AFRICA

Somalia (Security threat level – 5): At approximately 0000 local time on 21 August 2022 (2100 UTC on 20 August), security personnel in the capital Mogadishu ended a 30-hour siege following clashes with al-Shabab militants who had barricaded themselves in a room at the Hayat Hotel. The assailants had detonated two car bombs targeting the gate and front barrier to the hotel the previous day, fired live ammunition at hotel patrons and staff, then took control of the building. Loud explosions and gunfire continued at the hotel during the siege as security personnel attempted to subdue the militants, who held hotel occupants hostage and bombed the hotel stairwell. According to the Ministry of Health, 21 people were killed during the episode and 117 others were injured. At least 15 of those injured victims remain in critical condition. The Somali Police Special Unit rescued 106 individuals from the hotel.

ASIA

India (Security threat level – 3): On 22 August 2022, approximately 5,000 farmers gathered near the Jantar Mantar observatory in central New Delhi, the capital, to demand additional support for the agricultural sector from the national government. Large groups of farmers who arrived in the city from various parts of India marched through the streets of the capital as police officers erected barricades on several throughways, causing multiple traffic jams. Officials advised travelers to avoid the Aurobindo Marg, Ring Road (near Indraprastha Park), the Ghaziabad-Wazirabad road, and the Munirka road, as well as the areas of Ghazipur, Singu, and Tikri. Farming organizations and unions are demanding a price floor for all produce and the dismissal of all farming-related debt.

India (Security threat level – 3): As of 21 August 2022, monsoon rains continue to cause widespread flooding and landslides throughout northeastern India, including in the states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh — both located near the Nepal-India border. The heavy rainfall, which began on 18 August, inundated hundreds of villages, destroyed homes and downed power lines and trees. Approximately 120,000 residents were evacuated from their homes in Odisha state. Officials announced that 36 people were killed in Himachal Pradesh and 13 people remain missing; in Uttarakhand state, four people were killed and 13 more are missing.

Pakistan (Security threat level – 5): On the evening of 21 August 2022, thousands of demonstrators gathered near the Liberty Chowk historical landmark in central Lahore to protest terrorism charges filed against former Prime Minister Imran Khan over allegations that he threatened government officials during a public speech. Demonstrators burned tires and formed roadblocks around the landmark as part of the protest. There were no reports of violence during the gathering. Meanwhile in Islamabad, supporters of the former prime minister attempted to gather near his residence in the Bani Gala area in an effort to impede his possible arrest; however, police officers blocked access to the area and prevented demonstrators from staging a sit-in.

EUROPE

Montenegro (Security threat level – 2): On 20 August 2022, the Parliament of Montenegro passed a no-confidence motion against the government in a 50-1 vote over a controversial agreement between government officials and the Serbian Orthodox Church related to the church’s property ownership rights. The Democratic Party of Socialists, led by President Milo Djukanovic, and the Social Democratic Party organized the vote due to a lack of consensus on the agreement and called for early elections. Pro-Serbia party members, including the Green Party led by Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic, boycotted the vote amid heightened tensions between the political parties over the new agreement with the church.

Sweden (Security threat level – 2): At approximately 1700 local time (1500 UTC) on 19 August 2022, a gunman opened fire at a shopping mall in the southern city of Malmö, wounding two people. One of the victims later succumbed to their injuries while the other remains in critical condition. Police officers have arrested a suspect in relation to the shooting. Authorities believe the shooting was gang-related.

United Kingdom (Security threat level – 3): On 21 August 2022, approximately 1,900 workers launched a labor strike at England’s Port of Felixstowe, located about 150 km (90 mi) northeast of London, to demand higher pay. The Unite labor union, which has called for the strike to continue until 29 August, announced plans to hold daily demonstrations outside of the port until 2200 local time (2100 UTC). The port operator, Hutchison Ports, offered a 7% pay increase and a bonus of 500 pounds sterling (590 U.S. dollars) to its employees; however, the union refused the offer and claimed that the pay increase would not offset inflation rates, which are currently estimated to be at 10%. The shipping company Maersk warned that the industrial action at the largest container port in the U.K. may cause significant supply chain disruptions across the country.