Geoffrey York

“Such good English, where did you learn to speak so beautifully?” Trump asks the president of Liberia, whose official language is English

A pathologist report confirms that Albert Ojwang’, a teacher who was detained by the police for a social media post that allegedly insulted a senior police officer and later found dead in his cell, died from neck compression and with soft tissue damage all over his body. #Kenya

How Kenya sees the US

I note that Wednesday's start is listed as "TBD" and the Jays might prefer to keep Schultz and Rodriguez in the bullpen....

They seem to be creating an available spot on the 40-man roster, but for who? Clase was already on the 40-man. Do they maybe expect Eric Lauer to be needed for the major-league rotation?

Negotiators agree on binding treaty for future pandemics, after U.S. drops out The historic deal is just the second binding treaty to be negotiated in the 75-year history of the World Health Organization

"Negotiators agree on binding treaty for future pandemics, after U.S. drops out" c/o @geoffreyyork.bsky.social www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...

Africans with HIV facing new dangers, as Trump administration cuts aid As many as 600,000 people could die over the next 10 years in South Africa alone as a result of U.S. funding cuts, study says

Africans with #HIV facing new dangers, as Trump administration cuts aid, by @geoffreyyork.bsky.social, Jeffrey Moyo www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl... via @theglobeandmail.com #GlobalHealth #AIDS

“Canada believes Ethiopia has made “initial progress” on peace initiatives, human-rights accountability and transitional justice for atrocities in Tigray and in current conflicts in the Amhara and Oromia regions, the memo said.”

Extraordinary, the alternative universe of Canadian diplomats.

Critics are questioning the move. "How are we to know that Ethiopia’s military, strengthened by its collaboration with Canada, will not simply resume its aggressive and unlawful harassment and abuses against Tigrayan people?” asks former Canadian justice minister Allan Rock.

Canada revives military co-operation with Ethiopia despite genocide allegations Ottawa is bringing Ethiopia back into Canada’s Military Training and Co-operation Program, three years after suspending defence collaboration over the Tigray war

After a three-year suspension, Canada is resuming its military collaboration with Ethiopia -- even as civilians continue to be killed in drone attacks by the Ethiopian army. My report:
www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...

More than 90 per cent of U.S. aid programs abruptly cancelled, jeopardizing lives, humanitarian groups say In one country alone, South Africa, the cuts to HIV programs could trigger as many as 600,000 deaths over the next decade, say health groups

More than 90% of U.S. aid programs abruptly cancelled, jeopardizing lives, humanitarian groups say, by @geoffreyyork.bsky.social www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl... via @theglobeandmail.com #GlobalHealth

Deadly skies: Drone warfare in Ethiopia and the future of conflict in Africa Drone warfare is increasing in Ethiopia and across Africa. These foreign-supplied weapons risk prolonging wars and can help drive governments further away from the West…

A first for me, I wrote a policy brief for the @ecfr.eu, addressing the proliferation of cheap drones across Africa, distributed by the likes of China, Türkiye & the UAE. They cause carnage, the erosion of democracy, but also a political realignment towards Moscow.

I used Ethiopia as a study case.

A must-read piece of journalism on the quiet revolution that many Iranian women are bravely waging against hijab laws.

@geoffreyyork.bsky.social’s observations track w/ what friends & students who’ve visited Iran this year have noted.

Vibrant quotes & remarkable women in here:

Thank you, Tash, that's very kind.

Iranian women’s growing defiance to hijab law grows too loud for a troubled regime to silence In the first visit by a Canadian journalist in years, The Globe reports on the cultural tensions and economic turmoil challenging the current Islamic regime

“The police don’t have enough handcuffs for all of them." www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...

Iranian women’s growing defiance to hijab law grows too loud for a troubled regime to silence In the first visit by a Canadian journalist in years, The Globe reports on the cultural tensions and economic turmoil challenging the current Islamic regime

Bravo to the Globe for getting into Iran and reporting without the customary hyperbole or hysteria. @geoffreyyork.bsky.social

Iranian women’s growing defiance to hijab law grows too loud for a troubled regime to silence In the first visit by a Canadian journalist in years, The Globe reports on the cultural tensions and economic turmoil challenging the current Islamic regime

Canadian journalists are usually barred from entering Iran. The Globe's @geoffreyyork.bsky.social was able to visit recently. His article on the changes he saw since he last reported from this country years ago.
www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/c0f8440... gift link for first 20 readers

Keep a close eye on eastern DRC, everyone.

Canada pulls its peacekeepers from UN mission in Congo Military personnel temporarily relocate and will support Goma mission remotely, letter from Canadian diplomats says

Canada withdraws its military officers from UN peacekeeping mission in eastern Congo due to "increasingly perilous security conditions," @geoffreyyork.bsky.social reports.

"To withdraw Canadian military personnel now would be to abandon the county and the UN at the hour of greatest need."

Canada pulls its peacekeepers from UN mission in Congo Military personnel temporarily relocate and will support Goma mission remotely, letter from Canadian diplomats says

Canada is withdrawing its UN peacekeepers from the rebel-held city of Goma, even as other UN contributors keep their troops on the ground. Canada's risk-averse government is abandoning the city at its time of need, critics say.
www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...

"Media statement from the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) dated January 25, 2025, detailing their pushback against M23 rebels near Goma, DRC. The document features the SANDF logo (a green shield with gold trim containing a stylized aloe plant) and reports casualties from two days of fighting. The statement announces that 9 SANDF members were lost while successfully preventing rebels from advancing on Goma."​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Confirmation from the South African National Defence Force that nine South African soldiers have been killed in intense fighting against M23 over the past few days, and claiming that the group’s advance toward Goma has been halted.

In Tehran, there’s “a strange sense of optimism” that Trump’s second terms will bring better US-Iranian relations than the tumultuous first time around, @geoffreyyork.bsky.social reports

www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...

Screenshot of a post on Bluesky by Geoffrey York. The text of the post reads: "In a Namibian town, a Canadian company has left a legacy of 300,000 tons of arsenic waste. Many townsfolk are getting sick. And tests show high levels of arsenic in the soil, in the plants -- and the people. Our report:" Underneath the text is a link to an article with a picture showing a large industrial plant in a dry landscape. The title of the article is "In Namibia, a Canadian copper company leaves a legacy of toxic waste"

Screenshot of a tweet by Geoffrey York. The text of the post reads: "In a Namibian town, a Canadian company has left a legacy of 300,000 tons of arsenic waste. Many townsfolk are getting sick. And tests show high levels of arsenic in the soil, in the plants -- and the people. Our report:" Underneath the text is a link to an article with a picture showing a large industrial plant in a dry landscape. The title of the article is "In Namibia, a Canadian copper company leaves a legacy of toxic waste"

Succinct illustration of how the audience for Africa topics and users from African countries are still on Twitter.

@geoffreyyork.bsky.social posted the same article about Namibia on here - where it was shared 14 times - and on Twitter - where it was shared over 1,800 times.

Vodun Days

Vodun Days

Vodun Days

Vodun Days

Brilliant ceremonial outfits from the Vodun Days Festival I attended last week at Ouidah, in Benin. Credit Outlander Magazine.

But it was DPM that produced thousands of tons of arsenic waste at Tsumeb after it acquired the mine in 2010. And it also has some responsibility for the waste that it willingly acquired in 2010 from previous owners.

In Namibia, a Canadian copper company leaves a legacy of toxic waste Sickness has been common for years in Tsumeb, where Dundee Precious Metals was the biggest employer for more than a decade. Tests have now found the soil is contaminated with arsenic and other heavy m...

In a Namibian town, a Canadian company has left a legacy of 300,000 tons of arsenic waste. Many townsfolk are getting sick. And tests show high levels of arsenic in the soil, in the plants -- and the people. Our report:
www.theglobeandmail.com/business/art...

Top five destinations for Rwandan exports named In the third quarter of 2024, Rwanda's total domestic exports surged by 77.86 percent compared to the same period in 2023, reaching US$ 653.85 million, up from US$ 367.61...

Here's the data on the strangely timed surge of Rwandan mineral exports to the UAE -- surely just a coincidence?
www.newtimes.co.rw/article/2312...

Congo rebels muddy minerals market with illegal Rwanda exports, says UN report Rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo fraudulently exported at least 150 metric tons of coltan to Rwanda last year, leading to the largest contamination of the Great Lakes Region's mineral supply chain on record, U.N. experts said in a report.

The Rwandan-backed M23 militia fraudulently exported at least 150 metric tons of coltan from Congo to Rwanda last year, new UN report says.
Meanwhile, Rwanda reports a huge surge in exports in the latest quarter, with 68% going to the UAE -- mainly gold and coltan.
www.reuters.com/world/africa...

This feature article by Geoffrey York in the Globe dropped on Monday but I missed it till today. Extremely important update re unfinished accountability for what Canada did to detainees in Afghanistan and how both Conservative and Liberal governments went to great lengths to cover up. More to follow

Former diplomat alleges Canadian Forces were involved in disappearances of hundreds of Afghan detainees in Kandahar Retired diplomat Richard Colvin made headlines as a whistle-blower in 2009. His new allegations go far beyond his earlier statements by giving new estimates of a much larger number of detainees who di...

A recently retired Canadian diplomat is alleging war crimes by the Canadian military, documenting its involvement in the disappearances of hundreds of Afghan detainees. Our exclusive:
www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...