DGI Brief - Dec 1, 2016

Happy Thursday. Today's top 3 global issues #news are about #Colombia #Tunisia and #SouthSudan

- COLOMBIA’s congress approved the revised peace agreement between the government & FARC, after President Santos decided the deal would not be decided by a referendum again. Why it matters: The revision commits FARC to give all their assets for reparations to the victims & many other improvements & clarifications. But all is not yet won – the constitutional court has to decide whether Congress can ‘fast track’ passing the necessary laws to implement the deal, a process that would otherwise take up to a year and a half. Will the court stay on the right side of history?

- Regional & western powers pledged around $8 billion at the TUNISIA 2020 investment conference in an attempt to continue the country’s democratic transition through job creation & infrastructure development. Why it matters: European Investment Bank (EIB), Arab Fun Fund for Economic & Social Development & Qatar all pledged over billion dollars each (EIB 3.1 billion) by 2020 in soft & zero-interest loans. The challenge is that most pledges were loans for projects rather than new investments, which will rather deepen Tunisia’s debt. Still, some of the debt will be allowed to convert into financing for new investments & create good economic & development opportunities.

- UN human rights commission notes “a steady process of ethnic cleansing” in SOUTH SUDAN carried out by the government who is – according to credible evidence – preparing for large-scale assault. Why it matters: There was such hope for South Sudan at its birth yet greed, power-mongering, staggering inefficiency & blatant disregard for life, human rights, future & prosperity of the people has turn the hope to dust. The current government must leave, especially as a perpetrator of crimes against humanity. But who can rule? There are no plausible candidates – is an international transitional administration the only option? It seems so.