MIDIRAMA: The Middle East on the brink of a deadly conflict

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The political week in Madagascar remains focused on the issue of holding elections next December. This date was set by the CENI after the Prime Minister’s letter requesting the postponement of the November 6 elections. However, the vote according to Article 52 of Organic Law No. 2018-008 of May 11, 2018 must be held during the dry season, except in cases of force majeure. In this specific case, force majeure is noted. The actors of political life have taken note of this and the members of the platform Unity say they are ready to face the deadline. They are also waiting, like the general public, for the appointment of the new government team. The regime remains rather wait-and-see. The President of the Republic is trying to develop fruitful relations with countries on the continent during a tour that took him, in particular, to Guinea Bissau and Angola. He had the opportunity to discuss the relevance of cooperation between southern countries and this African solidarity that is developing.

The international news is extremely gloomy, but it is first of all towards the Paris 2024 Olympic Games that the attention of the world’s citizens is focused. After the grandiose opening ceremony, the athletes got down to business. The medal harvests have begun. The great nations have lived up to their reputation. China, the United States, but also France, the host country, have held their rank. France is in the leading group of the medal table. Apart from the paralysis of SNCF trains during the opening of the games, no incident occurred. The security services have fulfilled their role perfectly.

The truce hoped for during these games has not prevented the conflicts from continuing. The Middle East may be tipping into a war that could set fire to the countries of the region. Israel has chosen the so-called ” targeted assassinations ” to strike his enemies. The members of the war cabinet had planned to retaliate after the death of the Druze teenagers bombarded by a rocket. The response was devastating. The head of the Hamas political bureau, invited to the inauguration ceremony of the new Iranian president, died in the explosion of the building where he was staying. The number 2 of Hezbollah was also killed in Beirut, the victim of a drone attack. The Iranians took this assassination as a real affront and the Supreme Guide, Ayatollah Khamenei, himself ordered that the response to the Hebrew state be exemplary. Benjamin Netanyahu says he is ready for confrontation. However, no one knows, for the moment, how big it will be.

Venezuela is currently in turmoil after the Electoral Commission declared the incumbent president victorious in the presidential election. The opposition has cried fraud because opinion polls had given Nicolas Maduro a landslide victory. The population has taken to the streets to reject the election results. Several countries, including the United States, have contested the regularity of the vote, but the incumbent president has no intention of backing down.

The world is experiencing the space of these Olympic Games in a space of freedom. But outside this bubble, tensions are still as high. The Middle East may be on the brink of a war that, if the great powers are not careful, could become generalized. But all its protagonists are aware of the risks involved and they know how far they can go.

Patrice RABE

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