Category: KB

MIL-OSI New Zealand: Serious crash, State Highway 1, Tuamarina

Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

Motorists travelling between Picton and Blenheim should expect delays following a three-vehicle crash that has left a person critically injured.

Emergency services were called to the crash at Tuamarina, between Bush and Para roads, about 6.30am.

A vehicle hit a wire barrier and one of the occupants was ejected; the person suffered critical injuries and will be airlifted to hospital.

Two other people are being treated for minor and moderate injuries.

The road is expected to be closed for some time and the Serious Crash Unit has been notified.

Diversions are in place and motorists are asked to expect delays and take care.

ENDS

Issued by the Police Media Centre

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Former West Virginia Supervisory Correctional Officer Found Guilty Following Jury Trial on Conspiracy and Obstruction Charges

Source: United States Attorneys General 10

Following a four-day jury trial, Chad Lester, a former lieutenant at the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, was found guilty yesterday of conspiracy, witness tampering, and giving false statements to the FBI. The charges arose out of a staff assault of an inmate named Quantez Burks, who later died from injuries he suffered during the assault. Seven correctional officers pleaded guilty in connection with the assault of Burks; several of those former officers testified against the defendant during the trial. The defendant faced charges related to his efforts to obstruct the investigation into the assault.

According to the evidence presented at trial, the defendant conspired with other officers at the Southern Regional Jail to tamper with witnesses to cover up the assault of Burks. The evidence showed the defendant directed a subordinate correctional officer to leave truthful information out of his report related to the circumstances of Burks’ death. The defendant directed another officer to include in his report false information about Burks. The defendant told a third officer that he would beat him if he discovered that the officer was providing information about the assault to investigators. Finally, the defendant provided false information relating to the assault of Burks to the FBI during an interview.

Lester is scheduled for sentencing on April 16 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office, Charleston Resident Agency, investigated the case.

Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.

MIL Security OSI –

January 29, 2025

MIL-OSI: C&F Financial Corporation Announces Net Income for 2024

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

TOANO, Va., Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — C&F Financial Corporation (the Corporation) (NASDAQ: CFFI), the holding company for C&F Bank, today reported consolidated net income of $6.0 million for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $5.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2023. The Corporation reported consolidated net income of $19.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $23.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The following table presents selected financial performance highlights for the periods indicated:


	For The Quarter Ended						For the Year Ended
Consolidated Financial Highlights (unaudited)	12/31/2024			12/31/2023			12/31/2024			12/31/2023
Consolidated net income (000’s)	$	6,029		$	5,088		$	19,918		$	23,746

Earnings per share – basic and diluted	$	1.87		$	1.50		$	6.01		$	6.92

Annualized return on average equity		10.60	%		10.06	%		9.02	%		11.68	%
Annualized return on average tangible common equity¹		12.17	%		11.74	%		10.37	%		13.58	%
Annualized return on average assets		0.94	%		0.85	%		0.80	%		0.99	%

_________________
¹ For more information about these non-GAAP financial measures, which are not calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), please see “Use of Certain Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and “Reconciliation of Certain Non-GAAP Financial Measures,” below.

“While the past year’s financial performance reflected the challenges of a dynamic interest rate environment, our fourth quarter earnings were solid, and we are optimistic of earnings momentum heading into the coming year,” commented Tom Cherry, President and Chief Executive Officer of C&F Financial Corporation. “Our net interest margin was down for 2024, however, it stabilized in the fourth quarter, and we are cautiously optimistic about margin performance in 2025. The community banking segment delivered solid loan and deposit growth across all markets. Despite facing headwinds from higher mortgage rates and a low inventory of homes for sale, the mortgage banking segment increased its loan production and net income over 2023. While higher charge-offs weighed on profitability at the consumer finance segment, we were able to achieve significant operational efficiencies during 2024. Despite obstacles and adversities that continually confront the banking industry in general, we believe C&F is well-positioned for the future.”

Key highlights for the fourth quarter and the year ended December 31, 2024 are as follows.

Community banking segment loans grew $21.5 million, or 6.0 percent annualized, and $180.0 million, or 14.1 percent, compared to September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively;
Consumer finance segment loans decreased $10.5 million, or 8.8 percent annualized, and $1.7 million, or less than one percent, compared to September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively;
Deposits increased $35.0 million, or 6.6 percent annualized, and $104.7 million, or 5.1 percent, compared to September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively;
Consolidated annualized net interest margin was 4.13 percent for the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to 4.17 percent for the fourth quarter of 2023 and 4.13 percent in the third quarter of 2024. Consolidated net interest margin was 4.12 percent for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to 4.31 percent for the year ended December 31, 2023;
The community banking segment recorded no provision for credit losses for the fourth quarter of 2024 and $75,000 for the fourth quarter of 2023, and recorded provision for credit losses of $1.7 million and $1.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively;
The consumer finance segment recorded provision for credit losses of $3.5 million and $2.4 million for the fourth quarters of 2024 and 2023, respectively, and recorded provision for credit losses of $11.6 million and $6.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively;
The consumer finance segment experienced net charge-offs at an annualized rate of 3.40 percent of average total loans for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to 2.72 percent for the fourth quarter of 2023. Net charge-offs as a percentage of average total loans were 2.62 percent for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to 1.99 percent for the year ended December 31, 2023; and
Mortgage banking segment loan originations increased $32.2 million, or 32.8 percent, to $130.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the fourth quarter of 2023 and increased $29.0 million, or 5.8 percent, to $527.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023.

Community Banking Segment. The community banking segment reported net income of $6.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $5.2 million for the same period of 2023, due primarily to:

higher interest income resulting from higher average balances of loans and the effects of higher interest rates on asset yields, offset in part by lower average balances of securities;
higher other income from bank owned life insurance policies; and
lower salaries and employee benefits expense due primarily to a reduction in headcount through attrition;

partially offset by:

higher interest expense due primarily to higher rates on deposits and higher average balances of interest-bearing deposits, offset in part by lower average balances of borrowings.

The community banking segment reported net income of $20.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $22.9 million for the same period of 2023, due primarily to:

higher interest expense resulting from higher rates on deposits and higher average balances of interest-bearing deposits, partially offset by lower average balances of borrowings;
higher data processing and consulting costs related to investments in operational technology to improve resilience, efficiency and customer experience;
higher occupancy expense related to branch network improvements, including the relocation of a branch and the opening of a new branch; and
higher salaries and employee benefits expense, which have generally increased in line with market conditions, offset in part by a reduction in headcount through attrition;

partially offset by:

higher interest income resulting from higher average balances of loans and the effects of higher interest rates on asset yields, offset in part by lower average balances of securities;
higher wealth management services income due primarily to higher assets under management;
higher other income from bank owned life insurance policies; and
higher investment income from other equity investments.

Average loans increased $180.8 million, or 14.4 percent, for the fourth quarter of 2024 and increased $164.0 million, or 13.5 percent, for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the same periods in 2023, due primarily to growth in the construction, commercial real estate, and residential mortgage segments of the loan portfolio. Average deposits increased $140.2 million, or 6.9 percent, for the fourth quarter of 2024 and increased $110.8 million, or 5.5 percent, for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the same periods in 2023, due primarily to higher balance of time deposits, partially offset by decreases in savings and interest-bearing demand deposits and noninterest-bearing demand deposits amid increased competition for deposits and the higher interest rate environment.

Average loan yields and average costs of interest-bearing deposits were higher for the fourth quarter and the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the same periods of 2023, due primarily to the effects of the higher interest rate environment.

The community banking segment’s nonaccrual loans were $333,000 at December 31, 2024 compared to $406,000 at December 31, 2023. The community banking segment recorded no provision for credit losses for the fourth quarter of 2024 and $1.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $75,000 and $1.6 million for the same periods of 2023. At December 31, 2024, the allowance for credit losses increased to $17.4 million, compared to $16.1 million at December 31, 2023. The allowance for credit losses as a percentage of total loans decreased to 1.20 percent at December 31, 2024 from 1.26 percent at December 31, 2023. The increases in provision and allowance for credit losses are due primarily to growth in the loan portfolio. Management believes that the level of the allowance for credit losses is adequate to reflect the net amount expected to be collected.

Mortgage Banking Segment. The mortgage banking segment reported net income of $87,000 and $1.1 million for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2024, respectively, compared to a net loss of $103,000 and net income of $465,000 for the same periods of 2023, due primarily to:

higher gains on sales of loans and higher mortgage banking fee income due to higher volume of mortgage loan originations; and
lower occupancy expenses due to an effort to reduce overhead costs;

partially offset by:

higher variable expenses tied to mortgage loan origination volume such as commissions and bonuses, reported in salaries and employee benefits; and
lower reversal of provision for indemnifications.

The sustained elevated level of mortgage interest rates, combined with higher home prices and lower levels of inventory, led to a level of mortgage loan originations in 2024 and 2023 for the industry that is lower than recent historical averages. Mortgage loan originations for the mortgage banking segment were $130.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2024, comprised of $15.9 million refinancings and $114.5 million home purchases, compared to $98.2 million, comprised of $12.5 million refinancings and $85.7 million home purchases, for the same period in 2023. Mortgage loan originations for the mortgage banking segment were $527.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, comprised of $50.2 million refinancings and $477.6 million home purchases, compared to $498.8 million, comprised of $52.7 million refinancings and $446.1 million home purchases, for the same period in 2023. Mortgage loan originations in the fourth quarter of 2024 decreased $26.6 million compared to the third quarter of 2024 due in part to normal industry seasonal fluctuations. Mortgage loan segment originations include originations of loans sold to the community banking segment, at prices similar to those paid by third-party investors. These transactions are eliminated to reach consolidated totals.

During the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2024, the mortgage banking segment recorded a reversal of provision for indemnification losses of $85,000 and $460,000, respectively, compared to a reversal of provision for indemnification losses of $150,000 and $585,000 in the same periods of 2023. The mortgage banking segment increased reserves for indemnification losses during 2020 based on widespread forbearance on mortgage loans and economic uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The release of indemnification reserves in 2024 and 2023 was due primarily to improvement in the mortgage banking segment’s assessment of borrower payment performance, lower volume of mortgage loan originations in recent years and other factors affecting expected losses on mortgage loans sold in the secondary market, such as time since origination. Management believes that the indemnification reserve is sufficient to absorb losses related to loans that have been sold in the secondary market.

Consumer Finance Segment. The consumer finance segment reported net income of $272,000 and $1.4 million for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2024, respectively, compared to net income of $618,000 and $2.9 million for the same periods in 2023. The decreases in consumer finance segment net income were due primarily to:

higher provision for credit losses due primarily to increased net charge-offs; and
higher interest expense on variable rate borrowings from the community banking segment as a result of higher interest rates and higher average balances of borrowings;

partially offset by:

higher interest income resulting from the effects of higher interest rates on loan yields and higher average balances of loans;
lower salaries and employee benefits expense due to an effort to reduce overhead costs; and
lower loan processing and collection expenses due primarily to efficiency initiatives within the collections department.

Average loans increased $2.5 million, or one percent, for the fourth quarter of 2024 and increased $2.9 million, or one percent, for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the same periods in 2023. The consumer finance segment experienced net charge-offs at a rate of 2.62 percent of average total loans for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to 1.99 percent for the year ended December 31, 2023, due primarily to an increase in the number of delinquent loans, the number of repossessions, and the average amount charged-off when a loan was uncollectable. Higher amounts charged-off per loan resulted in part from larger loan amounts, generally purchased in 2020 and 2021 when automobile values were higher, being charged-off in the current year, with the wholesale values of automobiles having declined since then. At December 31, 2024, total delinquent loans as a percentage of total loans was 3.90 percent, compared to 4.09 percent at December 31, 2023, and 3.49 percent at September 30, 2024.

The consumer finance segment, at times, offers payment deferrals as a portfolio management technique to achieve higher ultimate cash collections on select loan accounts. A significant reliance on deferrals as a means of managing collections may result in a lengthening of the loss confirmation period, which would increase expectations of credit losses inherent in the portfolio. Average amounts of payment deferrals of automobile loans on a monthly basis, which are not included in delinquent loans, were 2.11 percent and 1.80 percent of average automobile loans outstanding during the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2024, respectively, compared to 2.02 percent and 1.87 percent during the same periods during 2023. The allowance for credit losses was $22.7 million at December 31, 2024 and $23.6 million at December 31, 2023. The allowance for credit losses as a percentage of total loans decreased to 4.86 percent at December 31, 2024 from 5.03 percent at December 31, 2023, primarily as a result of growth in loans with stronger credit quality while balances of loans with lower credit quality declined. Management believes that the level of the allowance for credit losses is adequate to reflect the net amount expected to be collected. If loan performance deteriorates resulting in further elevated delinquencies or net charge-offs, the provision for credit losses may increase in future periods.

Liquidity. The objective of the Corporation’s liquidity management is to ensure the continuous availability of funds to satisfy the credit needs of our customers and the demands of our depositors, creditors and investors. Uninsured deposits represent an estimate of amounts above the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insurance coverage limit of $250,000. As of December 31, 2024, the Corporation’s uninsured deposits were approximately $640.2 million, or 29.5 percent of total deposits. Excluding intercompany cash holdings and municipal deposits, which are secured with pledged securities, amounts uninsured were approximately $455.2 million, or 21.0 percent of total deposits as of December 31, 2024. The Corporation’s liquid assets, which include cash and due from banks, interest-bearing deposits at other banks and nonpledged securities available for sale, were $288.1 million and borrowing availability was $606.2 million as of December 31, 2024, which in total exceed uninsured deposits, excluding intercompany cash holdings and secured municipal deposits, by $439.1 million as of December 31, 2024.

In addition to deposits, the Corporation utilizes short-term and long-term borrowings as sources of funds. Short-term borrowings from the Federal Reserve Bank and the Federal Home loan Bank of Atlanta (FHLB) may be used to fund the Corporation’s day-to-day operations. Short-term borrowings also include securities sold under agreements to repurchase. Total borrowings increased to $122.6 million at December 31, 2024 from $109.5 million at December 31, 2023 due primarily to higher long-term borrowings from the FHLB used in part to fund loan growth.

Additional sources of liquidity available to the Corporation include cash flows from operations, loan payments and payoffs, deposit growth, maturities, calls and sales of securities and the issuance of brokered certificates of deposit.

Capital and Dividends. The Corporation declared cash dividends during the year ended December 31, 2024 totaling $1.76 per share, including a quarterly cash dividend of 44 cents per share during the fourth quarter of 2024, which was paid on January 1, 2025. These dividends represent a payout ratio of 23.5 percent of earnings per share for the fourth quarter of 2024 and 29.3 percent of earnings per share for the year ended December 31, 2024. The Board of Directors of the Corporation continually reviews the amount of cash dividends per share and the resulting dividend payout ratio in light of changes in economic conditions, current and future capital requirements, and expected future earnings.

Total consolidated equity increased $9.5 million at December 31, 2024, compared to December 31, 2023, due primarily to net income and lower unrealized losses in the market value of securities available for sale, which are recognized as a component of other comprehensive income, partially offset by share repurchases and dividends paid on the Corporation’s common stock. The Corporation’s securities available for sale are fixed income debt securities and their unrealized loss position is a result of rising market interest rates since they were purchased. The Corporation expects to recover its investments in debt securities through scheduled payments of principal and interest. Unrealized losses are not expected to affect the earnings or regulatory capital of the Corporation or C&F Bank. The accumulated other comprehensive loss related to the Corporation’s securities available for sale, net of deferred income taxes, decreased to $23.7 million at December 31, 2024 compared to $25.0 million at December 31, 2023 due primarily to fluctuations in debt security market interest rates and a decrease in the balance of securities available for sale.

As of December 31, 2024, the most recent notification from the FDIC categorized the C&F Bank as well capitalized under the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action. To be categorized as well capitalized under regulations applicable at December 31, 2024, C&F Bank was required to maintain minimum total risk-based, Tier 1 risk-based, CET1 risk-based and Tier 1 leverage ratios. In addition to the regulatory risk-based capital requirements, C&F Bank must maintain a capital conservation buffer of additional capital of 2.5 percent of risk-weighted assets as required by the Basel III capital rules. The Corporation and C&F Bank exceeded these ratios at December 31, 2024. For additional information, see “Capital Ratios” below. The above mentioned ratios are not impacted by unrealized losses on securities available for sale. In the event that all of these unrealized losses became realized into earnings, the Corporation and C&F Bank would both continue to exceed minimum capital requirements, including the capital conservation buffer, and be considered well capitalized.

In December 2023, the Board of Directors authorized a program, effective January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024, to repurchase up to $10.0 million of the Corporation’s common stock (the 2024 Repurchase Program). During the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2024, the Corporation repurchased 11,100 shares, or $679,000, and 160,694 shares, or $7.9 million, of its common stock under the 2024 Repurchase Program, respectively. In December 2024, the Board of Directors authorized a new program, effective January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025, to repurchase up to $5.0 million of the Corporation’s common stock through December 31, 2025 (the 2025 Repurchase Program).

About C&F Financial Corporation. The Corporation’s common stock is listed for trading on The Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol CFFI. The common stock closed at a price of $75.40 per share on January 27, 2025. At December 31, 2024, the book value per share of the Corporation was $70.00 and the tangible book value per share was $61.86. For more information about the Corporation’s tangible book value per share, which is not calculated in accordance with GAAP, please see “Use of Certain Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and “Reconciliation of Certain Non-GAAP Financial Measures,” below.

C&F Bank operates 31 banking offices and four commercial loan offices located throughout eastern and central Virginia and offers full wealth management services through its subsidiary C&F Wealth Management, Inc. C&F Mortgage Corporation and its subsidiary C&F Select LLC provide mortgage loan origination services through offices located in Virginia and the surrounding states. C&F Finance Company provides automobile, marine and recreational vehicle loans through indirect lending programs offered primarily in the Northeastern, Midwestern and Southern United States from its headquarters in Henrico, Virginia.

Additional information regarding the Corporation’s products and services, as well as access to its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), are available on the Corporation’s website at http://www.cffc.com.

Use of Certain Non-GAAP Financial Measures. The accounting and reporting policies of the Corporation conform to GAAP in the United States and prevailing practices in the banking industry. However, certain non-GAAP measures are used by management to supplement the evaluation of the Corporation’s performance. These include adjusted net income, adjusted earnings per share, adjusted return on average equity, adjusted return on average assets, return on average tangible common equity (ROTCE), adjusted ROTCE, tangible book value per share, price to tangible book value ratio, and the following fully-taxable equivalent (FTE) measures: interest income on loans-FTE, interest income on securities-FTE, total interest income-FTE and net interest income-FTE.

Management believes that the use of these non-GAAP measures provides meaningful information about operating performance by enhancing comparability with other financial periods, other financial institutions, and between different sources of interest income. The non-GAAP measures used by management enhance comparability by excluding the effects of balances of intangible assets, including goodwill, that vary significantly between institutions, and tax benefits that are not consistent across different opportunities for investment. These non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered an alternative to GAAP-basis financial statements, and other bank holding companies may define or calculate these or similar measures differently. A reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures used by the Corporation to evaluate and measure the Corporation’s performance to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures is presented below.

Forward-Looking Statements. This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of the Corporation’s management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, the Corporation’s management, and reflect management’s current views with respect to certain events that could have an impact on the Corporation’s future financial performance. These statements, including without limitation statements made in Mr. Cherry’s quote and statements regarding future interest rates and conditions in the Corporation’s industries and markets, relate to expectations concerning matters that are not historical fact, may express “belief,” “intention,” “expectation,” “potential” and similar expressions, and may use the words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “plan,” “may,” “might,” “will,” “intend,” “target,” “should,” “could,” or similar expressions. These statements are inherently uncertain, and there can be no assurance that the underlying assumptions will prove to be accurate. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated or implied by such statements. Forward-looking statements in this release may include, without limitation, statements regarding expected future operations and financial performance, expected trends in yields on loans, expected future recovery of investments in debt securities, future dividend payments, deposit trends, charge-offs and delinquencies, changes in cost of funds and net interest margin and items affecting net interest margin, strategic business initiatives and the anticipated effects thereof, changes in interest rates and the effects thereof on net interest income, mortgage loan originations, expectations regarding C&F Bank’s regulatory risk-based capital requirement levels, technology initiatives, our diversified business strategy, asset quality, credit quality, adequacy of allowances for credit losses and the level of future charge-offs, market interest rates and housing inventory and resulting effects in mortgage loan origination volume, sources of liquidity, adequacy of the reserve for indemnification losses related to loans sold in the secondary market, the effect of future market and industry trends, the effects of future interest rate fluctuations, cybersecurity risks, and inflation. Factors that could have a material adverse effect on the operations and future prospects of the Corporation include, but are not limited to, changes in:

interest rates, such as volatility in short-term interest rates or yields on U.S. Treasury bonds, increases in interest rates following actions by the Federal Reserve and increases or volatility in mortgage interest rates
general business conditions, as well as conditions within the financial markets
general economic conditions, including unemployment levels, inflation rates, supply chain disruptions and slowdowns in economic growth
general market conditions, including disruptions due to pandemics or significant health hazards, severe weather conditions, natural disasters, terrorist activities, financial crises, political crises, war and other military conflicts (including the ongoing military conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and in the Middle East) or other major events, or the prospect of these events
average loan yields and average costs of interest-bearing deposits
financial services industry conditions, including bank failures or concerns involving liquidity
labor market conditions, including attracting, hiring, training, motivating and retaining qualified employees
the legislative/regulatory climate, regulatory initiatives with respect to financial institutions, products and services, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the CFPB) and the regulatory and enforcement activities of the CFPB
monetary and fiscal policies of the U.S. Government, including policies of the FDIC, U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and the effect of these policies on interest rates and business in our markets
demand for financial services in the Corporation’s market area
the value of securities held in the Corporation’s investment portfolios
the quality or composition of the loan portfolios and the value of the collateral securing those loans
the inventory level, demand and fluctuations in the pricing of used automobiles, including sales prices of repossessed vehicles
the level of automobile loan delinquencies or defaults and our ability to repossess automobiles securing delinquent automobile finance installment contracts
the level of net charge-offs on loans and the adequacy of our allowance for credit losses
the level of indemnification losses related to mortgage loans sold
demand for loan products
deposit flows
the strength of the Corporation’s counterparties
the availability of lines of credit from the FHLB and other counterparties
the soundness of other financial institutions and any indirect exposure related to the closing of other financial institutions and their impact on the broader market through other customers, suppliers and partners, or that the conditions which resulted in the liquidity concerns experienced by closed financial institutions may also adversely impact, directly or indirectly, other financial institutions and market participants with which the Corporation has commercial or deposit relationships
competition from both banks and non-banks, including competition in the non-prime automobile finance markets and marine and recreational vehicle finance markets
services provided by, or the level of the Corporation’s reliance upon third parties for key services
the commercial and residential real estate markets, including changes in property values
the demand for residential mortgages and conditions in the secondary residential mortgage loan markets
the Corporation’s technology initiatives and other strategic initiatives
the Corporation’s branch expansions and consolidations plans
cyber threats, attacks or events
C&F Bank’s product offerings
accounting principles, policies and guidelines, and elections by the Corporation thereunder

These risks and uncertainties should be considered in evaluating the forward-looking statements contained herein, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. For additional information on risk factors that could affect the forward-looking statements contained herein, see the Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and other reports filed with the SEC. The Corporation undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.


C&F Financial Corporation Selected Financial Information (dollars in thousands, except for per share data) (unaudited)

Financial Condition	12/31/2024		12/31/2023
Interest-bearing deposits in other banks	$	49,423	$	58,777
Investment securities – available for sale, at fair value		418,625		462,444
Loans held for sale, at fair value		20,112		14,176
Loans, net:
Community Banking segment		1,436,226		1,257,557
Consumer Finance segment		444,085		444,931
Total assets		2,563,385		2,438,498
Deposits		2,170,860		2,066,130
Repurchase agreements		28,994		30,705
Other borrowings		93,615		78,834
Total equity		226,970		217,516


	For The				For The
	Quarter Ended				Year Ended
Results of Operations	12/31/2024		12/31/2023		12/31/2024		12/31/2023
Interest income	$	36,443	$	32,408	$	139,594	$	124,137
Interest expense		11,343		8,466		42,819		26,430
Provision for credit losses:
Community Banking segment		–		75		1,650		1,625
Consumer Finance segment		3,500		2,400		11,600		6,650
Noninterest income:
Gains on sales of loans		1,250		850		6,064		5,780
Other		5,700		6,953		24,474		23,835
Noninterest expenses:
Salaries and employee benefits		11,953		14,035		53,578		54,876
Other		9,363		9,038		36,352		35,007
Income tax expense		1,205		1,109		4,215		5,418
Net income		6,029		5,088		19,918		23,746

Fully-taxable equivalent (FTE) amounts¹
Interest income on loans-FTE		33,122		29,147		127,288		111,146
Interest income on securities-FTE		3,046		3,121		12,079		12,710
Total interest income-FTE		36,731		32,677		140,741		125,101
Net interest income-FTE		25,388		24,211		97,922		98,671

_________________
¹For more information about these non-GAAP financial measures, please see “Use of Certain Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and “Reconciliation of Certain Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”


	For the Quarter Ended
	12/31/2024							12/31/2023
	Average			Income/		Yield/		Average			Income/		Yield/
Yield Analysis	Balance			Expense		Rate		Balance			Expense		Rate
Assets
Securities:
Taxable	$	321,796		$	1,898	2.36	%	$	392,368		$	2,093	2.13	%
Tax-exempt		120,119			1,148	3.82			118,263			1,028	3.48
Total securities		441,915			3,046	2.76			510,631			3,121	2.44
Loans:
Community banking segment		1,438,195			20,036	5.54			1,257,418			16,813	5.30
Mortgage banking segment		30,674			486	6.30			22,288			383	6.82
Consumer finance segment		473,816			12,600	10.58			471,355			11,951	10.06
Total loans		1,942,685			33,122	6.78			1,751,061			29,147	6.60
Interest-bearing deposits in other banks		58,212			563	3.85			42,114			409	3.85
Total earning assets		2,442,812			36,731	5.98			2,303,806			32,677	5.63
Allowance for credit losses		(40,930	)						(40,614	)
Total non-earning assets		159,082							142,252
Total assets	$	2,560,964						$	2,405,444

Liabilities and Equity
Interest-bearing deposits:
Interest-bearing demand deposits	$	331,156			601	0.72		$	341,243			556	0.65
Money market deposit accounts		299,321			1,136	1.51			299,712			896	1.19
Savings accounts		176,106			26	0.06			194,476			33	0.07
Certificates of deposit		811,224			8,325	4.08			635,702			5,665	3.54
Total interest-bearing deposits		1,617,807			10,088	2.48			1,471,133			7,150	1.93
Borrowings:
Repurchase agreements		30,673			131	1.71			33,418			126	1.51
Other borrowings		93,765			1,124	4.79			98,875			1,190	4.81
Total borrowings		124,438			1,255	4.03			132,293			1,316	3.98
Total interest-bearing liabilities		1,742,245			11,343	2.59			1,603,426			8,466	2.10
Noninterest-bearing demand deposits		547,890							554,321
Other liabilities		43,379							45,462
Total liabilities		2,333,514							2,203,209
Equity		227,450							202,235
Total liabilities and equity	$	2,560,964						$	2,405,444
Net interest income				$	25,388						$	24,211
Interest rate spread						3.39	%						3.53	%
Interest expense to average earning assets						1.85	%						1.46	%
Net interest margin						4.13	%						4.17	%


	For the Year Ended
	12/31/2024							12/31/2023
	Average			Income/		Yield/		Average			Income/		Yield/
Yield Analysis	Balance			Expense		Rate		Balance			Expense		Rate
Assets
Securities:
Taxable	$	335,647		$	7,563	2.25	%	$	428,895		$	9,110	2.12	%
Tax-exempt		119,978			4,516	3.76			108,006			3,600	3.33
Total securities		455,625			12,079	2.65			536,901			12,710	2.37
Loans:
Community banking segment		1,378,131			75,707	5.49			1,214,143			62,188	5.12
Mortgage banking segment		30,737			1,897	6.17			25,598			1,695	6.62
Consumer finance segment		476,775			49,684	10.42			473,885			47,263	9.97
Total loans		1,885,643			127,288	6.75			1,713,626			111,146	6.49
Interest-bearing deposits in other banks		37,238			1,374	3.69			35,351			1,245	3.52
Total earning assets		2,378,506			140,741	5.92			2,285,878			125,101	5.47
Allowance for loan losses		(40,736	)						(41,047	)
Total non-earning assets		156,726							148,666
Total assets	$	2,494,496						$	2,393,497

Liabilities and Equity
Interest-bearing deposits:
Interest-bearing demand deposits	$	327,700			2,170	0.66		$	354,643			2,134	0.60
Money market deposit accounts		296,278			4,313	1.46			317,601			3,017	0.95
Savings accounts		180,429			111	0.06			209,033			124	0.06
Certificates of deposit		767,721			31,465	4.10			541,252			15,112	2.79
Total interest-bearing deposits		1,572,128			38,059	2.42			1,422,529			20,387	1.43
Borrowings:
Repurchase agreements		27,754			456	1.64			32,393			399	1.23
Other borrowings		91,713			4,304	4.69			116,908			5,644	4.83
Total borrowings		119,467			4,760	3.98			149,301			6,043	4.05
Total interest-bearing liabilities		1,691,595			42,819	2.53			1,571,830			26,430	1.68
Noninterest-bearing demand deposits		536,828							575,452
Other liabilities		45,217							42,954
Total liabilities		2,273,640							2,190,236
Equity		220,856							203,261
Total liabilities and equity	$	2,494,496						$	2,393,497
Net interest income				$	97,922						$	98,671
Interest rate spread						3.39	%						3.79	%
Interest expense to average earning assets						1.80	%						1.16	%
Net interest margin						4.12	%						4.31	%


	12/31/2024
Funding Sources	Capacity		Outstanding		Available
Unsecured federal funds agreements	$	75,000	$	—	$	75,000
Borrowings from FHLB		257,734		40,000		217,734
Borrowings from Federal Reserve Bank		313,499		—		313,499
Total	$	646,233	$	40,000	$	606,233


Asset Quality	12/31/2024			12/31/2023
Community Banking
Total loans	$	1,453,605		$	1,273,629
Nonaccrual loans	$	333		$	406

Allowance for credit losses (ACL)	$	17,379		$	16,072
Nonaccrual loans to total loans		0.02	%		0.03	%
ACL to total loans		1.20	%		1.26	%
ACL to nonaccrual loans		5,218.92	%		3,958.62	%
Year-to-date net charge-offs to average loans		0.01	%		0.01	%

Consumer Finance
Total loans	$	466,793		$	468,510
Nonaccrual loans	$	614		$	892
Repossessed assets	$	779		$	646
ACL	$	22,708		$	23,579
Nonaccrual loans to total loans		0.13	%		0.19	%
ACL to total loans		4.86	%		5.03	%
ACL to nonaccrual loans		3,698.37	%		2,643.39	%
Year-to-date net charge-offs to average loans		2.62	%		1.99	%


	For The						For The
	Quarter Ended						Year Ended
Other Performance Data	12/31/2024			12/31/2023			12/31/2024			12/31/2023
Net Income (Loss):
Community Banking	$	6,364		$	5,186		$	20,284		$	22,928
Mortgage Banking		87			(103	)		1,108			465
Consumer Finance		272			618			1,414			2,879
Other¹		(694	)		(613	)		(2,888	)		(2,526	)
Total	$	6,029		$	5,088		$	19,918		$	23,746

Net income attributable to C&F Financial Corporation	$	6,037		$	5,068		$	19,834		$	23,604

Earnings per share – basic and diluted	$	1.87		$	1.50		$	6.01		$	6.92
Weighted average shares outstanding – basic and diluted		3,226,999			3,367,931			3,299,574			3,411,995

Annualized return on average assets		0.94	%		0.85	%		0.80	%		0.99	%
Annualized return on average equity		10.60	%		10.06	%		9.02	%		11.68	%
Annualized return on average tangible common equity²		12.17	%		11.74	%		10.37	%		13.58	%
Dividends declared per share	$	0.44		$	0.44		$	1.76		$	1.76

Mortgage loan originations – Mortgage Banking	$	130,426		$	98,238		$	527,750		$	498,797
Mortgage loans sold – Mortgage Banking		154,552			109,387			522,001			498,852

_________________
¹ Includes results of the holding company that are not allocated to the business segments and elimination of inter-segment activity.
² For more information about these non-GAAP financial measures, please see “Use of Certain Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and “Reconciliation of Certain Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”


Market Ratios	12/31/2024		12/31/2023
Market value per share	$	71.25	$	68.19
Book value per share	$	70.00	$	64.28
Price to book value ratio		1.02		1.06
Tangible book value per share¹	$	61.86	$	56.40
Price to tangible book value ratio¹		1.15		1.21
Price to earnings ratio (ttm)		11.86		9.87

_________________
¹ For more information about these non-GAAP financial measures, please see “Use of Certain Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and “Reconciliation of Certain Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”



			Minimum Capital
Capital Ratios	12/31/2024	12/31/2023	Requirements³
C&F Financial Corporation¹
Total risk-based capital ratio	14.1%	14.8%	8.0%
Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio	11.9%	12.6%	6.0%
Common equity tier 1 capital ratio	10.7%	11.3%	4.5%
Tier 1 leverage ratio	9.8%	10.1%	4.0%

C&F Bank²
Total risk-based capital ratio	13.6%	14.1%	8.0%
Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio	12.3%	12.9%	6.0%
Common equity tier 1 capital ratio	12.3%	12.9%	4.5%
Tier 1 leverage ratio	10.1%	10.3%	4.0%

_________________
¹ The Corporation, a small bank holding company under applicable regulations and guidance, is not subject to the minimum regulatory capital regulations for bank holding companies. The regulatory requirements that apply to bank holding companies that are subject to regulatory capital requirements are presented above, along with the Corporation’s capital ratios as determined under those regulations.
² All ratios at December 31, 2024 are estimates and subject to change pending regulatory filings. All ratios at December 31, 2023 are presented as filed.
³ The ratios presented for minimum capital requirements are those to be considered adequately capitalized.


	For The Quarter Ended						For The Year Ended
	12/31/2024			12/31/2023			12/31/2024			12/31/2023
Reconciliation of Certain Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Return on Average Tangible Common Equity
Average total equity, as reported	$	227,450		$	202,235		$	220,856		$	203,261
Average goodwill		(25,191	)		(25,191	)		(25,191	)		(25,191	)
Average other intangible assets		(1,183	)		(1,439	)		(1,273	)		(1,538	)
Average noncontrolling interest		(518	)		(515	)		(649	)		(675	)
Average tangible common equity	$	200,558		$	175,090		$	193,743		$	175,857

Net income	$	6,029		$	5,088		$	19,918		$	23,746
Amortization of intangibles		64			69			260			273
Net loss (income) attributable to noncontrolling interest		8			(20	)		(84	)		(142	)
Net tangible income attributable to C&F Financial Corporation	$	6,101		$	5,137		$	20,094		$	23,877

Annualized return on average equity, as reported		10.60	%		10.06	%		12.02	%		15.58	%
Annualized return on average tangible common equity		12.17	%		11.74	%		10.37	%		13.58	%


	For The Quarter Ended				For The Year Ended
	12/31/2024		12/31/2023		12/31/2024		12/31/2023
Fully Taxable Equivalent Net Interest Income¹
Interest income on loans	$	33,075	$	29,093	$	127,089	$	110,938
FTE adjustment		47		54		199		208
FTE interest income on loans	$	33,122	$	29,147	$	127,288	$	111,146

Interest income on securities	$	2,805	$	2,906	$	11,131	$	11,954
FTE adjustment		241		215		948		756
FTE interest income on securities	$	3,046	$	3,121	$	12,079	$	12,710

Total interest income	$	36,443	$	32,408	$	139,594	$	124,137
FTE adjustment		288		269		1,147		964
FTE interest income	$	36,731	$	32,677	$	140,741	$	125,101

Net interest income	$	25,100	$	23,942	$	96,775	$	97,707
FTE adjustment		288		269		1,147		964
FTE net interest income	$	25,388	$	24,211	$	97,922	$	98,671

_________________
¹ Assuming a tax rate of 21%.


	December 31,			December 31,
*(Dollars in thousands except for per share data)*	2024			2023
Tangible Book Value Per Share
Equity attributable to C&F Financial Corporation	$	226,360		$	216,878
Goodwill		(25,191	)		(25,191	)
Other intangible assets		(1,147	)		(1,407	)
Tangible equity attributable to C&F Financial Corporation	$	200,022		$	190,280

Shares outstanding		3,233,672			3,374,098

Book value per share	$	70.00		$	64.28
Tangible book value per share	$	61.86		$	56.40

Contact:	Jason Long, CFO and Secretary
	(804) 843-2360

The MIL Network –

January 29, 2025

MIL-OSI Africa: The Aid for Trade Initiative for Arab States (AfTIAS 2.0) Program Expands Regional Trade Initiatives Including Jordan Export Launchpad and Key Projects in Egypt and Algeria to Empower Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Drive Economic Growth

Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, January 28, 2025/APO Group/ —

The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) (www.ITFC-IDB.org) is proud to continue its work on the Aid for Trade Initiative for Arab States (AfTIAS 2.0), a program designed to enhance the trade capacity and competitiveness of Arab states. Building on past achievements, AfTIAS 2.0 is focused on empowering small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to navigate global markets and expand intra-regional trade.

With an emphasis on policy reform and capacity building, AfTIAS 2.0 addresses the core challenges faced by businesses across the region, fostering economic development and facilitating trade.

The AfTIAS 2.0 program is implemented across 10 Arab countries, all of which are members of the League of Arab States. These countries are the primary beneficiaries of the program, which aims to promote economic integration and sustainable development through trade in the Arab region.

One of the flagship initiatives under AfTIAS 2.0 is the Jordan Export Launchpad, which aims to equip Jordanian SMEs with the skills and resources to access international markets. In partnership with the Trade Facilitation Office (TFO) Canada and the Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation (JEDCO), the 13-month program offered specialized training to help export-ready businesses succeed globally. The initiative reflects AfTIAS 2.0’s commitment to fostering economic growth and creating jobs across the Arab region by enhancing the export potential of local enterprises.

The program concluded with a graduation ceremony on October 28th, where 27 trainers received certifications. The event featured key figures, including JEDCO’s CEO, a representative from the Canadian Embassy, and TFO Canada’s Executive Director, who participated virtually.

Another successful project under AfTIAS 2.0 is the initiative by the Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Maritime Transport. This project established a comprehensive mechanism and database to support the shipbuilding and repair industry in Arab countries, marking a major achievement in regional collaboration. It underscores the program’s strategic focus on developing key industries to drive economic integration across the Arab world.

Also, under AfTIAS 2.0, is Egypt’s Training is a STEP towards Exports (STEP) Project. The STEP project is a comprehensive program designed to equip Egyptian youth and SMEs with the necessary skills to successfully navigate the global export market. By providing targeted training in agricultural production and manufacturing, the program aims to enhance the competitiveness of the country’s exports and create new opportunities for economic growth. Through the program, participants will receive valuable guidance on accessing loans and funding to support their export endeavors.

In Algeria, the AfTIAS 2.0 program is working to strengthen the agri-food and beverage sector through a project focused on improving the business environment for SMEs and enhancing institutional support. This 16-month initiative, launched in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade, ALGEX, and the International Trade Centre (ITC), seeks to bolster Algeria’s export competitiveness and contribute to the country’s achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“Through AfTIAS 2.0, we are dedicated to enhancing the trade capabilities of SMEs in the Arab region, thus driving economic growth and promoting sustainable development,” explained Eng. Hani Salem Sonbol, CEO of the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC). “This program exemplifies our commitment to reducing economic disparities and fostering regional market integration.”

AfTIAS 2.0 continues to support a wide range of projects across the region, strengthening competitiveness, eliminating trade barriers, and fostering economic resilience. The program works in close partnership with key institutions, including the League of Arab States (LAS) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), to ensure that capacity building, infrastructure development, and institutional strengthening remain central to its goals.

By fostering intra-regional trade and reducing reliance on imports, AfTIAS 2.0 addresses economic inequalities and promotes sustainable growth across the Arab world.

MIL OSI Africa –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Lessons from Ireland: How the country’s electoral system would strengthen Canadian democracy

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Seána Glennon, Postdoctoral Fellow, Constitutional Law, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

Justin Trudeau’s biggest regret, he said at his resignation news conference, is failing to achieve electoral reform in Canada — even though he’d promised to do so, and had the opportunity during his first majority government, and didn’t go through with it.

But as a federal election looms this year, it’s a good time to take a closer look at Canada’s first-past-the-post electoral system, examine why it’s seen by many as unfair and to think about how an alternative system, like Ireland’s proportional representation model, could better serve Canadians.

Canada has what’s known as a single-member plurality electoral system, commonly referred to as first-past-the-post. The country is divided into electoral districts called ridings, each of which has one representative.

The winning candidate in each riding is the one who receives the most votes, although not necessarily the majority of votes. The system is “winner-takes-all” because only those candidates who come first in each riding gain a seat in Parliament.

Read more:
Canada’s first-past-the-post electoral system highlights once again the need for reform

Proportional represention

Ireland has a proportional representation system that’s very different from first-past-the-post. Each voter has a single transferable vote, and each constituency elects several candidates. Voters can rank all the candidates on the ballot in order of their preference.

To be successful, a candidate must reach the constituency’s quota, which is calculated based on the total number of votes and the number of seats. When a candidate reaches or exceeds the quota on the first count, they are elected, and their surplus votes are distributed among the other candidates, based on voters’ second or lower preferences.

If nobody reaches the quota on the first count, as often happens, the candidate with the lowest number of votes is eliminated and their votes are distributed among the other candidates. The process continues until all seats are filled.

Risks to Canadian democracy

Canada’s system poses two major challenges to democracy.

The first is voter disengagement. Under the first-past-the-post system, a candidate does not need to win more than 50 per cent of the votes; they just need to win more than their opponents. All the votes cast in favour of other candidates are discounted.

This can result in a significant disparity between a party’s share of votes and its share of seats in Parliament.

A party with less than 50 per cent of the vote share can form a majority government and dominate the parliamentary agenda until the next election.

This happened in the United Kingdom’s 2024 election (also a first-past-the-post system) — Labour received only 34 per cent of the popular vote, but took 63 per cent of the seats in British Parliament and formed a majority government. The 2019 election in Canada also illustrates the distortion produced by this system — the Conservatives won the popular vote, but the Liberals took 36 more seats and won a minority government.

From the voter’s point of view, it’s easy to see how the system causes disillusionment. If they vote for anyone other than the winning candidate, they may feel their vote is discounted and will have no bearing on the makeup of Parliament, and wonder what’s the point of casting a ballot.

The second challenge exacerbated by the first-past-the-post system is increasing polarization in politics. In a winner-takes-all system, there is no incentive for candidates to try to appeal to voters to become their second or third choice. This leads to a much more adversarial style of politics.

Malaise, polarization reduced

The Irish system mitigates against both democratic malaise and political polarization.

Under proportional representation, the voter’s first preference is always counted. But in contrast to the Canadian system, even if their first-choice candidate is eliminated — or elected on the first count with a surplus — their vote is not wasted. Instead, it’s transferred to their next choice of candidate.

These transfers often determine the outcome of the election. Elections in Ireland tend to produce parliaments that correlate much more closely to the proportion of votes a party has received than under first-past-the-post systems in Canada and the U.K.

In addition, the Irish system helps combat polarization, because candidates’ success or failure often hinges on their ability to attract transfers from supporters of other parties. Centrist candidates will be more likely to appeal to a broader base of voters and attract more transfers than candidates that seek to motivate a base of voters with extremist rhetoric.

The recent Irish general election shows how this system helps avoid excessive polarization. Research has found that countries with proportional representation systems tend to have lower levels of polarization.

Local focus?

It’s sometimes argued that proportional representation encourages parliamentarians to focus on issues in their constituency rather than national issues.

The system greatly facilitates the election of independent candidates. The incoming Irish government, for example, will consist of a coalition of the two main centrist parties, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, with the support of a group of independents, some of whom make no secret that their priority is their own constituency.

It can be argued, however, that responsiveness to local issues isn’t a negative — and it’s not prevented Ireland from playing an outsize role on the international stage in recent years.

Read more:
Irish election: why one single party is unlikely to win – and what it means for the next government

Confronting Trump

Supporters of first-past-the-post argue that it produces stronger, more stable majority governments.

Even though Ireland’s party system has undoubtedly become more fragmented over the past decade, however, coalition governments have proved capable of staying the course.

Of course, Irish politics has its share of challenges. The recent election of Micheál Martin as Taoiseach (prime minister) was delayed a day after rancorous exchanges in Irish Parliament around opposition speaking time, and the country still has a stubbornly low proportion of female parliamentarians (only three women were appointed to the new cabinet as senior ministers, out of 15).

But this doesn’t change the fact that a proportional representation system still produces a parliament more reflective of voter’s choices than first-past-the-post.

Politically disengaged and polarized voters in Canada and an unrepresentative Parliament won’t help the country respond to the challenges posed by the next four years of a second Donald Trump presidency.

A new system with an element of proportionality could help curb polarization, ensure fairer representation for Canadians and transform Canadian democracy for the better.

Seána Glennon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Lessons from Ireland: How the country’s electoral system would strengthen Canadian democracy – https://theconversation.com/lessons-from-ireland-how-the-countrys-electoral-system-would-strengthen-canadian-democracy-247541

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Global wildlife trade is an enormous market – a look at the billions of animals the US imports from nearly 30,000 species

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Michael Tlusty, Professor of Sustainability and Food Solutions, UMass Boston

U.S. Fish and Wildlife agents inspect a shipment of reptiles at the Port of Miami. U.S. GAO

When people think of wildlife trade, they often picture smugglers sneaking in rare and endangered species from far-off countries. Yet most wildlife trade is actually legal, and the United States is one of the world’s biggest wildlife importers.

New research that we and a team of colleagues published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that, over the last 22 years, people in the U.S. legally imported nearly 2.85 billion individual animals representing almost 30,000 species.

Some of these wild animals become pets, such as reptiles, spiders, clownfish, chimpanzees and even tigers. Thousands end up in zoos and aquariums, where many species on display come directly from the wild.

Medical research uses macaque monkeys and imports up to 39,000 of them every year. The fashion trade imports around 1 million to 2 million crocodile skins every year. Hunting trophies are also included in wildlife.

How many species are legally traded worldwide?
Benjamin Marshall, et al., 2024, PNAS, CC BY-SA

The largest number of imported species are birds – 4,985 different species are imported each year, led by Muscovy ducks, with over 6 million imported. Reptiles are next, with 3,048 species, led by iguanas and royal pythons. These largely become pets.

Not all wildlife are wild

We found that just over half of the animals imported into the U.S. come from the wild.

Capturing wildlife to sell to exporters can be an important income source for rural communities around the world, especially in Africa. However, wild imported species can also spread diseases or parasites or become invasive. In fact, these risks are so worrying that many imported animals are classed as “injurious wildlife” due to their potential role in transmitting diseases to native species.

Captive breeding has played an increasingly dominant role in recent years as a way to limit the impact on wild populations and to try to reduce disease spread.

However over half the individual animals from most groups of species, such as amphibians or mammals, still come from the wild, and there is no data on the impact of the wildlife trade on most wild populations.

Trade may pose a particular risk when species are already rare or have small ranges. Where studies have been done, the wild populations of traded species decreased by an average of 62% across the periods monitored.

Sustainable wildlife trade is possible, but it relies on careful monitoring to balance wild harvest and captive breeding.

Data is thin in many ways

For most species in the wildlife trade, there is still a lot that remains unknown, including even the number of species traded.

With so many species and shipments, wildlife inspectors are overwhelmed. Trade data may not include the full species name for groups like butterflies or fish. The values in many customs databases are reported by companies but never verified.

Macaques, used in medical research, are the most-traded primates globally, according to an analysis of U.S. Fish and Wildlife data.
Davidvraju, CC BY-SA

In our study, we relied on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Law Enforcement Management Information System, a wildlife import-export data collection system. However, few countries collate and release data in such a standardized way; meaning that for the majority of species legally traded around the world there is no available data.

For example, millions of Tokay geckos are imported as pets and for medicine, and are often reported to be bred in captivity. However, investigators cannot confirm that they weren’t actually caught in the wild.

Why tracking the wildlife trade is important

Biodiversity has a great number of economic and ecological benefits. There are also risks to importing wildlife. Understanding the many species and number of animals entering the country, and whether they were once wild or farmed, is important, because imported wildlife can cause health and ecological problems.

Wildlife can spread diseases to humans and to other animals. Wild-caught monkeys imported for medical research may carry diseases, including ones of particular risk to humans. Those with diseases are more likely to be wild than captive-bred.

The most-traded mammals worldwide are minks, which are valued for their fur but can spread viruses to humans and other species. About 48 million minks are legally traded annually, about 2.8% wild-caught and the majority raised, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife data.
Colin Canterbury/USFWS

Species that aren’t native to the U.S. may also escape or be released into the wild. Invasive species can cause billions of dollars in damage by consuming and outcompeting native wildlife and spreading diseases.

We believe better data on the wildlife trade could be used to set management goals, such as harvest quotas or no-take policies for those species in their country of origin.

What’s next

The researchers involved in this study come from institutes around the world and are all interested in improving data systems for wildlife trade.

Some of us focus on how e-commerce platforms such as Etsy and Instagram have become hotspots of wildlife trade and can be challenging to monitor without automation. Esty announced in 2024 that it would remove listings of endangered or threatened species. Others build tools to help wildlife inspectors process the large number of shipments in real time. Many of us examine the problems imported species cause when they become invasive.

In the age of machine learning, artificial intelligence and big data, it’s possible to better understand the wildlife trade. Consumers can help by buying less, and making informed decisions.

Michael Tlusty is a founding member of the Wildlife Detection Partnership and co-developed the Nature Intelligence System, which assists governments in collecting more accurate wildlife data..

Andrew Rhyne is currently on sabbatical funded by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), focused on the wildlife trade data. He is a founding member of the Wildlife Detection Partnership and co-developed the Nature Intelligence System, which assists governments in collecting more accurate wildlife data.

Alice Catherine Hughes does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Global wildlife trade is an enormous market – a look at the billions of animals the US imports from nearly 30,000 species – https://theconversation.com/global-wildlife-trade-is-an-enormous-market-a-look-at-the-billions-of-animals-the-us-imports-from-nearly-30-000-species-247197

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Piha: Search effort continues for missing swimmer

Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

A search for a missing swimmer at Piha Beach will resume this morning.

The man was part of a group of swimmers who got into difficulty yesterday afternoon.

Five swimmers were rescued, however a sixth member of the group was not located. Surf Lifesaving New Zealand alerted Police just after 4pm on Tuesday.

A shoreline search, involving Police and Land Search and Rescue, will be carried out around the Lion Rock and South Piha/Blue Pool area.

The Police Eagle helicopter will conduct an aerial search where possible today.

Police are liaising with the man’s family, and we will continue to provide updates as these are available.

ENDS

Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: CWA Condemns Donald Trump’s Firing of NLRB’s Jennifer Abruzzo and Gwynne Wilcox

Source: Communications Workers of America

The Communications Workers of America (CWA) union released the following statement in response to Donald Trump’s firing of NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo and NLRB member Gwynne Wilcox:

CWA members across the country are deeply disappointed by Donald Trump’s firing of National Labor Relations Board General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo and NLRB member Gwynne Wilcox.

Abruzzo is a member of our CWA family, having served as the Special Counsel for Strategic Initiatives at CWA prior to her appointment as NLRB General Counsel. As NLRB General Counsel, she held billionaire CEOs accountable for their attempts to silence workers and made sure that workers who were unjustly disciplined or fired received full compensation for their lost wages.

As a member of the NLRB, Wilcox stood on the side of workers whenever CEOs threatened our freedom to join unions and collectively bargain. Her illegal firing leaves the NLRB without a quorum and unable to enforce labor law. This unprecedented action is a favor to Trump’s wealthy backers and advisors, who want to boost their profits by preventing us from joining together to fight for good wages, safety on the job, and fair work schedules.

Working people rely on the NLRB to uphold the law. Trump’s actions send a strong message that under his administration, workers will be left unprotected by the federal government as corporate executives attempt to take even more control over our lives.

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About CWA: The Communications Workers of America represents working people in telecommunications, customer service, media, airlines, health care, public service and education, manufacturing, tech, and other fields.

cwa-union.org @cwaunion

MIL OSI USA News –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: IAM Members at McGee Air Services Ready for Negotiations

Source: US GOIAM Union

Negotiations between IAM District 142 and McGee Air Services are set to begin in early 2025.

District 142 General Chairs Justin Bates and Jason McAdoo, along with IAM Air Transport Territory International Representative Brianna Gregory are supporting negotiations. The entire group recently traveled to the IAM’s Winpisinger Education Technology Center in Hollywood, Md., for negotiation preparations.

Watch Video here.

“I’m very proud of each and every member of the team,” said IAM Air Transport Territory General Vice President Richie Johnsen. “The IAM will fully assist and support the team in upcoming bargaining talks. This training is just one part of the overall power the IAM gives its members. I know they will be ready!”

The important preparations consisted of a week-long education and strategic planning to assist the committee in negotiating the best contract possible to bring to the membership for a vote. The intense training culminated with a negotiation simulation, allowing the committee to hone skills and prepare for negotiations.

The IAM Negotiations Committee has been selected and consists of Marvin McCarter (Chief Shop Steward, LAX), Daniel McGuire (Chief Shop Steward, SEA), Michael Parker (Chief Shop Steward, PDX), and Jose Rosales (Chief Shop Steward, SJC).

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MIL OSI USA News –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: President Trump ousts NLRB board member, general counsel

Source: US National Education Union

By: Staci Maiers

Published: January 28, 2025

WASHINGTON—President Donald J. Trump fired National Labor Relations Board Member Gwynne Wilcox, late Monday night, according to news reports. He also fired NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo, a strong advocate for unionization who undertook an aggressive approach in enforcing workers’ rights.

The following statement can be attributed to Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, the nation’s largest labor union representing 3 million workers:

“Hardworking Americans, of every race and from every place in this country, deserve to have their voices heard and their rights on the job protected. Anyone who is not a CEO or billionaire donor should be deeply alarmed by President Trump’s unlawful and unprecedented decision to remove a member of the National Labor Relations Board. This stunt is a gross abuse of power that undermines the very foundation of workers’ rights and protections in this country.

“By ousting experienced and dedicated NLRB personnel, Trump is silencing the voices of workers who rely on the board to protect their rights, secure fair treatment, and advocate for just conditions in their workplaces. The Trump administration wasted no time betraying campaign promises to support the rights of working people and their unions. NLRB’s rulings on important worker rights and organizing cases will grind to a halt. Trump is giving a gift to his donors, and we are all paying the price. Every member of Congress has an obligation to tell President Trump that they will not tolerate this kind of imperial declaration.”

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MIL OSI USA News –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Philadelphia Woman Who Sexually Abused a One-Year-Old Girl, Manufactured and Distributed Child Pornography, Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Tyleeya Williams, 22, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Gerald J. Pappert to 40 years in prison and lifetime supervised release for sexually abusing and exploiting a child in her care and multiple child pornography offenses.

In May of 2023, Williams was charged by indictment with the manufacture and attempted manufacture of child pornography, two counts of distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. She pleaded guilty to all four charges in June of last year.

As part of her guilty plea, Williams admitted that she sexually abused a one-year-old girl in her care, and that she had planned the abuse with another child sex offender with whom she was communicating online. The defendant photographed her molestation of this child and distributed those images of her abuse – which included the child’s face – via the internet. Williams also admitted that she had trafficked thousands of images and videos showing the sexual abuse of dozens of other children, sharing that material with groups of child sex offenders online.

“Tyleeya Williams was entrusted with the care and protection of this little girl, but instead sexually abused and exploited her,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “The defendant further victimized this child by documenting the abuse and sharing the horrific images with other sex offenders. While Williams’ 40-year sentence can’t reverse the immeasurable harm she’s done, it prevents her from harming anyone else’s child and is a measure of justice for all the innocents whose images she collected and shared. My office and the FBI will never stop working to hold accountable criminals ready and willing to hurt our children.”

“The crimes Tyleeya Williams committed are among the most egregious the FBI investigates,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Even in the face of such horrific crimes, our office remains unwavering in our pursuit of justice against those who abuse and exploit our most vulnerable.”

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov.

The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rotella.

MIL Security OSI –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin Votes to Confirm Former Rep. Sean Duffy as Transportation Secretary

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
Published: 01.28.2025

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) released a statement on her vote to confirm former Rep. Sean Duffy as Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOT).
“Today, I voted to confirm former Rep. Sean Duffy as Secretary of Transportation because together, we can do right by Wisconsin families, businesses, and workers. As I’ve said before, it is critical that we have a Secretary of Transportation who understands Wisconsin’s transportation needs, and I have confidence, Sean is that guy. I have long fought to ensure our infrastructure is built with American products by American workers – and I will continue to press Sean to ensure that work continues. I am confident that we can work together to make sure Wisconsin families have safe roads and bridges and our businesses can get their products on shelves on time. Let’s get to work.”
Senator Baldwin spoke on the Senate floor in support of former Rep. Sean Duffy and also introduced him at the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing. During the hearing, Senator Baldwin also pressed former Rep. Sean Duffy on the incoming Trump Administration’s commitment to keeping in place her long-championed Buy America rules, which ensure taxpayer dollars spent on infrastructure are supporting American businesses and jobs.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders, Welch, Balint on Impact of Trump Administration’s Move Towards Authoritarianism on Vermonters

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders
WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Rep. Becca Balint (Vt.-AL) today released the following statement after the Trump Administration ordered a pause in all federal grants and loans, a sweeping decision that could disrupt education and health care programs, housing assistance, disaster relief and a host of other initiatives that depend on billions of federal dollars:
President Trump’s decision to freeze all federal grants and loans will cause devastating harm to working families across Vermont.
This unconstitutional action will impact more than 1,200 Vermont kids in Head Start programs; more than 10,000 women, infants, and children in Vermont who use WIC to keep from going hungry; nearly 200,000 Vermont patients who use community health centers; nearly 24,000 Vermonters who use the LIHEAP program to stay warm through the winter; 9,000 Vermonters who rely on Section 8 vouchers to keep a roof over their head; more than 12,000 Vermont seniors who rely on nutritious food from Meals on Wheels and at senior centers; countless Vermont communities that are still recovering from devastating floods; and all of our Vermont firefighters and police officers who put their lives on the line to keep us safe.
This decision by the Trump Administration will cause immense pain for the most vulnerable people in Vermont and across our country. It represents a dangerous move toward authoritarianism. No president has the right to choose which laws to follow and which laws to ignore. Donald Trump is endangering the health and well-being of Vermonters. We will do everything in our power to see that it is reversed.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Sanders, Welch, Balint on Impact of Trump Administration’s Move Towards Authoritarianism on Vermonters

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Rep. Becca Balint (Vt.-AL) today released the following statement after the Trump Administration ordered a pause in all federal grants and loans, a sweeping decision that could disrupt education and health care programs, housing assistance, disaster relief and a host of other initiatives that depend on billions of federal dollars:“President Trump’s decision to freeze all federal grants and loans will cause devastating harm to working families across Vermont.“This unconstitutional action will impact more than 1,200 Vermont kids in Head Start programs; more than 10,000 women, infants, and children in Vermont who use WIC to keep from going hungry; nearly 200,000 Vermont patients who use community health centers; nearly 24,000 Vermonters who use the LIHEAP program to stay warm through the winter; 9,000 Vermonters who rely on Section 8 vouchers to keep a roof over their head; more than 12,000 Vermont seniors who rely on nutritious food from Meals on Wheels and at senior centers; countless Vermont communities that are still recovering from devastating floods; and all of our Vermont firefighters and police officers who put their lives on the line to keep us safe.“This decision by the Trump Administration will cause immense pain for the most vulnerable people in Vermont and across our country. It represents a dangerous move toward authoritarianism. No president has the right to choose which laws to follow and which laws to ignore. Donald Trump is endangering the health and well-being of Vermonters. We will do everything in our power to see that it is reversed.”

MIL OSI USA News –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: With Israeli Laws Set to Take Effect in 48 Hours, UN Palestine Refugee Agency Chief Warns Security Council of Risks to Gaza Ceasefire, Recovery Efforts

Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

While Many Speakers Support Agency as Lifeline, Israel’s Delegate Says It Failed

The implementation of Israel’s legislation on 30 January — curtailing the operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) — will undermine the ceasefire and sabotage Gaza’s recovery and political transition, a senior UN official told the Security Council today.

Expressing hope that the long-awaited ceasefire — which began nine days ago — “will hold and then the tremendous suffering in Gaza will subside”, Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, welcomed the return of Israeli hostages and imprisoned Palestinians to their families. He also recognized the marked improvement in the flow of humanitarian aid and operating conditions. As the largest UN presence in Gaza — with 13,000 personnel and 300 premises — the Agency is critical in supporting a shattered population under a ceasefire, he emphasized.

Yet, in two days, “our operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory will be crippled as legislation passed by Israel takes effect”, he warned, adding that the fate of millions of Palestinians is at stake. “In the wake of the ceasefire, we must contend with the devastation of the last 15 months and the enormity of the challenges ahead,” he said, pointing to a peer-reviewed study of death by traumatic injury in Gaza, which reveals that the mortality figure provided by the Ministry of Health is “a minimum estimate”. In fact, 46,000 deaths is likely an undercount by over 40 per cent, with the majority of those killed being women, children and the elderly. The study also confirms that those who escaped death by bombardment, starvation and disease have emerged shell-shocked.

Tens of thousands of people are now returning to the decimated north “to search for the living and to bury the dead”, he said, noting UNRWA’s unique mandate to provide public-like services to an entire population. He rejected Israel’s claim that the Agency plays “a negligible role” in providing humanitarian assistance in Gaza and that its services can be transferred to other entities. UNRWA constitutes half the emergency response, having delivered two thirds of all food assistance, provided shelter to over a million displaced persons and vaccinated a quarter of a million children against polio since October 2023. Less quantifiable, but critical for the humanitarian response and the ceasefire, is community acceptance: “Palestinians know and trust UNRWA,” he stressed.

Furthermore, Israel’s Government is investing significant resources to portray the Agency as a terrorist organization and its staff as terrorists or terrorist sympathizers. Billboards and ads accusing UNRWA of terrorism recently appeared in major cities worldwide. The political attacks on the Agency are motivated by the desire to strip Palestinians of their refugee status and erase their history and identity. Underscoring the need to allow the Agency to progressively conclude its mandate within the framework of a political process, he stated: “We are determined to stay and deliver until it is no longer possible to do so.”

Jan Egeland, Secretary-General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, recalled his visit to Gaza City in December 2024 and expressed shock at the destruction: clearing over 50 million tons of rubble in the aftermath of Israel’s bombardment “could take 21 years and cost up to $1.2 billion”. For two decades, children will have nowhere to play in the rubble and debris caused by this war, having to fear unexploded bombs. “The principles of proportionality, distinction and military necessity have been thoroughly violated,” he stated.

While his organization managed to have 18 trucks of humanitarian cargo enter Gaza last week, looting and attacks on aid convoys remain a major concern. He recalled that, on 12 September 2024, the Israeli National Security Council admitted to the Knesset that Israel was no longer issuing visas to employees of international non-governmental organizations — apparently part of a broader effort to undermine humanitarian work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. However, as the occupying Power, Israel is legally obliged to facilitate humanitarian operations — in Gaza and in the West Bank alike.

Addressing the urgent humanitarian need, he called for full unrestricted access to northern Gaza, including the immediate opening of the Netzarim Corridor to facilitate the movement of civilians, humanitarian personnel and life-saving supplies. He further voiced alarm over intensified Israeli military operations and settler attacks across the occupied West Bank, urging the Council to “put all of our energies into achieving a peaceful resolution to the question of Palestine”.

…

MIL OSI United Nations News –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: ICE ERO Baltimore arrests Salvadoran gang member with weapons charges

Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

BALTIMORE — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement apprehended a 19-year-old Salvadoran national and member of the MS-13 foreign terrorist organization. ICE officers from Enforcement and Removal Operations Baltimore arrested Anderson Geovany Romero in Hyattsville, Maryland, Jan. 25. This undocumented alien was apprehended after the Prince George’s Detention Center failed to honor an immigration detainer and released him from custody. Romero has pending criminal charges for possessing a loaded handgun and ammunition.

“MS-13’s designation as a terrorist organization highlights the grave threat it poses to public safety. The arrest of Romero sends a clear message: ICE is unwavering in its commitment to protecting our nation’s communities,” said ERO Baltimore acting Field Office Director Matthew Elliston. “Removing egregious criminal aliens from our Maryland streets is a win for law-abiding residents and a critical step toward ensuring safer neighborhoods. I commend the relentless dedication of our officers in prioritizing public safety and upholding immigration law.”

The U.S. Border Patrol arrested Romero near Roma, Texas, July 11, 2015, served him with a notice to appear and, on the same date, transferred custody to ERO.

The Ocean City Police Department in Maryland arrested and charged Romero July 5, 2021, for having an open container of alcohol. The District Court of Maryland for Worcester County convicted Romero for that offense Aug. 30, 2021.

A Department of Justice immigration judge in Baltimore ordered Romero removed to El Salvador April 24, 2023, after he failed to show up for his immigration hearing.

The Prince George’s County Police Department arrested and charged Romero with possession of a loaded handgun Jan. 21, and ERO Baltimore lodged an immigration detainer with the Prince George’s Detention Center on the same date.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Greensboro Laboratory and Owner Agree to Pay $850,000 to Resolve Allegations of False Claims for Urine Drug Testing

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Substance Abuse Treatment Labs, located in Greensboro, and its owner, Paul Fribush, have agreed to pay $850,000 to resolve civil allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by billing North Carolina Medicaid for medically unnecessary urine drug screening tests (UDT), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Randall Galyon.

The United States and the State of North Carolina alleged that, between January 2018 and January 2022, Substance Abuse Treatment Labs and Fribush submitted false claims for the highest level of urine drug testing to Medicaid. These claims, which reimbursed providers at the highest dollar amount for urine drug tests, were submitted to Medicaid despite clear signs that the tests were not medically necessary.

“Protecting taxpayer dollars used to provide medical benefits to those who need it most is essential to this Office’s mission.” said Acting United States Attorney Randall Galyon. “We will continue to identify and hold accountable those providers that seek to enrich themselves off taxpayers through submitting such false claims. I am thankful for our partnership with the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office to assist us in this mission in pursuing justice on behalf of Medicaid.”

“Submitting false claims to Medicaid undermines the program’s integrity and wastes valuable taxpayer dollars,” said Special Agent in Charge Kelly Blackmon of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG remains dedicated to safeguarding the integrity of Medicare and Medicaid and protecting the people these programs serve.”

The resolutions obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort among the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina; the Medicaid Investigations Division of the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office; and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Counsel to the Inspector General. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca Mayer and Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Petracca.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

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MIL Security OSI –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Mobile Man Sentenced To 37 Months For Illegally Possessing A Firearm

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

MOBILE, AL – Umar Abdul Waheed also known as Terry Evans, a Mobile man, has been sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. The sentence was imposed by United States Chief District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock.

According to court documents, in June 2024, Waheed reported to the Mobile County Community Corrections office in Mobile, Alabama. At the time he reported, Waheed had outstanding state warrants related to threats he made with a firearm to coworkers at a local construction company’s jobsite a few days prior. After Waheed was taken into custody on the outstanding warrants, officers located a firearm in the vehicle Waheed drove to Community Corrections. Waheed is a convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

At sentencing, Judge Beaverstock imposed a 37-month sentence of incarceration and a 3-year term of supervised release upon Waheed’s discharge from prison.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Beth Stepan prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

MIL Security OSI –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects $11,714,277 in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2024

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

ABINGDON, Va. – Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee announced today that the Western District of Virginia collected $11,714,277 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2024. Of this amount, $3,267,062 was collected in criminal actions and $8,447,214 was collected in civil actions.

Additionally, the Western District of Virginia worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $ 19,802,736 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $ 19,545,011 was collected in civil actions.

“As these numbers demonstrate, the United States Attorney’s Office will use every tool to ensure that those who violate federal law do not profit from their actions,” Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee said today. “My office is committed to seeking justice, both civilly and criminally, in order to protect the interests of the United States and its citizens throughout the Western District of Virginia.”

The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.

Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Western District of Virginia, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $ 54,015,848 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2024. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.

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MIL Security OSI –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: IAEA Board of Governors Elects New Chairperson for 2025

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

Ambassador Matilda Aku Alomatu Osei-Agyeman. (Photo: D. Calma/IAEA)

In a special meeting today the IAEA Board of Governors elected Ambassador Matilda Aku Alomatu Osei-Agyeman of Ghana as its Chairperson for 2025. She will complete the remainder of the term of office of her predecessor, Ambassador Philbert Abaka Johnson of Ghana, who was elected in September 2024. Ambassador Osei-Agyeman’s term commences today and will end in September 2025.

Ambassador Osei-Agyeman is the Permanent Representative of Ghana to the IAEA, the United Nations Offices and other international organizations in Vienna. A career diplomat with over 25 years of experience, she has held various positions in Ghana and abroad covering both bilateral and multilateral issues.

Prior to her appointment in Vienna, Ambassador Osei-Agyeman served as Minister Plenipotentiary and Deputy Ambassador in the Embassy of the Republic of Ghana to Italy from 2023 to 2024. She has also served in diplomatic postings in the United Kingdom, Malta, the United States of America and at Ghana’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland.

Ambassador Osei-Agyeman has also held numerous posts in Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, including, most recently, serving as Director of the Europe Bureau from 2021 to 2023 and as the first Director of the Candidatures Portfolio in 2021, where she ensured effective advocacy resulting in Ghana’s election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for 2022 and 2023.

Ambassador Osei-Agyeman holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Ghana and a Master of Arts in international affairs from the Legon Centre for International Affairs & Diplomacy in Ghana. She has also participated in various courses on leadership and diplomacy.

MIL Security OSI –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Two Men Sentenced to Over Seven Years in Prison for Laundering Proceeds From an Elder Fraud Scheme

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Two men were sentenced to seven years and three months in prison for their roles in laundering over $6 million in elder fraud proceeds.

According to court documents, Fei Liang, 42, of Flushing, New York, and Ziguang Li, 36, of Las Vegas, Nevada, opened bank accounts for fictitious businesses. These bank accounts were used to launder the proceeds of fraud.

Liang’s and Li’s co-conspirators operated a nationwide “tech support” scam or other similar elder fraud scheme, in which they targeted unsuspecting victims who logged onto their computer to use one or more online services from various corporations. The conspirators falsely advised victims of purported criminal or technical issues with their accounts associated with these online services, and that to address these issues they were required to wire money to business accounts. The accounts to which the victims wired money were controlled by the conspirators.

Money from the scam was directed to the accounts opened by Liang and Li. The accounts were then used to wire the proceeds to other members of the conspiracy, domestically and internationally.

During a search of Li’s residence, law enforcement recovered a handwritten list of the fictitious businesses used to further the money laundering scheme, records associated with bank accounts that received victim-funded wires, and copies of documents bearing personal identifiable information (PII). Law enforcement also recovered Li’ s cellphones and computers, which contained victims’ PII, business documents, identification documents, Employer Identification Numbers, and bank account information for at least 25 different entities, including fictitious businesses that provided victim-funded transfers to Li.

Liang pled guilty on Sept. 6, 2024, and was sentenced on Dec. 13, 2024. Li, pled guilty on Nov. 1, 2024, and was sentenced today.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Sean Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and and Special Agent in Charge Scott Moffit, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration Cybercrimes Investigation Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Hood and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth R. Simon Jr. prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-170.

MIL Security OSI –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: How to get control of your time

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Boróka Bó, Assistant Professor in Sociology, University College Dublin

GoodStudio/Shutterstock

You wake up at 7:00 and reflexively reach for your phone. Between the stream of emails, WhatsApps and breaking news alerts, you see a worrying reminder: you averaged 11 hours of daily screen time last week. You swipe the notification away and open TikTok, where a woman in a matching athleisure set and glossy, slicked-back ponytail urges you to “get ready with me for my 5-9 before my 9-5”.

You think about getting out of bed for a workout or meditation before you start answering those emails. But before you know it, it’s 8:57 – and if you don’t get off the apps and onto your computer, you’ll be late.

Sound familiar? Though many people have more leisure time now than in the past, paradoxically, more free time comes with increased time pressure. For many of us, it feels as if we don’t have control over our time – rather, time is controlling us. This is because our collective experience of time both comes from and governs society.

Instead of saving us time, the pace of modernity has led to many of us feeling as if our time is slipping away. And any time we “gain back”, we devote – by necessity or choice – to making more money, maybe through a side hustle. Losing control over time can have negative consequences for both physical and mental wellbeing.

Ready to make a change? The Quarter Life Glow-up is a new, six-week newsletter course from The Conversation’s UK and Canada editions.

Every week, we’ll bring you research-backed advice and tools to help improve your relationships, your career, your free time and your mental health – no supplements or skincare required. Sign up here to start your glow-up at any time.

We are trapped in a perpetual cycle of rushing to survive and consume. But consumption also takes time, so the time available to enjoy our newly acquired possessions declines. You buy a faster new computer, but then need to spend multiple, frustrating hours configuring it to your preferences.

Even trying to save time by mastering a productivity hack or reading a self-help book takes (you guessed it) time.

As time use researchers, we often grapple with an uncomfortable truth – your time is not fully yours – it belongs to us all. Time is a network good. We live in a web of time: giving, taking and sharing time with everyone around us. In other words, the decisions and actions of the people around you shape how much time you have.

This presents a catch-22. Friends, family, colleagues and even neighbours require our time, and we need theirs, too. We share time with our social network members because we need strong ties for our wellbeing. However, building lasting relationships means that we have to control our time in order to share it with others.

Unfortunately, we don’t all have the same amount of control. Socioeconomic and demographic factors – gender, financial circumstances, age, race, and where you live – all influence how you can make decisions about time. These factors shape how we can interact with others.

Are you controlling your time, or is it controlling you?
Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock

Even seemingly mundane choices, such as how many extra minutes of sleep you give yourself in the morning, are shaped by societal expectations, power structures and economic constraints. If your job starts at 8am and your commute is two hours, it is unlikely that you can afford extra time to sleep in the mornings. If you are a parent, you might have to wake up even earlier to make sure that everyone has their breakfast and lunch packed for school.

This is why the hundreds of self-help articles telling you how to optimise your time by carefully budgeting every minute of it never manage to give you full control.

Breaking this vicious cycle starts with understanding, then practising self-compassion in the face of the demands on your time.

Get in control

Gaining control over your time starts with “why”. We don’t all have the luxury of saying no to tasks we deem unnecessary or unpleasant.

We can, however, ask ourselves why we are spending our time on certain things. Before your next decision, big or small, try asking yourself: why am I doing this?

If the answer is rooted in social pressure, outdated norms, or an obligation toward someone who does not deserve the gift of your precious time, consider how you could switch to doing something else.

Try to spend your time on activities and with people who nourish you, enriching your moments. You may not be able to completely avoid spending part of your time as your boss dictates. But understanding the larger power dynamics shaping your personal situation and your time will help you approach decisions with conscious intention, giving you greater control over this irreplaceable resource.

Regularly questioning the reason behind your actions will reveal the social patterns driving your decision-making processes. Why did you agree to do something, only to regret it later? Why are you always the one donating time to emotional labour at the office?

Consistently asking “why” creates a habit of mindfulness, and will give you the insight needed to begin to make more informed choices that reflect your true priorities. Ultimately, gaining more control over your time is not about rigidly adhering to a schedule or productivity hacks. It is impossible to subject every minute of your existence to your will – time is not yours to hold on to.

But you can make the most of the time you do have control over by making conscious decisions that align with your own desires and goals. Like one of our research participants, you may soon find yourself looking in the mirror and proclaiming: “I love time! Time lets me become!”

Boróka Bó receives funding from Enterprise Ireland. She has previously received funding from the National Science Foundation and held a Soros Fellowship.

Kamila Kolpashnikova receives funding from SSHRC (Insight Grant number: 435-2023-1060).

– ref. How to get control of your time – https://theconversation.com/how-to-get-control-of-your-time-235801

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Tribute to Emrys Roberts

Source: Party of Wales

Emrys Roberts was extremely influential on Welsh politics for three decades. His contribution to the Party was exceptional from the 60s, when he was an energetic General Secretary, and as the Party’s candidate in the Merthyr by-election in 1972.

His greatest electoral achievement was leading the Party to control a local council for the first time – in Merthyr in 1976. He was a great influence on a generation of nationalists, and there is a very warm memory of him in Plaid Cymru.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: REACTION: Westminster WASPI compensation vote

Source: Scottish Greens

28 Jan 2025 Equality

WASPI women deserve justice.

More in Equality

The House of Commons has voted in favour of WASPI compensation by 105 votes to zero, with MPs from the Tories and Labour government refusing to vote.

Reacting to the news, Scottish Greens Social Justice spokesperson Maggie Chapman said:

“This is great news. I am delighted that MPs have joined the Scottish Parliament in calling on the Labour government to properly compensate the WASPI women who have been so unfairly treated by our political system.

“The fact that Labour and the Tories even failed to turn up and vote shows exactly what is wrong with Westminster’s ruling elite. We need radical change to put people and planet first: the same old and tired rhetoric from Starmer won’t cut it.

“It’s clear that the consensus in Holyrood and Westminster is clear: Labour must pay up for the mistreatment of the WASPI women.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New approaches to eradicating child poverty

Source: Scottish Government

Wrap-around support delivering improved outcomes for families.

Lessons learned from innovative work with families in Inverclyde are helping deliver new approaches to eradicating child poverty.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville will visit Home-Start Renfrewshire and Inverclyde in Greenock tomorrow (Wednesday 29^th January) to see work funded under the Scottish Government’s Child Poverty Practice Accelerator Fund, which is helping to reshape services locally and elsewhere in Scotland.

The Social Justice Secretary will meet staff at the project as well as parents who have benefited from the work which focuses on providing early intervention to support families, particularly those with children under five and those affected by poor mental health.

Learning from the project is supporting Inverclyde’s Fairer Futures Partnership, which is supporting local services to test and improve how they deliver services to promote family wellbeing, maximise incomes and support people towards education and into sustained employment.

Ms Somerville said:

“Eradicating child poverty is the Scottish Government’s top priority and a national mission. 

“I’m keen to hear more about how whole family, person-centred support is being developed in Inverclyde through the Child Poverty Practice Accelerator Fund and the Fairer Futures Partnership.

“Through close partnership between Home-Start and Inverclyde Council, this project provides holistic support so that families can maximise their household incomes, and parents can improve their employment prospects through upskilling and volunteering. Putting this kind of vital support in place means that we don’t just help families in a crisis but enable them to thrive in the longer term.

“The Child Poverty Practice Accelerator Fund was set up to support local areas to test new ideas and innovate to improve local approaches to eradicating child poverty. I’m pleased to have the opportunity to learn more about how this funding is informing Inverclyde’s overall approach to supporting families out of poverty.”

Background:

The Child Poverty Practice Accelerator Fund supports local areas to test innovative approaches to eradicating child poverty, including testing new approaches to a known problem, adapting an approach from elsewhere to work in a new area, and evaluating promising approaches.

Fairer Futures Partnerships in Clackmannanshire, Dundee and Glasgow are working to ensure families get the help they need, where and when they need it. Building on these successful partnerships the programme is expanding into Aberdeen City, East Ayrshire, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire and Perth & Kinross Councils.

The Scottish Government made over £2 million available in financial year [2024/25] to these eight local authorities and their partners to deliver the programmes. 

The budget for the Partnerships has been increased budget to £6 million for next financial year [2025/26]. £2.4 million of this will be made available to the eight existing partnerships to continue the work underway, as well as exploring opportunities to expand.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fatal Crash, Kelly Road, Paengaroa

Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

One person has died following a serious crash in Paengaroa overnight.

At around 1am, Police were called to a single-vehicle crash at the Kelly Road and Te Tumu Road intersection.

One person was located deceased at the scene.

The Serious Crash Unit has examined the scene and enquiries into the crash are ongoing.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Rereading Rembrandt: how the slave trade helped establish the golden age of Dutch painting

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Caroline Fowler, Starr Director of the Research and Academic Program, Clark Art Institute, and lecturer in Art History, Williams College

The so-called golden age of Dutch painting in the 1600s coincided with an economic boom that had a lot to do with the transatlantic slave trade. But how did the slave trade shape the art market in the Netherlands? And how is it reflected in the paintings of the time?

This is the subject of a new book called Slavery and the Invention of Dutch Art by art historian Caroline Fowler. We asked about her study.

What was Dutch art about before slavery and what was the golden age?

The earliest paintings that would be called Dutch were predominantly religious. They were made for Christian devotion. In the 1500s, major divisions in the church led to a fragmentation of Christianity called the Reformation.

In this new religious climate, artists began to create new types of paintings, studying the world around them. They included landscapes, seascapes, still lifes, and interior scenes of their homes. Instead of working for the church, many painters began to work within an art market. There was a rising middle class that could afford to buy paintings.

Duke University Press

Historically, this period in Dutch economic prosperity has been called the “golden age”. This is when many of the most famous Dutch painters worked, such as Rembrandt van Rijn and Johannes Vermeer.

Their work was made possible by a strong Dutch economy built on global trade networks. This included the transatlantic slave trade and the rise of the middle class. Although artists did not directly paint the transatlantic slave trade, in my book I argue that it is central to understanding the paintings produced in the 1600s as it made the economic market possible.

In turn, many of the types of painting that developed, like maritime scenes and interior scenes, are often obliquely or directly about international trade. The slave trade is a haunting presence in these images.

How did this play out within Dutch colonialism?

The new “middle class” consisted of economically prosperous merchants, artisans, lawyers and doctors. For many of the wealthiest merchants, their prosperity was fuelled by their investments in trade overseas. In land and plantations, and also commodities such as sugar, salt, mace and nutmeg.

Read more: Slavery, tax evasion, resistance: the story of 11 Africans in South America’s gold mines in the 1500s

Slavery was illegal within the boundaries of the Dutch Republic on the European continent. But it was widely practised within Dutch colonies around the world. Slavery was central to their trade overseas – from the inter-Asian slave network that made possible their domination in the export of nutmeg, to the use of enslaved labour on plantations in the Americas. It also contributed in less visible ways to Dutch economic prosperity, like the development of maritime insurance.

What was the relationship between artists and Dutch colonies?

In the new school of painting, artists would sometimes travel to the Dutch colonies. For example, Frans Post travelled to Dutch Brazil and painted the sugar plantations and mills. Another artist named Maria Sibylla Merian went to Dutch Suriname, where she studied butterflies and plants on the Dutch sugar plantations.

Both depict landscapes and the natural world but don’t directly engage with the profound dehumanisation of slavery, and an economic system dependent on enslaved labour. But this doesn’t mean that it’s absent in their sanitised renditions.

Among the sources that I used to think about the presence of the transatlantic slave trade in a culture that did not overtly depict it were inventories of paintings and early museum collections. Often the language in these sources differed from the painting in important ways. They demonstrate how the violence of the system emerges in unexpected places.

One inventory that describes paintings by Frans Post, for example, also narrates the physical punishment meted out if the enslaved tried to run away from the Dutch sugar plantations. This isn’t depicted in the painting, but it is part of the inventory that travelled beside the painting.

These moments reveal the profound presence of this system within Dutch painting, and point to the ways in which artists negotiated making this structure invisible in their paintings although they were not able to completely erase its presence.

How do you discuss Rembrandt’s paintings in your book?

Historically, studies of the transatlantic slave trade in early modern painting (about 1400-1700) have looked at paintings that directly depict either enslaved or Black individuals.

One of the points of this book is that this limits our understanding of the transatlantic slave trade in Dutch painting. A focus on blackness, for example, precludes understanding how whiteness is constructed at the same time. It fails to recognise the ways in which artists sought to diminish the presence of the slave trade in their sanitised rendition of Dutch society.

Syndics of the Draper’s Guild by Rembrandt. Txllxt TxllxT/Wikimedia Commons/Rijksmuseum

One painting that I use to think about this is Rembrandt van Rijn’s very famous work called Syndics of the Draper’s Guild. It’s a group portrait of wealthy, white merchants gathered around a table looking at a book of fabric samples.

Although there aren’t enslaved or black individuals depicted, this painting would be impossible without the transatlantic slave trade. Cloth from the Netherlands was often exchanged for enslaved people in west Africa, for example.

In my book, I draw attention to these understudied histories to understand how certain assumptions around whiteness, privilege, and wealth developed in tandem with an emerging visual vocabulary around blackness and the transformation of individual lives into chattel property.

What do you hope readers will take away from the book?

I hope that readers will think about how many of our ideas about freedom, the middle class, art markets, and economic prosperity began in the 17th-century Dutch Republic. As this book demonstrates, a central part of this narrative that has been overlooked was the transatlantic slave trade in building this fantasy.

This is in many ways an invention that traces back to the paintings of overt consumption and wealth produced in the Dutch Republic – like Vermeer’s interiors of Dutch homes.

Read more: How we proved a Rembrandt painting owned by the University of Pretoria was a fake

My aim with this book is to present not only a more complex view of Dutch painting but also a reconsideration of certain dogmas today around prosperity and the art market. The rise of our current financial system, art markets and visible celebration of landscapes, seascapes and interior scenes are all inseparable from the transformation of individual lives into property. We live with this legacy today in our systems built on racial, economic and gendered inequalities.

– Rereading Rembrandt: how the slave trade helped establish the golden age of Dutch painting
– https://theconversation.com/rereading-rembrandt-how-the-slave-trade-helped-establish-the-golden-age-of-dutch-painting-247918

MIL OSI Africa –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Cameroon could do with some foreign help to solve anglophone crisis – but the state doesn’t want it

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Julius A. Amin, Professor of History, University of Dayton

What began in late 2016 as a peaceful protest by lawyers and teachers in Cameroon’s North West and South West regions quickly turned violent and developed into what’s become known as Cameroon’s anglophone crisis.

The protest was instigated by perceived marginalisation of Cameroon’s anglophone region, which makes up 20% of the nation’s 29 million people.

The conflict has resulted in immense destruction and casualties. Cameroon’s military responded to the protest with arrests and torture. Voices that called for complete secession of the anglophone regions from the Republic of Cameroon gained momentum.

They created a virtual Ambazonia Republic and an interim government in exile, and vowed to fight back. They formed a military wing, Ambazonia Self-Defence Force, which attacked and disrupted economic and social services in the region.

As of October 2024, over 1.8 million people have needed humanitarian assistance. Over 584,000 have been internally displaced. Over 73,000 have become refugees in next-door Nigeria. Over 6,500 have been killed.

Read more: Cameroon: how language plunged a country into deadly conflict with no end in sight

And the conflict still rages.

One possible avenue that could be pursued to end the impasse is mediation, with help from other countries. But the Cameroonian government has repeatedly rebuffed intervention from organisations such as the African Union, arguing that the conflict is an internal affair.

It also ended a government-sponsored mediation by the Swiss in 2022.

It is clear to me, as a historian who has studied Cameroon foreign policy for the past three decades, that Cameroon’s leadership will not look to external actors to help solve their crisis.

Founding leader Ahmadou Ahidjo, and later his successor Paul Biya, did not respond to external pressure to address issues. Cameroon’s diplomatic relations are based on respect of national sovereignty and nonintervention in each other’s internal affairs.

My research shows that the Cameroonian leadership rejects outside intervention on issues it regards as within its sovereignty and internal affairs.

Removing Cameroon from aid programmes such as the United States Agency for International Development programme and the African Growth and Opportunity Act has not deterred its leaders.

An understanding of this background is crucial in the search for solutions to the ongoing anglophone crisis.

Read more: Cameroon spends 90% of Chinese development loans on its French region: this could deepen the country’s divisions

Use of force

In the 1960s, Ahidjo used brutal force against a nationalist organisation called the Maquisard. His presidency was characterised by murders, imprisonments and torture.

Political rivals were imprisoned or forced to go into exile. Biya, who served in Ahidjo’s government, learned that repressive measures work. As president, he used similar tactics against rivals and the opposition.

But the use of force as a response to the anglophone protest was a miscalculation. The Biya regime failed to see the crisis in its context of changing times, misunderstood the sources of the conflict, and misread the role of social media in protest activities in the 21st century.

The crisis originated from a series of grievances: poverty, unemployment, political and economic neglect of the anglophone region, failure to treat French and English as equal languages in the country, and disrespect and disregard of English-speaking Cameroonians.

At the beginning protesters were generally peaceful, but things changed in 2017. Biya stated that Cameroon was being hijacked by “terrorists masking as secessionists” and vowed to eliminate them.

To anglophone leaders it was a formal declaration of war, and the message spread quickly on social media. The Biya team did little to slow or stop its spread, and anglophones inside and outside the country accepted the message as fact. It mobilised the region. And few took the time to read the full text of his remarks.

The brutality of the war on both sides intensified. Everything had all happened so quickly, and most did not anticipate the intensity of the violence.

Read more: Cameroon after Paul Biya: poverty, uncertainty and a precarious succession battle

Resistance to outside intervention

In its diplomatic relations, Cameroon has a long history of protecting what it sees as its own business.

One example was in 1992, after the US administration criticised Biya for electoral fraud. The Cameroon government fired back. Biya withdrew Cameroon’s ambassador from Washington DC, and informed the US ambassador that America should stay clear of Cameroon’s internal affairs.

In 2008, tension erupted again when Biya changed Cameroon’s constitution to eliminate presidential term limits. The US ambassador criticised the move in the Cameroonian press. Again, Cameroonian officials pushed back, asking the ambassador not to interfere in the nation’s internal politics.

America’s disposition towards the anglophone crisis has been one of non-interference. Other major powers have responded similarly, asking both sides to end the violence.

The Cameroon government has rebuffed initiatives from Switzerland and Canada, both friendly to the country, publicly stating it asked no nation to mediate.

The rejection of the Swiss initiative was surprising, given that Biya spends much time in that country. Unlike the Swiss plan, in which conversations began, the Canadian initiative did not even take off.

Read more: Cameroon’s rebels may not achieve their goal of creating the Ambazonian state – but they’re still a threat to stability

Looking ahead

Measurable indicators show that the Biya regime is failing to end the anglophone crisis. The killings – including those of law enforcement officers – kidnaps, brutality and ransom demands are now normalised in the anglophone region, especially in rural areas.

Biya’s Grand National Dialogue and National Commission for the Promotion of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism have failed to address the sources of the crisis. Locals dismiss them as a joke.

People are exasperated by public service announcements about what the government has achieved. Their condition remains much worse than it was in the pre-crisis period.

Ordinary people are focused on bread-and-butter issues and the desire for dignity and respect. But they don’t see it.

Young Cameroonians need to see both anglophone and francophone residents at every level of government, on every rung of the business ladder, in every management position, at every school — even on every billboard advertisement.

Only such a widespread and visible approach can convincingly challenge Cameroon’s pattern of discrimination and exclusion.

The Biya regime must commit to doing that and not be distracted by supporters urging him to be a candidate in the upcoming presidential election.

It is important to track and bring to justice the apparent sponsors of the killings in the country. This must be done while government keeps its promises to make things right for those living in the anglophone regions.

Finally, given China’s investment in Cameroon, it can do more to engage the Biya regime on the anglophone crisis. Like Cameroon, China’s policy also stipulates a policy of nonintervention, but it has repeatedly changed course when its strategic interests are threatened.

Major power status demands major responsibilities, and showing the will to stop chronic human rights violations remains an important obligation.

– Cameroon could do with some foreign help to solve anglophone crisis – but the state doesn’t want it
– https://theconversation.com/cameroon-could-do-with-some-foreign-help-to-solve-anglophone-crisis-but-the-state-doesnt-want-it-244770

MIL OSI Africa –

January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Peace in Sudan: a fresh mediation effort is needed – how it could work
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Gerrit Kurtz, Peace and Conflict Researcher, German Institute for International and Security Affairs

Intense fighting has ravaged Sudan since 15 April 2023. The war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and its erstwhile comrades-in-arms, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, has created one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. Famine, displacement and mass atrocities are wreaking havoc in the country.

International mediation efforts have been lacklustre and fruitless. The United Nations security council has been preoccupied with other crises and blocked by its own divisions. The African Union has created diplomatic groups, a high-level panel and a presidential committee, none of which has been particularly active. It has been very slow in tackling the political process it wanted to lead.

The US and Saudi Arabia convened several rounds of talks, first in Jeddah, then in Switzerland. The Sudanese Armed Forces delegation failed to turn up in Switzerland. The Rapid Support Forces expressed willingness to talk peace, while simultaneously committing sexual and gender-based violence on a massive scale. The Biden administration only lately slapped sanctions on the top leaders of both forces, Abdelfattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (also known as Hemedti).

I have studied civil wars, mediation and peacebuilding for more than 12 years, with a focus on Sudan, including regular visits to the country and the region in the past five years. Based on this experience I have identified five reasons why mediation has failed. These are: the resistance of the conflict parties based on the dynamic nature of the war; continued military and financial aid by their external sponsors; as well as mediation attempts that were too narrow, not viewed as impartial, and lacking in coherence.

Clearly, a new approach to mediation is needed, not simply a new mediator. Turkey has recently offered to lead talks between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the United Arab Emirates, the main backer of the Rapid Support Forces, but Egypt, Kenya and several multilateral organisations also keep looking for opportunities.

Any new initiative will have to have certain components if it’s going to succeed:
- political parameters, ideally set by a parallel civilian political process, of what might come next for Sudan should guide mediators
- negotiations should take place in secret so that trust can be established
- back channel communications networks must be established with potential spoilers without ceding undue legitimacy to them
- a gender- and youth-inclusive approach
- more effective international coordination
- consistent pressure on the conflict parties and their external backers.
Why previous mediation efforts failed

Firstly, neither the Sudanese Armed Forces nor the Rapid Support Forces have shown significant willingness to stop hostilities.

The military fortunes of the two sides has waxed and waned. As long as either side feels successful militarily, they are unlikely to commit to sincere negotiations. Outright military victory leading to control of the whole territory (and its borders) remains out of reach for all.

Secondly, their respective allies have not shown any particular interest in peace.

External actors have provided military support to the warring parties, and helped finance them. The UAE is the main sponsor of the Rapid Support Forces. The Sudanese Armed Forces cooperates with Egypt, Eritrea, Iran and Russia, for arms deliveries and training. The UAE promised the US to stop supporting the Rapid Support Forces, but the arms flows continued.

Thirdly, some conflict management efforts were based on a flawed conflict analysis. There were attempts to organise a face-to-face meeting between Hemedti and Burhan, by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the African Union. But the war is not primarily a contest of “two generals”. Neither Hemedti nor Burhan has full control of their forces. Nor is a renewed military government acceptable to large parts of Sudan’s vibrant civil society.

Fourth, mediation efforts suffered because some of the parties saw them as lacking impartiality. Sudanese Armed Forces leaders don’t trust Kenya, whose President William Ruto is closely aligned with the UAE and has, until recently, allowed the Rapid Support Forces to conduct meetings and a press conference in Nairobi. Kenya was supposed to lead the Intergovernmental Authority on Development quartet of mediators, which never really got off the ground. Similarly, Sudan remains suspended from the African Union.

Finally, there was a competition of mediation platforms, allowing the warring parties to shop for the most convenient forum for them.

What a path to a ceasefire might look like

International attention is currently focused on Turkish president Recep Erdogan, who has offered to mediate between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the UAE. The Sudanese Armed Forces has harshly criticised the UAE for its support to the Rapid Support Forces. The offer, then, is based on the assumption the UAE might actually cease that support.

Any new approach should differ from previous efforts.
- Mediators should provide a broad sense of political parameters for a post-war (interim) order, ideally with strong input from Sudan’s civilian groups. Those could include a conditional amnesty as well as assurances of personal safety for the top military leaders and of some stake in a transitional period, without promising any blanket impunity or renewed power-sharing.
But international mediators should grant the warring parties political recognition and legitimacy only in exchange for feasible concessions.
- Negotiations should take place in secret, allowing confidential exchanges between declared enemies. This is particularly important for the Sudanese Armed Forces given the rivalry among its leadership.
- Back channel communications should be established to all actors with real constituencies in Sudan, without empowering them unnecessarily. Turkey is well-placed to reach out to senior members of the previous (Bashir) regime who have found exile there. They control large parts of the fighting forces on the side of Sudanese Armed Forces and could prove to be a major spoiler. The armed groups in the so-called “joint forces” would also need to feel somewhat included.
- Mediators should find ways to include a broad array of civilian actors, in particular women and youth groups. Instead of only targeting “men with guns”, a peace process should be gender-inclusive.
- Any lead mediator should keep other interested parties such as the EU, the UK, Norway, and the other countries and organisations already mentioned, informed and engaged.
- Pressure should be kept up by the US, UK and EU on external backers of the two main warring parties, and target both military and financial flows. Policies, including further targeted sanctions, should be as aligned as possible.
Preparing for a window of opportunity

There’s no guarantee that the violence would cease even if these conditions were met. The main belligerents are likely to continue their current offensives. The Sudanese Armed Forces will try to oust the Rapid Support Forces from central Khartoum completely. The Rapid Support Forces will keep trying to take El Fasher, the only capital in Darfur not under their control.

The impending re-capture of Khartoum by the Sudanese Armed Forces may provide an opportunity for a new round of talks, if it comes with consistent international pressure. Mediators should be ready to push for an end to the fighting.

– Peace in Sudan: a fresh mediation effort is needed – how it could work
– https://theconversation.com/peace-in-sudan-a-fresh-mediation-effort-is-needed-how-it-could-work-248330

MIL OSI Africa –
January 29, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Highway 99 traffic pattern will change for Steveston crossing removal

Drivers are advised of traffic-pattern changes on Highway 99 at Steveston crossing over three weekends.

Beginning Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, crews will dismantle and remove the old Steveston Highway crossing.

Highway 99 will be closed in both directions overnight Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 9 p.m. until 8 a.m. (until 5 a.m. on Monday). During the overnight closures, Highway 99 travellers will detour using the highway on/off ramps.

From 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Highway 99 will be open with two lanes in each direction. However, lanes may be shifted to allow crews and heavy equipment to dismantle and remove the old structure. Drivers are asked to use caution through any detours and obey the construction zone speed limit.

The traffic-pattern changes will also be in effect over the weekend of Feb. 7- 9 and Feb. 21-23. There will be no impact to traffic during the week.

Work is weather-dependent and may be rescheduled should conditions on the weekend be unfavourable.

During the weekend overnight lane closures and daytime traffic-pattern changes, drivers can expect delays and should consider an alternative route. Check DriveBC for updates: https://www.drivebc.ca/

Details of the traffic-pattern changes can be found here: https://www.highway99tunnel.ca/current-work/

MIL OSI Canada News –

January 29, 2025

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Get in control

More in Equality

What was Dutch art about before slavery and what was the golden age?

How did this play out within Dutch colonialism?

What was the relationship between artists and Dutch colonies?

How do you discuss Rembrandt’s paintings in your book?

What do you hope readers will take away from the book?

Use of force

Resistance to outside intervention

Looking ahead

Why previous mediation efforts failed

What a path to a ceasefire might look like

Preparing for a window of opportunity