Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at postponed constitutional referendum results in Mali, the outcome of U.S.-China talks, and a French raid on the Paris 2024 Olympics headquarters.
On the Brink of Change
Mali is teetering toward a fragile future. On Sunday, the West African nation held a constitutional referendum that the ruling military junta says is a critical step toward returning the country to civilian rule. However, the final results, expected to be announced Tuesday, were postponed until Wednesday—largely because of violence against electoral authorities. Reports indicate numerous polling stations were closed, with the entire northern region of Kidan forced to shutter voting booths, and electoral officials were abducted from their stations by armed men. The country has faced violence by militant groups linked to al Qaeda and the Islamic State, as well as by Russia’s paramilitary Wagner Group, which the Malian junta has repeatedly relied on for support.
Mali’s constitutional referendum—and its postponed results—highlights the unpredictable nature of the country’s next few years. Mali has been ruled by a military junta since a 2020 coup deposed then-President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta. Nine months later, coup leader Col. Assimi Goïta declared himself interim president—and has steered the helm ever since. Under the new constitution, Goïta would have greater authority over the prime minister and cabinet while the military retains control over law enforcement and judicial proceedings. “I am convinced this referendum will pave the way for a new Mali, a strong Mali, an efficient Mali, a Mali in the service of the well-being of its population,” Goïta said.
If passed, the proposed constitution would also establish a second parliamentary chamber to boost representation, create a separate court of auditors for state spending, and affirm Mali’s status as a secular society. However, of Mali’s 8 million eligible voters, only 27 percent showed up to the polls, according to the Malian Election Observation Mission. And opponents of the referendum continue to argue that the new draft would expand the president’s and military junta’s power at parliament’s expense.
The referendum comes at the encouragement of the United Nations and regional bodies, such as the Economic Community of West African States and the West African Economic and Monetary Union. But that’s where the junta’s alignment with U.N. desires seems to end. On Friday, Mali’s military demanded that the U.N. peacekeeping mission leave the country. This comes after the U.N. body released a report last month detailing the deaths of hundreds of people last year by Malian troops and their allies, the “most damning” such document against the junta since it took power. Now, Mali experts fear the U.N.’s withdrawal could spark chaos, including greater violence by Islamist insurgent groups.
Today’s Most Read
- The Next Global Superpower Isn’t Who You Think by Ian Bremmer
- The Futility of Grand Strategy by Daniel W. Drezner
- Norwegians Gets a Bitter Taste of Their Own History by John Last
The World This Week
Tuesday, June 20, to Friday, June 23: Kenya hosts the Africa Energy Forum.
Tuesday, June 20, to Saturday, June 24: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the United States.
Wednesday, June 21: Kazakhstan hosts deputy foreign minister meetings between Russia, Turkey, Syria, and Iran.
Wednesday, June 21, to Friday, June 23: The Organization of American States hosts its annual summit.
Thursday, June 22: The Russian Supreme Court holds a hearing on dissident Alexey Navalny.
India hosts the G-20 education ministers’ meeting.
Saturday, June 24: Sierra Leone holds general elections.
Sunday, June 25: Guatemala holds general elections.
Greece holds parliamentary elections.
What We’re Following
Chilly reception. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Beijing this weekend for talks with top Chinese officials, including President Xi Jinping. The highly anticipated meetings centered on Taiwan, military-to-military contact, and bilateral economic investments. However, despite the Biden administration’s high hopes that the meeting would help ease tensions between the two great powers, little was accomplished, FP’s Robbie Gramer and Christina Lu reported. “[I]t’s little surprise that any olive branch might be spurned, given how Washington’s approach to China is hardening as it ramps up public and military support for Taiwan, works to create a new anti-China security architecture in the Asia-Pacific, and levies harsh new trade restrictions and sanctions on Beijing,” they wrote.
The summit, initially scheduled for February, was postponed after a Chinese spy balloon was spotted over Montana, sparking anxiety over Beijing’s intelligence efforts. Since then, relations have been frayed at best. On Monday, Blinken said he failed to get the Chinese to agree to reopen military communication channels. China’s main Western Hemisphere diplomat blamed U.S. sanctions for Beijing’s hesitance to reestablish communication.
Olympic corruption. French police raided the Olympic Games’ 2024 Paris Organizing Committee headquarters in the French capital on Tuesday as part of two “preliminary” investigations into embezzlement and favoritism. The investigations were opened in 2017 and 2022, with both focusing on corruption accusations regarding contracts concerning public funds. The headquarters of the company responsible for building the Games’ infrastructure were also raided on Tuesday.
High Seas Treaty. After nearly 20 years, the United Nations adopted the world’s first treaty protecting the high seas and marine diversity in international waters on Monday. More than 100 countries signed the High Seas Treaty, which establishes a framework to assess environmental damage, creates standards to counter biodiversity loss, and requires governments to share marine technology. The treaty has “pumped new life and hope to give the ocean a fighting chance,” said U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres.
At least 60 U.N. member states must ratify the treaty before it can go into effect. However, major global actors may hamper a quick rubber stamp. China, specifically, challenges prevailing maritime laws by monopolizing ocean resources, hindering freedom of navigation, and undermining defined coastal zones, international law professor Peter A. Dutton discussed in Foreign Policy. And with China producing a third of the world’s fish, the country may be hesitant to enact rules that curb overfishing and strengthen bilateral maritime cooperation.
Odds and Ends
When all else fails, India’s pigeons have your back. On Monday, the eastern state of Odisha announced it would continue to preserve a flock of carrier pigeons for use when disaster strikes and more modern communication devices—such as instant messaging, video calls, cellphones, and the internet—go kaput. The state’s more than 100 Belgian Homer pigeons have already proved their worth during the country’s 1999 cyclone and 1982 floods.