Sudan Protests Continue; TPLF Retreats From Afar & Amhara; Civilians & War

TPLF forces retreat back to Tigray after a year-long conflict. Are we seeing an end to armed hostilities or a mere pause?

Morgan Artyukhina, writer and news editor at Sputnik News, joins us to talk about the news from Ethiopia, where the leader of the TPLF has announced a withdrawal of their forces from the northern states of Afar and Amhara, which marks a major pause of a year-long war that saw them fail to violently take control of the country away from the Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. We talk about whether this is a full retreat or whether they are only reorganizing for another offensive, the use of drones in this conflict, and whether we will see full resolution of the war.

Niemat Ahmadi, President of the Darfur Women Action Group, tells us about the situation in Sudan on the third anniversary of the start of popular uprisings that ousted longtime leader Omar al-Bashir from power and continued against the transitional government. We talk about the actions that civilians can now take against the military, the truce with the civilian head of the transitional government Abdalla Hamdok, the role of women in the revolution, the work of the Sudanese diaspora, and the prospects for a full return to a civilian government.

Donna Davis, political consultant, political organizer and co-founder of Black Lives Matter Tampa, talks to us about reports of a coordinated campaign by Spanish-language media in Florida to attack Vice President Kamala Harris, allegations that there is a GOP campaign behind it, and the valid criticism of Harris’s performance.

Dan Lazare, journalist and writer, joins us to talk about the more than a billion dollars worth of gold seized by the Bank of England owned by the government of Venezuela which could be used to alleviate poverty in the country and combat the coronavirus pandemic, and how sanctions enacted by rich countries in order to “promote democratic change” have disastrous effects on populations. We also talk about a report on civilian casualties by the New York Times, how an ex-ante approach on civilian risks could give pause to conducting disastrous wars, and the unfolding disaster in Afghanistan as its people face severe food shortages and the West remains steadfast in isolating the country.

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