Hafsa Halawa
@hafsahalawa.bsky.social
Egyptian/Iraqi Brit. Political analyst and mediation specialist, working across MENA/Horn of Africa. Views here my own. RT ≠ endorsement.
Pinned
Hafsa Halawa
@hafsahalawa.bsky.social
· Dec 13
Wow 😮 😍
The most beautiful video you will see today: is Damascus now. People are celebrating, full of joy. We deserve it! 💚
The most beautiful video you will see today: is Damascus now. People are celebrating, full of joy. We deserve it! 💚
Today, 2011 doesn’t feel like a distant memory for any of us.
It feels like yesterday.
It feels like it can still be tomorrow.
It feels like yesterday.
It feels like it can still be tomorrow.
Are we asking what/who radicalised Shabana Mahmoud yet? Because honestly, I don’t see any other explanation.
November 21, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Are we asking what/who radicalised Shabana Mahmoud yet? Because honestly, I don’t see any other explanation.
To all the US officials who have stayed silent as Israel killed 271 Palestinian journalists, assassinated Shereen Abu Akleh:
there have been few public figures, advocates or voices more staunchly committed to Palestinian self-determination in our region, than Jamal Khashoggi, Allah yerhamo.
there have been few public figures, advocates or voices more staunchly committed to Palestinian self-determination in our region, than Jamal Khashoggi, Allah yerhamo.
November 19, 2025 at 7:29 AM
To all the US officials who have stayed silent as Israel killed 271 Palestinian journalists, assassinated Shereen Abu Akleh:
there have been few public figures, advocates or voices more staunchly committed to Palestinian self-determination in our region, than Jamal Khashoggi, Allah yerhamo.
there have been few public figures, advocates or voices more staunchly committed to Palestinian self-determination in our region, than Jamal Khashoggi, Allah yerhamo.
Our beautiful Afraa bravely sharing her thoughts, interviewed yesterday by @channel4news.bsky.social over the new measures announced by the Home Secretary yesterday
cc @thesyriacampaign.org
www.instagram.com/reel/DRK2otj...
cc @thesyriacampaign.org
www.instagram.com/reel/DRK2otj...
Channel 4 News on Instagram: "The Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced what she claims is the “most sweeping asylum reforms in modern times”.
Under the new rules, refugees will face a much lo...
217 likes, 39 comments - channel4news on November 17, 2025: "The Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced what she claims is the “most sweeping asylum reforms in modern times”.
Under the new rule...
www.instagram.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:40 AM
Our beautiful Afraa bravely sharing her thoughts, interviewed yesterday by @channel4news.bsky.social over the new measures announced by the Home Secretary yesterday
cc @thesyriacampaign.org
www.instagram.com/reel/DRK2otj...
cc @thesyriacampaign.org
www.instagram.com/reel/DRK2otj...
Reposted by Hafsa Halawa
Confiscating jewellery from survivors of a war zone makes you look like a fucking Nazi. And the obscene thing is, that is the intention. It's there to look appropriately harsh. Indecent. Filthy. A moral stain. And no-one of good character would have ever proposed such a thing in the first place.
November 17, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Confiscating jewellery from survivors of a war zone makes you look like a fucking Nazi. And the obscene thing is, that is the intention. It's there to look appropriately harsh. Indecent. Filthy. A moral stain. And no-one of good character would have ever proposed such a thing in the first place.
What. The. Actual. F***
November 17, 2025 at 8:50 AM
What. The. Actual. F***
Important investigative work outlining the pillaging of the Horn of Africa - not just in Sudan:
How gold tarnished Tigray
www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...
How gold tarnished Tigray
www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...
When Tigray became a ‘Wild West’ of illegal gold mining, Canadian firms staked a claim
A postwar gold rush in Ethiopia razed the landscape and sowed seeds for conflict. The Globe looks into Canadian-licensed sites at the heart of it, and their ties to Beijing
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 15, 2025 at 6:59 AM
Important investigative work outlining the pillaging of the Horn of Africa - not just in Sudan:
How gold tarnished Tigray
www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...
How gold tarnished Tigray
www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...
Very, very good read from Amb. Jeffrey Feltman:
Sudan’s deadly divide: The RSF and SAF’s reign of terror
www.brookings.edu/articles/sud...
Sudan’s deadly divide: The RSF and SAF’s reign of terror
www.brookings.edu/articles/sud...
Sudan's deadly divide: The RSF and SAF's reign of terror | Brookings
While methods vary, both RSF and SAF forces demonstrate disdain for international humanitarian law and contempt for Sudan’s citizens.
www.brookings.edu
November 15, 2025 at 6:17 AM
Very, very good read from Amb. Jeffrey Feltman:
Sudan’s deadly divide: The RSF and SAF’s reign of terror
www.brookings.edu/articles/sud...
Sudan’s deadly divide: The RSF and SAF’s reign of terror
www.brookings.edu/articles/sud...
Sudan has always been the holy grail of regional security, stability & supply. It’s where all conventional, traditional & natural alliances blow up as all external actors compete for the same resources. Public disaccord amongst them isn’t surprising - that they’ve made this competition zero-sum, is.
November 14, 2025 at 6:22 AM
Sudan has always been the holy grail of regional security, stability & supply. It’s where all conventional, traditional & natural alliances blow up as all external actors compete for the same resources. Public disaccord amongst them isn’t surprising - that they’ve made this competition zero-sum, is.
It’s taken two years of shouting into the void as pro-Palestine activism whitewashed and covered up all the pro-Assad voices who created a heinous and violent online space of defending his barbarism during social uprising, but now the Gaza War is slowing, people are finally listening.
November 14, 2025 at 5:13 AM
It’s taken two years of shouting into the void as pro-Palestine activism whitewashed and covered up all the pro-Assad voices who created a heinous and violent online space of defending his barbarism during social uprising, but now the Gaza War is slowing, people are finally listening.
Reposted by Hafsa Halawa
All Protocol Observed
Welcome to Issue 219 of The Continent
Protests, an internet blackout, and deadly force marked Tanzania’s Election Day. Once online again, 37 readers shared what they witnessed.
Read their stories: bit.ly/219_TC
Welcome to Issue 219 of The Continent
Protests, an internet blackout, and deadly force marked Tanzania’s Election Day. Once online again, 37 readers shared what they witnessed.
Read their stories: bit.ly/219_TC
November 7, 2025 at 6:57 PM
All Protocol Observed
Welcome to Issue 219 of The Continent
Protests, an internet blackout, and deadly force marked Tanzania’s Election Day. Once online again, 37 readers shared what they witnessed.
Read their stories: bit.ly/219_TC
Welcome to Issue 219 of The Continent
Protests, an internet blackout, and deadly force marked Tanzania’s Election Day. Once online again, 37 readers shared what they witnessed.
Read their stories: bit.ly/219_TC
Honestly, I just laughed through most of this article:
““When you flush the toilet, the stuff goes downhill, right?” the architect asked…“We’re going to have hundreds of shuttle cars running back and forth, picking up the sewage on retractable bridges.””
End of The Line ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
““When you flush the toilet, the stuff goes downhill, right?” the architect asked…“We’re going to have hundreds of shuttle cars running back and forth, picking up the sewage on retractable bridges.””
End of The Line ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
End of The Line: how Saudi Arabia’s Neom dream unravelled
Mohammed bin Salman’s utopian city was undone by the laws of physics and finance
ig.ft.com
November 6, 2025 at 11:54 AM
Honestly, I just laughed through most of this article:
““When you flush the toilet, the stuff goes downhill, right?” the architect asked…“We’re going to have hundreds of shuttle cars running back and forth, picking up the sewage on retractable bridges.””
End of The Line ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
““When you flush the toilet, the stuff goes downhill, right?” the architect asked…“We’re going to have hundreds of shuttle cars running back and forth, picking up the sewage on retractable bridges.””
End of The Line ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
The Shutdown of U.S.A.I.D. Has Already Killed Hundreds of Thousands
www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...
www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...
The Shutdown of U.S.A.I.D. Has Already Killed Hundreds of Thousands
The short documentary “Rovina’s Choice” tells the story of what goes when aid goes.
www.newyorker.com
November 6, 2025 at 10:27 AM
The Shutdown of U.S.A.I.D. Has Already Killed Hundreds of Thousands
www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...
www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...
What is happening in Darfur is utterly devastating, made more painful by how we all saw it coming. You can’t really say you didn’t know, but if you didn’t, read this:
An atrocity foretold: How the RSF siege of El Fasher turned into genocidal slaughter
www.thenewhumanitarian.org/analysis/202...
An atrocity foretold: How the RSF siege of El Fasher turned into genocidal slaughter
www.thenewhumanitarian.org/analysis/202...
An atrocity foretold: How the RSF siege of El Fasher turned into genocidal slaughter
Communication networks are down but a deluge of shocking videos point to mass killings on a devastating scale.
www.thenewhumanitarian.org
November 5, 2025 at 8:12 AM
What is happening in Darfur is utterly devastating, made more painful by how we all saw it coming. You can’t really say you didn’t know, but if you didn’t, read this:
An atrocity foretold: How the RSF siege of El Fasher turned into genocidal slaughter
www.thenewhumanitarian.org/analysis/202...
An atrocity foretold: How the RSF siege of El Fasher turned into genocidal slaughter
www.thenewhumanitarian.org/analysis/202...
First London, now New York.
If there’s one post-2001 legacy thesis that is yet to be written, it’s about mayoral elections in these two cities.
If there’s one post-2001 legacy thesis that is yet to be written, it’s about mayoral elections in these two cities.
November 5, 2025 at 8:04 AM
First London, now New York.
If there’s one post-2001 legacy thesis that is yet to be written, it’s about mayoral elections in these two cities.
If there’s one post-2001 legacy thesis that is yet to be written, it’s about mayoral elections in these two cities.
There should be something impactful and meaningful about accountability that one has ready to say when it’s announced Dick Cheney has died.
But maybe, actually, it’s enough that today will only ever be remembered as the day Zohran Mamdani becomes the Mayor of New York City.
But maybe, actually, it’s enough that today will only ever be remembered as the day Zohran Mamdani becomes the Mayor of New York City.
November 4, 2025 at 2:36 PM
There should be something impactful and meaningful about accountability that one has ready to say when it’s announced Dick Cheney has died.
But maybe, actually, it’s enough that today will only ever be remembered as the day Zohran Mamdani becomes the Mayor of New York City.
But maybe, actually, it’s enough that today will only ever be remembered as the day Zohran Mamdani becomes the Mayor of New York City.
Reposted by Hafsa Halawa
Blood spilled in Sudan can be seen from space. Nobody can feign ignorance about what’s going on | Nesrine Malik
Blood spilled in Sudan can be seen from space. Nobody can feign ignorance about what’s going on | Nesrine Malik
The massacres carried out by the RSF in El Fasher, Darfur, with the support of its UAE sponsors, will only stop when the international community acts, says Guardian columnist Nesrine Malik
www.theguardian.com
November 3, 2025 at 6:47 AM
Blood spilled in Sudan can be seen from space. Nobody can feign ignorance about what’s going on | Nesrine Malik
Reposted by Hafsa Halawa
The folks at The Continent continue to commission the reporting of some of the best Sudanese journalists on the ground, read Khalid Elwalid's full story from page 13 onwards.
And check in with your Sudanese friends.
www.thecontinent.org
And check in with your Sudanese friends.
www.thecontinent.org
The Continent | Africa
The Continent is an award-winning African newspaper, designed to be read and shared on WhatsApp.
www.thecontinent.org
November 1, 2025 at 8:20 PM
The folks at The Continent continue to commission the reporting of some of the best Sudanese journalists on the ground, read Khalid Elwalid's full story from page 13 onwards.
And check in with your Sudanese friends.
www.thecontinent.org
And check in with your Sudanese friends.
www.thecontinent.org
Infuriating to see political voices in the West against what is happening in El Fasher, when powerful Sudanese voices have been warning about this for months if not years. It’s disingenuous to act surprised, pretend it’s a shock or find your voice now with this phase of genocide in Darfur underway.
October 29, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Infuriating to see political voices in the West against what is happening in El Fasher, when powerful Sudanese voices have been warning about this for months if not years. It’s disingenuous to act surprised, pretend it’s a shock or find your voice now with this phase of genocide in Darfur underway.
We need urgent, immediate intervention in Sudan. For months now, I’ve been proposing an Astana-like process to conduct negotiations between Egypt & UAE - be it convened by Russia or by the United States. We can sit on our hands and argue ‘do no harm’ principles, or we can be realistic about this war
October 29, 2025 at 8:43 AM
We need urgent, immediate intervention in Sudan. For months now, I’ve been proposing an Astana-like process to conduct negotiations between Egypt & UAE - be it convened by Russia or by the United States. We can sit on our hands and argue ‘do no harm’ principles, or we can be realistic about this war
We live in an era of changed diplomacy in the Middle East, with the rising power of Gulf nations and their influence on regional dynamics and international diplomacy. Whilst a more coherent Arab position has long been sought…(1/2)
October 28, 2025 at 5:06 AM
We live in an era of changed diplomacy in the Middle East, with the rising power of Gulf nations and their influence on regional dynamics and international diplomacy. Whilst a more coherent Arab position has long been sought…(1/2)
Must watch interview on @channel4news.bsky.social by @krishgm.bsky.social last night with Kholood Khair on developments in Sudan amid the RSF takeover of El Fasher in North Darfur. Utterly devastating for all Sudanese; important info, background & warnings from Kholood:
youtu.be/XQV8ZMR3CrM?...
youtu.be/XQV8ZMR3CrM?...
Major escalation in Sudan war as RSF claims all of Darfur
YouTube video by Channel 4 News
youtu.be
October 28, 2025 at 4:55 AM
Must watch interview on @channel4news.bsky.social by @krishgm.bsky.social last night with Kholood Khair on developments in Sudan amid the RSF takeover of El Fasher in North Darfur. Utterly devastating for all Sudanese; important info, background & warnings from Kholood:
youtu.be/XQV8ZMR3CrM?...
youtu.be/XQV8ZMR3CrM?...
El Fasher is on all of those who have remained silent, or ignored the cold reality of what all knew would happen under RSF takeover.
Geneina, Zamzam…we knew this. We were warned. Two previous genocides just in this war alone. Everyone stood back, watched. Stayed silent, and let this happen.
Geneina, Zamzam…we knew this. We were warned. Two previous genocides just in this war alone. Everyone stood back, watched. Stayed silent, and let this happen.
October 27, 2025 at 1:10 PM
El Fasher is on all of those who have remained silent, or ignored the cold reality of what all knew would happen under RSF takeover.
Geneina, Zamzam…we knew this. We were warned. Two previous genocides just in this war alone. Everyone stood back, watched. Stayed silent, and let this happen.
Geneina, Zamzam…we knew this. We were warned. Two previous genocides just in this war alone. Everyone stood back, watched. Stayed silent, and let this happen.
Americans are actually coming out en masse to *defend* Islamophobia. Up in arms at Mamdani giving agency and voice to the discrimination that Muslims have endured in the West, escalating on a visceral scale since 2001.
I’ve long thought nothing can surprise me, but honestly, this really does.
I’ve long thought nothing can surprise me, but honestly, this really does.
October 26, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Americans are actually coming out en masse to *defend* Islamophobia. Up in arms at Mamdani giving agency and voice to the discrimination that Muslims have endured in the West, escalating on a visceral scale since 2001.
I’ve long thought nothing can surprise me, but honestly, this really does.
I’ve long thought nothing can surprise me, but honestly, this really does.
“Tigray is broken. Its leaders divided, some aligning with Addis Ababa, others with Eritrea. Another war looms, one that could pit Tigrayans against each other. I fought once to defend my people; I will not fight again in a war that will destroy what remains.” continent.substack.com/p/the-exodus...
The exodus out of Tigray
Young people are leaving en masse – and don’t know if they’ll ever come back.
continent.substack.com
October 26, 2025 at 5:18 AM
“Tigray is broken. Its leaders divided, some aligning with Addis Ababa, others with Eritrea. Another war looms, one that could pit Tigrayans against each other. I fought once to defend my people; I will not fight again in a war that will destroy what remains.” continent.substack.com/p/the-exodus...