Round Up | Top five International Stories for September 2022
From the “peaceful” transition of Queen Elizabeth II and the eight-nation SCO Summit to the coup in Burkina Faso, an epicentre of violence in the Sahel, here’s a round-up of the top five international stories for September.
- Queen Elizabeth II passes on, Prince Charles ascends the throne
- SCO observes Summit in Uzbekistan, Tehran pens memorandum to join
- World leaders convene in UNGA, war in Ukraine deepens fissures
- Putin signs accord to incorporate four Ukrainian regions, the West react
- Burkina Faso army captain Traore deposes military administration, takes power
Queen Elizabeth II passes on, Prince Charles ascends the throne
Hours after she was placed under medical supervision, Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8 at her Balmoral royal estate in Scotland, where she appointed Liz Truss as the new British premier.
She passed on at the ripe old age of 96.
In a seamless transition, Prince Charles, her first son, ascended the throne and was formally proclaimed new British monarch on September 10.
Credited for her meritorious service to the British public, the revered monarch was laid to rest in Windsor Castle on September 19.
The elaborate state funeral held in London, the British state capitol had in attendance notable leaders from around the world.
SCO observes Summit in Uzbekistan, Tehran pens memorandum to join
Leaders of the eight-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) met at the Uzbek cultural center of Samarkand to discuss issues of tactical and common interests.
The two-day summit held between September 15 to 16 featured bilateral contacts and discussions on trade, security, and energy.
Interestingly, the Islamic Republic of Iran – formalized its accession into the alliance and Tehran – is all set to be granted full membership come 2023.
Established in 2001, the SCO is largely seen as a rival association to Western institutions.
Led by Russia and China, It Inter alia aims to counter-terrorism and forge closer ties among member states in multifaceted areas of cooperation.
World leaders convene in UNGA, war in Ukraine deepens fissures
State actors convened in New York between September 16 and 26 to address the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
The annual session, overshadowed by the conflict in Europe, paid moderate or no attention to other international crises.
In attendance were a slew of Western leaders, including United States President Joe Biden.
Biden in his address speech inter alia condemned the Russian offensive in Ukraine and addressed the US conflictual
relations with China.
Chinese President Xi and current Kremlin incumbent Putin were visibly absent – both leaders were represented by their Foreign ministers.
Putin signs accord to incorporate four Ukrainian regions, the West react
President Vladimir Putin formalized the incorporation of four Russian-occupied Ukrainian entities – Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia – at a grand ceremony in the Kremlin held on September 30.
The ceremony followed referendums in the Russian-controlled areas.
Slammed by the West, the annexation accounts for 15 percent of Ukraine and the risk of a nuclear conflict persists, as the war enters into a new and unpredictable phase.
The Russian leadership envisages the use of nuclear weapons to protect its territorial possessions if threatened.
Burkina Faso army captain Traore deposes military administration, takes power
Burkina Faso army captain Ibrahim Traore announced the disposition of the military rule of Paul Henri-Damiba and assumed office on September 30.
Captain Traore dissolved the government and suspended the constitution and transitional charter.
He imposed a curfew and announced an indefinite border closure.
The coup, the second in nine months, received trenchant vocal opposition from both state and non-state actors, including the European Union (EU).
The landlocked state has been the epicentre of violence in the Sahelian terrain since 2015.
Ouagadougou continues to contend with multiple security challenges.
