Bjørnar Østby
@bjornarostby.bsky.social
Peace research, civil wars and international relations (with a sprinkle of Arsenal). LSE alumnus. Lecturer @OsloNewUC. Son of a preacher man, enjoyer of Stoney Tangawizi. Halvparten av duoen bak podkasten Afrikansk politikk.
Rwanda og DR Kongo signerte nylig en fredsavtale i Washington, D.C. Jeg håper at jeg tar feil, men jeg er foreløpig skeptisk til at avtalen vil bane vei for fred med det første. Jeg drodler litt om dette i en ny tekst på Afrikansk politikk-substacken. open.substack.com/pub/maren930...
Blir det fred mellom Rwanda og Kongo nå?
Sist fredag signerte Rwanda og DR Kongos utenriksministere en lenge ventet fredsavtale i Washington, D.C. Blir det fred mellom Rwanda og Kongo nå? Bjørnar har skriblet ned noen av sine reaksjoner.
open.substack.com
July 3, 2025 at 12:17 PM
Rwanda og DR Kongo signerte nylig en fredsavtale i Washington, D.C. Jeg håper at jeg tar feil, men jeg er foreløpig skeptisk til at avtalen vil bane vei for fred med det første. Jeg drodler litt om dette i en ny tekst på Afrikansk politikk-substacken. open.substack.com/pub/maren930...
Reposted by Bjørnar Østby
Reposted by Bjørnar Østby
This will be carefully followed in the Sahel
"The United States has given its blessing to a plan by Syria's new leadership to incorporate thousands of foreign jihadist former rebel fighters into the national army, provided that it does so transparently"
Timour Azhari & Suleiman al-Khalidi, @reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/middle...
Timour Azhari & Suleiman al-Khalidi, @reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/middle...
Exclusive: US gives nod to Syria to bring foreign jihadist ex-rebels into army
The United States has given its blessing to a plan by Syria's new leadership to incorporate thousands of foreign jihadist former rebel fighters into the national army, provided that it does so transparently, President Donald Trump's envoy said.
www.reuters.com
June 2, 2025 at 4:51 PM
This will be carefully followed in the Sahel
YESSSS!!!
May 24, 2025 at 5:59 PM
YESSSS!!!
Jeg har begått en liten kommentar om Ibrahim Traoré - Burkina Fasos juntaleder som har blitt den nye politiske superhelten på TikTok. Følg Afrikansk politikk på Substack for å få oppdateringer fra @marensa.bsky.social og meg direkte i innboksen din!
maren930.substack.com/p/traore-og-...
maren930.substack.com/p/traore-og-...
Traoré og jihadistene
Burkina Fasos juntaleder har blitt en internasjonal kjendis, men på hjemmebane kjemper han på vikende front mot transnasjonale jihadister.
maren930.substack.com
May 21, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Jeg har begått en liten kommentar om Ibrahim Traoré - Burkina Fasos juntaleder som har blitt den nye politiske superhelten på TikTok. Følg Afrikansk politikk på Substack for å få oppdateringer fra @marensa.bsky.social og meg direkte i innboksen din!
maren930.substack.com/p/traore-og-...
maren930.substack.com/p/traore-og-...
I går hadde @marensa.bsky.social og jeg en hyggelig prat med utviklingsminister Åsmund Aukrust i podkasten vår Afrikansk politikk. Samtalen svingte innom alt fra amerikanske bistandskutt og et FN-system i pengekrise, til Norges mulige rolle i en turbulent verden. open.spotify.com/episode/7eeY...
May 21, 2025 at 12:25 PM
I går hadde @marensa.bsky.social og jeg en hyggelig prat med utviklingsminister Åsmund Aukrust i podkasten vår Afrikansk politikk. Samtalen svingte innom alt fra amerikanske bistandskutt og et FN-system i pengekrise, til Norges mulige rolle i en turbulent verden. open.spotify.com/episode/7eeY...
Reposted by Bjørnar Østby
I think another way of looking at this is that the court of a corrupt and distracted mad king has always been fertile ground for opportunistic dealmaking by those in attendance.
Trump catalyzes this opportunism, but it's unclear who are the beneficiaries of any deals that are actually closed.
Trump catalyzes this opportunism, but it's unclear who are the beneficiaries of any deals that are actually closed.
"This is perhaps the most intense bout of White House diplomacy for a generation. So it offers clues as to whether Trump is as skilled a dealmaker as he says. The answer so far is that he is good at catalysing negotiations, but bad at closing them." www.economist.com/leaders/2025...
Is Donald Trump a good dealmaker?
Amid a flurry of moves, the president is turning America into the world’s broker, not its underwriter
www.economist.com
May 15, 2025 at 9:14 AM
I think another way of looking at this is that the court of a corrupt and distracted mad king has always been fertile ground for opportunistic dealmaking by those in attendance.
Trump catalyzes this opportunism, but it's unclear who are the beneficiaries of any deals that are actually closed.
Trump catalyzes this opportunism, but it's unclear who are the beneficiaries of any deals that are actually closed.
Reposted by Bjørnar Østby
Jeg har svart Asle Toje i Aftenposten. Han forveksler antiamerikanisme med antitrumpisme. www.aftenposten.no/meninger/deb...
Asle Toje forveksler antiamerikanisme og antitrumpisme
Snoen svarer Toje.
www.aftenposten.no
April 23, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Jeg har svart Asle Toje i Aftenposten. Han forveksler antiamerikanisme med antitrumpisme. www.aftenposten.no/meninger/deb...
Reposted by Bjørnar Østby
More than 200 civilians killed as Sudan’s RSF assaults Darfur refugee camps
More than 200 civilians killed as Sudan’s RSF assaults Darfur refugee camps
Relief International medics among dead as paramilitaries step up violence against region’s displaced people
Paramilitaries in Sudan have murdered more than 200 civilians in a wave of attacks in refugee camps and around the city of El Fasher, the last big city still in the hands of the Sudanese army in the Darfur region.
The deaths include at least 56 civilians killed by the Rapid Support Forces over two days of attacks in Um Kadadah, a town they seized on the road to El Fasher. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
April 13, 2025 at 5:06 PM
More than 200 civilians killed as Sudan’s RSF assaults Darfur refugee camps
Reposted by Bjørnar Østby
Demonstrations in Central African Republic against #Wagner and President's bid for a third term:
“We’re here to say no to a third term..But more than that, we want to protect our sovereignty, which Touadera and the Wagner have trampled upon,”
#Russia #CAR #Africa
apnews.com/article/cent...
“We’re here to say no to a third term..But more than that, we want to protect our sovereignty, which Touadera and the Wagner have trampled upon,”
#Russia #CAR #Africa
apnews.com/article/cent...
Thousands rally against Russian Wagner mercenaries in Central African Republic
Thousands have protested plans of Central African Republic's president to run for a third term with the backing of Russian-led mercenaries from the Wagner group.
apnews.com
April 11, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Demonstrations in Central African Republic against #Wagner and President's bid for a third term:
“We’re here to say no to a third term..But more than that, we want to protect our sovereignty, which Touadera and the Wagner have trampled upon,”
#Russia #CAR #Africa
apnews.com/article/cent...
“We’re here to say no to a third term..But more than that, we want to protect our sovereignty, which Touadera and the Wagner have trampled upon,”
#Russia #CAR #Africa
apnews.com/article/cent...
Reposted by Bjørnar Østby
Biggest commitment to a 3 second joke I've ever seen
April 9, 2025 at 6:33 AM
Biggest commitment to a 3 second joke I've ever seen
Reposted by Bjørnar Østby
Historians are going to have better records from the 19th century than the 21st, is my most medievalist futurist prediction.
We won't just lose the archives they want us to lose but also the ones they couldn't back up properly.
YOU DID WHAT?
April 7, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Historians are going to have better records from the 19th century than the 21st, is my most medievalist futurist prediction.
Reposted by Bjørnar Østby
A video obtained by @nytimes.com clearly refutes the Israeli military's narrative on the aid convoy attack: Israeli troops opened fire on clearly marked ambulances that had their emergency lights on. 15 aid workers were killed. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/04/w...
Video Shows Aid Workers Killed in Gaza Under Gunfire Barrage, With Ambulance Lights On (Gift Article)
The U.N. has said Israel killed the workers. The video appears to contradict Israel’s version of events, which said the vehicles were “advancing suspiciously” without headlights or emergency signals.
www.nytimes.com
April 6, 2025 at 11:49 PM
A video obtained by @nytimes.com clearly refutes the Israeli military's narrative on the aid convoy attack: Israeli troops opened fire on clearly marked ambulances that had their emergency lights on. 15 aid workers were killed. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/04/w...
Reposted by Bjørnar Østby
Seriously this Bible exchange goes on even longer than I'm able to clip here.
April 1, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Seriously this Bible exchange goes on even longer than I'm able to clip here.
Reposted by Bjørnar Østby
BREAKING — Nearly all employees at the US Institute of Peace (USIP) received an email tonight informing them they were fired effective immediately, multiple staffers confirmed with me.
Just a few HR and IT staffers are being kept on to assist DOGE’s illegal dismantling of the independent nonprofit.
Just a few HR and IT staffers are being kept on to assist DOGE’s illegal dismantling of the independent nonprofit.
March 29, 2025 at 4:36 AM
BREAKING — Nearly all employees at the US Institute of Peace (USIP) received an email tonight informing them they were fired effective immediately, multiple staffers confirmed with me.
Just a few HR and IT staffers are being kept on to assist DOGE’s illegal dismantling of the independent nonprofit.
Just a few HR and IT staffers are being kept on to assist DOGE’s illegal dismantling of the independent nonprofit.
Reposted by Bjørnar Østby
If this were an *actual* war this opportunistic photoshoot would be a violation of the Geneva Convention.
Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem making content in front of the imprisoned men of El Salvador's notorious Terrorism Confinement Center mega-prison www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
March 27, 2025 at 8:43 AM
If this were an *actual* war this opportunistic photoshoot would be a violation of the Geneva Convention.
Reposted by Bjørnar Østby
Abu Ghraib as photo op.
March 27, 2025 at 8:33 AM
Abu Ghraib as photo op.
Reposted by Bjørnar Østby
Det har gått raskt utfor i Sør-Sudan. Med arrestasjonen av visepresident Riek Machar er fredsvtalen fra 2018, i realiteten revet i stykker
March 26, 2025 at 11:32 PM
Det har gått raskt utfor i Sør-Sudan. Med arrestasjonen av visepresident Riek Machar er fredsvtalen fra 2018, i realiteten revet i stykker
Reposted by Bjørnar Østby
Our analysis on Trump as mediator theglobalobservatory.org/2025/03/maki...
Making Peace Great Again? The Challenges and Potentials of Trump’s Approach to Peace Diplomacy - IPI Global Observatory
How should we assess Trump’s peace diplomacy? And what can Europe and Ukraine do to position themselves strategically in the diplomatic battle over Ukraine’s and Europe’s future?
theglobalobservatory.org
March 25, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Our analysis on Trump as mediator theglobalobservatory.org/2025/03/maki...
Reposted by Bjørnar Østby
Reposted by Bjørnar Østby
Hate to say I told you so, but...
Friendly reminder that Opsec is so terrible around the Trump team that the details of any discussions between him and Moscow will probably already be in the hands of intelligence agencies in Kyiv, Paris, Rome, Warsaw and Beijing
March 24, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Hate to say I told you so, but...
Reposted by Bjørnar Østby
This is the wildest story I have literally ever read. In any normal circumstances, a half-dozen senior officials would be forced to resign over this—starting with the National Security Advisor. And I doubt anyone will face any accountability at all.
In 25 years of covering national security, I’ve never seen a story like this: Senior Trump officials discussed planning for the U.S. attack on Yemen in a Signal group--and inadvertently added the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic. www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans
U.S. national-security leaders included me in a group chat about upcoming military strikes in Yemen. I didn’t think it could be real. Then the bombs started falling.
www.theatlantic.com
March 24, 2025 at 5:24 PM
This is the wildest story I have literally ever read. In any normal circumstances, a half-dozen senior officials would be forced to resign over this—starting with the National Security Advisor. And I doubt anyone will face any accountability at all.
Reposted by Bjørnar Østby
I'd frame this as part of what I've called Trump II's war on words. In this case, they've hollowed the word "terror" out of its accepted meaning and inserted "migrant" in its place.
The Trump administration has re-invented the war on terror as a war on migrants (e.g. GTMO, Alien Enemies Act) and drug cartels (e.g. FTO designations, US drones over Mexico, and even possible future US direct action).
Latest: I'm told that the U.S. is now holding 21 migrants at Gitmo, nationalities unknown, and all now housed in the prison building that formerly held suspected Al Qaeda members or affiliates.
March 21, 2025 at 3:09 PM
I'd frame this as part of what I've called Trump II's war on words. In this case, they've hollowed the word "terror" out of its accepted meaning and inserted "migrant" in its place.
Reposted by Bjørnar Østby
... That last I take from @nescio13.bsky.social. So segregationist managed democracy at home, and mercantilist monopoly patronage guiding economic and foreign policy. This is an indefensibly awful social and economic system, nothing to endear it unless you are a politically well-connected sycophant.
March 21, 2025 at 8:38 AM
... That last I take from @nescio13.bsky.social. So segregationist managed democracy at home, and mercantilist monopoly patronage guiding economic and foreign policy. This is an indefensibly awful social and economic system, nothing to endear it unless you are a politically well-connected sycophant.
Reposted by Bjørnar Østby
Lydspor til saken: open.spotify.com/episode/50U8...
Sesongpremiere
Afrikansk politikk · Episode
open.spotify.com
March 20, 2025 at 11:50 AM
Lydspor til saken: open.spotify.com/episode/50U8...