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News Highlights – November 9, 2020 - 1500 EAT News Contents COVID-19 Pandemic

News Highlights – November 9, 2020 - 1500 EAT News Contents COVID-19 Pandemic

News Highlights – November 9, 2020 - 1500 EAT Contents COVID-19 Pandemic...... 3

GERD...... 3  rejects a greater mediation of Africa in talks over GERD ...... 3

Ethiopia...... 3  Ethiopia PM: Tigray action will 'wrap up soon...... 3  Ethiopia moves to set up interim gov't in Tigray...... 4  Police Seize More Than 355 Firearms in ...... 4  Ethiopian PM reshuffles top officials as Tigray conflict mounts...... 4  Sudanese Army Seizes 95,000 Rounds of Ammunition Near Ethiopian Border..... 5  TPLF asks the AU to mediate national conflicts...... 6  OCHA Situation Report No. 1 on Ethiopia: Tigray Region Humanitarian Update .6

Horn of Africa...... 7  Somali presidential candidates threaten to boycott poll, accuse president of fronting spies to elections body...... 7  SRF leaders in Abu Dhabi for talks on peace implementation...... 8  SPA opposes new Sudan parliamentary structure...... 8

Sub-Saharan Africa...... 9  Nigerian military confirms several bandits killed in airstrike ...... 9  Nigerian youths threaten fresh anti-police brutality protests...... 9  Politicians anxious as Gambia plans to change unique voting system...... 10

Gulf Region and the Middle East...... 11  Muslim Brotherhood urge incoming US administration to end support for dictatorships...... 11  army urges withdrawal of Haftar’s militia, mercenaries to hold talks in Sirte12

CDRC Research Department, November 2020  army says intercepts 4 rebel drones...... 13

Emerging Powers...... 13 U.S. election...... 13  Biden to launch COVID-19 task force, Trump plans rallies to protest election.....13  Merkel, after Biden victory, says EU and U.S. must work side by side...... 15  China holds off on sending congratulations to Biden...... 15  Arab leaders congratulate US' Biden on election victory...... 16

CDRC Research Department, November 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic Region Infections Deaths Recoveries Globe 50.85 million 1.263 million 35.855 million Africa 1.894 million 45,448 1.596 million Ethiopia 99,675 1,523 59,766 Follow live updates on worldometers.info/coronavirus/ ______GERD  Egypt rejects a greater mediation of Africa in talks over GERD - Ethiopia claimed on Friday that Egypt rejects a more decisive performance of the (AU) in the negotiation of both countries with Sudan to determine how to fill and exploit the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Sudan and our country approve increasing the role of AU experts in the talks, but Egypt does not accept this proposal, said in a press conference Spokesman of the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dina Mufti. During the virtual meeting held this week, Mufti explained, the three countries discussed ways to improve the role of AU experts in the negotiation process and reported the results to the current chairman of that political organization. Despite the rejection, the spokesman stressed, the ongoing trilateral discussions on the dam will not change Ethiopia's stance regarding its right to use the waters of the Nile river and demand the fair use of that resource. As of 2014, Addis Ababa started negotiations with Egyptian and Sudanese authorities to agree on how to exploit the dam built on the Blue Nile, but they have not reached an agreement yet. For Egypt, the GERD will affect its access to the source of nearly 90 percent of fresh water that it uses in its irrigation systems and supply to the population. Meanwhile, Ethiopia considers it an expression of the right to manage its own resources to boost its development and insists that the water flow toward the Sudanese and Egyptian territories will not be affected. Sudan, on the other hand, acknowledges its importance to prevent flood and boost agricultural and energy growth, but it has reservations over the consequences of the unilateral filling of the dam. ______Ethiopia  Ethiopia PM: Tigray action will 'wrap up soon' -BBC Ethiopia's Prime Minister has released a statement saying what he terms a "rule of operation" will "wrap up soon by ending the prevailing impunity". Tensions between the federal government and the state authorities boiled over into conflict last week and there has been fighting in several parts of Tigray since last Wednesday according to the UN. The Tigray authorities called on the African Union to intervene and start a dialogue. But Mr Abiy said that attempts to talk had failed over the past two years.

CDRC Research Department, November 2020  Ethiopia moves to set up interim gov't in Tigray -Anadolu Ethiopia’s parliament on Saturday voted in favor of setting up an interim administration in the opposition-ruled Tigray region, where a military offensive commenced earlier this week. The House of Federation, the parliament’s upper house, approved the step in an emergency meeting after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced the end of the first round of military operations. This means Tigray’s legislative and executive bodies – formed in September following regional polls held in defiance of the federal government – will be abolished and replaced by an interim administration. A six-month state of emergency was imposed in the northern region, ruled by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) that dominated Ethiopian politics for nearly three decades, on Thursday. The administration has the powers and duties to direct and coordinate the executive body, appoint officials, ensure the implementation of law and order, and conduct regional elections, according to a statement issued by the upper house. It said the parliament has “…ordered the Federal Government to intervene to stop the act that endangered the constitutional order.” “In accordance with Article 14 (2) of Proclamation No. 359/95, the Prime Minister has been instructed to deploy the Federal Police or the National Defense Forces or both in the region in order to prevent disasters in accordance with the Emergency Proclamation,” read the statement. Communications remain cut off and air transport has been halted in Tigray since the army started operations this week in response to a deadly attack on a military base by forces loyal to the TPLF. On Friday, premier Abiy said military warehouses of the TPLF were destroyed in airstrikes. He said the depots were an important target as they housed weapons that included rockets with a range of up to 300 kilometers (186 miles).

 Police Seize More Than 355 Firearms in Addis Ababa - Fana The Addis Ababa Police Commission said it has seized various weaponry readied by the TPLF fugitive for destructive mission in Addis Ababa. In press conference he gave on Sunday, Addis Ababa Police Commissioner Getu Argaw said the city police were working with residents to foil the efforts of tyranny TPLF to disrupt the peace in the capital. He said police have seized more than 355 firearms and over 14,000 rounds of ammunition during the operation. Anti-personnel mines and a compass for military service were among the weapons seized, he added. Moreover, some 162 suspects have been arrested and are being investigated, the Commissioner pointed out. He expressed his gratitude for residents of Addis Ababa for their active cooperation in arresting illegal weapons and suspects, according to ENA.

 Ethiopian PM reshuffles top officials as Tigray conflict mounts -Aljazeera Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has reshuffled his army chief, head of intelligence and foreign minister, as the military continues a five-day operation in the northern Tigray region with a new round of air raids. Abiy’s office made the announcement on its Twitter feed on Sunday,

CDRC Research Department, November 2020 giving no reasons for the changes, as the reported number of soldiers wounded in the conflict continued to rise. It said Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen had been appointed foreign minister and Birhanu Jula was promoted to army chief of staff, from deputy army chief. Abiy also named Temesgen Tiruneh, who was president of the Amhara region, as the new intelligence chief. The prime minister is pursuing a military campaign he announced in the early hours of Wednesday, despite international pleas for dialogue with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) in order to avoid civil war. In a report on Saturday, the said nine million people were at risk of displacement from the escalating conflict, warning that the government’s declaration on Wednesday of a state of emergency in Tigray was blocking food and other aid. Tigrayans dominated Ethiopian politics for decades until Abiy took office in 2018. They are fighting his efforts to reduce their influence. Meanwhile, a medical official told the AFP that 98 government soldiers had been treated for gunshot wounds at a hospital in the neighboring Amhara region, the latest indication that fighting has been intense. Abiy and military leaders have touted Ethiopian soldiers’ successes against forces loyal to the TPLF, but a communications blackout in the region has made their accounts difficult to verify. An Ethiopian military plane bombed a missile and artillery site next to the airport in the Tigray region’s capital Mekelle on Sunday, one military and two diplomatic sources told the news agency, which noted that it was not immediately clear what was destroyed in the bombing. The sources said the plane left a military base in the city of Bahir Dar in Amhara. New army chief Birhanu told a state-run newspaper on Sunday that the army was in control of several towns near the border with , including Dansha and Shire, but he did not say when the army had seized those areas. It was impossible to verify the report because of the communications blackout in the region. Reports of dead and wounded soldiers have mounted in recent days in Amhara, where a humanitarian aid worker said three died and 35 were treated on Saturday, according to AFP. On Friday, 105 were reported injured and five killed in the region. Abiy spoke on Saturday with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who “offered his good offices”. According to the UN spokesman, Guterres also spoke with African Union chief Moussa Faki Mahamat and Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok in his capacity as chair of the regional Africa group IGAD. Experts have voiced concerns the conflict could not only break Ethiopia apart but also reverberate across the region and draw in outside forces. “This could be the start of a civil war, but that is not certain,” said Martin Plaut, a longtime observer of politics in the Horn of Africa. “The situation in Tigray is one of many crises in the country, but could intensify, drawing in other Ethiopian regions, while also threatening neighboring Sudan and Eritrea.”

 Sudanese Army Seizes 95,000 Rounds of Ammunition Near Ethiopian Border -Fana, Sudan Tribune Sudanese military intelligence seized 95,000 rounds of ammunition loaded on donkey carts on their way to Ethiopia from the border state of Gedaref. The Sudanese army set up an ambush to

CDRC Research Department, November 2020 arrest several donkey carts carrying more than 95,000 rounds of along with drugs, said the Sudan News Agency (SUNA). The operation took place upon information provided by the military intelligence at the border strip about the “smuggling of ammunition to a neighboring country,” said SUNA. Based on this intelligence, Sudanese troops set up an ambush in one of the border villages in Quraishah locality (near the Ethiopian border) and arrested a number of caravans carrying ammunition packed inside plastic bags. The Sudanese state of Gedaref shares border with the Ethiopian Tigray and Amhara regions. Two days ago, Sudan’s Gaderef and Kassala states closed the border with Ethiopia and deployed troops to prevent the insurgents from crossing to the country.

 TPLF asks the AU to mediate national conflicts - Twitter On a letter dated November 6, 2020, the Head of TPLF Debretsion G/Michael has asked President Cyril Ramaphosa, Chair of the African Union, to play his “rightful” role towards a peaceful resolution of the crisis engulfing Ethiopia. The 4-pages letter accused the ruling government for the current constitutional and political crisis in the country, and concluded with a belief that political problems cannot be solved through military means, and therefore pleading to the AU to help bring all political and civic stakeholders of the country into an all-inclusive and comprehensive dialogue and avert an all-out civil war in the country. The scanned copy of the full letter is found on a tweet post on the link above.

 OCHA Situation Report No. 1 on Ethiopia: Tigray Region Humanitarian Update - OCHA Relief Web A situation report was produced and published on Saturday by OCHA Ethiopia and covers the period from 3 November to 6 November 2020. It highlighted that tension between the federal Government and Tigray’s ruling party (TPLF) has been escalating since the latter unilaterally held regional elections on 9 September despite the constitutional postponement of national elections due to the pandemic. This escalation eventually led to armed conflict in the early hours of 4 November 2020. It noted that Tigray region is home to approximately 600,000 people dependent on food relief assistance (more than 400,000 food insecure, 100,000 IDPs and nearly 100,000 refugees). In addition, 1 million people receive safety net assistance. It further stated the blockage of air and road access to the region, as well as the regional communication black-out is significantly affecting humanitarian operations. The disruption in the distribution of humanitarian supplies is contributing to the worsening of the humanitarian context, as it prevents timely and adequate assistance to vulnerable communities. OCHA on the report urged all warring parties, at all levels, to grant uninterrupted humanitarian access to affected population, as well as to existing humanitarian beneficiaries (food insecure, refugees, IDPs and migrants) and to all areas affected by the desert locust infestation. It further asks donor partners and friends of Ethiopia for urgent mobilization of additional resources to address potential new needs as a result

CDRC Research Department, November 2020 of the conflict, as well as existing needs captured in the Humanitarian Response Plan (https://bit.ly/2JEroEd). Despite rising humanitarian needs, the Ethiopia humanitarian appeal is only 49.4 per cent funded, including $187 million Government allocation. It gave the following situation overview: In the early hours of 4 November, the Ethiopian defense forces (EDF) and the security forces of the ruling Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) clashed near Mekelle airport. Military confrontation was also reported near Dansha in Western Tigray. An official statement by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on 4 November announced that the EDF were given orders to start military offensive against TPLF in Tigray. According to an official statement by the Prime Minister, “operations by federal defense forces underway in northern Ethiopia have clear, limited and achievable objectives — to restore the rule of law and the constitutional order, and to safeguard the rights of Ethiopians to lead a peaceful life wherever they are in the country.” The Prime Minister also called on the Ethiopian people “to follow the situation calmly, monitor possible localized flare ups, and to stand with the national army.” Effective 6 November, a State of Emergency (SoE) for Tigray region was decreed by the Council of Ministers in accordance to article 93(1)(a) of the Ethiopian Constitution and approved unanimously by the Parliament. The SoE is for a period of six months and an SoE Task Force was established, led by the Chief of Staff of the armed forces and accountable to the Prime Minister. The Taskforce is given the mandate to: a) disarm any security forces in Tigray region and to maintain the peace and security of the civilian population; b) impose restrictions on modes of transportation; c) impose curfew; d) detain those suspect of taking part in illegal activities that endanger the constitutional order; e) use proportionate force to restore law and order; f) take measures necessary in furtherance of the objectives of the State of Emergency. Roads within and to the region are cut, flights prohibited, and communication lines are shut down in the region. The Ethiopia Human Rights Commission and some opposition parties have called for ensuring the protection of civilians. The Government, including the defense forces, reassured the population that caution is being taken to ensure the safety of civilians. Large movements of security forces to the northern region have been reported. Saturday, 7 November, Ethiopia’s House of Federation has voted to establish a transitional government in Tigray regional state. The website stated that next report will be issued in due course. ______

Horn of Africa  Somali presidential candidates threaten to boycott poll, accuse president of fronting spies to elections body-Hiiraan

CDRC Research Department, November 2020 Twelve presidential aspirants among them two former presidents in Somalia have threatened to boycott the upcoming elections citing interference by the incumbent President Mohamed Farmaajo. In a rare joint statement, the 12 candidates who include ex-presidents , Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and immediate former PM Hassan Khaire said Sunday they will not take part in the upcoming poll unless the membership of the elections committee is reviewed. According to the statement, Farmaajo who is seeking a second term has packed the Federal Elections Committee with intelligence officials, civil servants and individuals close to him. A notable figure in the 25-member committee released last week is Villa Somalia deputy chief of staff Abdinur Mohamed. The appointments, the presidential candidates said contravened the Provisional Constitution and political agreements including the one reached into by the President and Federal Member State leaders in Mogadishu in September. Earlier, the Forum for Political Parties Coalition which comprises of six key political parties expressed similar sentiments accusing the president seeking to influence the upcoming elections. ______

Sudan  SRF leaders in Abu Dhabi for talks on Sudan peace implementation-Sudan Tribune A delegation of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) leaders arrived in Abu Dhabi on Sunday to discuss the UAE role in the implementation of the peace agreement they signed with the transitional government on October 3. The Arab United Emirates (UAE) is one of the guarantors of the Juba agreement for peace in Sudan reached after a year of arduous negotiations mediated by the South Sudanese government. "We came to the UAE to thank its leadership for the effort and contribution they made to ensure the success of the peace process and to discuss the role that their country could play in the future as a guarantor of the agreement," said Hadi Idris, the SRF leader in statements to the Sudan Tribune, shortly after their arrival in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. Idris was accompanied by the Justice and Equality Movement leader, Jibril Ibrahim, the Chairman of the Sudanese Alliance, Khamis Abakar, the head of Kush Movement, Mohamed Daoud, the Mediator Tut Gatluak, and some other South Sudanese officials. Two other SRF leaders, Osama Saeed and Khaled Jaoish, who are already in the UAE, will join the delegation before to meet with the Emiratis officials. The SRF leaders are expected in Khartoum on 15 November. Also, Minni Minnawi of the Sudan Liberation Movement announced his arrival on the same date in Khartoum. The SRF leaders were in N’Djamena last month where they met with the Chadian leader Idriss Deby. The Friends of Sudan group, on 12 August, voiced their support for an inclusive and sustainable peace in Sudan.

 SPA opposes new Sudan parliamentary structure-MEMO

CDRC Research Department, November 2020 The Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) revealed on Friday the new parliamentary structure under negotiation within the framework of the transitional phase led by the Sovereignty Council and the Ministerial Council, in which power is shared between the army and the Forces of Freedom and Change alliance (FFC). In a statement posted on , the SPA indicated that it had received an invitation from the Central Council of the FFC to discuss the distribution of the parliamentary quota, explaining: “The new percentages (55 per cent for the FFC, 25 per cent for the Revolutionary Front and 20 per cent for the military component of the Council Sovereignty) contravene the constitutional document.” The statement emphasized that these new ratios were set “after consultation between the FFC and the military components of the (transitional) Sovereignty Council,” stressing the SPA’s refusal of domination of the FFC’s Central Council over the discussions, which must be shared and collective. The SPA believes that: “The new ratios will lead to the formation of an ineffective and quarrelsome parliament.” The constitutional document signed on 17 August 2019, stipulated the formation of a parliament of 300 members. Thus, the FFC was granted two-thirds of the seats, and the rest were distributed to other forces that participated in the popular movement and did not sign the Declaration of Freedom. On Thursday, the “resistance” committees in Sudan announced their refusal of the FFC’s invitation to discuss the formation of the Legislative Council. The committees confirmed in a statement: “This call came after the internal arrangements for quotas and distribution of seats were already made, as what happened when forming the Political Councils, selecting the ministers and appointing the governors.” ______Sub-Saharan Africa Nigeria  Nigerian military confirms several bandits killed in airstrike - XINHUA The Nigerian military on Sunday confirmed several bandits were killed in an airstrike in the country’s northwestern state of Kaduna. The operation took place in a forest at the Kuzo area of the state on Saturday, John Enenche, the spokesman for the military, said in a statement. Enenche said a military attack helicopter that was deployed for the operation had sighted the bandits in an open patch along the east-west axis of the forest, but declined to give the exact figure of the bandits killed. The bandits who had wreaked havoc in the state and around the northwest region of the country were attempting to move hundreds of rustled livestock through the Kuzo area when the military’s airstrikes hit them, he added. Banditry, kidnapping and other criminal activities have recently become rampant in that region.

 Nigerian youths threaten fresh anti-police brutality protests- BBC Reports of fresh anti-police brutality protests in Nigeria planned for Monday have been published by local media. The new threats come after a court order granted the Central Bank of

CDRC Research Department, November 2020 Nigeria the right to freeze the accounts of 19 individuals and a public affairs company linked to the #EndSARS protests. Different groups, including Muslim Rights Concern (Muric), have urged people not to participate in fresh protests. The Lagos state government has also advised residents against taking part. A panel formed to look into police brutality cases has been hearing from victims. Police have warned that no protests will be allowed.

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 Politicians anxious as Gambia plans to change unique voting system-Anadolu A controversy has erupted in the tiny West African country of Gambia, as election authorities have proposed to replace the unique voting system with paper ballots. Introduced in 1960 to address high levels of illiteracy, voters in the country instead of stamping on ballot papers are given tokens (clear-glass marbles) to drop in separate drums (which serve as ballot boxes) meant for individual candidates identified with colors, party symbols, and photographs. In December 2016, then Gambian President Yahya Jammeh had described this system as “fraud-proof.” But that was before elections. After the opposition candidate Adama Barrow defeated him, he rejected the outcome, sparking a constitutional crisis. He was forced to leave the Gambia, but not before military intervention. He lives in Equatorial Guinea since January 2017. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC)’s move, to replace the voting system has been met with mixed reactions, with several politicians and political commentators opposing the change. Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Sidi Sanneh a popular Gambian blogger and a political commentator said the current system has served the country well. “The marble, drum, and bell voting system obviate the need to be literate to participate in one of our most sacred civic duties as citizens – that is the right to vote – in a country where illiteracy rates are still unfortunately very high,” he said. In the polling stations, the voters are issued a marble, which they drop into the drum of their choice, placed behind the polling booth. The marble, when dropped in the drum hits a bell whose sound indicates that a vote was cast. That is why it is called marble, drum, and bell voting system. To prevent hearing other sounds, when the drum is sealed, the polling officials place sand or sawdust into its bottom. Also, on that day, bicycles are banned in the vicinity of polling booths. Election authorities have their reasons to replace the system. According to IEC Spokesperson Joseph Colley, since 2017, the number of political parties has increased from 9-16, which means keeping more ballot drums in polling booths. With 880,000 eligible registered voters and more than 1,400 polling stations, the logistics have become challenging for the IEC. Also due to recent reforms, where diaspora have been allowed to vote, it has become necessary to move to ballot papers. Colley said the IEC had consulted representatives of all political parties to discuss the transition to ballot papers. “At each polling station, if all political parties currently in the country contest, we will need to have 16 ballot drums. Moving the material will be a huge logistical challenge,” he said. He said when political parties themselves use paper ballots to choose their

CDRC Research Department, November 2020 leaders, it is time to change the system at a bigger scale as well. Agreeing with Colley, Sait Matty Jaw, an academic said the current system is an operational challenge. “Following the liberalization of the political environment, the current system does not only provide operational challenges but has the possibility of increasing the cost associated with organizing elections,” he said. Almamy Taal, the spokesperson of the country's major political grouping, the United Democratic Party (UDP), said this change needs to be supported. The Justice Ministry is preparing to move the proposed legislation to bring changes in the electoral system in the parliament soon. But not all members of Taal’s party support the proposed changes. Sanna Jawara, a lawmaker of the UDP is one of the opponents of the change. “The legitimacy of the outcome of an election result is priceless. The argument that this change will make it easier for the Gambian diaspora to vote, in my opinion, is lame and baseless,” he said. Jawara represents a constituency called the Upper Fuladu West where the adult literacy rate is a mere 28%, according to recent data by the Gambia Bureau of Statistics. And when in the country only half of the population can read and write, Jawara is concerned that ballot papers will disenfranchise a large number of voters. Gambia’s Tourism Minister, Hamat Bah who is also the leader of the National Reconciliation Party (NRP), is also opposed to ballot papers. Bah, who is an ally of President Adama Barrow said the marbles voting system is reliable and above all a “unique cultural practice” akin to the Gambia. “This [marbles voting system] is a unique cultural practice in this country. I want to say I am opposed to it as a party leader and minister of culture… We can improve this and not do away with it,” said Bah. “You cannot do the changes in less than a year to the elections. Before you do the amendment and sensitization. It will take another six months and that is not sufficient time. The risk is too high. They should have done this three year ago and not now when we are going to elections. It is too dangerous, “he added. ______

Gulf Region and the Middle East Egypt  Muslim Brotherhood urge incoming US administration to end support for dictatorships-MEMO The Muslim Brotherhood on Saturday welcomed the outcome of the US elections. A statement issued by the movement’s Deputy General Guide, Ibrahim Munir, said Biden’s victory proves that the American people are still capable of enforcing their will. The statement read: “On this occasion, we call upon the incoming American administration to reconsider previous policies of support for dictatorships around the world. We implore the Biden administration to repudiate the crimes and violations committed by tyrannical regimes against the rights of peoples.” It added, “We regard policies that ignore the free choices of people and which foster relations with authoritarian regimes as absolutely inappropriate. They represent a choice to stand on the wrong

CDRC Research Department, November 2020 side of history.” The Muslim Brotherhood said it remained committed to supporting the free choices of people in the hope that they will lead to stable and just systems in which people enjoy dignified lives and in which the values of justice, democracy, equality, plurality and the protection of human rights are all upheld. ______

Libya  Libya army urges withdrawal of Haftar’s militia, mercenaries to hold talks in Sirte- MEMO The Libyan army on Friday welcomed the convening of the Joint Military Commission (5+5) in the Libyan city of Sirte, on condition of the mercenaries’ departure and the withdrawal of the militia of General Khalifa Haftar. This came, according to a statement released by the support forces of the Sirte-Jufra Protection and Security Operations Room affiliated with the army, two days after the conclusion of the talks of the 5+5 commission under the auspices of the United Nations, for the first time in the Libyan town of Ghadames. The statement announced: “The forces of the Sirte-Jufra Protection and Security Operations Room welcome the meetings of the 5+5 commission, which will be held in the city of Sirte in the coming days, and stress the need for the departure of the Janjaweed and Wagner mercenaries and Haftar’s militia withdrawal, in addition to holding all criminals accountable.” The statement continued: “We do not agree to open roads or communicate with an area controlled by foreign mercenaries who have shed our blood, destroyed our capital, laid mines that killed civilians and children, left mass graves behind them and destroyed the infrastructure.” “There is no place for the war criminal Haftar in the next stage. It is necessary to hold those who committed war crimes and killed civilians accountable,” the statement added. The statement also affirmed: “The Libyan forces adherence to the orders of the commander-in-chief, the minister of defense and the chief of staff regarding the meeting of the 5+5 commission, to preserve and extend the state’s sovereignty over the entirety of the Libyan soil.” The Joint Military Commission (5+5) achieved an important second step towards building trust between the Libyan warring parties, after agreeing on the mechanisms for implementing a permanent ceasefire agreement, signed in Geneva on 23 October. This is the first time since 2019 that the Libyan parties meet within their country, in the city of Ghadames, and it is expected that these meetings will continue in the city of Sirte in the future. Last week, the Libyan parties to the conflict reached a ceasefire agreement through the discussions of the military commission, which included five representatives of the government and five members of Haftar’s militia. For years, the oil-rich country has been witnessing an armed conflict, as Haftar’s militia contests, with the support of Arab and Western countries, the internationally- recognized Libyan government for legitimacy and authority, resulting in civilian casualties and

CDRC Research Department, November 2020 enormous material damage. Since 21 August, there has been a ceasefire in Libya, which Haftar’s militia has repeatedly violated. ______

Yemen  Yemen army says intercepts 4 rebel drones -MEMO Government forces shot down four explosive-laden drones fired by Houthi rebels east of Sanaa, according to the Yemeni army on Sunday, Anadolu reports. A military statement said army forces were engaged in fierce battles with Houthi rebels in Nihm district, east of Sanaa, for the third day in a row. According to the statement, army forces repelled several suicide attacks by the rebels in the area. Several rebels were killed and injured in artillery shelling of Houthi positions in Nihm, the statement said, without giving an exact toll. There was no comment from the Houthi group on the claim. Yemen has been beset by violence and chaos since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital Sanaa. The crisis escalated in 2015 when the Saudi-led coalition launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi territorial gains. More than 100,000 Yemenis, including civilians, are believed to have been killed in the conflict, which has led to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with millions at risk of starvation. ______

Emerging Powers U.S. election  Biden to launch COVID-19 task force, Trump plans rallies to protest election - Reuters President-elect Joe Biden will convene a coronavirus task force on Monday to examine the No. 1 problem confronting him when he takes office in January, while President Donald Trump pursues several long-shot gambits to hold on to his job. Biden is due to meet with an advisory board co-chaired by former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner David Kessler and Yale University Associate Professor Marcella Nunez-Smith to examine how best to tame a pandemic that has killed more than 237,000 Americans. The Democratic former vice president will then give remarks in Wilmington, Delaware, about his plans for tackling COVID-19 and rebuilding the economy. “Dealing with the coronavirus pandemic is one of the most important battles our administration will face, and I will be informed by science and by experts,” Biden said in a statement on Monday. The group of scientists and experts will liaise with local and state officials on the pandemic response, including how to safely reopen schools and firms and tackle racial disparities. They include Rick Bright, who was removed as head of a federal agency called the Biomedical Advanced Research

CDRC Research Department, November 2020 and Development Authority earlier this year, and Luciana Borio, who specializes in complex public health emergencies. Trump has frequently clashed with top health officials over the pandemic. Vice President Mike Pence is due to meet with the White House coronavirus task force on Monday for the first time since Oct. 20. Biden cleared the threshold of 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House on Saturday, four days after the Nov. 3 election. He beat Trump by more than 4 million votes nationwide, making Trump the first president since 1992 to lose re-election. But Trump has not acknowledged defeat and has launched an array of lawsuits to press claims of election fraud for which he has produced no evidence. State officials say they are not aware of any significant irregularities. Trump has no public events scheduled for Monday, and has not spoken in public since Thursday. He plans to hold rallies to build support for his challenge to the election results, campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said. Biden’s advisers are moving ahead and considering candidates for top Cabinet posts. But the transition cannot shift into high gear until the U.S. General Services Administration, which oversees federal property, certifies the winner. Emily Murphy, the Trump appointee who runs the agency, has not yet done so and a GSA spokeswoman gave no timetable for the decision. Until then, the GSA can continue providing Biden’s team with offices, computers and background checks for security clearances, but they cannot yet enter federal agencies or access federal funds set aside for the transition. The Biden campaign on Sunday pressed the agency to move ahead. “America’s national security and economic interests depend on the federal government signaling clearly and swiftly that the government will respect the will of the American people and engage in a smooth and peaceful transfer of power,” the campaign said in a statement. Trump, however, has shown no signs he will engage in a transition. Murtaugh said Trump will hold a series of rallies to build support for the legal fights challenging the outcome, though Murtaugh did not say when and where they would take place. Trump will seek to back up his as yet unsubstantiated accusations of voting fraud by highlighting obituaries of dead people the campaign said voted in the election, Murtaugh said. Trump also announced teams to pursue recounts in several states. Experts said that effort, like his lawsuits, are unlikely to meet with success. “The chances of a recount flipping tens of thousands of votes across multiple states in his favor are outside anything we have seen in American history,” William Antholis, director of the University of Virginia’s Miller Center think tank, wrote in an essay on Sunday. Leaders from across the globe have congratulated Biden, including some Trump allies, but many of Trump’s fellow Republicans have yet to recognize the Democrat’s victory. Republican attorneys general from Louisiana, Kentucky, Missouri and Oklahoma said they will take legal action on Monday to help the Trump campaign challenge how Pennsylvania has handled mail ballots, a popular option this year for voters seeking to avoid coronavirus exposure at crowded polling locations. It was not clear how they would help Trump’s legal team, which is headed by David Bossie, a seasoned political activist but not a lawyer. Pennsylvania, the state that clinched Biden’s victory on Saturday, has been one of the most hotly contested battlegrounds of the election. Trump has

CDRC Research Department, November 2020 repeatedly criticized mail voting as insecure, though he himself has voted that way in past elections and election experts say it is as reliable as other methods.

 Merkel, after Biden victory, says EU and U.S. must work side by side - Reuters German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday congratulated U.S. President-elect Joe Biden on his election and called for the European Union and United States to work “side by side”, but also acknowledged the EU must do more to take care of its own security. Merkel held up Biden as an experienced leader who knows Germany and Europe well, stressing: “We are allies in NATO, we share fundamental values ... and interests.” Eager to move on from President Donald Trump’s critical view of Germany, Merkel said the United States and Germany, as part of the EU, must work “side by side” to tackle the coronavirus, global warming, and terrorism and to champion free trade. Trump previously called Germany “a captive to Russia” for supporting a Baltic Sea gas pipeline deal with Russia, threatened German auto makers with high tariffs on cars imported into the United States and criticized Berlin for not contributing enough to NATO. “We Germans and we Europeans know that we have to take on more responsibility in this partnership in the 21st century,” Merkel said. “America is and remains our most important ally. But it expects us, and rightly so, to make stronger efforts to take care of our security and to stand up for our convictions in the world,” she added. Merkel also said Vice President-elect Kamala Harris was an inspiration to many people and that she was looking forward to working with Harris and Biden.

 China holds off on sending congratulations to Biden - Reuters China, which has held off on congratulating U.S. presidential election winner Joe Biden even as leaders of other countries have done so, said on Monday it would follow custom in responding to the result. Democrat Biden clinched enough states to win the presidency but incumbent President Donald Trump has not conceded and is making legal challenges to the outcome of the Nov. 3 election. “We noticed that Mr. Biden has declared election victory,” foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a daily media briefing. “We understand that the U.S. presidential election result will be determined following U.S. law and procedures.” In 2016, Xi sent congratulations to Trump on Nov. 9, a day after the election. Relations between China and the United States are at their worst in decades over disputes ranging from technology and trade to Hong Kong and the coronavirus, and the Trump administration has unleashed a barrage of sanctions against . While Biden is expected to maintain a tough stance on China -- he has called President Xi Jinping a “thug” and vowed to lead a campaign to “pressure, isolate and punish China” -- he is likely to take a more measured and multilateral approach. “We always believe that China and the United States should enhance communication and dialogue, manage differences on the basis of mutual respect, expand cooperation on the basis of mutual benefit and promote sound and stable development of bilateral relations,” Wang told the briefing. Hu Xijin, editor of the Global Times,

CDRC Research Department, November 2020 a tabloid published by the ruling Communist Party’s People’s Daily, said in a tweet: “China hasn’t congratulated Biden on his victory as quickly as Western countries did.” “I think it’s because China needs to keep larger distance from the US presidential election to avoid getting entangled in its controversy. This actually shows that China respects the US as a whole,” he added. Earlier on Monday, Chinese state media struck an optimistic tone in editorials, saying relations could be restored to a state of greater predictability, starting with trade. While acknowledging that Washington was unlikely to ease pressure on China over issues such as Xinjiang and Hong Kong, the Global Times said Beijing should work to communicate with Biden’s team. “It’s in the common interests of people from both countries and of the international community that China-U.S. relations become eased and controllable,” it said. The China Daily said it was “obvious” improving ties with China could start from trade, and reviving trade talks was critical to restoring some understanding and trust. Wang Huiyao, head of the Center for China and Globalization and an advisor to the government in Beijing, said he expects more dialogue under a Biden administration. “Biden’s election means an opportunity to re- establish relations with the U.S. as he is more likely to uphold multilateralism. That means China and the U.S. can start discussing issues including climate change, pandemic control and trade,” Wang told Reuters. On China’s Twitter-like Weibo, top trending items included the hashtags “#BidenSpeaksToTheWholeCountry#”, viewed 1.21 billion times, and “#Trump will lose special Twitter protections in January#”.

 Arab leaders congratulate US' Biden on election victory -Anadolu Messages from Arab leaders poured in Saturday congratulating President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on their White House victory. Leaders from , , and Egypt were among those welcoming the victory, as projected by major US media outlets. The emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, congratulated Biden and Harris. "I look forward to working together to continue strengthening the friendship between our countries." Sheikh Tamim wrote on Twitter. Lebanese President also congratulated Biden on his victory. Aoun expressed hope that during Biden’s term "balance in the Lebanese American relations will return for the good of the friendly Lebanese and American peoples." Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Egypt's president, was among the first Arab leaders to congratulate Biden. In a statement by presidential spokesperson Bassam Radi, el-Sisi said that he looks forward "for cooperation and joint action to strengthen the strategic bilateral relations between Egypt and the United States for the interest of the two countries and peoples." ’s King Abdullah II also congratulated the US president-elect. "I look forward to working with you on further advancing the solid historic partnership between Jordan and the United States, in the interest of our shared objectives of peace, stability and prosperity," Abdullah II tweeted, along with a photo of him and Biden. While the Palestinian leadership has yet to comment on Biden’s victory, several Palestinian groups and officials expressed their satisfaction over the departure of President Donald Trump,

CDRC Research Department, November 2020 the architect of such anti-Palestinian moves as recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and the so-called “deal of the century.” Nabil Shaath, a Senior Palestinian official, said that "nothing was worse than Trump's era, his departure is a gain." group leader Ismail Haniyeh did not comment directly on Biden winning, but did say: "US President Donald Trump, who sought to obliterate Palestine's cause, has gone and Jerusalem will not go." East Jerusalem is seen as the capital of a future Palestinian state. Biden, 77, was elected the 46th president of the United States, making him the oldest incoming president in US history.

CDRC Research Department, November 2020

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