I Like / I Dislike Week 07 [20241109-20241115]

Every Monday, the CERESE publishes the assessment of the previous week’s news by the Research Trainees:

I like the public discourse on the changes in the Treaty of Waitangi in New Zealand. A debate on the controversial bill that changes the interpretation of the Treaty of Waitangi, the country’s founding document, took place in New Zealand’s Parliament. The Act Party proposed the bill, resulting in strong opposition, particularly from Māori. The public reaction has been strong, with thousands of people participating in a nine-day protest march. Te Pāti Māori MP, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, tore up a copy of the bill, accompanied by a haka of protest. Critics argue that the bill undermines Māori rights and established treaty principles.

I dislike the use of French technology weapons in the war in Sudan. Amnesty International urged France to investigate the use of its Galix defense system by Sudan’s paramilitary ‘Rapid Support Forces’, which could violate the arms embargoes of the United Nations and European Union. Attached to Nimr Ajban vehicles manufactured in the United Arab Emirates, the Galix system was identified in Sudan, raising concerns about illicit arms transfers. France legally exports weapons to the UAE, but Amnesty International emphasized its duty to prevent illegal reexports. Amnesty International called for halting all arms supplies to Sudan’s warring parties. The RSF, accused of genocide and atrocities in Darfur, dominates major cities amid a brutal war with Sudanese forces since April 2023, causing tens of thousands of deaths and displacing millions.

The aforementioned opinions are those of their respective authors and they do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Institute of International Relations or its Researchers.