The Khojaly genocide of the 20th century is one of the most serious crimes in history not only against the people of Azerbaijan but humanity as a whole. This was stated by HE Ali Alizada, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan, during his keynote address, at a Seminar on “Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing – Khojaly 25” organised by the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) in collaboration with the Embassy of Azerbaijan Tuesday. The Chief Guest on the occasion was Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman, Senate Defence Committee. Other dignitaries of the seminar included Ms. Shaza Fatima Khawaja, MNA and Convener of the Pakistan-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Friendship Group and Dr. Muhammad Khan, former HoD, Dept. of IR, NDU. A video on the Khojalay Genocide was also shown at the event. Senator Mushahid HussainSayed stated that Pakistan has given unreserved support to Azerbaijan. He highlighted the commonality between the situations in Kashmir and Nagorno-Karabakh. Pakistan and Azerbaijan have a solid history and in the future there needs to be greater coordination between both countries especially on the issues of Kashmir and Nagorno-Karabakh. He stressed on the urgency of both countries taking up a joint research initiative so as not to be left behind in the battle of ideas. Ambassador Khalid Mahmood, Chairman Board of Governors of ISSI, in his welcome remarks stated that the Khojaly genocide was one of the most tragic events of Azerbaijan’s history. He said that Pakistan and Azerbaijan are linked by histories and intense exchange of thinkers. Pakistan has provided endless support to Azerbaijan and has consulted its efforts with Azerbaijan in highlighting this tragedy. HE Ali Alizada gave a brief overview of the events of the genocide – the Khojaly graveyard is a symbol of all the atrocities that took place during this incident. He highlighted that more than fourteen countries have recognised the incidents as genocide and relevant parliamentary resolutions have been passed. He stated that history provides evidence that such events can occur in the future too, and to avoid this repetition he said that there has to be a uniform stand against this crime and the perpetrators need to be brought to justice. The Ambassador was very appreciative of the friendship between the two countries and the solidarity between the two nations and acknowledged that Pakistan was one of the first countries which recognised this massacre as a genocide. Ms. Shaza Fatima Khawaja in her speech stated that Pakistan and Azerbaijan have always been on the same page. She stated that Pakistan faces a similar situation in Kashmir, so Pakistan is well aware of what the people of Azerbaijan sense and is very grateful to the people of Azerbaijan for their support on the Kashmir issue. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (c) 2017 Pakistan Observer

The election of Somalia’s new President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo offers the country’s international partners a new opportunity to step up efforts in advancing peace and stability in Somalia as well as the wider Horn of Africa. Yet the hopes of a stable future for war-torn Somalia may be short lived if the fraught regional dynamic, in particular the mistrust felt by regional powers Ethiopia and Kenya, are not effectively addressed. Farmajo’s near-landslide election victory on 8 February is without parallel. Although the eruptions of joy across the Somali-speaking Horn and the shared jubilation of citizens and soldiers in Mogadishu is rightly giving way to more sober assessments, the view that a seismic shift has occurred will be difficult to ignore. Ensuring that this election ushers in a new dawn, and that Farmajo’s new-found political capital is well invested, a renewed diplomatic engagement by partners on numerous fronts will be required to support national-level reform and ease regional anxieties. The upcoming London Conference on Somalia, now expected in early May, represents an opportunity to do just that. A Popular Mandate Many hope that Farmajo’s credibility and popular support can be channelled productively. The national reconciliation talks, aimed at healing deep wounds from the civil war that broke out in 1991, have stalled and Farmajo’s strong mandate may be what is necessary to resuscitate them. Although the entire indirect election process was extremely corrupt, Somalis have completed a relatively credible presidential election that has resulted in a peaceful transfer of power. Farmajo’s cross-clan support – the strongest platform for any Somali president – is a rare demonstration of unity in the ethnically homogenous but clan-fractured country. The mandate is indispensable for making critical progress on multiple fronts, particularly on reconciliation, addressing corruption and finalising the constitution. ​ A number of factors worked in Farmajo’s favour and helped seal his remarkable victory. First, Farmajo tapped into a growing antipathy to the dominance of the Abgal, a Hawiye sub-clan that gave the country its last two presidents. Frustration among other clans was also directed at the implicit agreement between the Abgal/Hawiye and Majerteen/Darod clans that allowed them to control and share both the presidential and prime ministerial seats. Farmajo’s victory was also helped by former President Hassan Sheikh’s decision to support the re-election of Mohamed Osman Jawari of the Digil/Mirifle clan as parliamentary speaker cost him the Digil/Mirifle vote. This tactical support was intended to scupper Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan’s presidential campaign, since it is an unwritten rule that the president and speaker cannot hail from the same clan. This fuelled Digil/Mirifle resentment, who ended up coming together during the presidential election rounds to vote against Hassan Sheikh. Second, Farmajo is also well liked among diaspora and youth. More than 125 of Somalia’s 283 MPs and senators are from the diaspora and 165 MPs and senators are under 35 years of age. In addition, approximately 30 per cent of the newly elected MPs are also affiliated with Islamist-leaning groups, including Salafi movements and the Muslim Brotherhood (excluding Hasan Sheikh’s Damal Jadid). These have been, for some time, against the previous president’s perceived closeness with Ethiopia and its meddling in Somali political affairs. Third, Farmajo benefitted from a huge wave of nationalistic fervour and a widely-shared perception he could be the right person to build a robust Somali National Army (SNA), speed up the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM)’s exit, stabilise security, curb interventions by neighbouring countries, and protect Somalia’s dignity and sovereignty. High Expectations Farmajo’s immediate task will be to manage the inordinately high expectations. Unless he takes some early steps toward fulfilling his pledges of rebuilding security forces and state institutions, tackling corruption and unifying the country, dissatisfaction could trigger a serious public backlash. A further immediate impediment to Farmajo’s proposed domestic agenda stems from the entrenched elites. Clan leaderships comprise a form of a very corrupt “deep state” that often operate against the interests of the people. Some believe this network cut short Farmajo’s tenure as prime minister in 2011. Meaningful progress will be unlikely unless these factions are controlled through a mixture of co-option and coercion. The elections also highlighted the extent to which covert foreign funding of politicians fuelled allegations of clientalism and has impeded Somalia’s democratic transformation. Regional countries, and the Arab states of the Gulf in particular, were widely alleged to be giving cash to the top five presidential candidates. Managing competing foreign interests in future presidential elections and reducing the corrupting influence of illicit foreign funding must be a priority for the Farmajo government. One potential institutional solution would be to formalise the Integrity Commission, set up just days before the presidential elections with the aim of curbing bribery. Regional Mistrust On a regional and international level, Farmajo’s stated intent to reshape his country’s foreign policy could prove a daunting challenge, not least because his victory stemmed in part from his campaign image as a staunch nationalist opposed to foreign meddling – especially by Ethiopia and Kenya. As head of state, he will need to move with extra caution to navigate regional politics and ease the anxieties of these powerful neighbours who are suspicious of his brand of politics. Growing tensions between Egypt and Ethiopia (over Nile waters, the Grand Renaissance Dam and South Sudan) could potentially spill over into Somalia and complicate matters for Farmajo. The speed with which Cairo has moved to embrace the new Somali president is bound to increase Ethiopia’s anxieties at the growing Arab influence in the country. The resurgent Somali nationalism that Farmajo is said to embody is causing particular concern in Ethiopia, which could become an equal, if not greater, challenge to the new president. Ethiopia and Somalia are historical rivals and Addis Ababa has intervened repeatedly in its eastern neighbour since the central government collapsed in the early 1990s. In 2006, Ethiopia moved swiftly to dislodge the popular Union of Islamic Court (UIC) Islamist government that had managed to restore peace in Somalia during its brief six-month reign. Addis saw the UIC's anti-Ethiopian posturing and Somali nationalist rhetoric in support of a “greater Somalia” that incorporates Somali inhabited areas in neighbouring countries as a threat and acted accordingly. If Farmajo adopts a similarly antagonistic posture – as his popular “nationalist” constituency demands – then Addis will quickly act to undermine the new regime in Mogadishu, regardless of the progress made in Somalia’s domestic struggles. He will need to move slowly in relation to Ethiopia and Kenya – which shares many of Ethiopia’s concerns about Somali nationalism, given the large Somali population there – and reaching out to emphasise the shared interest between the new president and these countries in stabilising Somalia. The new president seems to be sensitive to these concerns and has sent emissaries to Nairobi and Addis Ababa with messages of goodwill and reassurances. This is hugely positive and ought to be sustained and supported by the international community. Still, there are signs that regional tensions may worsen. Pro-Farmajo social media activists posted a picture of an Ethiopian senior official at the election venue captioned “Ethiopia shattered by the poll outcome”. Such taunts were disseminated widely across the Somali-speaking Horn and diaspora. Farmajo’s broad domestic popularity is unlikely to protect him from Somalia’s fragile relationships with its neighbours, and an Ethiopia that senses its interests and influence to be in jeopardy will almost certainly be a spoiler for Farmajo’s agenda of reform. The African Union’s Role Somalia’s recent election marks another important milestone in the country: the tenth anniversary of the regional peacekeeping force AMISOM. In this time, the internationally supported mission has helped state forces in their fight against Al-Shabaab militants, provided and delivered humanitarian aid, and trained the Somali security forces. Yet the mission’s resource and management challenges remain unaddressed, which hamper AMISOM’s peacekeeping capabilities. The African Union (AU) must tackle the dysfunction, national rivalries and frictions among the troop-contributing countries: Uganda, Burundi, Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti. Such tensions hinder AMISOM’s military effectiveness in fighting Al-Shabaab and add to the incoherence surrounding the planned exit from Somalia envisioned to begin in 2018. A hasty pullout would be catastrophic for Somalia and the region. Since AMISOM’s deployment, Al-Shabaab has been significantly degraded but remains a lethal force with the capacity to continue destabilising the country for years to come. While Farmajo served as prime minister, Al-Shabaab lost significant territory and was ultimately forced to withdraw from the capital. With a stable government in place and Farmajo at the helm, greater effort can be made to coordinate between regional peacekeepers and national security forces to step up the campaign against Al-Shabaab and other militants, especially since a local group declaring affiliation to Islamic State briefly seized a patch of Somalia’s coastland late last year. Since the election, there has been cause for cautious optimism as reports were circulated by several Somali news sources this week that a significant dissident faction of Al-Shabaab led by Mukhtar Robow Abu Mansur was considering surrendering to the new Somali government, in recognition of Farmajo’s huge popularity. This would be a great boost for the new administration, and all efforts must be made to help the new government peel away elements of the militants amenable to a peaceful settlement. No less important, the AU and other international partners must encourage the new government to focus on national reconciliation. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (c) 2017 International Crisi Group

Pledging to “make the Netherlands ours again,” the Dutch nationalist politician Geert Wilders, at a campaign event on Saturday, described Moroccan immigrants as “scum” who threaten the Netherlands. (c) REUTERS 2017

South Africa’s North Gauteng High Court today ruled that the government’s attempt to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) was unconstitutional and invalid, as the government issued its withdrawal notice without consulting parliament. The court ordered President Jacob Zuma and the Ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs to revoke the notice of withdrawal. It’s an important ruling for international justice both in South Africa and beyond. The judgment will compel South African officials, as they move to comply with the court’s decision, to reflect and reconsider the withdrawal notice. Rather than leave the ICC – a court South Africa played a key role in creating – they should use this opportunity to reaffirm support for it. The ruling will be welcomed by many South Africans who opposed the government’s decision to abandon the ICC, which runs counter to the country’s human rights-oriented foreign policy agenda. The ICC has the potential to deliver justice to victims of the world’s worst crimes when national courts are unable or unwilling to prosecute. The ICC has its flaws, and its reach to more corners of the world should be expanded. Yet it remains the crucial global court of last resort and for many victims the only chance they have to see perpetrators held to account. South Africa should follow the lead of Gambia, which recently cancelled its ICC withdrawal notice. Such a move would signal South Africa’s commitment to justice and the rights of victims. It would also restore respect for human rights and international justice to the center of its foreign policy practice. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (c) 2017 Human Rights Watch

At least 65,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar – a third of them over the past week – since the army launched a crackdown in the north of Rakhine state. The figure, released by the UN, marks a sharp escalation in the numbers fleeing a military campaign which rights groups say has been marred by abuses so severe they could amount to crimes against humanity. Burmese military killed seven of my children, says Rohingya refugee Read more They also come the same day the UN’s human rights envoy for Myanmar, Yanghee Lee, began a 12-day visit to probe violence in the country’s borderlands that will take her to the army-controlled area. “Over the past week, 22,000 new arrivals were reported to have crossed the border from Rakhine state,” the UN’s relief agency said in its weekly report. “As of 5 January, an estimated 65,000 people are residing in registered camps, makeshift settlements and host communities in Cox’s Bazaar” in southern Bangladesh, said the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The exodus of Rohingya from northern Rakhine began after Myanmar’s army launched clearance operations while searching for insurgents behind deadly raids on police border posts three months ago. Escapees from the persecuted Muslim minority in Bangladesh have given harrowing accounts of security forces committing mass rape, murder and arson. The stories have cast a pall over the young government of Aung San Suu Kyi, with mainly Muslim Malaysia being especially critical. Myanmar’s government has said the claims of abuse are fabricated and launched a special commission to investigate the allegations. Last week it presented its interim report denying accusations of “genocide and religious persecution” and saying there was insufficient evidence that troops had been committing rape. That judgement came days after a video emerged showing police beating Rohingya civilians, something the government said was an isolated incident after the officers were arrested. Rohingya police beating footage: Myanmar government to investigate On Monday the UN’s Lee began her own probe with a visit to Kachin state, where thousands have been displaced by fighting between ethnic rebels and the army. Lee, who has faced threats and demonstrations on previous visits over her comments on Myanmar’s treatment of the Rohingya, is due to visit Rakhine before leaving on 20 January. Hardline Buddhist monk Wirathu caused outrage when he called her a “whore in our country” for criticising controversial legislation considered discriminatory to women and minorities.

By Rozanna Latiff | KUALA LUMPUR Malaysian police on Wednesday named a North Korean diplomat along with a state airline official who are wanted for questioning over the murder of Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korea's leader. Kim Jong Nam, 46, was killed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Feb. 13, while preparing to board a flight to Macau, where he lived in exile with his family under the protection of Beijing. South Korean and U.S. officials believe the killing of the elder half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was an assassination carried out by agents of the North. Kim Jong Nam had spoken out publicly against his family's dynastic control of the isolated, nuclear-armed state. Giving an update on an investigation that has already angered North Korea, Malaysia's police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said the diplomat wanted for questioning was 44-year-old Hyon Kwang Song, a second secretary at the embassy. Police also want to interview Kim Uk Il, 37, an employee of the North Korean state-owned airline Air Koryo. Khalid said both were in Malaysia but could not confirm they were in the embassy. "They've been called in for assistance. We hope the embassy will cooperate with us and allow us to interview them quickly or else we will compel them to come to us," Khalid told reporters. "We can't confirm that they are hiding in the embassy," he told Reuters. So far, police have identified a total of eight North Koreans suspected of being linked to killing. l One, Ri Jong Chol, has been in custody since last week, and another, Ri Ji U, remains at large. Khalid said police "strongly believed" four others were back in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, having fled Malaysia on the day of the attack. Police have not stated Ri Jong Chol's role in the killing. He lived in Malaysia for three years without working at the company registered on his employment permit or receiving a salary. Police are also holding two women - one Vietnamese, one Indonesian - who are suspected of carrying out the fatal assault on Kim Jong Nam using a fast-acting poison. REHEARSED ATTACK Police chief Khalid said both women wiped a liquid, containing an as yet unidentified toxic substance, on Kim Jong Nam's face. "Yes, the two female suspects knew that the substance they had was toxic. We don't know what kind of chemical was used," he said, dismissing speculation that the women had thought they were part of a prank. "They used their bare hands," he said, adding that they were instructed to wash their hands afterwards. The women had rehearsed the attack at two shopping malls in central Kuala Lumpur before assaulting Kim Jong Nam, he said. An Indonesian foreign ministry official Lalu Muhammad Iqbal said it was premature to draw conclusions about its citizen's involvement. RELATED COVERAGE North Korea calls for release of three detained in Kim Jong Nam case "The fact that investigators have asked for an extension to the remand shows that the evidence so far is not enough to bring charges or prosecute," he said in a statement. DIPLOMATIC SPAT North Korea's embassy issued a statement on Wednesday calling for the immediate release of its citizen, Ri Jong Chol, and the two women, saying they were innocent. The embassy statement did not address the police request to interview one of its diplomats. Security was stepped up at the morgue where Kim Jong Nam's body is being held after an attempted break-in earlier this week, Khalid said. Malaysia has denied North Korea's request for the body to be handed over to its embassy directly, saying it would be released to the next of kin, though none has come forward. The investigation has strained Malaysia's hitherto friendly relations with North Korea. Earlier this week Malaysia recalled its ambassador from Pyongyang, and Prime Minister Najib Razak rebuked the North Korea ambassador in Kuala Lumpur for making "diplomatically rude" comments. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (c) 2017 World News

Last month I visited Bakala, a town in the center of the Central African Republic where serious fighting between two rebel groups had recently claimed at least 38 lives. A few brave residents showed me a well where seven bodies had been dumped. Nearby, we saw what looked like dried blood in a school where a man who managed to escape said 25 other people had been executed. Bullet casings on the ground in Bakala, Central African Republic, after fighting between the UPC and FPRC in December 2016. Photo taken on January 22, 2017. © 2017 Edouard Dropsy for Human Rights Watch Ali Darassa, commander of the rebel group that witnesses identified as responsible for these killings, the Union for Peace in the Central African Republic (l'Union pour la Paix en Centrafrique, UPC), fiercely rejected the blame. “These accusations have been made against me and my men in the past and yet look, here I am,” he declared. “I have not been arrested.” Since the country descended into political and communal violence in 2013, with thousands of civilians killed, nobody has been prosecuted for serious crimes. All sides have carried out executions and sexual violence. Since last week, however, Darassa and the others should be less comfortable. On February 15, the president appointed Toussaint Muntazini Mukimapa of the Democratic Republic of Congo as special prosecutor of a new Special Criminal Court. After years of impunity, the court offers a real chance to hold abusive commanders to account inside the country. The court will consist of national and international staff and has a mandate to investigate and prosecute the gravest crimes committed in the country since 2003. It will partner with the International Criminal Court, which has a mandate to prosecute crimes since August 2012 but will only be able to focus on a handful of high-level suspects. Progress on the Special Criminal Court has been slow, but international partners have provided initial funding, and the appointment of the chief prosecutor is a crucial step forward. Next should come the prompt appointment of judges and further staffing, along with securing long-term financial support. The court will help break the cycle of impunity that has left the many armed groups free to kill at will. A woman who fled Bakala after her husband was executed explained it well. “If my husband’s killers are allowed to keep killing, how can we return?” she said. “They must stop killing. They must know they will face consequences.” The appointment of the chief prosecutor is a step toward enforcing consequences. That could move the country a step closer to peace. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (c) 2017 Human Rights Watch

Turkish war planes illegally operating in Iraq have targeted Kurdistan Worker Party (PKK) positions. At least 34 fighters of the PKK, in which Ankara recognizes as a terrorist group, were killed in two separate strikes on Monday. The first strike took place shortly after midnight, with the second shortly after noon. They both targeted the Zap region of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region. The militant group which primarily operates in Turkey and seeks autonomy, has been engaging the Turkish military in a low intensity conflict, for more than three decades, resulting in the death of more than 40,000 people. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (c) 2017 AINA

Forty-four Islamic State militants were killed by Turkey-backed operations around the Syrian town of al-Bab and in U.S.-led coalition air strikes on Monday, the Turkish military said on Tuesday. One Turkish soldier was killed and two were wounded during work to clear landmines and explosives in the area, the army said, reiterating that it had largely established control in the residential areas of al-Bab. The Islamic State stronghold, 30 km (20 miles) from the Turkish border, has been a prime target since Turkey launched an incursion with Syrian rebels last August to push the jihadists from its frontier and prevent gains by a Kurdish militia. Turkey's army said 15 of the jihadists were killed in clashes, artillery fire and air strikes during operations in al-Bab, while the remaining 29 were killed and four buildings were destroyed in the coalition air strikes. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (c) 2017 AINA

Move comes after video surfaces purportedly showing Peshmerga troops assaulting displaced Arab civilians BAGHDAD (Original article posted on 02/20/2017) An Iraqi parliamentary committee on human rights on Monday demanded that Baghdad and Erbil investigate alleged abuses by Kurdish Peshmerga forces against displaced Sunni-Arab civilians. The demand followed the emergence of a video online purportedly showing Peshmerga forces assaulting Arab civilians who had fled Daesh-held parts of northern Iraq. A Kurdish lawmaker, for his part, said the video portrayed an "isolated incident", which, he asserted, was being exploited by "certain parties" for political purposes. On Saturday, online activists shared a video on Facebook purportedly showing armed fighters -- who activists said were Peshmerga troops -- severely beating Sunni-Arab civilians who had recently fled the Daesh-held Al-Hawija district south of Mosul. "We condemn the brutal treatment meted out by Peshmerga fighters against displaced Arab civilians that occurred in the Molla Abdullah area of Kirkuk province," Abdul-Raheem al-Shammari, chairman of the parliamentary committee, said in a statement. "These acts by Peshmerga forces are a flagrant rights violation against unarmed civilians," he added. Al-Shammari also called for an investigation into the incident by officials in Baghdad and Erbil, the latter of which serves as administrative capital of northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region, where the incident allegedly took place. Mohsen al-Saadoun, for his part, a lawmaker for the Kurdistan Alliance party in Iraq’s parliament, said that what appears in the video was an "isolated incident". Nor, he said, did it reflect on the overall performance of Kurdish Peshmerga forces, who, he said, had "provided protection for thousands of displaced Iraqis". "The incident is being exploited by certain groups for political purposes," al-Saadoun told Anadolu Agency without elaborating. The Daesh terrorist group remains in control of much of southwestern Kirkuk, including Al-Hawija and the Al-Riyadh and Al-Zab districts, while Peshmerga forces control the rest of the province. Anadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. Please contact us for subscription options. (c) Anadolu Agency 2017

February 20, 2017 Egyptians hold vigil for victims of attack on Coptic church on 11 December, 2016 (AFP) The Islamic State group has threatened Coptic Christians, the Muslim Brotherhood, Salafists, and al-Azhar clerics in wide-ranging video promising more attacks in Egypt similar to a church bombing in December. The group said there was a need for more attacks on wealthy Copts, singling out the Sawiris family, Egypt’s most famous billionaire Christian family. IS also attacked the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as the Salafi, pro-government Nour Party, labelling them both “apostates” due to their public stands of solidarity with Copts following IS attacks. The militant group also labelled as apostates leading Egyptian clerics following their strong criticism of IS attacks on Christians. Those named as apostates in the video include the grand imam of al-Azhar mosque, Ahmed el-Tayeb, and Salafi sheikh Mohammed Hassan. IS named the Coptic Cathedral attacker as Abu Abdullah el-Masry, an Egyptian citizen from the mainland, as opposed to the Sinai Peninsula where the group has its main base. They threatened to carry out similar attacks, adding: “To my brothers in prison, we swear we will free Cairo soon, and free you, and come with explosions.” According to IS, Egypt’s Coptic Christians have broken their "contracts" with the Muslims, and now constitute a tool of “the crusaders against the Islamic faith”. For this reason, the militant group said Egypt’s Christian community would be the target of further attacks similar to the Coptic Cathedral bombing that killed and injured dozens in December. IS said that the generally estimated number of Copts in Egypt, up to 18 million, is incorrect, and that their real number is not more than four million. Despite this, IS also said that Coptic investment made up 40 percent of Egypt’s economy. IS is most active in Egypt’s Sinai province, and aims to expand from there into Egypt’s other more populous provinces. (c) Middle East Eye 2017

FEBRUARY 20, 2017 Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II participated in the discussion panel entitled “Aleppo, Mosul and Beyond: What Future do Christians have in the Middle East?” at the Munich Security Conference. His Eminence Mor Nicodemus Daoud Sharaf, Archbishop of Mosul, Kirkuk and Kurdistan Region was also present in the discussion panel. The panel was sponsored by the Hanns Seidel Foundation and the discussions were moderated by the German Ambassador to Luxembourg Dr. Heinrich Kreft. His Holiness spoke about the different experiences that our people had in our homeland in Iraq and Syria, resulting in the migration of many. He spoke about the current situation as well as the relief efforts that the Church is doing to encourage the faithful to remain in the homeland. His Holiness also spoke about the diverse projects implemented by the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch with the help of St. Ephrem Patriarchal Development Committee (EPDC) and through the support of many international organizations and foundations. His Holiness gave suggestions to help the Christians remain in their homeland and survive the genocide that aimed at forcing our people to migrate. (c) Orthodoxy Cognate 2017