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Germany| Planet & Commerce 

In a sharp and consequential move, Germany has suspended all military exports to Israel that could be used in its Gaza war campaign. The decision, announced by Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday, comes just hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed a vote by Israel’s security cabinet to approve a plan for full military takeover of Gaza City—the most populous urban area in the besieged strip.

Germany’s policy change marks one of the most significant international shifts from a close Western ally of Israel since the war began in October 2023. While reaffirming support for Israel’s right to self-defense and the release of hostages held by Hamas, Merz stated clearly that Berlin could no longer justify continued military support amid a deepening humanitarian disaster and a clear shift in Israeli military strategy.

“Under these circumstances, the German government will not authorize any exports of military equipment that could be used in the Gaza Strip until further notice,” said Merz at a press briefing in Berlin.
 

The Israeli cabinet’s greenlighting of a plan to seize Gaza City represents a drastic escalation in the 22-month-long war, signaling intent to assert total military control over the entire enclave. The move is likely to require the forcible displacement of thousands of civilians, military mobilization on a massive scale, and heightened urban warfare in already devastated regions.

This comes in the backdrop of an increasingly dire humanitarian situation. According to Gaza health authorities, 197 people—96 of them children—have died from malnutrition. Aid organizations report widespread starvation and lack of access to medical care, clean water, and shelter.

An UN-backed food security assessment recently declared that famine is actively unfolding in parts of Gaza, exacerbated by Israel’s continued blockade on the entry of humanitarian supplies.

Despite Israeli claims that humanitarian corridors are maintained, international organizations report consistent obstruction, particularly to the UN and non-governmental aid convoys.

“With the planned offensive, the Israeli government bears even greater responsibility than before for providing for their needs,” Merz stressed.
 

Though Germany has been one of Israel’s closest military partners—issuing over €485 million ($564 million) in arms export licenses between October 2023 and May 2025—Merz emphasized that the scale and severity of the civilian toll has made continued support untenable.

“The even harsher military action by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip, approved by the Israeli cabinet last night, makes it increasingly difficult for the German government to see how these goals will be achieved,” Merz said, referring to Israel’s stated aim of defeating Hamas while protecting civilians.
 

He also issued a direct warning to Israel over its intentions in the occupied West Bank, following a symbolic vote in the Knesset last month supporting annexation of the territory. Merz cautioned that such steps would trigger “irreparable diplomatic consequences” and further destabilize the region.

Israel’s government, however, appears unfazed. Netanyahu’s office released a statement Friday confirming that “the army will prepare to take control of Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones.”

Critics have labeled this a contradictory message, citing past military operations where aid access was limited or suspended altogether.

The international backlash now includes not only Germany, but also Canada, France, and Australia, each of whom has issued increasingly stern warnings or frozen aspects of military or economic cooperation. Even the United States, Israel’s top military sponsor, has grown more cautious in its language.

Despite these shifts, the Israeli war cabinet remains committed to its current trajectory, stating that any pause or ceasefire without the return of Israeli hostages would be “unacceptable capitulation.”

United Nations humanitarian officials and NGOs on the ground have issued a new round of emergency warnings, stating that unless full and sustained access is granted immediately, the entire civilian population in Gaza could face irreversible famine and mass death.

Deliveries of food, medical supplies, and fuel have been consistently obstructed or delayed, especially in areas close to the planned Israeli operations in Gaza City and surrounding districts.

“This is not a logistics failure. It is a political choice. And civilians are paying the price,” said one UN official under condition of anonymity.
 

The German government’s latest move is now being hailed by humanitarian organizations as a necessary turning point, though many stress that it must be followed by further concrete action, including diplomatic sanctions and international coordination to enforce humanitarian law.

Germany’s decision could pave the way for other European Union nations to reassess their arms trade with Israel, particularly as evidence of civilian casualties, famine, and infrastructure devastation mounts. Spain, Ireland, and Belgium have already taken more vocal stances against Israel’s military operations in recent months.

The coming EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels may see further calls for a unified arms embargo, or at the very least, a ban on weapons likely to be used in urban offensives.

Germany’s traditionally cautious approach makes its shift even more significant. Chancellor Merz has now drawn a clear distinction between support for Israel’s sovereignty and endorsement of its military strategy in Gaza.

Africa| Planet & Commerce 

The fragile hopes of a democratic transition in Guinea have been dealt another blow. On Saturday, the country’s ruling military government suspended the activities of its three largest opposition parties, including that of ousted former President Alpha Conde, just weeks before a critical constitutional referendum scheduled for September 21.

The decision, which comes under the rule of General Mamady Doumbouya, has been widely condemned by civil society groups and opposition leaders as an attempt to consolidate military power under the guise of constitutional reform. For many Guineans, the move deepens fears that Doumbouya’s promise to return the country to civilian rule following his 2021 coup is now in jeopardy.

The decree issued by the junta targeted Guinea’s three most prominent opposition groups:

1. Rally of the Guinean People (RPG): The party of former President Alpha Conde, who was overthrown by Doumbouya in September 2021.
    
2. Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG): Led by former Prime Minister Cellou Dalein Diallo, long-time rival of Conde and one of the country’s most influential opposition figures.
    
3. Party of Renewal and Progress (PRP): A smaller but significant voice in Guinea’s political landscape.
    

The order, read out on state television, prohibits the parties from engaging in any political activity for 90 days, covering the entire referendum period.

The junta claimed the suspension was due to the parties’ “failure to meet required obligations,” though it did not specify what obligations had been breached.

In a separate announcement on Friday night, Guinea’s military rulers also delayed the official start of the referendum campaign period, moving it from August 24 to August 31.

The referendum will ask Guineans to vote on a revised constitution that the junta says is designed to return the country to civilian government. However, opposition leaders fear that the new constitution could allow Doumbouya or other junta members to run for office, despite a 2021 transition charter that explicitly banned them from participating in future elections.

The suspension of parties has been described as a serious setback for democracy in Guinea. Opposition leaders argue it eliminates any meaningful competition ahead of the vote and silences dissenting voices.

Cellou Dalein Diallo, leader of the UFDG, condemned the ban, saying it was a “blatant act of repression” meant to stifle the will of the people.

Civil society groups, which had been planning demonstrations beginning September 5, say they will move forward despite the risks. Protests are expected to be met with heavy force, as all demonstrations have been banned since 2022 under Doumbouya’s regime.

Al Jazeera’s West Africa correspondent Nicolas Haque, reporting from Dakar, Senegal, noted that the suspension “strips away any pretence that the transition was actually working to protect democracy.”

“When Colonel Doumbouya came to power in a coup, he promised not only to bolster democracy but to give more space to political parties and civil society. What we’re seeing now is the opposite: three main political parties banned, unable to canvass, to post on social media. For them, it feels like a silencing of their voice.”
 

Haque added that the measure will likely prompt “more people to take to the streets, confronting security forces.”

Guinea has been under military rule since September 2021, when Colonel Mamady Doumbouya and his special forces ousted Alpha Conde after 10 years in power. Conde had become deeply unpopular after altering the constitution in 2020 to seek a controversial third term, sparking protests and violent clashes.

At the time of the coup, Doumbouya pledged to “rewrite the social contract”, promising to restore civilian rule through a transitional process guided by a transition charter. That charter stated that:

• No member of the junta, government, or military institutions could run in future elections.
   
• The process would include consultations with civil society and political parties.
   
• A new constitution would pave the way for free and fair elections.
   

However, three years later, opposition figures say the junta has failed to uphold its commitments, instead pursuing a strategy of tightening control while paying lip service to democratic ideals.

A draft constitution, presented to Doumbouya in June, is at the centre of the current crisis. While the text nominally sets out a framework for civilian rule, it is vague on whether Doumbouya himself could stand for president.

Legal experts say this ambiguity could be deliberate, allowing the junta to reinterpret restrictions in its favor once the referendum passes. Opposition leaders insist this is a blueprint for a disguised military presidency.

So far, international reaction has been muted. The African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have called for a peaceful transition in Guinea but stopped short of issuing sanctions.

Observers warn that Guinea risks following the path of other West African nations, such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, where military juntas have consolidated power under the cover of transition plans.

Western governments have also expressed concerns. The United States and European Union have repeatedly urged Doumbouya to uphold the 2021 commitments and avoid steps that could derail democratic governance.

Guinea’s political history has been dominated by strongmen and coups since independence from France in 1958. The suspension of parties before a referendum reflects a familiar cycle of authoritarianism cloaked in reformist rhetoric.

• Alpha Conde was the country’s first democratically elected president in 2010 but undermined his legacy by seeking unconstitutional third terms.
   
• Doumbouya’s junta capitalized on public frustration with Conde but now faces the same accusations of power-grabbing.
   
• Repeated bans on protests and arrests of opposition leaders demonstrate how the military has clamped down on dissent.
   

The suspension of opposition parties heightens the risk of violent unrest in Guinea, a country with a long history of street protests and state repression.

Civil society groups have already called for nationwide demonstrations beginning September 5, just weeks before the referendum. With the opposition silenced and security forces empowered, confrontations appear inevitable.

Guinea’s population, particularly in urban centres like Conakry, has grown increasingly restless over:

• Rising food and fuel prices.
   
• Lack of political freedoms.
   
• The uncertainty of a genuine democratic transition.
   

The September 21 referendum is now shaping up less as a democratic exercise and more as a test of Doumbouya’s grip on power.

• If passed, the new constitution could give the junta sweeping authority to shape Guinea’s future.
   
• If rejected or marred by protests, Doumbouya risks both domestic backlash and international isolation.
   

Either way, the suspension of opposition parties has already cast doubt on the credibility of the process.

The suspension of Guinea’s three main opposition parties ahead of a constitutional referendum represents a critical moment for the nation’s fragile democratic hopes. What was once presented as a path toward stability and civilian governance now increasingly looks like a power consolidation strategy by the military junta.

For Guineans, the stakes are clear: whether the September referendum ushers in a return to democracy or entrenches another cycle of authoritarian rule. For Doumbouya, it is a gamble that could secure his legacy as a reformer—or expose him as just another strongman in a region where democracy has long struggled to survive.