In Geopolitics Today: Monday, August 29th
Tunisia and Morocco Recall Ambassadors, Floods Cause Severe Disruptions in Pakistan, and other stories.
Tunisia and Morocco Recall Ambassadors
The Tunisian government has recalled its ambassador from Morocco in retaliation to the Moroccan government’s decision to recall its Tunisian ambassador a day prior. Morocco recalled its ambassador for consultations after Tunisia's President Kais Saied hosted Brahim Ghali, the leader of the Western Sahara independence movement at a Japan-Africa investment conference in Tunis, prompting Tunis to mirror Rabat’s move.
Tunisian officials insist that its decision to invite Ghali was consistent with the policies of the African Union, of which the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is a recognized member. Tunisia has typically maintained a neutral position toward the Western Sahara dispute, while being careful not to align with Morocco's position on the issue. While ties between Rabat and Tunis deteriorated after the Arab Spring, both countries have maintained a friendly relationship in recent years and continue to trade with each other.
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Serbia and Kosovo Agree to Resolve Document Dispute
Serbia and Kosovo have settled an ethnic dispute over the movement of citizens across their shared border. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that an agreement was reached in EU-facilitated talks which saw Serbia agree to abolish document requirements for Kosovo ID holders and Kosovo agreed to not introduce restrictions for Serbian ID holders.
The talks were part of the EU-led Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue launched in 2011 which aims to normalise relations between the Western Balkan neighbours. The two countries have been at odds since Kosovo seceded from Serbia with NATO support, and tensions flared more recently after Kosovo signalled an intention to stop recognising Serbian identity documents earlier this month. In response, Serb militias blocked access to two border crossings in northern Kosovo as reports emerged that shots had been exchanged by armed personnel across the border.
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Floods Cause Severe Disruptions in Pakistan
Severe rains in Pakistan's Balochistan and Sindh provinces have caused immense flooding that has already displaced more than 30 million people. Though the true extent of the damage is not yet apparent, homes and critical infrastructure such as roads and electrical lines have been destroyed across large swathes of the country. Worse still, the floodwaters have yet to abate.
The floods will adversely affect Pakistan's food security and economic growth in the coming year, which could worsen political instability at a precarious time for Pakistani politics. The cash-strapped country already depends on external aid from the International Monetary Fund to avoid economic disaster, and further assistance will likely be necessary to deal with the floods' impacts. Infrastructure like roads and bridges have been damaged in both provinces, with Balochistan experiencing a total communication cut-off from other parts of the country. The diversion of armed personnel to assist with flood relief could also lead to increased militant activity.
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Turkey Accuses Greece of Hostile Actions
Turkey has said Greece used a Russian-made missile system to harass its F-16 fighter jets carrying out a reconnaissance mission in international airspace in what it termed a “hostile action”. According to Turkish officials, the radar of a Greek S-300 missile system on the island of Crete locked onto Turkish jets. The Greek defence ministry dismissed the allegations, stating that no such events had ever taken place.
Turkish F-16s were conducting missions at an altitude of 3,000 metres to the west of Greece’s Rhodes island when the S-300’s target-tracking radar is said to have locked on. Since radar locks are considered an act of hostility under NATO rules of engagement, this episode highlights the bellicose nature of the relationship between the two NATO allies. Turkish defence ministry officials have reportedly complained that Greek actions are incompatible with “the spirit of the alliance” and amounted to a “hostile act” under NATO’s rules of engagement.