Insights and impact

Prime minister promises “Sudan will never be the same again”

By David A. Wemer

Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok became the first Sudanese leader to travel to Washington, DC in more than thirty years, seeking to win more international support for his transitional government as it tries to guide Sudan towards democracy. “There is a success story that is emerging” in Sudan, Hamdok told an audience at the Atlantic Council on December 5. In a “region full of crises and riddled with conflicts, Sudan provides hope,” Hamdok declared.

Rudabeh Shahid in the Globe Post

“This fear of demographic change has seen the disenfranchisement of minorities in a non-transparent and unsystematic manner. It is useful to understand that this “demographic jitter” can only be offset if nations of South Asia truly consider ethnic balancing schemes and adopt proper integration policies inclusive of all ethnic groups.”

Mark Linscott in The Print

“Just as the United States and India continue to build out their strategic relationship, shaped in many respects by China priorities, they might begin to build out their trade relationship beyond the strictly transactional efforts to lower the temperature on bilateral trade problems and consider collaboration on the challenge of China on trade. This effort […]

Irfan Nooruddin in Voice of America Urdu

“[Trump] thinks he is an absolute position of strength, so why would he treat the EU as an equal challenger or partner if he thinks that ultimately the U.S. is in the strongest position?” “In fact, the human rights concerns in Kashmir that have been documented by a number of activists continue to be a […]

Marie Kasperek in The Hill

“[Trump] thinks he is an absolute position of strength, so why would he treat the EU as an equal challenger or partner if he thinks that ultimately the U.S. is in the strongest position?”

Europe to take center stage in global trade talks

By Hung Tran

With the “phase one” trade deal behind them, the United States and China will now probably shift attention to sorting out their economic and trade relationships with Europe. Caught in the middle of the US-China trade war and geopolitical competition, the European Union (EU) has tried to steer an independent course, balancing security and geopolitical concerns with economic and business needs. Doing so, however, has exposed many differences vis-a-vis the United States as well as China.

Will Wechsler in the New York Times

William F. Wechsler, director of Middle East programs at the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based research organization, said in an emailed statement that the plan was unlikely to have a major impact in the short term. “The announcement’s chosen timing, specific staging, limited participants, and indeed its substance make clear that it has less to do […]