COPENHAGEN: Denmark said Thursday that it would join a Britain-US coalition that has carried out airstrikes against Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen who are behind a recent spate of attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
The Houthis say their attacks are in support of Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
Washington and London have launched a series of strikes against Houthi positions to bring an end to the attacks that have caused shipping companies to bypass the Red Sea, significantly adding to journey times and cost.
“We have responded to the request for Denmark to take part in the coalition,” Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen told reporters.
He said Denmark would contribute an officer from its general staff who would take part in planning operations.
“This is a serious situation, one in which Denmark says it will also take political responsibility to bring an end to what is going on,” Poulsen said.
The Scandinavian country, which has previously said it would send a frigate to the region, is home to shipping giant Maersk, which has rerouted its ships away from the Red Sea.
In December, the Pentagon said 20 countries had joined the Washington-led coalition to protect the key shipping lane.
Denmark to join Britain-US coalition against Houthis: govt
https://arab.news/9xsrf
Denmark to join Britain-US coalition against Houthis: govt
- “We have responded to the request for Denmark to take part in the coalition,” Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said
- The Scandinavian country is home to shipping giant Maersk
Kosovo voters cast ballots in a second attempt this year to elect a government and avoid more crisis
Kosovo voters cast ballots in a second attempt this year to elect a government and avoid more crisis
- The prime minister’s party is again the favorite in the race, but it is unclear whether it will manage to muster a majority this time in the 120-member parliament
PRISTINA: Voters in Kosovo cast ballots on Sunday in an early parliamentary election in hopes of breaking a political deadlock that has gripped the small Balkan nation for much of this year.
The snap vote was scheduled after Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s governing Vetevendosje, or Self-Determination, party failed to form a government despite winning the most votes in a Feb. 9 election.
The deadlock marked the first time Kosovo could not form a government since it declared independence from Serbia in 2008 following a 1998-99 war that ended in a NATO intervention.
The prime minister’s party is again the favorite in the race, but it is unclear whether it will manage to muster a majority this time in the 120-member parliament, after other mainstream parties refused an alliance.
According to Kosovo’s election laws, 20 parliamentary seats are automatically assigned to ethnic Serb representatives and other minority parties.
Another inconclusive vote would further deepen the crisis. Kosovo has already not approved a budget for next year, sparking fears of possible negative effects on the already poor economy in the country of 2 million people.
Lawmakers are set to elect a new president in March as current President Vjosa Osmani’s mandate expires in early April. If this fails too, another snap election must be held.
The main opposition parties are the Democratic League of Kosovo and the Democratic Party of Kosovo. They have accused Kurti of authoritarianism and of alienating Kosovo’s US and European Union allies since he came to power in 2021.
A former political prisoner during Serbia’s rule in Kosovo, the 50-year-old Kurti has taken a tough stand in talks mediated by the European Union on normalizing relations with Belgrade. In response, the EU and the United States imposed punitive measures.
Kurti has promised to buy military equipment to boost security.
No reliable pre-election polls have been published. Kurti’s party at the previous election won around 42 percent of the votes while the two main rival parties had together around 40 percent.
Analysts say that even the slightest changes in numbers on Sunday could prove decisive for the future distribution of power but that nothing is certain.
Tensions with restive ethnic Serbs in the north exploded in clashes in 2023 when scores of NATO-led peacekeepers were injured. In a positive step, ethnic Serb mayors this month took power peacefully there after a municipal vote.
Kurti has also agreed to accept third-country migrants deported from the United States as part of tough anti-immigration measures by the administration of President Donald Trump. One migrant has arrived so far, authorities have told The Associated Press.
Kosovo is one of the six Western Balkan countries striving to eventually join the EU, but both Kosovo and Serbia have been told they must first normalize relations.
