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01 Apr 26. Afghanistan-Pakistan: Trilateral talks are unlikely to bring immediate end to cross-border hostilities. On 1 April, officials from Afghanistan, China and Pakistan are set to meet in Urumqi (China) according to Pakistani media reports citing an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The trilateral meeting was reportedly facilitated by China, which has consistently encouraged efforts to address the current tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as the cross-border military exchanges since the end of February. Diplomatic, military and intelligence officials are expected to attend the meeting, although the Pakistani source denied it was a ‘mediation effort per se’. Direct talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan have been negligible since the latest round of hostilities resumed in February. However, given the lack of trust between the two sides, these early talks are unlikely to produce a resolution in the immediate term. Pakistan is seeking long-term guarantees through a verifiable mechanism that would ensure Afghanistan prevents militant groups operating against Pakistan. Consequently, Pakistan’s ‘Operation Ghazab lil-Haq’ is likely to continue, driving security risks along the border areas and in cities deeper inside Afghanistan, while also sustaining the risk of militant activity in Pakistan. (Source: Sibylline)
01 Apr 26. Trump: Objectives in Iran Near Completion, Terrorist Nation ‘Bully No Longer.’ During an address from the White House this evening, President Donald J. Trump told Americans that the U.S. military, as part of Operation Epic Fury, was nearing completion of operational objectives in Iran.
Over the next few weeks, the president said, the U.S. would intensify operations in Iran, permanently disabling its ability to project power outside its own borders and to keep it from ever having a nuclear weapon.
“I’ve made clear from the beginning of Operation Epic Fury that we will continue until our objectives are fully achieved,” he said. “I can say tonight that we are on track to complete all of America’s military objectives shortly, very shortly. We’re going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks — we’re going to bring them back to the Stone Age, where they belong.”
The United States kicked off combat operations against Iran Feb. 28, with specific goals: destroy Iranian offensive missiles and missile production, destroy the Iranian navy and other security infrastructure, and ensure that Iran never has nuclear weapons.
Trump told the nation that the U.S. military has been masterful in how it has decimated one Iranian military capability after another.
“We are systematically dismantling the regime’s ability to threaten America or project power outside of their borders,” the president said. “That means eliminating Iran’s navy, which is now absolutely destroyed, hurting their air force and their missile program at levels never seen before, and annihilating their defense industrial base. We’ve done all of it; their navy is gone. Their air force is gone. Their missiles are just about used up or beaten.”
The president said that, taken together, these actions have crippled Iran militarily and crushed its ability to support terrorist proxies.
According to U.S. Central Command, since the start of operations, over 12,300 sites have been struck in Iran, over 13,000 combat flights have been launched and over 155 Iranian military vessels have been damaged or destroyed.
Even though the U.S. military continues to lock down Iran’s ability to project power outside, Trump asked Americans to remember the military personnel who have lost their lives during the conflict.
“We think especially of the 13 American warriors who have laid down their lives in this fight to prevent our children from ever having to face a nuclear Iran,” the president said. “Twice this past month, I have traveled to Dover Air Force Base, . … I wanted to be with those heroes as they return to American soil. And I was with them and their families, their parents, their wives, their husbands. We salute them, and now we must honor them by completing the mission for which they gave their lives.”
The president also thanked allies in the Middle East, including Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain, for providing support to American forces.
“They’ve been great, and we will not let them get hurt or fail in any way, shape or form,” he said.
The president added that it’s important for Americans to keep Operation Epic Fury in perspective, offering that World War II lasted nearly four years, the Korean War more than three years, the Vietnam War almost 20 years, and Operation Iraqi Freedom lasted well over eight years.
“We are in this military operation — so powerful, so brilliant — against one of the most powerful countries, for 32 days,” he said. “And the country has been eviscerated and essentially is really no longer a threat. They were the bully of the Middle East, but they’re the bully no longer.”
The president noted that because of the U.S. military, Americans can now look forward to a world free from Iranian aggression and the fear of nuclear blackmail.
“Because of the actions we have taken, we are on the cusp of ending Iran’s sinister threat to America and the world,” he said. “And I’ll tell you, the world is watching. And when it’s all over, the United States will be safer, stronger, more prosperous and greater than it has ever been before.” (Source: U.S. DoD)
01 Apr 26. Japan-France: Rare earth co-operation will help mitigate supply chain disruption risks. On 31 March, Japanese media reported that Japan and France will consolidate co-operation on rare earth supply chains, securing raw material supplies for a refining project in southern France. The initiative will be discussed during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Japan from 31 March to 2 April. The French refining plant is expected to start operations in late 2026 and meet 20% of Japan’s future demand for dysprosium and terbium. These are heavy rare earths used to produce permanent magnets in electric vehicles (EVs) and other devices. On 10 March, Japanese producers also secured 75% of the heavy rare earth oxide output of Australian firm Lynas Rare Earths, the largest producer of separated rare earth materials outside China. These diversification efforts stem from concerns over potential supply disruption amid China’s dual-use item export ban to Japan, which includes rare earths. Chinese supplies are estimated to meet 60% of Japan’s rare earth demands. While these initiatives are unlikely to replace Chinese rare earths entirely, alternative sources will assist Japan’s efforts to mitigate disruptions to a certain extent as the country explores domestic undersea rare earth deposits. (Source: Sibylline)
30 Mar 26. Somalia: Federal offensive in South West state unlikely to reflect increasing security force capacity. On 30 March, the Somali National Army (SNA) captured Baidoa (the state capital of South West state), following clashes with regional forces. South West’s president, Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen, subsequently resigned and reportedly fled the city. The city’s capture comes shortly after the South West regional government announced that it had severed ties with the federal government on 17 March due to disputes over federal efforts to amend the constitution and reform Somalia’s electoral code. Disputes over power sharing have long characterised relations between the federal government and Somalia’s regional governments, with Puntland state and Jubaland state suspending relations with Mogadishu over these matters in 2013 and 2024, respectively. Although the SNA’s capture of Baidoa possibly reflects the federal government’s increasing willingness to address challenges to its authority in central Somalia, the offensive’s success likely results from internal divisions within South West’s regional government, amid critical food and water insecurity. Consequently, we assess that the SNA is unlikely to initiate offensives to reassert control over major cities in Jubaland and Puntland in the short term, moderating risks of conflict escalation therein. (Source: Sibylline)
30 Mar 26. Congo (DRC)-Rwanda: Efforts to disarm FDLR are unlikely to accelerate peace process. On 30 March, the Congolese military (FARDC) announced that it would begin a disarmament campaign against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a key provision of the US-brokered peace agreement between the DRC and Rwanda. The FDLR is an ethnic-Hutu rebel group tied to the Rwandan genocide and now based in eastern DRC. Rwanda consistently cites the FDLR’s enduring presence and its partial co-operation with the FARDC as justification for its activity in eastern DRC, driving conflict risks. Despite the announcement, the Congolese government’s limited control over local commanders (some of whom likely have ties to the FDLR) is highly likely to undercut efforts to disarm the group. Instead, we assess that the announcement is likely aimed at demonstrating to the US the Congolese government’s commitment to implementing the peace agreement, while reinforcing perceptions that Rwanda remains the primary obstruction. We assess this is likely to intensify US diplomatic pressure on Rwanda, increasing the likelihood of further US sanctions in the coming months. (Source: Sibylline)
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Founded in 1987, Exensor Technology is a world leading supplier of Networked Unattended Ground Sensor (UGS) Systems providing tailored sensor solutions to customers all over the world. From our Headquarters in Lund Sweden, our centre of expertise in Network Communications at Communications Research Lab in Kalmar Sweden and our Production site outside of Basingstoke UK, we design, develop and produce latest state of the art rugged UGS solutions at the highest quality to meet the most stringent demands of our customers. Our systems are in operation and used in a wide number of Military as well as Homeland Security applications worldwide. The modular nature of the system ensures any external sensor can be integrated, providing the user with a fully meshed “silent” network capable of self-healing. Exensor Technology will continue to lead the field in UGS technology, provide our customers with excellent customer service and a bespoke package able to meet every need.
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