THE EARLY WARNING MONITOR
GLIC Weekly Report 2.20

Mozambique’s new president sworn in despite opposition boycott
Mozambique’s new President Daniel Chapo has been sworn in at a low-key ceremony in the capital, Maputo, that was marred by an opposition boycott following heavily disputed elections. A local civil society group says that more than 300 people have been killed in clashes with security forces since elections in October.
BBC NEWS: Mozambique’s new president sworn in despite opposition boycott January 15, 2025

South Africa authorities face scrutiny over mine response
South African authorities face growing anger over their handling of a standoff with illegal miners trapped in an abandoned gold mine, as the death toll from the incident reached at least 87. Authorities may face an investigation over their initial refusal to help the miners and instead “smoke them out” by cutting off their food supplies. The miners are suspected to have died of starvation and dehydration, although no causes of death have been released.
African News: South Africa authorities face scrutiny over mine response January 17, 2025

Sierra Leone calls back ambassador after drug seizure in Guinea embassy incident
Sierra Leone has recalled its ambassador to Guinea after a vehicle belonging to the country’s embassy was found with seven suitcases containing suspected cocaine. Guinea’s authorities impounded the vehicle on Monday and detained its occupants, suspecting them of trafficking drugs. According to Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister, Alhaji Musa Timothy Kabba, Ambassador Alimamy Bangura, who was not present in the vehicle, has been called back to Freetown to clarify the situation. The discovery comes as West Africa remains a key transit zone for cocaine trafficking from Latin America to Europe. The region is grappling with increasing local drug abuse, with Sierra Leone’s president declaring drug misuse a national emergency last year.
African News: Sierra Leone calls back ambassador after drug seizure in Guinea embassy incident January 17, 2025

Israel’s security cabinet approves ceasefire agreement
The cabinet has voted to back the recently agreed truce deal with Hamas. A statement by the Israeli prime minister’s office said that the cabinet accepted the deal “after examining all political, security, and humanitarian aspects; and with the understanding that the proposed deal supports the achievement of the war’s goals”. The cabinet also recommended that “the government approve the proposed outline”. The deal will now move to the full cabinet for a discussion and vote. The deal, mediated by the US, Qatar, and Egypt, includes a 42-day truce and the exchange of prisoners.
Al jazeeral Israel’s security cabinet approves ceasefire agreement January 17, 2025

EU stronger than Russia – Polish PM
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said that the EU is stronger than Russia and urged NATO member states to ramp up their defense spending across the US-led military bloc to counter Moscow. NATO’s defense spending benchmark is currently set at 2% of GDP, a target that many countries have struggled to achieve. Poland aims to spend 4.7% of GDP on defense this year, the highest in NATO. Last week, US President-elect Donald Trump suggested that NATO countries should start spending 5% of their GDP on defense. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko has recently warned that NATO appears to be preparing for war with Moscow, adding that the bloc’s current course poses a danger to both Russia and to the overall security architecture.
RT EU stronger than Russia January 16, 2025

Wings of death: India may have figured out a surprising way to defeat drones
Police officials in the southern Indian state of Telangana have successfully trained five eagles to identify and down drones that could pose a threat to the visits of Very Very Important Persons (VVIPs) or to large public gatherings. The ‘Garuda’ squad, named after a Hindu mythical Sunbird, took more than three years of painstaking efforts to materialize. It is now part of the Telangana police’s Intelligence Security Wing (ISW), a specialized force overseeing VVIP security. This is India’s first and only bird squad and the world’s second, after the Netherlands.
RT: Wings of death January 16, 2025

Ban on talks with Moscow remains – Kiev
Kiev is maintaining its moratorium on direct negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga confirmed in an interview with European Pravda published on Wednesday. Two years ago, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky signed a decree banning his government from any talks with Moscow. When asked if Russia should be involved in potential peace negotiations, Sibiga stated that for now, such a “modality” has not been considered. “Let us wait for official contacts with the US, where we will discuss further steps,” the diplomat added.
RT: Ban on talks with Moscow remains – Kiev January 16, 2025

Trump to deliver more weapons to Taiwan – Waltz
US president-elect Donald Trump plans to increase the pace of American military hardware deliveries to China’s self-governed region of Taiwan, incoming national security adviser Mike Waltz has confirmed. Speaking at the US Institute of Peace in Washington on Tuesday, Waltz, a Florida Congressman, stated: “We have over a $20 billion backlog of things that they paid for and that we need to work hard to free up and have them get what they paid for as a deterrent measure.” Waltz also reaffirmed that the next US administration will continue to pursue a “porcupine” policy regarding Taiwan. The strategy involves equipping the island with asymmetric defense capabilities, such as mobile missile systems, drones, and advanced surveillance technologies, that would raise the potential costs for mainland China if were to use force to take control of the territory.
RT: Trump to deliver more weapons to Taiwan January 16, 2025

Prepare for war – NATO chief
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has called on members of the US-led military bloc to adopt a “wartime mindset” and significantly increase defense spending, citing supposed threats from Russia and other nations. The bloc’s “future security is at stake,” Rutte claimed in his opening remarks at a meeting of the Military Committee in Chiefs of Defense in Brussels on Wednesday. He accused Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran of attempting to “weaken our democracies and chip away at our freedom.” “To prevent war, we need to prepare for it. It is time to shift to a wartime mindset,” Rutte asserted, urging NATO states to fund “more and better defense capabilities.”
RT: Prepare for war January 16, 2025

EU brings Switzerland into ‘Military Schengen’
The Council of Europe has announced that it has approved the participation of Switzerland in the EU’s Military Mobility project. Launched in 2017 as part of the bloc’s Permanent Structured Cooperation in Defense (PESCO) program, the initiative is designed to simplify the movement of military personnel and weapons throughout Western Europe. Berne will receive formal member status after completing an administrative agreement. The participation of Switzerland, which has been neutral since 1815, will “bring substantial added value,” the Council of Europe statement claimed.
RT: EU brings Switzerland into ‘Military Schengen’ January 16, 2025

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