By Naveed Qazi | Editor, Globe Upfront I n Darfur, Western Sudan, the hostilities have been decreasing over the years since 2009, but there is no peace in sight.  The number of rebel factions and armed movements has made it a complex situation, leading to stark ethnic and religious divisions. For years, this rebel movement in Darfur has been bred on local support. On 29 March 2017, the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation (UNAMID), discussed the Darfur meditation. At this meeting, they noted improvement in the situation and called for a review of the “deployment of the mission in the context of the improved environment in Darfur”. There has been no comprehensive peace agreement in Darfur until now. The Darfur conflict started in 2003 when two rebel movements took up arms to protest against the economic and political marginalisation in Sudan. Violence in the Darfur region of Sudan’s far west continues unabated. Some 450,000 persons have...

By Naveed Qazi | Editor, Globe Upfront 2017 Nepal election, the country’s first since 1999, has paved a new way for the establishment of democracy in Nepal.  It is an ambitious nation where politicians and political parties subscribe largely to Marxist ideas. This election has made the transition of the country from a unitary system to a federal state. The leaders of the Left alliance, namely KP Oli and Prachanda, were once bitter enemies, but now the alliance will form the government in six out of seven states. There had been violence, just few days before the election, when Maoist militants opened fire on politicians, blew up vehicles, planted landmines and targeted civilians in dozens of attacks, injuring at least 17 people. The ruling alliance, Nepali Congress, was shocked to see both rivals joining hands in the aftermath of the election. Although, power bargaining for key posts including the speakers and several key minister posts will remain a ...

Photo source: Reuters By Naveed Qazi|  Editor, Globe Upfront Honduras is experiencing a state of great uncertainty after the 2017 November election.  The Honduran Electoral Supreme Tribunal (TSE) has examined the election result and has put the current President Juan Orlando Hernandez with a slight advantage over Salvador Nasralla. To make matters worse, protestors have poured on the streets. They believe that the leftist opposition candidate, Salvador Nasralla, had won the election. Amnesty International, the leading human rights group, has criticised the government for using violence and have expressed “irregularities” in the election. It seems that things in Honduras are not blown out of proportions and the tactics seem to be dangerous and illegal. The opposition believes all over 5000 votes have not been counted and considered. Salvador Nasralla, a 64-year-old former TV presenter, with little political experience, claims to have a proof of...