Foreign Digest Updates: South Africa and Russia

South Africa

            After the ruling leftwing party finally turned on South African President Jacob Zuma for corruption, he lost a vote of confidence in the Parliament and his presidency was thereby terminated.  He was replaced by a member of the ruling party. 

            Zuma’s removal from office follows the military coup by the leftwing ruling party of neighboring Zimbabwe against that country’s longtime dictator.

Russia

            The Russian Federation is blocking the website of main democratic opposition leader Alexei Navalny, after he published a video expose of bribery by a Russian oligarch, who has a business relationship with United States presidential candidate Donald Trump’s campaign manager, of the Deputy Prime Minister and discussions about relations with the Americans.  The Russian authoritarian regime interfered on Trump’s behalf in the elections.  The oligarch, who was offered special briefings by the campaign manager, was one possible liaison with the Russian government.  As I explained in my last post, Navalny, who has been arrested several times for exercising his freedom of peaceful assembly, was barred by the Russian dictatorship from standing in the upcoming presidential election, despite obtaining the requisite number of signatures.  Censorship of independent media is typical in Russia, among other violations of liberty, which no longer has any independent press.  

           Meanwhile, the United States, the United Kingdom and other states today blamed the Russian authoritarian regime for a cyber attack last year targeted at Ukraine that hit businesses around the world, causing them several hundred million dollars in damages.  The announcement follows testimony by the leaders of US intelligence agencies that the Russians interfered in the American presidential election, as the Russians do in Europe, and that the Russians regard their active measures as successful.  The intelligence leaders also announced that the US remains under Russian attack and that Russia is focused on interfering in the 2018 mid-term elections.  The leaders, who were appointed by Trump, also observed a lack of leadership from him on countering the Russian threat.  American officials have referred to cyber attacks as acts of war.