ICYMI

Syrian opposition groups topple Assad regime

On Sunday 8 December, a Syrian rebel coalition toppled autocratic leader Bashar al-Assad. After 13 years of civil war, six decades of violent rule by the al-Assad family regime came to an end. Backed by Iran, Russia and various groups, Assad’s war has killed around 300,000 civilians and displaced 13 million since 2011. Under his command, hundreds of thousands of political prisoners were held in prisons under horrific conditions, exposed to torture and starvation.

With the fall of the regime, thousands of political prisoners were freed from regime jails, including people imprisoned in the notorious Sednaya prison. Emotional scenes show many reuniting with family members. Across Syria and internationally, people celebrated in the streets. Assad is now thought to have fled the country and has reportedly been granted asylum in Russia.

On Tuesday morning the Guardian reported that Israel had carried out heavy overnight airstrikes in Damascus and other areas. While opposition groups joined forces to topple the Assad regime, the most dominant power is HTS, a formation branched out of al-Qaeda. The opposition, now in power, vows to establish democratic rule, but many religious and ethnic minorities in the area fear for their safety. In Rojava, the Kurdish-led region, the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) militia attacked the city of Manbij. Kurdish parties called for a national dialogue in Syria and the protection of Kurdish autonomy.

Devastating Israeli drone attacks in the Gaza Strip continue

Israel continues to relentlessly strike the Gaza Strip. The north of the Strip remains under siege, with severe shortages of food and medicine, as well as a lack of power, threatening the lives of its inhabitants. In Rafah, at least ten people were killed in a drone strike while queuing for flour. While the violence shows no signs of abating, renewed pushes for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip have been made. In the last days of the Biden administration, the democrats show greater willingness to end the war in Gaza before Donald Trump takes office in January. However, in late November, the administration also approved another 680$ million weapon sale to Israel.

Deadly shelling in displacement camp amidst humanitarian crisis in Sudan

The humanitarian crisis in Sudan has been named the worst humanitarian disaster in history. 13 million people are at risk of famine, and another 11 million people have been displaced by the fighting in Sudan since the escalation of the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023. The famine-stricken Zamzam displacement camp in the Darfur region recently came under deadly shelling by the RSF. Even though, the rebel militia has denied the accusation, reports from the ground suggest otherwise. Meanwhile, the nearby city of El Fasher remains under RSF siege and continues to face relentless bombardment and violence by the militia.

Historic win for the Reparations Movement in Belgium

A collective of Black women has successfully sued Belgium for crimes against humanity relating to its colonial rule of Congo. In a landmark decision, the Brussels Court of Appeal found the Belgian government guilty of crimes against humanity and ordered it to pay reparations. This victory was the result of a long legal battle of five women born in the Great Lakes region of the Congo during Belgian colonial rule: Marie-Josée Loshi, Noëlle Verbeken, Léa Tavares Mujinga, Simone Ngalula, and Monique Bintu Bingi. The women sued the Belgian government for abducting them as children as part of its colonial “Métis Resolution”. Under this policy, mixed-race children were forcibly removed from their families, cut off from their cultural roots, and abandoned when colonial rule ended. In 2019, Belgium issued an official apology and recognised the crimes but without further accountability. The 2024 court ruling is a major step in the movement for reparations.

South Korean President faces calls to resign

The South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol could face prosecution after attempting to impose martial law in South Korea last week. Marital law would allow the government to ban political activity and censor the media. Yoon declared martial law last Tuesday, citing the need to minimize “anti-state forces”. Lawmakers, news agencies, and the general public quickly pushed back against the move. The Democratic opposition called for Yoon to resign from his post as president. Although Yoon apologised for his botched attempt, he refused to step down as president. A call for impeachment against Yoon failed on Sunday. In response, the justice ministry has banned the president from international travel while deciding what actions to take next.

Sex workers win maternity pay and pension rights in Belgium

Sex workers in Belgium have won the right to sick days, maternity pay and pension. In 2022, Belgium decriminalised sex work but left sex workers without any protection or labour rights.

In May of this year, lawmakers voted to grant sex workers equal employment rights and protections, legally aligning them with workers in other professions. This groundbreaking legislation aims to prevent the abuse and exploitation of sex workers. It has now come into effect, marking the first law of its kind worldwide. The Belgian Union of Sex Workers has called it a significant step toward ending the discrimination of sex workers.

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Header image from juno mac used under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED.