Arrests following Slovakian assassination attempt ? Sudanese refugees face famine ? Iranian President helicopter crash
Silobreaker
Bridging the gap between data and intelligence - A single platform for intelligence production and dissemination.
Arrest made following assassination attempt on Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico
On May 15th, 2024, Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, was shot at close range in an apparent assassination attempt that appeared to take the Prime Minister’s security detail by surprise. Juraj Cintula, a former security guard, poet, and a member of the Slovak Society of Writers, was detained on the scene of the shooting and has been charged with attempted murder. The government described the attack as politically motivated, with several Slovak politicians calling the shooting an ‘attack on democracy’ and Slovakia’s Interior Minister, Matus Sutaj Estok, warning that the country is on the brink of a civil war.?
Fico was rushed to a nearby hospital in an air ambulance, with his injuries described as life-threatening. His condition after the surgery have been described as serious but stable and he has been moved to an intensive care unit. Cintula has reportedly told police that the attack was premeditated but that he did not intend to kill Fico. The suspect is said to have had acted alone and previously taken part in anti-government protests.?
Fico, a veteran populist politician, is a divisive figure in Slovakia and controversial in the European Union. He returned to power in 2023, criticising military aid to Ukraine and sanctions against Russia. His time in office has seen widespread protests across the country, including over steps that critics have warned will endanger freedom of the press, and the elimination of a special prosecutor post that deals with major crime and corruption. The attack came on the day the Slovakian parliament began discussing the government's proposal to abolish Slovakia's public broadcaster RTVS, once again triggering widespread protests.??
The shooting, being the first major assassination attempt on a European political leader in more than 20 years, has sent shock waves across Europe. World leaders have condemned the shooting, many linking it to an increasingly polarised political climate across Europe. Slovakia's outgoing president Zuzana Caputova appealed for calm and invited all party leaders to a meeting to discuss political tensions, while president-elect Peter Pellegrini called on all parties to suspend campaigning before European Parliament elections, scheduled for early June 2024.?
Additional reading
Sudanese refugees face famine amidst escalating violence in al-Fashir
Since May 10th, 2024, at least 64 civilians have reportedly been killed and a further 489 injured in al-Fashir, Sudan, considered to be the last stronghold of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in the western Darfur region. Artillery attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and air bombardments by SAF have resulted in new displacements of residents as stray missiles have hit the refugee camps. The escalating violence is also preventing humanitarian aid from being delivered, with warnings of an impending famine within the displacement camps surrounding the city.?
The civil war between the two army factions has been ongoing since April 2023, with an estimated 15,000 people killed since the war first broke out. Recent estimates suggest about 1,000 new refugees cross the border to neighbouring country Chad on a daily basis, with the current atmosphere in the area described as ‘hell on Earth.’?
On May 15th, 2024, the United States sanctioned two commanders of the RSF, for the attacks on al-Fashir. United Nations’ High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has called on both parties to act immediately to de-escalate the situation, reminding them of their obligations under international humanitarian law. The ongoing fighting is expected to bring famine and further health issues to the civilians of Sudan, with increased international pressure seeking an end to the violence before it reaches catastrophic levels. While the May 2023 Jeddah Declaration to protect civilians, agreed between both SAF and RSF, was short-lived at the time, renewed international pressure may result in new ceasefire talks.
Additional reading
领英推荐
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi dies in helicopter crash
On May 20th, 2024, Iranian officials and state media confirmed that the country’s President Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash in mountainous terrain north of Tabriz. Raisi was returning from an official visit to Azerbaijan, together with Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein-Amir Abdollahian, governor of Iran’s East Azerbaijan Province, and other officials, to inaugurate a joint dam project with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev. Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has assured Iranians that there would be no disruption to the ‘operations of the country’ as a result of the crash. First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber is expected to take over as president, with Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani appointed as acting foreign minister.?
The crash comes at a time when dissent has been growing within Iran over political, social, and economic failures, as well as mounting international pressure over its nuclear programme. Raisi, considered a hardliner and seen as a potential successor to Ali Khamenei, was elected president in 2021, after eight years of relative pragmatism during the presidency of Hassan Rouhani. Under Raisi, the country saw a tightening of morality laws and harsh crackdowns on anti-government protests. Regional tensions have also increased further since the Hamas attack against Israel in October 2023.?
Unexpected events, such as a helicopter crashing with top officials aboard, raise questions about the future leadership of Iran and its impact on regional stability. Under Iran’s constitution, a new presidential election must be held within 50 days. Whether such an election will change the country’s politics or foreign relations remains to be seen, with Raisi’s own election widely considered a fixed election that was boycotted by the majority of citizens.
Additional reading
Contributors:
For more information, visit silobreaker.com