Group of Yemeni ministers announce support for UAE-backed rebel coalition
In the latest twist to Yemen’s decade-long civil war, a group of government ministers declared support for the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), a rebel group that broke the war’s deadlock earlier this month by seizing control of the oil-rich Handramout region. Yemen’s de facto leader Rashad al-Alimi denounced the declaration, likely because the STC wants an independent state in the south. The move threatens to deepen regional rifts. Saudi Arabia – whose rivalry with the UAE has been escalating – has long supported the Yemeni government, while Iran is likely to worry that the Houthis, one of its few remaining successful proxy groups, will face pressure from a surging STC.
US carries out surveillance over Nigeria
The US has been flying surveillance missions over Nigeria since November, following a surge in violence across the country, Reuters reported yesterday. President Donald Trump has threatened to intervene over what he called a failure to stop attacks targeting Christians, but Nigerian officials say that the security situation is more complex. What's more, the violence is often driven as much by competition over dwindling resources as religious divisions – and it’s not just against Christians. Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency last month and ordered a mass recruitment of security forces. US surveillance signals an effort by Washington to reestablish its military presence in West Africa after being pushed out of Niger last year, when authorities ordered US troops to leave an air base and turned to Russia for security assistance instead.
Myanmar to hold elections amid concerns over forced voting
Thousands have fled villages in Myanmar after the Burmese military bombed areas to retake territory from rebels ahead of the Dec. 28 election. Many have crossed the border to neighboring India. The displaced report feeling forced to vote, effectively legitimizing a cruel and repressive military government, or facing torture and imprisonment if they abstain. The election is being called a sham by rebel groups, who are continuing to fight the military junta in the Chin state, since nearly all opposition leaders have been thrown in jail.
