[RED DEMOCRATICA] CFR.org Daily News Brief, April 1, 2010

 

April 1, 2010 View this newsletter as a web page on CFR's website. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - Sudan Opposition Candidate Withdraws - UN Backs Iraq Election Results - Hu Jintao to Attend U.S. Nuclear Talk - World Leaders Pledge $10 Billion to Haiti Top of the Agenda: Sudan Opposition Candidate Withdraws U.S. Envoy to Sudan Scott Gration is conducting crisis talks in Sudan after the main opposition candidate pulled out of April's presidential election (BBC), the first in twenty-four years. The Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) withdrew Yassir Arman from the race over concerns the electoral process has been rigged in favor of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir's National Congress Party. Access to state media has been denied and rights to hold rallies restricted, Arman says. Other opposition groups condemned the SPLM decision. The planned elections follow a U.S.-brokered treaty in 2005 that ended Sudan's north-south civil war, one of Africa's bloodiest, and there are now fears of a return to violence. Arman also said the conflict and state of emergency in Darfur would obstruct free and fair elections. He said his party would participate (NYT) in parliamentary and local elections outside Darfur. Several human rights groups have complained about Sudan's ruling party intimidating and torturing opponents, skewing the census in its favor, manipulating the media, and using bribes. Analysis: In the Washington Post, Michael Gerson says the SPLM suffers from the same problems as other revolutionary parties in Africa; its heavy-handed political tactics encourage internal division. This Center for Preventive Action Contingency Planning Memo presents the likely triggers of renewed civil war in Sudan and discusses the U.S. policy options for preventing it from happening and mitigating its consequences in the event that it does. MIDDLE EAST: UN Backs Iraq Election Results In a statement, the UN Security Council called on all Iraqi political parties (al-Jazeera) "to respect the certified election results and the choices of the Iraqi people" and to form a new government cooperatively and with respect for national unity. The close vote count in Iraq's elections means that it will take months of coalition-building, and Sunni-Shiite political tensions, before it's clear who will head the new government, says CFR expert Meghan O'Sullivan. Iran: The defection of Iranian scientist Shahram Amiri to the United States shows that a long-running CIA covert operation against Iran's nuclear program is working, the Christian Science Monitor reports. PACIFIC RIM: Hu Jintao to Attend U.S. Nuclear Summit Chinese President Hu Jintao will attend a nuclear nonproliferation conference (LAT) this month in Washington, a sign of China's thawing relations with the United States after months of tension. Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili is visiting China for talks (Reuters) with the government amid increased pressure for sanctions. Japan: Japanese business sentiment improved for the fourth consecutive quarter (WSJ), reaching its highest level since 2008, mainly because of strong demand for Japanese exports. Read CFR's Asia Unbound blog, featuring timely analysis from CFR Asia experts. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA: Afghanistan is World's Largest Hashish Producer A report from the UN Office of Drugs and Crime found Afghanistan to be the world's largest producer of hashish (TIME). Farmers earned up to $94 million last year from selling between 1,500 and 3,500 tons of it. India: India is conducting the world's largest census (FT), compiling fingerprints, photographs, and mobile telephone usage of more than a billion residents. U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Donald Kohn will visit India April 6-7 to discuss bilateral economic policies (WSJ) between the United States and India. AFRICA: ICC Begins Kenya Election Investigation In May, the International Criminal Court will begin investigating the deadly violence (Reuters) that followed Kenya's 2007 election, with trials scheduled to begin in 2012. AMERICAS: World Leaders Pledge $10 Billion to Haiti World leaders and aid organizations pledged $10 billion in aid to Haiti (Guardian), twice the amount Haitian President René Préval requested to rebuild after the earthquake. Mexico: Mexican authorities arrested the nephew of one of Mexico's most-wanted drug suspects and the acting police chief of a major port town, accused of protecting a drug trafficking gang (NYT). EUROPE: Medvedev in Dagestan; Rebel Claims Bombing Russian President Dmitry Medvedev made a surprise visit to the North Caucasus' Dagestan region and said Russia must destroy those behind the suicide bombs (Reuters) that killed at least fifty people. An Islamist Chechen rebel leader claimed responsibility (FT) for Monday's Moscow subway bombings, and officials suspect that the same group was behind Wednesday's bombings in Dagestan as well. Belgium: A Belgian parliamentary committee voted to ban the full Islamic face veil (DeutscheWelle). If the vote is ratified in April, as expected, Belgium would become the first country in Europe to enforce such a ban. TRANSNATIONAL: Global Takeovers Rise, Corporate Debt Defaults Decline Global mergers and acquisitions picked up in 2010's first quarter (Bloomberg), and company debt rallied for the fourth straight quarter. Corporate defaults declined from record levels, and borrowing costs hit their lowest levels since 2005.

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