In Geopolitics Today: Thursday, July 14th
The United States and Israel Sign Bilateral Strategic Partnership Agreement, France to Redefine its Strategy in the Sahel, and other stories.
The United States and Israel Sign Bilateral Strategic Partnership Agreement
Leaders from the United States and Israel have signed a bilateral strategic partnership agreement. As part of the agreement, both powers reiterated anti-Iran positions by committing to preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. While Iran denies that its nuclear program is military and has stated that its nuclear pursuits are solely intended to meet the country’s energy needs, Israel and the United States has long rejected this line of reasoning.
The partnership agreement will see Washington uphold its intention to utilise “all elements in its national power” to stop Iranian efforts at uranium enrichment. In addition, the joint declaration included a pledge by the US to continue military transfers to Israel. The two countries also agreed to jointly combat political efforts which undermine Israeli legitimacy and sovereignty, with the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement named as one of the key targets.
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Sri Lankan Army Empowered to Use Force to Protect the State
As the protests across Sri Lanka escalated outside the prime minister’s compound, his office imposed a state of emergency, imposed an immediate curfew, and gave broader powers to the military and police. While Sri Lankan lawmakers agreed too elect a new president on July 20, they have struggled to decide on a new government that would lift the bankrupt country out of economic and political collapse.
The Sri Lankan Army deployed tanks to prevent protesters from entering the Parliament. The island nation has been hit with a severe economic and political crisis, leading to widespread shortages of food and energy. The shortages have sown despair among Sri Lanka’s 22 million people and the subsequent political impasse has only worsened the economic situation. The absence of a unity government is also threatening to delay a bailout from the International Monetary Fund, with Sru Lanka relying on relying on economic aid from India and China.
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France to Redefine its Strategy in the Sahel
After experiencing a series of military setbacks in the Sahel, France is set to redefine its role in the region by repositioning its forces. French troops are already withdrawing from Mali, and a number of other French deployments in coastal West African states are increasingly under threat. With French bases and outposts coming under threat, French officials are heading to Niger to redefine the country’s strategy to fight armed groups in the Sahel.
Coups in Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali against pro-French leaders have weakened France’s position in its former colonies. French losses have emboldened armed groups who control large swathes of desert and scrubland, terrain that is difficult for the French armed forces to control. With the withdrawal of 2,400 French troops from Mali expected to be completed soon, France is working to establish Niger as a new hub for French troops. Some 300-400 troops will be dispatched for special operations in the border regions with Burkina Faso and Mali, while another 700-1,000 would be based in Chad.
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Australia Aligns Pacific Policy with the United States
Since coming into power, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government has prioritised strong relations with Pacific Island nations as an integral part of Australia’s foreign policy. While the new government’s approach to engage with Pacific island nations is consistent with Canberra’s traditional approach of prioritising regional ties, the intensity of this effort mirrors moves made by Washington to prevent countries in the Pacific from siding with China.
Australia has traditionally been a major partner for regional countries in fields like development and security. However, recent years have seen differences over issues such as climate change strain ties with Pacific leaders. The new government’s approach of strengthening Australia’s ties with the Pacific Islands run parallel similar efforts undertaken by the Biden administration. Washington has recently appointed a special envoy to the Pacific Islands Forum, and has vowed to open new embassies in Tonga and Kiribati. These diplomatic efforts by Canberra and Washington come soon after the Solomon Islands signed a security agreement with China.
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