International
International Secretariat News 07/03/25
The Alliance of Sahel States
Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, is leading the way in Africa’s continuing fight against colonialism. At a rally held in Harlem on June 19th, grassroots organizations from the Alliance showed support for the Alliance’s policies. The crowd emphasized now there is a confederation rather than separate countries as speakers emphasized how France had tried to hold back the development of true independence. The new flag showcasing the AES logo, a new national anthem, and posters with all three leaders promoted the spirit of one people. In addition to unveiling a new flag, the Sahelian nations have introduced measures aimed at deepening integration. They launched a Sahel-wide passport system and established a joint military force to deepen military coordination against jihadist insurgencies linked to Al-Qaeda and ISIS-affiliated groups.
December 12th Movement advocates for Cuban resolution passage by City Council…
On May 28th, 2025 NYC Councilwoman Gale Brewer, 6th District(Manhattan) introduced a resolution (# 0882) into the General Body of the Council calling on the United States Congress and President to end the Cuba embargo and Cuba travel ban and to remove Cuba from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list due to the unjust harm it causes the Cuban people. The Resolution is currently in the Committee of Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Intergroup Relations for consideration, debate and passage out of said Committee and into the whole Council body for a vote. The Committee has not scheduled a hearing on the Resolution and has no planned committee meetings until September. The December 12th Movement will continue its support for the resolution’s passage through advocacy with Councilwoman Brewer’s office and with other city council co-sponsors.
Vietnam’s top leader plans US trip as tariff deadline looms…
HANOI – Vietnam’s Communist Party chief, To Lam is preparing to travel to the US in coming weeks as the two sides look to clinch a trade deal before US President Donald Trump’s higher tariffs kick in, according to people familiar with the matter. He is expected to lead a delegation of Vietnamese officials and business executives, they said, as the nation looks to seal more deals to buy additional American goods to reduce its trade surplus with the US. Negotiators are close to a framework agreement under which Vietnam is pushing for tariffs in the range of 20 per cent to 25 per cent, Bloomberg News previously reported. The US is demanding stricter enforcement against the transshipment of Chinese products and the removal of non-tariff barriers.
Source: The Straits Times, Link:
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/vietnams-top-leader-plans-us-trip-as-tariff-deadline-looms
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda enter into a controversial peace agreement – ‘PEACE FOR EXPLOITATION’
On June 27, 2025, the DRC and Rwanda entered a peace treaty to end the conflict occurring in the mineral rich eastern DRC. While the agreement calls for the withdrawal of Rwandan troops from the DRC within 90 days and for the DRC to end its support for the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda(FDLR)militia, the March 23 Movement (M23) is not a party to this agreement. M23 currently controls the two largest eastern cities of Goma and Bakavu. The treaty establishes a Joint Security Coordination Mechanism (JSCM) within 30 days whose mission will be to neutralize FDLR and its affiliated groups.
The political objectives as stated are to reestablish trust between the two countries; neutralization of the FDLR by the DRC and the removal of forces by Rwanda from the DRC; create a secure environment that promotes the renewal of socioeconomic activities; ensure peace in the region and respect for human rights; ensure protection of civilians of both countries and an end to hate speech and verbal attacks.
However, criticism of the treaty is due to its exploitive resource extraction language: “… the Parties shall launch and/or expand cooperation on shared priorities such as national park management; hydropower development; derisking of mineral supply chains; joint management of resources in Lake Kivu; and transparent, formalized end-to-end mineral value chains (from mine to processed metal) that link both countries, in partnership, as appropriate, with the U.S. government and U.S. investors.”(Emphasis added).
It should be noted that in February 2025, President Felix Tshisekedi (DRC) sent a letter to President Trump offering access to his country’s mineral wealth in exchange for security assistance. Subsequently, negotiations mediated by the US and Qatari governments resulted in the June 27 agreement.
Thus, the US’s motive in negotiating the peace agreement is its exploitive access to minerals such gold, cobalt, copper, lithium and other minerals in the eastern DRC. The treaty while seeking to establish peace is more likely a return to a past political-economic condition wherein exploitation of resources results violence, displacement and disruption of local citizens.