The Week at Chatham House: The Iran Nuclear Deal, Saudi Arabia’s Makeover plus Peace in Colombia?
The latest international news and analysis this week.
The Iran Nuclear Deal: Two Years On
Two years on from the Iran nuclear deal, John Kerry and Catherine Ashton — two of the diplomats at the heart of the negotiations — reflected on the deal at Chatham House and responded to recent criticism, chiefly from US President Donald Trump, who last month announced that he would not certify the agreement and threatened to leave the deal altogether if it was not amended to permanently block Tehran from building nuclear weapons or intercontinental missiles.
Diplomats from across the globe have been shoring up support for the deal particularly among US policymakers and legislators who will decide next month whether to amend the deal or not. The EU foreign affairs and security chief, Federica Mogherini, this week said that the deal cannot be reopened for negotiation, while UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has been in the States to talk to US officials about the importance of the agreement in curbing regional instability. Watch John Kerry and Catherine Ashton at Chatham House.
Juan Manuel Santos on Building Peace in Colombia
Colombian President Juan Manual Santos was voted the winner of this year’s Chatham House Prize and accepted the award at Chatham House on Thursday in recognition of his role in formally ratifying a peace agreement with the FARC rebel group in 2016 and bringing an end to the armed conflict in Colombia. After four years of negotiation, the deal ended one of the world’s longest running armed conflicts, during which 220,000 people have been killed and 6 million people displaced. The Chatham House Prize is presented to the person, persons or organization deemed by members of Chatham House to have made the most significant contribution to the improvement of international relations in the previous year. The World Today takes a look back at Santos’s rise to international prominence for battling the cocaine trade in Colombia.
Crown Prince’s Purge Shakes Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is in the middle of a sweeping makeover as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the arrests of four ministers and 11 princes last weekend in what was an apparent crackdown on corruption. Mohammed bin Salman’s shakeup is more than a power play though as the high-profile arrests reflect the crown prince’s emerging brand of authoritarian populism for Saudi Arabia’s post-oil era, writes Jane Kinninmont.
Trump in Asia
US President Donald Trump has been on a 12-day tour of Asia that will take him to five countries across the continent. As he arrives in Southeast Asia, Bill Hayton writes that Trump may be a good fit for the region’s strongmen as he argues for tougher stances against North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme.
On the issue of trade, a new Chatham House research paper argues that a new framework could offer Trump a unique chance to strengthen global trade by addressing some genuine shortcomings within the current system.
Secessionists Call for Independence in South East Nigeria
And finally, recent military exercises in the Biafra region in Nigeria has sparked calls for an independent state by secessionists. Biafra is a region with a long history of antagonism with the central Nigerian state: an attempt in the 1960s to proclaim an independent Republic of Biafra in the region resulted in the 1967–70 Nigerian Civil War in which 3 million people were killed and millions were displaced. The resurgent desire for independence among the Igbo people of South East Nigeria has been fuelled by a feeling of marginalization and historical grievances against a state that they say doesn’t represent them. Feelings have reached boiling point with this latest military action and a fresh insurrection by Biafra secessionists could plunge the country into deeper insecurity, writes Sola Tayo and Fidelis Mbah.
