The “Week” in Review: August 26-September 7, 2023

A coup in Gabon, fighting erupts in Eastern Syria, and more

These past two weeks, the Palestinian Authority’s control over the West Bank continued to wane. Just-reelected Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba was ousted in a military coup led by his cousin. Despite blips of progress in Ukraine’s grinding counteroffensive and a wave of long-range drone strikes in Russian territory, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sacked his defense minister. Tensions between the Kurdish-controlled Syrian Democratic Forces and Arab tribal networks in eastern Syria exploded into open conflict, killing dozens of fighters and civilians. And, France may be scaling back its military presence in Niger following July’s coup.