Veikko Viitamaa
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vviitamaa.bsky.social
Veikko Viitamaa
@vviitamaa.bsky.social
180 followers 610 following 14 posts
Sociologist with development, politics and global inequality in focus. And some football.
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Reposted by Veikko Viitamaa
aronlund.bsky.social
In 2018–20, the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation generously funded my research on Syrian armed groups, looking at why some factions grew while others fell apart.

A year after Assad's ouster, we revisit the project to see what it might tell us about Syria's new rulers:

www.hfg.org/insights/ref...
One Year Later: Reflections on How Syrian Opposition Groups United to Oust Assad - HFG
This month, Syrians at home and abroad had, for the first time in a long while, cause for national celebration. In the capital city of Damascus, and in immigrant enclaves around the world, jubilant Sy...
www.hfg.org
December 18, 2025 at 10:33 PM
Reposted by Veikko Viitamaa
newhumanitarian.bsky.social
🇨🇩 Describing the killings as “the worst human rights crisis in Tanzania’s history”, a coalition of African civil society organisations is independently collecting evidence for a submission to the ICC.
buff.ly/Mw7n6Fz
Tanzania election killings: Outcry and calls for international investigations
The death toll in election violence, which may run into the thousands, has left the country traumatised.
www.thenewhumanitarian.org
November 13, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Reposted by Veikko Viitamaa
dieworkwear.bsky.social
Grok tweets: "Yes, the USSR's founding ideology under Lenin and Stalin explicitly aimed for world revolution to achieve global communism, as outlined in Marxist-Leninist doctrine. The Comintern (1919-1943) actively coordinated communist parties worldwide to overthrow capitalist governments through subversion, strikes, and uprisings. While Stalin later emphasized "socialism in one country" for pragmatic reasons, Soviet support for proxy wars, espionage, and insurgencies—like in Korea, Vietnam, and Cuba—continued exporting revolution until the end. Coexistence rhetoric masked this expansionist drive." Ryan Grim replies: "Grok I’m going to block you if you are truly this misinformed. This is communism 101. The whole debate between Stalin and Trotsky was over this question and Stalin won. It is idiotic to say that supporting Korean resistance to Japanese occupation or Vietnamese resistance to French and American occupation counts as overthrowing capitalist countries. Check your training for bias because these assertions are absurd. (Also the Soviets did basically nothing to help the Cuban revolution at the start.) This is your last chance to dodge a block."
November 7, 2025 at 10:43 PM
Reposted by Veikko Viitamaa
merelzoet.bsky.social
Read our latest analysis of a mass killing near Al Fashir, Sudan. Open source evidence that we reviewed showed that more than 80 people attempting to flee Al Fashir were killed near a berm that the RSF built around the city. www.bellingcat.com/news/2025/11...
November 5, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Reposted by Veikko Viitamaa
thomasvlinge.bsky.social
Sahel 🇲🇱🇧🇫🇳🇪 MAP: The situation in the Sahel states of Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Benin as of September 2025.

This map is a joint production by @warmapper.org and myself
September 29, 2025 at 10:28 PM
Reposted by Veikko Viitamaa
nanjala.bsky.social
Some thoughts from me on youth in revolt in Kenya for @hammerandhope.bsky.social. hammerandhope.org/article/keny...
In Kenya, Gen Z Battles Corruption and Police Violence
What keeps the Ruto administration running from crisis to crisis remains a complete unwillingness to listen to people and an unswerving commitment to responding to any form of dissent with violence.
hammerandhope.org
August 13, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Reposted by Veikko Viitamaa
annihuhtala.bsky.social
Tämä on erittäin asiallinen kommentti.

Kun perehtyy maatalouden rahallisesti mittavan ympäristötuen lepsuihin vaatimuksiin, ymmärtää, ettei mitään tapahdu.

Asiantuntijat tietävät mitä pitäisi muuttaa ja vaatia, mutta Suomessa saastuttajalle maksetaan. Poliittinen tahto suojella puuttuu tässäkin.
Lukijan mielipide | Vesiensuojelu on Suomessa säälittävällä tasolla
Olisiko vihdoin aika siirtyä vesiensuojelussa vapaaehtoisuudesta velvoittavuuteen?
www.hs.fi
July 28, 2025 at 5:36 AM
Reposted by Veikko Viitamaa
abdulelsayed.bsky.social
Rather than always condemning masculinity—we need an alternative that is about protecting, promoting, and empowering. That’s the kind of masculinity I believe in.
July 20, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Reposted by Veikko Viitamaa
philipobaji.bsky.social
Nearly a thousand homes in Koumboli village, in the southeast of the Central African Republic, were reportedly set ablaze by Russian paramilitaries last week. One villager who attempted to flee his compound when it was set on fire was reportedly shot dead
corbeaunews-centrafrique.org/urgent-koumb...
Koumboli ravagé, les Mercenaires russes incendient la quasi-totalité des habitations, faisant un mort au passage
Ce vendredi matin, les mercenaires russes du groupe Wagner ont procédé à l’incendie massif des habitations du village de Koumboli, situé à 3 km de Zémio sur la route de Mboki. Bilan : presqu’un millie...
corbeaunews-centrafrique.org
June 9, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Reposted by Veikko Viitamaa
hofrench.bsky.social
Super excited to see this strong pre-release review of my new book by Publishers Weekly. "Weaving a staggering amount of history into a propulsive narrative that recasts the 20th century as a long struggle for liberation, this is a towering achievement." www.publishersweekly.com/9781324092452
The Second Emancipation: Nkrumah, Pan-Africanism, and Global Blackness at High Tide by Howard W French
In this magisterial account, journalist French (Born in Blackness) revisits the history of the Pan-Africanist movement through t...
www.publishersweekly.com
May 25, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Reposted by Veikko Viitamaa
cobbo3.bsky.social
The past year has seen dramatic drops in African irregular migration off-continent: A 54% decline in irregular migration to Yemen (the primary entry point to the Gulf) & 70% downturn in European interceptions of African migrants /1
African Migration Trends to Watch in 2025 – Africa Center
A preview of migration trends for 2025 including the need for more regional innovation to accommodate intracontinental population movements.
africacenter.org
March 12, 2025 at 10:44 AM
Reposted by Veikko Viitamaa
abujamajem.com
@afpnews.bsky.social's Laure Al-Khoury talks to survivors of sectarian massacres on Syrian coast: www.france24.com/en/live-news...
'Roads full of corpses': terrified Alawites in Syria flee attacks
For two days, Rihab Kamel and her family hid terrified in their bathroom in the city of Baniyas as armed men stormed the neighbourhood, pursuing members of Syria's Alawite minority.
www.france24.com
March 10, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Reposted by Veikko Viitamaa
timostewart.bsky.social
Syyriassa on ollut valtavan verisiä päiviä. Siviilejä on joukkomurhattu. Tilanteen rauhoittaminen ja tekijöiden saattaminen vastuuseen on nyt olennaista.

Samalla on edelleen paljon epäselvyyttä siitä, mitä tarkalleen on tapahtunut. Nyt on hyvin paljon disinformaatiota liikkeellä.
March 10, 2025 at 9:46 AM
Reposted by Veikko Viitamaa
jojalonen.bsky.social
Puhutaan vielä USAID-viraston lopettamisesta. Tällä on turvallisuuspoliittista merkitystä, jota en ole vielä nähnyt valtiojohtomme edes ajattelevan.

Viraston tuhoaminen on ollut testiajo Yhdysvaltain irtautumiselle kansainvälisestä yhteistyöstä. Ketju seuraa.
Trump administration says it's cutting 90% of USAID foreign aid contracts
The Supreme Court on Wednesday temporarily blocked a judge’s order giving the Trump administration a midnight deadline to release billions of dollars in U.S. foreign aid.
apnews.com
March 2, 2025 at 7:12 AM
Reposted by Veikko Viitamaa
tuomokondie.bsky.social
Hesari oli ystävällinen ja julkaisi mielipidekirjoitukseni työttömyydestä.
Lukijan mielipide | Jouduin työttömäksi, nyt minua ei kunnioita enää kukaan
Tuntemattomat ihmiset kokevat asiakseen kertoa, kuinka työttömän tulisi ottaa itseään niskasta kiinni.
www.hs.fi
February 25, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Reposted by Veikko Viitamaa
vviitamaa.bsky.social
Innolla odotan, että Tavio pysäyttää nyt kaupan Yhdysvaltoihin ja alkaa neuvottelemaan yhdysvaltalaisten pakkopalautuksista.

maailmankuvalehti.fi/2024/08/maai...
Suomen uusi kehityspoliittinen linja herättää hämmennystä asiantuntijoissa – ”Eihän suomalainenkaan yhteiskunta toimi pelkästään kauppaa tekemällä” - Maailman Kuvalehti
Hallituksen uusi selonteko nivoo kehitysyhteistyön ja kauppapolitiikan yhteen aiempaa suoraviivaisemmin. Se huolestuttaa asiantuntijoita, sillä näyttöä yksityisen sektorin kehitysyhteistyön tulokselli...
maailmankuvalehti.fi
February 25, 2025 at 3:35 AM
Reposted by Veikko Viitamaa
ethuin.bsky.social
Mainstream discourse on conflict in eastern #Congo overemphasizes the role of natural resources. This precludes a more solid and thorough analysis overall. @judithverweijen.bsky.social and I explain how and why 👇🏼
newhumanitarian.bsky.social The New Humanitarian @newhumanitarian.bsky.social · Feb 12
Most reporting on the M23 crisis in DR Congo is using mistaken framings, suggesting the conflict is purely driven by a desire to plunder the region’s rich mineral resources. Opinion from @judithverweijen.bsky.social and @ethuin.bsky.social: ⬇️
Why conflict mineral narratives don’t explain the M23 rebellion in DR Congo
False framings can exacerbate the problems they seek to tackle.
buff.ly
February 12, 2025 at 10:34 AM
Reposted by Veikko Viitamaa
davekarpf.bsky.social
So we’re all referring toTeslas as “Hitlermobiles” from now on, right?
January 21, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Reposted by Veikko Viitamaa
africacenter.bsky.social
The deterioration of security under military rule in the Sahel has resulted in fatalities spiking threefold since 2020. In Niger, fatalities linked to extremist groups are projected to jump 60 percent in 2024.
1/2
January 16, 2025 at 12:37 PM
Reposted by Veikko Viitamaa
ecfr.eu
📝 Read the full policy brief here: https://buff.ly/4fcWflh
@ecfrafrica.bsky.social
Material world: How Europe can compete with China in the race for Africa’s critical minerals
The EU faces a massive uphill struggle to secure critical raw material supply chains – and its efforts may even be undermining the bloc’s de-risking objectives by indirectly helping Chinese companies.
buff.ly
January 8, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Reposted by Veikko Viitamaa
shashj.bsky.social
‘“The international far right, which we have been denouncing for years, is led by the richest man on the planet and is openly attacking our institutions,” said Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, in a speech to mark 50 years since the death of … Franco’ www.ft.com/content/1dfd...
EU leaders warn Donald Trump not to meddle with Europe’s borders
Comments from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French foreign minister follow US president-elect’s Greenland threats
www.ft.com
January 8, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Reposted by Veikko Viitamaa
joncooper-us.bsky.social
Merrick Garland failed miserably in delivering justice for Trump’s numerous crimes. The absolute LEAST he can do is release Jack Smith’s report so the American people will learn the facts. Publishing the results of special counsel investigations is the norm — burying the truth would be indefensible.
January 7, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Reposted by Veikko Viitamaa
newlinesmag.bsky.social
Historically, alcohol consumption in the Middle East — including during Islamic rule — was an accepted facet of daily life.  But modern Islamist movements have weaponized alcohol bans as symbols of moral superiority.

newlinesmag.com/spotlight/th...
The Not-So-Frivolous Debate About Alcohol in Syria
It is neither premature nor petty to raise the question of drink, which strikes at the core of discussions about the nature of the new Syrian state
newlinesmag.com
January 2, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Reposted by Veikko Viitamaa
newlinesmag.bsky.social
“The Global North will always win at this point, and that’s why we want to own the whole supply chain.”

Here’s how Pan-African farmers are fighting to boost their bargaining power while supplying the chocolate industry.

newlinesmag.com/reportage/sw...
Sweetening the Deal for Cocoa Producers
Pan-African collectives are finding new ways to boost the bargaining power of farmers supplying the chocolate industry
newlinesmag.com
January 1, 2025 at 3:39 PM
vviitamaa.bsky.social
Erinomainen koonta Assadin syrjäyttäneestä Ahmed al-Sharaasta
maherakraa.bsky.social Maher Akraa @maherakraa.bsky.social · Dec 29
To understand the transformation of Ahmad al-Sharaa (Abu Mohammad al-Julani) and his role in shaping post-Assad Syria, we revisit a pivotal 2021 PBS documentary. Martin Smith’s Frontline interview offers rare insights into Julani’s journey, rivalries, and ambitions. 🧵
December 29, 2024 at 1:56 PM