East”

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke to at the UNGA with goals of Israeli-Arab cooperation. The speech prioritized how vital a deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia would be for creating a “New Middle East.” Netanyahu proclaimed that a deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia is very close to being finalized, as both states have worked together and with the United States for months to create this pact.

G-77 + China Meeting in Havana, Cuba

The G-77 met in Cuba to discuss the growing need for a framework that prioritizes cooperation among Global South nations to combat challenges primarily facing the developing countries of the world. The Global South would like to see the rise of a new world order, one that is not Western-led.

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