The UN is once again evaluating options to better use its UN peacekeeping force in Congo The primary task of the peacekeepers is to improve security in eastern Congo and specifically address the dire situation in North Kivu province where many civilians
(June 4): Laos will push ahead with its ambition to become the “battery of Southeast Asia,” planning a Mekong River dam that has drawn opposition from neighbors and threatens to involve China and the U.S. Four Mekong River nations are scheduled to meet June 26-27 in Thailand to discuss matters including Laos’ plan to build the Don Sahong dam. The Xayaburi dam has broken ground and construction on the new structure may start as soon as this year, with Cambodia and Vietnam seeking to delay the project. “Laos remains committed to exporting hydropower and becoming the battery of Southeast Asia,” said Viraphonh Viravong, the country’s vice minister of energy and mines, in e- mailed comments. “Hydropower is a natural choice for Laos.” Some diplomats have described the Mekong River, which has its source on the Tibetan plateau, as “the next South China Sea,” the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington said in a paper in April. The report cited the risk
China is now a preferred lender across Latin America and the Caribbean. It hosts two international development banks the Beijing-led Asian Infrastructure Development Bank (AIIB) and the New Development Bank (NDB) in Shanghai that are both expanding their footprint across the region, TIME Magazine reported.
In Africa's economic recovery strategies for the post-COVID-19 era, countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo are embracing the trinity of unification, regionalism and multilateralism to spur industrialization and economic growth, and to mitigate the impacts of climate change.