TURKISH PRESIDENT, RECEP ERDOGAN announced on October 22 that Turkey will continue to support the rebel Free Syrian Army against the Islamic State-who occupy Al-Bab in the Aleppo province of Syria. The Free-Syrian Army has clashed with Kurdish People’s Units (YPG) contrary to US wishes.

ON OCTOBER 19 MAITE NKOANA-MASHABANE, South African Minister of International Relations formally withdrew his country from the International Criminal Court (ICC) located in the Netherlands.

Masganbane indicated that the ICC is overreaching by forcing compliance on issues that violate the sovereign rights of the nation, specifically the ICC mandate to arrest Omar al-Bashir, President of Sudan during a state visit to South Africa.