The Worsening World by Molly Englehardt

 

The Worsening World

By: Molly Englehardt

In light of the current rising of COVID-19 cases in the US, the election between Biden and Trump, and the protests within the country, many people forget the global issues going on. Though as Americans, our country is the most relevant and has the most effect on our lives, it is important to know about the issues around the world.

Protest severity in Kyrgyzstan increases: 

The 2020 Kyrgyzstan protests began on October 5th, 2020 in response to the 2020 parliamentary election that was perceived by protestors as unfair. On October 7, protesters and vigilante groups violently clashed after election results were released, electing opposition leader, Sadyr Zhaparov, who was freed from prison earlier that week. There were massive groups of angry Kyrgystanians that were shouting and screaming; acts of obscene violence were also documented. A journalist reported hearing gunshots amidst the unrest, as well as reported that opposing sides were also throwing rocks and bottles at each other. On October 10, the country declared a state of emergency as troops were deployed. As for the future of the situation, a curfew will be in place in an attempt to calm the nerves of the citizens.

#EndSARS protests in Nigeria:

The Nigerian government said there has been a plea for the immediate dissipation of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Sars). Protests against the squad were sparked by a video of a man allegedly being killed by police. The demonstrations have intensified despite government crackdown and have even managed to spread outside the country. All the officers in the Sars squad - widely accused of unlawful arrests, torture, and murder - are to be reassigned and a new arrangement to replace the squad is being worked on. In addition, Nigeria's chief of police said a team of investigators would be set up to investigate any documented abuses by Sars. Protesters had demanded the unit be disbanded rather than reformed because previous commitments to change police behavior had had no effect.

Tensions Between Azerbaijan and Armenia Continue to Escalate:

The 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is an ongoing armed conflict between the armed forces of Azerbaijan and the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh, together with Armenia, and is the latest escalation of the unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The clashes began on September 27, 2020, when both sides documented military and civilian casualties. In response to the clashes, Armenia and Artsakh introduced martial law and total mobilization, while Azerbaijan introduced martial law and a curfew. On October 10, Azerbaijan and Armenia both accused the other of breaking the ceasefire. The ceasefire was temporarily agreed upon earlier that day, and the break of that agreement has lead to more discourse.

Works Cited

“#EndSARS Protests: Nigeria President Commits to Ending Police Brutality.” BBC News, BBC, 10 Oct. 2020, www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-54491050.

Dzyubenko, Olga, and Vladimir Pirogov. “Kyrgyzstan on Edge of Chaos after Opposition Storms Government Buildings.” Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 6 Oct. 2020, www.reuters.com/article/us-kyrgyzstan-protests/kyrgyzstan-on-edge-of-chaos-after-opposition-storms-government-buildings-idUSKBN26R05T.

Kramer, Andrew E. “In Nagorno-Karabakh, Signs of Escalating and Widening Conflict.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 29 Sept. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/09/29/world/middleeast/nagorno-karabakh-armernia-azerbaijan.html.