Civil War

Civil war in Yemen cannot be seen merely from the prism of sectarian conflict as its roots go into the historical political positions of different groups and geostrategic interests of regional powers. Hegemonic designs of Saudi Arabia backed by the United States have intensified the conflict, leading to thousands of deaths and acute humanitarian crisis. It remains to be seen how far the recently concluded Stockholm Agreement between warring camps would contribute to a durable peace.

Political crises and economic mismanagement are to account for the grave state of Sri Lanka's finances. While reform programmes under the aegis of the IMF promise some succour, these are accompanied by strict conditionalities. The new Sri Lankan government has thus to take some vital political decisions - negotiating with the LTTE to end the long-drawn civil strife in the north-east and implement a harsh budget that will assist a revival of the economy in the long run.