Mitchel Stuffers
Assistant Editor at CIGH Exeter & PhD Candidate in History, University of Exeter

From a siege in Mali to the arrest of one of Syria’s most infamous massacre organisers, here are this week’s top picks in imperial and global history.

---

‘Mali Under Siege’: Who Is Behind The Multi-City Offensive And What Is The Goal?

Pathikrit Sen Gupta
News18

In a dramatic escalation of the decade-long conflict in the Sahel, gunmen launched a sweeping and apparently coordinated assault across Mali on Saturday. The attacks struck multiple locations in the capital, Bamako, and several key northern and central cities simultaneously. Mali’s army confirmed in a statement that “unidentified armed terrorist groups” targeted military barracks and strategic positions, sparking intense firefights that have left the nation on high alert.

Residents in Bamako were awoken shortly before 6 am by the sound of heavy weapons fire and loud explosions. Sustained gunfire was reported near the Modibo Keïta International Airport and an adjacent air base, as well as the Kati military camp, the primary base of the ruling junta located just outside the capital. Witnesses described a heavy military presence blocking off major roads, [Continue reading]

Barcelona Council Urges Action Over Hazara Safety in Afghanistan

Fidel Rahmati
Khaama Press

The Barcelona City Council has expressed concern over the situation of Hazaras in Afghanistan, urging the international community to take immediate action to protect civilians. In a statement released Friday, the council cited ongoing humanitarian crisis, systematic human rights violations, and severe restrictions on freedoms, particularly affecting women, girls, and minority groups.

It warned that persistent violence against Hazaras could meet the threshold of serious international crimes, including crimes against humanity and potential risk of genocide under international law. The council condemned all forms of ethnic and religious violence, calling for accountability and an end to impunity for those responsible for attacks against the Hazara community. [Continue reading]

NYCN claims Nigeria’s democracy collapsing, warns INEC against partisanship

Rapheal
The Sun: Voice of A Nation

The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has decried the declining state of Nigeria’s political affairs, warning that the country’s democracy may collapse if the leaders fail to act fast to save it from the looming calamity as the 2027 general elections approach.

Vice President of NYCN (South East zone), Williams Nnonyelum, in a statement, said that recent political developments in the country have once again brought to the fore critical questions surrounding leadership responsibility, electoral integrity, and the urgent need for a credible opposition within the nation’s democratic space. He said the recent controversies surrounding the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and its chairman over alleged partisanship is not healthy for the electoral body that is supposed to be neutral and seen to be truly so. [Continue reading]

Lithuania faces a Russian railway dilemma

Modesta Gaučaitė-Znutienė
LRT.lt

Lithuania still has a Russian-gauge railway running through the country. Should it be dismantled? The principal argument for removing the Russian-gauge railway concerns the threat to Lithuania’s national security. In case of a conflict, European reinforcements would be slower to arrive, as the local network uses a wider gauge. Meanwhile, Russia could move its military more easily, as it has done so in Ukraine by utilising the same tracks.

And as much as Lithuania may wish to act, there is little it can do alone. Dismantling the gauge would require European approval due to a deal with Moscow, which allows Russia to reach its Kaliningrad exclave on the Baltic Sea by rail via Lithuania. [Continue reading]

Syria arrests suspected leader of Tadamon massacre

Michael Safi & Melvyn Ingleby
Guardian

A Syrian former regime official suspected of leading a notorious civilian massacre revealed by the Guardian – and who became one of the country’s most-wanted fugitives after the fall of Bashar al-Assad – has been arrested by security forces, Syria’s interior ministry announced. Amjad Youssef was captured in the Ghab plain area about 30 miles (50km) outside the city of Hama and had “been taken into custody following a carefully executed security operation”, the interior minister, Anas Khattab, said in a social media post on Friday.

Mugshots released by the ministry showed Youssef, 40, in a striped prison uniform, while videos circulated on social media showing the former military intelligence officer in custody in a vehicle, his face bloodied, being sworn at and slapped by uniformed men. [Continue reading]