INFOCUS QUARTERLY SUMMARY - Q1 2021 TERRORISM & CONFLICT, NATURAL DISASTERS AND CIVIL UNREST - FocusPoint International
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INFOCUS QUARTERLY SUMMARY TERRORISM & CONFLICT, NATURAL DISASTERS AND CIVIL UNREST Q1 2021 FocusPoint International 866-340-8569 861 SW 78th Avenue, Suite B200 info@wwfocus.com Plantation, FL 33324 www.focuspointintl.com
SUMMARY
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02
NATURAL DISASTERS
Any event or force of nature that has fires, cyclones, hurricanes, tornados, tsunamis,
catastrophic consequences and causes volcanic eruptions, or other similar natural
damage or the potential to cause a crisis to a events that give rise to a crisis if noted and
CAP™ customer. This includes avalanches, agreed by FocusPoint.
landslides, earthquakes, floods, forest or bush
NUMBER OF INCIDENTS
15
9
3 32
10
14
Asia Pacific 32
Sub-Saharan Africa 10
Middle East and North Africa 3
Europe 15
Domestic United States and Canada 9
Latin America 14
MOST "SIGNIFICANT" EVENT
• Indonesia - West Sulawesi earthquake • Croatia - Earthquake
• South Africa - Tropical cyclone Eloise • USA - Tornado
• Algeria - Flood • Colombia - Floods03
TERRORISM / CONFLICT
Terrorism means an act, including but not government(s), committed for political,
limited to the use of force or violence and/or the religious, ideological or similar purposes
threat thereof, of any person or group(s) of including the intention to influence any
persons, whether acting alone or on behalf of or government and/or to put the public, or any
in connection with any organization(s) or section of the public, in fear.
NUMBER OF INCIDENTS
9
1
297 157
136
14
Asia Pacific 157
Sub-Saharan Africa 136
Middle East and North Africa 297
Europe 9
Domestic United States and Canada 1
Latin America 14
MOST "SIGNIFICANT" EVENT
• Pakistan - Islamic State killings • 13 officers killed in daytime ambush
• DRC- Killing of the Italian ambassador in Central Mexico
• Niger - Tillabéri attacks • Border conflict - Venezuela military and
• Azerbaijan - Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Colombian armed groups04
POLITICAL THREAT / CIVIL UNREST
The threat of action is designed to influence the this travel assistance plan, a political threat is
government or an international governmental extended to mean civil threats caused by riots,
organization or intimidate the public or a section strikes, or civil commotion.
of the public; to advance a political, religious,
racial, or ideological cause. For the purposes of
NUMBER OF INCIDENTS
100
29
89 137
39
66
Asia Pacific 137
Sub-Saharan Africa 39
Middle East and North Africa 89
Europe 100
Domestic United States and Canada 29
Latin America 66
MOST "SIGNIFICANT" EVENT
• Myanmar - Anti-coup protests • Russia - Navalny protests
• Uganda - Post-election protests • USA - Capitol riots
• Tunisia - Antigovernment protests • Haiti - Anti-coup riotsCIVIL UNREST
06
NUMBER OF TYPE OF INCIDENTS
Protest
409
Political Violence
37
Civil Unrest
7
Political Threat
7
NUMBER OF INCIDENTS BY REGION
100
29
89 137
39
66
Asia Pacific 137
Sub-Saharan Africa 39
Middle East and North Africa 89
Europe 100
Domestic United States and Canada 29
Latin America 6607 MYANMAR - ANTI COUP PROTESTS On February 1st, 2021, the Burmese military, The military has declared a year-long state of under the leadership of military emergency and has tabled new elections to be commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing, occupied held, at which point it will hand over power to the the capital of Yangon and seized control of the newly elected government. Pro-democracy country. They proceeded to arrest the recently supporters in the country continue to stage re-elected democratic leaders, including Aung daily protests demanding an end to the coup San Suu Kyi. The move comes after the and that the military hand power over to the opposition, which is military-backed, suffered a democratically elected government under Ms. landslide defeat in the November 2020 general Suu Kyi. The protests have not subsided even in election. In response, the opposition called the the face of mounting violence. Security forces elections fraudulent and attempted to have the regularly use deadly force to deal with the result overturned. Election observers have protestors and have killed over 500 people, refuted the notion of widespread electoral fraud, many of them children. There has been but this did not stop the military from widespread international condemnation, but the supporting the claim and favoring new elections military shows little interest in backing down as (with the intent of clawing back support). of yet. ASIA PACIFIC. NUMBER OF INCIDENTS BY COUNTRY Afghanistan 2 Australia 2 Bangladesh 9 Cambodia 1 Hong Kong 2 India 28 Indonesia 2 Kazakhstan 2 Myanmar 57 Nepal 8 Pakistan 10 Papua New Guinea 2 Philippines 1 Sri Lanka 1 Thailand 10
08 UGANDA - POST-ELECTION PROTESTS Uganda registered a spike in civil unrest At least 45 people were killed, dozens injured, incidents following the presidential elections on and 836 arrested when opposition supporters the 14th of January 2021. The incumbent, clashed with security forces across Uganda. Yoweri Museveni, won the general election with Most incidents took place in Kampala, including 58.6 percent of the vote. However, MP Bobi Kiseka Market, Mutasa, Owino, Nkuruma Wine of the National Unity Platform (NUP) Nakasero areas, and in Maaka, Jinja, and other immediately rejected the official results, which cities between November 2020 - January 2021. gave him 34.8 percent of the vote, and declared On January 12th, 2021, authorities suspended himself the winner prompting security forces to access to social media and online messaging place him under house arrest from January platforms across the country until further 14-25. Bobi Wine has since challenged the notice; access to the internet was also Supreme Court’s official results as tensions suspended from January 13-19. Further remain high between the opposition and the demonstrations are possible in the near to government. medium-term. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA. NUMBER OF INCIDENTS BY COUNTRY Angola 3 Malawi 2 Cote d'Ivoire 1 Mauritius 1 DRC 6 Nigeria 9 Guinea 2 Senegal 6 Kenya 4 South Africa 3 Madagascar 1 Uganda 1
09
TUNISIA - ANTI GOV PROTESTS
On January 14th, Tunisian authorities declared a The protests have since continued, often daily,
ban on protests and a four-day lockdown to curb until early February. Daytime demonstrations
the coronavirus. January 14th was also the 10th have been mostly peaceful but have often
anniversary of the ousting and exile of President turned violent, with protestors blockading
Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Large-scale streets and setting fire to tires during the night.
demonstrations were expected. Many Tunisians Protestors would begin looting and openly
saw this not as an attempt to curb the spread of attacking the police with stones and Molotov
COVID-19 but rather as an attack on the citizen’s cocktails at night. The police have been
ability to protest the country’s ailing economy. accused of responding with disproportionate
Protestors took to the streets in Siliana on violence, firing tear gas into peaceful protestors
January 15th in response to a video of police (and killing a protestor in the process), as well as
violence toward a shepherd. The protests have mass arrests. NGOs are reporting that police
since expanded nationwide to include other have also taking to beating protestors, often
grievances such as the failing economy, who are peacefully protesting. There are also
unemployment, political apathy, and police reports of police harassing journalists and
violence. crackdowns on individuals reporting on the
protests.
MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA. NUMBER OF INCIDENTS BY COUNTRY
Algeria 3 Mali 3
Bahrain 1 Morocco 1
Chad 4 Niger 3
Ethiopia 2 Somalia 3
Iran 3 South Sudan 3
Iraq 14 Sudan 6
Israel 6 Syria 2
Lebanon 24 Tunisia 1210 RUSSIA - NAVALNY PROTESTS Russia is currently experiencing the worst protest campaign to secure his freedom. protests it has seen since 2017. The unrest centers around the political standoff between Protests broke out across Russia, with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his most thousands of protestors taking to the streets in vocal opposition Alexander Navalny. On January at least 120 cities. Authorities have attempted to 17th, Navalny returned to Russia from Germany, quell the protests through the targeted where he had spent the last few months shutdown of city and transport services, along recovering from Novichok poisoning (which he with mass arrests. The largest intervention saw accuses the Russian government and Putin of over 5000 people arrested, which was followed orchestrating). Navalny was summarily arrested a few weeks later with an official show of force and eventually jailed in what is seen where the military was deployed in internationally as a politically motivated move. overwhelming numbers to intimidate In response, Navalny’s supporters began a protestors. EUROPE. NUMBER OF INCIDENTS BY COUNTRY Armenia 6 Greece 7 Austria 1 Ireland 1 Azerbaijan 2 Netherlands 5 Belarus 5 North Macedonia 1 Belgium 4 Poland 3 Bulgaria 1 Romania 2 Cyprus 1 Russia 7 Czech Republic 1 Spain 9 France 18 Turkey 14 Georgia 3 Ukraine 1 Germany 1 United Kingdom 7
11
v2
USA - CAPITOL RIOTS
On January 6th, pro-Trump protestors stormed Security officials rushed to evacuate the House
the US Capitol to overturn President Joe Biden’s and Senate, which was in joint session, and
election certification. The riot started as a evacuate then-Vice-President Pence and House
planned protest in the National Mall in which Speaker Pelosi. The rioters proceeded to
then-President Trump called on his supporters ransack offices and the House chamber. The
to walk to the Capitol in protest of the National Guard was subsequently mobilized
certification that was to take place – a and, together with police and other law
continuation of his claim that the election was enforcement agents, were able to regain control
rigged. A crowd of approximately 10,000 of the Capitol. A curfew was declared for
approached the Capitol grounds headed by the Washington DC, and a fence was built around
far-right Proud Boys. Within minutes, protestors the Capitol ahead of the upcoming inauguration.
rushed the barricades and clashed with police. The election results were certified in a late
The protestors managed to bypass the barriers session of the House and Senate. Five people
and enter the Capitol grounds, with police were killed, four rioters and 1 Capitol police
struggling to contain them. The rioters pushed officer, and hundreds of people have been
on to breach the Capitol building, with arrested.
approximately 800 managing to enter.
DOMESTIC UNITED STATES AND CANADA. NUMBER OF INCIDENTS BY COUNTRY
Canada 1
USA 2812 HAITI - ANTI COUP RIOTS Haiti plunged deeper into a constitutional crisis schedule all elections every five years. A on February 7th, 2021, after at least 23 referendum is set to be held on April 25th before opposition figures, including the Inspector the general elections on September 19th. General of the National Police of Haiti and Supreme Court Justice Yvickel Dabrézil, were Haiti has been gripped by a series of violent arrested on charges of organizing a coup protests and riots since early July 2018, leaving against President Moïse. Protest clashes dozens of people dead. What began as social erupted in Port-au-Prince on February 8th amid unrest in response to a proposed government a general strike as opposition figures appointed hike in fuel prices has since morphed into an Supreme Court Judge Joseph Mécène anti-corruption protest campaign, with deadly Jean-Louis as an interim president, claiming violence reigniting in November 2018 and again that Moïse’s term ended on February 7th. A in February and September-December 2019, constitutional committee mounted by the with sporadic killings reported at protests president published a draft of a new throughout 2020 and early 2021, even during constitution; to eliminate the Senate, strengthen COVID-19 restrictions. the presidency, mandate military service, and LATIN AMERICA. NUMBER OF INCIDENTS BY COUNTRY Argentina 5 Bolivia 6 Brazil 3 Chile 13 Colombia 2 Dominican Republic 2 Ecuador 1 El Salvador 4 Guadeloupe 1 Haiti 8 Martinique 1 Mexico 8 Paraguay 3 Puerto Rico 1 Uruguay 1 Venezuela 2
TERRORISM & CONFLICT
14
NUMBER OF TYPE OF INCIDENTS
Terrorism
497
Conflict
117
NUMBER OF INCIDENTS BY REGION
9
1
297 157
136
14
Asia Pacific 157
Sub-Saharan Africa 136
Middle East and North Africa 297
Europe 9
Domestic United States and Canada 1
Latin America 1415 PAKISTAN - ISLAMIC STATE KILLINGS Sunday, January 3rd, saw the killing of 11 coal targeted due to their affiliation with Shia Islam. minors from Pakistan’s minority Shiite Hazaras In the wake of Sunday’s attack, members of the in Baluchistan province. The Islamic State took Hazara minority in Quetta blockaded the responsibility for the massacre through the western bypass and set fire to tires in protest Amaq news agency. The victims, who were against the killings. In 2013, three bombings members of a minority Shia community, were killed over 200 people in Hazara neighborhoods. ASIA PACIFIC. NUMBER OF INCIDENTS BY COUNTRY Afghanistan 97 Pakistan 11 India 27 Papua New Guinea 1 Indonesia 4 Philippines 10 Myanmar 4 Thailand 2 Nepal 1
16 DRC - KILLING OF THE ITALIAN AMBASSADOR Italian Ambassador Luca Attanasio and Italian sustained injuries, and the Congolese driver was police officer Vittorio Iacovacci were killed in also killed in the ambush. The shooting the Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday, occurred in an area where both the DRC and February 22nd. En route to a school endorsed Rwanda had militias operating in the region. by the World Food Program, the Ambassador DRC officials have accused the Democratic died after unidentified assailants attacked his Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), convoy in Eastern DRC. Several other subsequently denied by the rebels. passengers in the United Nations convoy SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA. NUMBER OF INCIDENTS BY COUNTRY Burkina Faso 6 Kenya 4 Burundi 1 Mozambique 2 Cameroon 8 Nigeria 54 Central African Republic 16 Senegal 2 DRC 43
17 NIGER - TILLABÉRI ATTACKS One of the deadliest days in Niger saw the killing simultaneously. Although no group has claimed of at least 100 people in the villages of responsibility for the attack, Niger officials Tchomo-Bangou and Zaroumdareye, near the suspect that the attack was executed by border of Mali. The attack, which took place on jihadists. Over 75 others were wounded in the January 2nd, was carried out by unidentified massacre, and many have had to leave the gunmen on motorcycles who divided into two Tillabéri region to receive treatment in Ouallam separate groups and attacked the villages and Niamey. MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA. NUMBER OF INCIDENTS BY COUNTRY Algeria 2 Mali 82 Chad 3 Morocco 1 Egypt 10 Niger 6 Eritrea 1 Saudi Arabia 44 Ethiopia 15 Somalia 59 Iran 34 South Sudan 6 Iraq 32 Sudan 10 Lebanon 2 Syria 41 Libya 5 Tunisia 3
18 AZERBAIJAN - NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT The conflict surrounding the Nagorno-Karabakh agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia region has been a long-standing feud between was violated when a deadly explosion had Azerbaijan and Armenia. Following the targeted soldiers in Agdam, Nagorno-Karabakh. Moscow-administered and post-war One soldier was killed, and several others were declarations signed by Russia, the 2020 wounded. Both sides accused each other of Karabakh War is over. However, the lives lost on violating the peace deal, which ended in six both sides have resulted in the deaths of over weeks of brutal conflict. 6,800 troops. On February 4th, the ceasefire EUROPE. NUMBER OF INCIDENTS BY COUNTRY Armenia 1 Sweden 1 Azerbaijan 3 Ukraine 4
19
13 OFFICERS KILLED DURING in the José Antonio Páez municipality, which
resulted in the capturing of 32 members of an
A DAYTIME AMBUSH IN CENTRAL irregular group, and the demolition of 6 camps.
The historically delicate relationship between
MEXICO the Venezuelan government and Colombia’s
insurgent groups could perpetuate the ongoing
On Thursday the 18th of March, gunmen killed conflict and risk further warfare.
13 Mexican police officers in an ambush as they
traveled through the municipality of Coatepec
Harinas. The attack was a massive setback to
government security forces and a reflection of
LATIN AMERICA. NUMBER OF
Mexico’s security situation. President Andres
Manuel Lopez Obrador took office in 2018 with
INCIDENTS BY COUNTRY
a goal to placate Mexico; in contrast, he has had
to endure even higher levels of homicide, crime,
and drug cartels. Drug gang members are
suspected to be behind the ambush of what
officials say is one of the worst mass slayings of
Mexican law enforcement in years. The
attackers piled the police officers’ bodies and
continued to fire bullets at the heap - 8 of them
were state police officers, and 5 were
prosecution investigators. The ambush is also a
way for criminal groups to test their power
against the law.
BORDER CONFLICT - VENEZUELA
MILITARY AND COLOMBIAN ARMED
GROUP
On March 28th, at least six ex-FARC Chile 1
(Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) Colombia 6
guerillas were killed, and 39 others were
captured amid the ongoing conflict between
Mexico 1
militants and government soldiers in Apure
Venezuela 7
State, Venezuela. The clashes have ensued
along the Venezuela-Colombia border and have
resulted in over 6,000 Venezuelans displaced to
Colombia. In the week preceding this, the
Bolivarian National Armed Forces conducted a
military operation against Colombian militantsNATURAL DISASTERS
21
NUMBER OF TYPE OF INCIDENTS
Avalanche 3
Cyclone 8
Earthquake 13
Fire 3
Flood 18
Heavy rainfall 5
Heavy snowfall 4
Landslide 3
Tornado 2
Volcanic eruption 10
Winter storm 10
NUMBER OF INCIDENTS BY REGION
15
9
3 32
10
14
Asia Pacific 32
Sub-Saharan Africa 10
Middle East and North Africa 3
Europe 15
Domestic United States and Canada 9
Latin America 1422 WEST SULAWESI EARTHQUAKE, INDONESIA A 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit West Sulawesi, destruction and three being decimated Indonesia, at approximately 18:28 UTC on the completely. Landslides caused electricity and 14th of January 2021. Sources indicate that the telecommunications blackouts, as many power epicenter of the quake was situated 6km NE of stations were destroyed. The landslides also Majene City, which has a population of 37,715. It resulted in six villages becoming inaccessible caused severe damage to military command due to roads that were damaged. Tragically, 105 offices, hotels, government buildings, hospitals, people were killed, and 3,368 reported as and over 300 houses. Furthermore, Indonesia’s injured. More than 40,000 people were directly Ministry of Education reported that 103 schools affected, and 10,000 had to be sheltered in the were damaged, with 37 sustaining significant aftermath. ASIA PACIFIC. NUMBER OF INCIDENTS BY COUNTRY Japan 4 Malaysia 1 Australia 2 New Zealand 2 Bangladesh 1 New Caledonia 1 China 1 Pakistan 1 Fiji 2 Papua New Guinea 1 India 2 Philippines 2 Indonesia 6 Mongolia 1
23 TROPICAL CYCLONE ELOISE, SOUTH AFRICA Heavy rains affected South Africa after Tropical were still missing following the storm. In its Cyclone Eloise swept over the region on the wake, many roads remained flooded, prompting 23rd of January 2021. Though Eloise made the use of a helicopter to deliver relief supplies landfall north of Beira, Mozambique, torrential to the affected areas. The heavy rainfall downpours followed in its wake. Ten fatalities damaged farms, hundreds of homes, and 400 have been confirmed in Mpumalanga, ten in people have been directly affected. Due to the Limpopo, eight in Kwazulu-Natal, and three in sheer volume of rain that fell, the National the Northern Cape. Authorities report that the Department of Water and Sanitation began main cause of death was drowning in flooded releasing water from the Vaal and Nandoni rivers and indicated that at least seven people dams to prevent them from bursting their banks. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA. NUMBER OF INCIDENTS BY COUNTRY DRC 1 Namibia 1 Madagascar 1 South Africa 1 Mozambique 2
24 FLOOD, ALGERIA On Saturday, the 6th of March, heavy rainfall led closures due to the damaged infrastructure. to flash flooding in many areas of the Chlef Specialized flood support teams consisting of Province due to the Meknes River overflowing. Civil Defense personnel specialized in search The flooding was particularly concentrated in and rescue operations were deployed to the Oud Sly Commune area. Reports indicate alleviate the effects. More than 500 families that seven people have been killed, and three were affected, with 280 families leaving their remain missing. The flood swept away three dwellings to seek shelter at emergency centers vehicles and damaged various houses in the following the flood. area. There have also been reports of road MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA. NUMBER OF INCIDENTS BY COUNTRY Algeria 2 South Sudan 2 Ethiopia 1 Syria 1 Somalia 1
25 EARTHQUAKE, CROATIA A powerful 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck and the nearby town of Sisak were left without central Croatia on the 29th of December 2020. electricity due to infrastructure damage. The quake came days after a 5.2 magnitude Emergency services, consisting of the Croatian earthquake struck the same region. The US Mountain Rescue Service, the army, firefighters, Geological Survey said the quake was the and medical personnel were involved in search largest recorded in Croatia since 1880. It is and rescue operations in the aftermath. reported that seven people have been killed, and Government sources reported that affected more than 20 have been injured. The earthquake families would be able to stay in the army severely impacted Petrinja and Glina, with barracks and hotels as temporary places of significant destruction taking place at Petrinja’s shelter. As a precaution, Slovenia’s near-lying town center. Authorities report that about half of nuclear power plant was shut down Petrinja had been razed. Large areas of Petrinja momentarily. EUROPE. NUMBER OF INCIDENTS BY COUNTRY Croatia 1 Norway 1 Greece 1 Spain 2 Iceland 3 United Kingdom 2 Italy 4
26 S.E. TORNADOES, USA A string of tornadoes ripped through the S.E. towards clearing debris that was left in the part of the United States from the 24th to 26th tornadoes’ wake. Damage sustained to of March 2021. The destructive weather infrastructure not only included damage to returned to the region a week after some of the houses and power lines, but the storm was same areas were hit by powerful storms. Six powerful enough to fell the roof of a large people have been killed due to the storm. The commercial building at an industrial park and states of Alabama and Georgia were affected fling about cars. The Calhoun County Sheriff’s the worst, with various homes and businesses Office and Alabama State Troopers constructed being leveled. Infrastructure was damaged as a makeshift outpost in a portable trailer in downed trees blocked roads and destroyed Ohatchee, where volunteers handed out food utility and power lines. Search and rescue and water to those affected. operations were launched as crews worked DOMESTIC UNITED STATES AND CANADA. NUMBER OF INCIDENTS BY COUNTRY Canada 1 USA 8
27 FLOOD, COLOMBIA Sources report that heavy rain caused severe in 45 fatalities, 23 injured, and three missing flooding in the municipality of Dabeiba in people. Throughout the month, a total of 318 Antioquia, Colombia, on the 22nd of March extreme weather events were reported. As 2021. Authorities said that 237 buildings, ten many as 2,382 houses were damaged and 30 vehicles, as well as roads and infrastructure, destroyed, affecting approximately 3,451 were damaged by the flood. 185 families were families. In addition to flooding, hailstorms, and reported as directly affected. The flooding strong winds, the country suffered 175 capped off a month of severe weather, resulting landslides as well. LATIN AMERICA. NUMBER OF INCIDENTS BY COUNTRY Argentina 3 Guatemala 2 Brazil 1 Nicaragua 1 Chile 2 Paraguay 1 Colombia 2 Peru 1 Ecuador 1
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