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• US Army Europe and Africa Year in Review 2021 Army News 17 Dec 2021 -- While 2021 has continued to present pandemic challenges around the world, U.S. Army Europe and Africa once again this year overcame these obstacles and continued to make significant achievements that will endure well into the future.
• Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby Holds a Press Briefing DoD 17 Dec 2021
• Integrated Deterrence: U.S. Marines, Japanese soldiers complete largest ever bilateral field exercise in Japan USMC News 17 Dec 2021 -- The U.S. Marine Corps and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force completed their largest ever bilateral field training exercise in Japan as Resolute Dragon 21 came to a close Dec. 17.
• Arrival of first US F-35 aircraft marks major milestone for DIO upgrades at RAF Lakenheath UK MOD 17 Dec 2021 -- The first four of the US Air Force's new F-35 aircraft to be based in Europe arrived at RAF Lakenheath earlier today, having been flown across the Atlantic from manufacturer Lockheed Martin's factory in the USA.
• MQ-4C Triton UAS Arrives in Mayport US Navy 17 Dec 2021 -- The Navy's MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) arrived in Mayport, Florida, Dec. 16, following its initial deployment in the Pacific theater.
• USS Hershel "Woody" Williams Swaps Crew US Navy 17 Dec 2021 -- The forward-deployed Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel "Woody" Williams (ESB 4) swapped crews in Djibouti after completing the ship's third deployment through the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations, Dec. 15, 2021.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Call With German Federal Minister of Defense Christine Lambrecht DoD 17 Dec 2021
• NATO Secretary General welcomes Bulgaria's Prime Minister at NATO headquarters NATO 17 Dec 2021 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Bulgaria's new Prime Minister Kiril Petkov on Friday (17 December) at NATO headquarters, on his first visit abroad as Prime Minister.
• Press release on Russian draft documents on legal security guarantees from the United States and NATO Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 17 Dec 2021
• TREATY BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION ON SECURITY GUARANTEES Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 17 Dec 2021
• AGREEMENT ON MEASURES TO ENSURE THE SECURITY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AND MEMBER STATES OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 17 Dec 2021
• Russian Foreign Ministry Lays Out Detailed Proposals for New Russia-US-NATO Security Agreements Sputnik 17 Dec 2021 -- The proposal comes amid the virtual collapse of Russia-NATO ties in recent months, and weeks of claims by the US and its European allies that Moscow may be 'preparing to invade' Ukraine. Russian officials and the military have dismissed the claims, accusing the West of artificially ratcheting up tensions and spreading fake news.
• Russia Publishes Details of Security Proposal With West VOA 17 Dec 2021 -- Russia published draft details Friday of a security package it has sent the United States and NATO allies, which calls for restrictions on western military activity in Europe, as well as a halt to expansion by the alliance into eastern Europe.
• Russia publishes security demands from NATO amid Ukraine escalation Press TV 17 Dec 2021 -- Russia has for the first time spelled out an array of security guarantees that it wants the United States and its NATO allies to commit to, in an attempt to defuse the escalation of a dangerous security situation near its border.
• Russia Proposals For Security Guarantees Seen As Largely Unacceptable, Analysts Say RFE/RL 17 Dec 2021 -- Russia has published a wish list of security conditions that it wants to negotiate with the United States and NATO, including an end to the alliance's eastward expansion and military cooperation with countries such as Ukraine and Georgia, terms that analysts say will be nearly impossible for Washington to accept.
• Russia tests hypersonic missile, holds naval drill amid tensions with West Press TV 17 Dec 2021 -- The Russian military has successfully test-fired a hypersonic cruise missile against a target in the country's north as Moscow is engaged in naval drills in the Black Sea region amid tensions with the West and the US-led military alliance of NATO over the situation around Ukraine.
• Chinese peacekeeping infantry battalion to S. Sudan (Juba) completes rotation PLA Daily 17 Dec 2021 -- The Chinese peacekeeping infantry battalion to South Sudan (Juba) held the seventh ceremony of force command handover on December 16 at the Chinese peacekeeping camp of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Juba, the capital of South Sudan.
• First Arafura-class patrol boat launched Australia DOD 17 Dec 2021 -- The first of 12 Arafura-class offshore patrol vessels - NUSHIP Arafura - was launched yesterday at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia.
• Readout of AUKUS Joint Steering Group Meetings The White House 17 Dec 2021
• France Ready to Provide Additional Rafale Jet to India, Defence Minister Parly Says Sputnik 17 Dec 2021 -- India signed an $8.7 billion contract with France for 36 Rafale fighter jets in 2016. The manufacturer, Dassault Aviation, has so far delivered 26 Rafales to the Indian Air Force and these jets have been deployed at two locations near the border with China.
• Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh & his French counterpart Ms Florence Parly hold 3rd Annual Defence Dialogue in New Delhi India PIB 17 Dec 2021 -- The third Annual Defence Dialogue between India and France took place between Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh and French Minister for Armed Forces Ms Florence Parly in New Delhi on December 17, 2021
• Indigenization of Defence Products India PIB 17 Dec 2021 -- Two Positive Indigenisation Lists comprising 101 and 108 items were promulgated on 21 Aug 2020 and 31 May 2021 respectively
• Equipment Produced Under 'Make In India' Initiative India PIB 17 Dec 2021 -- Many significant projects including 155mm Artillery Gun system 'Dhanush', Light Combat Aircraft 'Tejas', 'Akash' Surface to Air Missile system, INS Kalvari, INS Khanderi, INS Chennai, Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvette (ASWC), Arjun Armoured Repair and Recovery Vehicle, Bridge Laying Tank, Landing Craft Utility, Bi-Modular Charge System (BMCS) for 155mm Ammunition, Medium Bullet Proof Vehicle (MBPV), Lakshya Parachute for Pilotless Target Aircraft, Thermal Imaging Sight Mark-II for T-72 tank, Offshore Surveillance Ship, Water Jet Fast Attack Craft, Inshore Patrol Vessel, Offshore Patrol Vessel, Fast Interceptor Boat, 25 T Tugs, etc
• Joint Naval Exercises India PIB 17 Dec 2021 -- The MALABAR Exercise is being conducted annually since 1992 with the aim and objective to enhance Indian Navy's interoperability with other participating navies, improve skill-sets and exchange 'best-practices' including lessons learnt
• Defence Production Units India PIB 17 Dec 2021 -- An Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) on "Mutual Cooperation in Joint Manufacturing of Spares, Components, Aggregates and other material related to Russian/Soviet Origin Arms and Defence Equipment" was signed during the 20th India-Russia Bilateral Summit held at Vladivostok in 2019
• Defence Startups India PIB 17 Dec 2021 -- The Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence has approved a central sector scheme viz
• Biden Mulls Sending Ukraine Military Equipment Once Allocated for Afghanistan - Reports Sputnik 17 Dec 2021 -- The Biden administration is considering sending military equipment to Ukraine that was previously allocated for Afghanistan prior to its collapse, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday citing US and Ukrainian officials.
• Sweden's Top Commander Urges US to Beef Up Military 'Footprint' in Europe to Counter Russia Sputnik 17 Dec 2021 -- Claims by officials and media in the US and NATO that Russia has concentrated up to 100,000 troops on the border with Ukraine and is preparing to invade have sunk relations between Moscow and the Western bloc to new lows. Russia adamantly denies having plans to invade anyone.
• US Continue Talks With UAE Over F-35 Sale Sputnik 17 Dec 2021 -- The United States is working through arrangements with the United Arab Emirates to facilitate a $23 billion sale of 50 F-35 fighter jets, but the two states are currently ironing out concerns related to the deal, a senior administration official said on Friday.
• Background Press Call on Broad Middle East Regional Year-End Discussion The White House 17 Dec 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Bulgarian Prime Minister Petkov US Dept. of State 17 Dec 2021
• Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Jen Psaki En Route Orangeburg, SC The White House 17 Dec 2021
• Department Press Briefing – December 17, 2021 US Dept. of State 17 Dec 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Dec. 17, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 17 December 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 17 Dec 2021
• Afghan, US Officials Offer Explanations for Kabul's Rapid Fall to Taliban VOA 17 Dec 2021 -- The U.S.-Taliban peace deal, signed in February 2020, paved the way for the fall of Afghanistan into the Taliban's hands, former Afghan National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib told VOA in an exclusive interview.
• Afghanistan's Taliban Repeats Call For UN To Recognize Its Ambassador RFE/RL Gandhara 17 Dec 2021 -- The unrecognized Taliban government in Afghanistan has again called on the United Nations to recognize its nominee to head the country's representation at the international body.
• Ex-Afghan National Security Adviser Recalls The Fall Of The Republic RFE/RL Gandhara 17 Dec 2021 -- By August 15, several thousand Taliban fighters had encircled the Afghan capital, Kabul, after seizing most of the country in a blistering military offensive against the Western-backed Afghan government.
• US warns of 'aggression', China holds more live-fire exercises in South China Sea Radio Free Asia 17 Dec 2021 -- The Chinese military has been holding more live-fire drills in the contested South China Sea this week, state media reported, while accusing the United States of "saber-rattling and making provocations."
• Over 50 Saudi-backed pro-Hadi commanders killed while fighting Yemeni forces over Ma'rib control Press TV 17 Dec 2021 -- More than 50 high-ranking Saudi-backed militant commanders loyal to former Yemeni president Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi have reportedly been killed while fighting Yemeni army troops and their allies over the control of the country's strategic oil-producing province of Ma'rib.
• Senior Administration Official on U.S. Diplomatic Engagement Regarding Our Ongoing Commitment to Ukraine's Sovereignty, Territorial Integrity, and Independence US Dept. of State 17 Dec 2021
• White House: Putin giving 'serious consideration' to invade Ukraine Press TV 17 Dec 2021 -- White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has said that American intelligence agencies have concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin still hasn't made up his mind on whether to invade Ukraine but he is giving "serious consideration" to doing so.
• How Long Could Ukraine Hold Out Against A New Russian Invasion? RFE/RL 17 Dec 2021 -- It was a large-scale Russian military invasion of Ukraine involving around 130,000 military personnel, mainly from the 20th and 8th Combined Arms Armies.
• Ukraine Says Soldier Killed Fighting Separatists As Tensions With Moscow Soar RFE/RL 17 Dec 2021 -- A Ukrainian soldier has been killed during the latest clashes with Kremlin-backed separatists in the country's east, ratcheting up already heightened tensions between Kyiv and Moscow.
• France Plans to Seek Progress Within Normandy Format on Ukrainian Issue, Macron Says Sputnik 17 Dec 2021 -- France hopes to make progress within the Normandy format on the Ukrainian issue in the coming weeks and expects Russia to return to discussions, French President Emmanuel Macron said.
• EU leaders accuse Russia of seeking to 'invade' Ukraine, threaten sanctions Press TV 17 Dec 2021 -- European Union leaders have accused Russia of planning to "invade" Ukraine, threatening Moscow with further sanctions if this was to happen.
• Russian Court Verdict Indicates Russian Troop Presence In Ukraine, Contradicting Kremlin Narrative RFE/RL 17 Dec 2021 -- A bribery case in southern Russia indicates the country had troops stationed in eastern Ukraine, contradicting a long-held Kremlin position that it has never been a party to the conflict in the region.
• 2,500 people flee to Thailand amid clashes between Myanmar forces, anti-junta groups Radio Free Asia 17 Dec 2021 -- Thailand is giving shelter to some 2,500 Burmese who fled from fighting between Myanmar junta forces and Karen rebels in Mae Htaw Thalay, a borderland village in Myawaddy township, Thai authorities said Friday.
• Myanmar Junta Blocking Aid to Families Displaced by Post-Coup Fighting, Rights Groups Say VOA 17 Dec 2021 -- Rights groups say Myanmar's junta is tightening its chokehold on humanitarian aid flows to thousands of families driven from their homes by fighting since a Feb. 1 coup, deliberately starving civilians of lifesaving supplies to try to crush a growing armed resistance.
• UN Establishes Body to Monitor Human Rights Violations in Ethiopia VOA 17 Dec 2021 -- The U.N. Human Rights Council on Friday adopted a resolution to establish an International Commission of Human Rights Experts to investigate allegations of abuses committed by all warring parties in northern Ethiopia's Tigray conflict.
• UN rights forum orders investigation into abuses in Ethiopia Press TV 17 Dec 2021 -- The United Nations Human Rights Council has agreed to launch an international investigation into allegations of abuses by all sides in Ethiopia's Tigray conflict, amid warnings of looming generalized violence.
• Ethiopia crisis: Human Rights Council sets up international rights probe UN News 17 Dec 2021 -- Serious concerns over alleged severe human rights violations and abuses in Ethiopia should be investigated by an international rights probe, the Human Rights Council agreed in a vote on Friday.
• Reports of Mass Detentions, Killings, and Forced Expulsions in Western Tigray US Dept. of State 17 Dec 2021 -- The United States is gravely concerned by unconfirmed new reports alleging mass detentions, killings, and forced expulsions of ethnic Tigrayans in western Tigray by Amhara security forces.
• Imposing Sanctions on CAR Militia Leader US Dept. of State 17 Dec 2021 -- The United States is designating Ali Darassa, the leader of the Central African Republic (CAR)-based militia group Union for Peace in the Central African Republic (UPC), pursuant to Executive Order 13667, in connection with serious human rights abuses.
• Treasury Sanctions UPC Militia Leader in Central African Republic for Serious Human Rights Abuse US Treasury 17 Dec 2021 -- Today the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Ali Darassa (Darassa) for serious human rights abuses stemming from his leadership of the Central African Republic (CAR) based militia group, Union for Peace in the Central African Republic (UPC). UPC's militants have killed, tortured, raped, and displaced thousands of people since 2014.
• Political developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina: UK statement, 17 December 2021 UK FCDO 17 Dec 2021 -- Deputy Ambassador Brown expresses UK concern about the decision of the Republika Srpska National Assembly to begin drafting legislation to create parallel institutions.
• Cameroon: Intercommunal clashes continue to displace thousands UN News 17 Dec 2021 -- Intercommunal clashes that erupted in Cameroon's Far North region over the past two weeks have driven at least 100,000 people from their homes, although the actual number may be much higher, UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, said on Friday.
• Officials Say Insurgency in Northern Mozambique Is Spreading VOA 17 Dec 2021 -- With violence by armed groups spreading beyond Mozambique's northernmost province of Cabo Delgado into neighboring Niassa province, President Filipe Nyusi on Thursday cautioned against panic.

News Reports

• CISA Issues Emergency Directive Requiring Federal Agencies to Mitigate Apache Log4J Vulnerabilities CISA 17 Dec 2021 -- The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued Emergency Directive (ED) 22-02 today requiring federal civilian departments and agencies to assess their internet-facing network assets for the Apache Log4j vulnerabilities and immediately patch these systems or implement other appropriate mitigation measures. This Directive will be updated to further drive additional mitigation actions.
• Russia Issues Travel Ban To Seven Britons In Response To U.K. Sanctions RFE/RL 17 Dec 2021 -- Russia has imposed a travel ban on seven unnamed British citizens in a tit-for-tat response to London's sanctions connected to the August 2020 poisoning of Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny.
• Comment by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Russia's reciprocal list of British citizens denied entry to the Russian Federation Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 17 Dec 2021
• German Regulator Says Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Approval Months Away RFE/RL 17 Dec 2021 -- Final approval for the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany is not expected to come in the first half of 2022, Germany's energy regulator has said.
• The Week In Russia: Demonizing A Decade RFE/RL 17 Dec 2021 -- Imprisoned Kremlin opponent Aleksei Navalny's daughter accepted the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought on behalf of her father, while the government's push to close the prominent human rights group Memorial headed toward a late-December denouement amid condemnation from the West.
• China-Russia Collaboration in Space Poses Challenge for West VOA 17 Dec 2021 -- China and Russia have begun collaborating on technology to rival the United States' GPS and European Galileo satellite navigation systems, as the two countries pursue closer military and strategic ties.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on December 17, 2021 PRC MofA 17 Dec 2021
• 'US has no scruples about smearing China by every means': Beijing Press TV 17 Dec 2021 -- Beijing has said that the United States has "no scruples about smearing China by every means" after Congress passed a bill against the Xinjiang region and imposed new sanctions to the area for alleged human rights abuses.
• China Deplores New US Sanctions Against Xinjiang Tech Companies Sputnik 17 Dec 2021 -- Beijing strongly deplores new US sanctions barring Chinese exports for eight Xinjiang tech companies, the spokesperson of China's Ministry of Commerce said on Friday.
• Lithuania arranges the leave of diplomatic staff in China abruptly without notification: Chinese FM Global Times 17 Dec 2021 -- Lithuania has never applied for an extension of its diplomats' identification documents, and its Foreign Minister's claim that the application requests "went unanswered by China" was a pure fabrication, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Friday.
• Leaders' Chat Moves Russia, China Toward Stronger Anti-US Unity, Analysts Say VOA 17 Dec 2021 -- A video chat between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin this week consolidates efforts by the two Eurasian powers to face down their mutual rival the United States in 2022, analysts say.
• China and Russia to establish independent financial systems: Russian media Global Times 17 Dec 2021 -- Russia and China have agreed to develop shared financial structures to deepen economic ties in a way that will not be affected by pressure of third countries following talks between the top leaders, Russian media outlet RT reported on Wednesday.
• HK LegCo candidates gear up for 1st election without threats and provocations; residents prepare to defend new normal by voting Global Times 17 Dec 2021 -- It has been a very busy week for candidates running for the Hong Kong Legislative Council (LegCo) election, to be held on Sunday, as some of them have a packed schedule for campaigning, attending forums to mobilize the public to vote, and using all kinds of social media platforms. As Hong Kong will soon embrace its first LegCo election since the national security law for Hong Kong and electoral reform took effect, which bars radical anti-China and anti-government rioters from entering the local governance structure, the city is expecting a peaceful, rational and practical election, which, experts said, will also be the new normal for the political landscape.
• Hong Kong election committee member appraises candidates' competence People's Daily 17 Dec 2021 -- Witman Hung, a Hong Kong election committee member, praised the candidates of the LegCo election, saying the competence, willingness, knowledge and experience of the over 50 candidates he met in the past months was much better than previous ones.
• HKSAR LegCo election ready to kick off People's Daily 17 Dec 2021 -- China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) will hold a Legislative Council (LegCo) election on Sunday, the first since improvements were made to the region's electoral system earlier this year.
• Record low turnout expected in first Hong Kong election under Beijing's rules Radio Free Asia 17 Dec 2021 -- Voters look set to stay away from the weekend's legislative elections in Hong Kong in record numbers, despite wall-to-wall government propaganda urging them to cast their ballot under new rules that effectively bar pro-democracy candidates from standing.
• Macao SAR to improve election system to ensure governance by patriots: plan People's Daily 17 Dec 2021 -- China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) will improve its election system to ensure that the governance of Macao is firmly held in the hands of patriots, according to the SAR's second five-year plan issued Thursday.
• French delegation stresses importance of keeping status quo in Taiwan Strait CNA 17 Dec 2021 -- Visiting French parliamentarians on Friday expressed support for Taiwan in the face of growing pressure from China and said it is important to maintain the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.
• North Korea Marks 10th Anniversary of Kim Jong Il's Death VOA 17 Dec 2021 -- Thousands of North Koreans marked the 10th anniversary Friday of the death of the country's former leader, Kim Jong Il.
• National Memorial Service for Chairman Kim Jong Il Held KCNA 18 Dec 2021 -- Deep yearning and reverence of all the people across the country for Chairman Kim Jong Il, the eternal leader of our Party and people and great sage of the revolution, pervade the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, the sacred temple of Juche, on the greatest national memorial day.
• Senior State Department Official On the JCPOA Talks in Vienna US Dept. of State 17 Dec 2021
• US Cites 'Progress' but Warns Nuclear Deal Could Die Without Urgent Iranian Action VOA 17 Dec 2021 -- The U.S. says its indirect talks with Iran on reviving a 2015 nuclear deal made modest progress in the latest round that ended Friday, but it also says much work remains to be done to prevent what is left of the agreement between Tehran and world powers from quickly falling apart.
• JCPOA Joint Commission meeting kicks off in Vienna IRNA 17 Dec 2021 -- The 4th Joint JCPOA Meeting in 7th round of Vienna Talks kicked off in the Austrian capital on Friday afternoon.
• If sanctions are lifted, Iran will go back to its commitments: AEOI chief IRNA 17 Dec 2021 -- Head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami said that sanctions should be lifted and then Iran will fulfill its commitments, adding that Iran has nothing called negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and we have set our activities according to the current routine.
• Bagheri Kani: E3 ultimately agreed to accept Iran viewpoints as basis for serious, result-oriented talks Press TV 17 Dec 2021 -- As another round of discussions in Vienna comes to a close, Iran's chief negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani says the three European parties to the 2015 nuclear deal, also known as the E3, intimately agreed to accept Tehran's viewpoint as a basis for "serious, result-oriented" talks.
• Iran's top negotiator: 'Good progress' made, Vienna talks to continue after a break of few days Press TV 17 Dec 2021 -- Iran's lead negotiator at the negotiations in the Austrian capital to remove the US sanctions says good progress has been made in Vienna this week, noting that the high-ranking talks will continue after a short break.
• Tehran-IAEA agreement to strip away lies, pretexts for continuation of sanctions: Iran's nuclear chief Press TV 17 Dec 2021 -- The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) says the organization is making efforts to deprive all ill-wishers of pretexts for the continuation of sanctions, after Iran took a voluntary measure to further collaborate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
• U.S. Says Iran's Nuclear Breakout Time Is 'Really Short' As Latest Vienna Talks Adjourn RFE/RL 17 Dec 2021 -- An unnamed source within the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has said that the amount of time required for Iran to develop nuclear weapons if it chooses to do so is "really short," adding that the situation was "alarming."
• Myanmar's junta confident Cambodian PM Hun Sen will repair ASEAN relations as chair Radio Free Asia 17 Dec 2021 -- Myanmar's junta is confident that Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen will repair its relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), but analysts say the strongman is wrong to think that he can change the bloc's stance against the military regime.
• Stunning By-Election Defeat Punctures Britain's Boris Johnson VOA 17 Dec 2021 -- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson took "personal responsibility" Friday for the rout of his Conservatives in a by-election for a seat his ruling party had held for 189 years.
• Tunisians call for ouster of president on anniversary of 2011 revolution Press TV 17 Dec 2021 -- Thousands of Tunisians have protested against Tunisia's President Kais Saied in a demonstration marking the anniversary of a 2011 uprising, amid outrage over his seizure of power in July.
• Western Hemisphere Affairs Assistant Secretary Brian A. Nichols On the Recent International Partners Meeting on Haiti US Dept. of State 17 Dec 2021
• Commemorating the Sudanese People's Peaceful Revolution US Dept. of State 17 Dec 2021 -- Three years ago, Sudan's citizens united to demand an end to repression and the start of a democratic future. Sudanese from all walks of life - especially Sudan's women and youth - showed great courage in taking to the streets. Some paid with their lives. Their bravery and sacrifice will forever remain an inspiration to all those seeking democracy.
• Western nations condemn recent jailing of dissidents in Vietnam Radio Free Asia 17 Dec 2021 -- Western nations this week condemned Vietnam's jailing of four dissidents, including land-rights activists and an award-winning journalist, calling their sentences an attempt to stifle free expression in the Southeast Asian country.
• Time's Up: Kyrgyzstan's Supreme Court Rejects Monitor's Electoral Fraud Complaint RFE/RL 17 Dec 2021 -- The Kyrgyz Supreme Court has refused to review a major electoral fraud claim by a monitoring group, saying an official deadline to file complaints about the November 28 parliamentary election process has expired.