- In 2023, the world witnessed several notable moments that shaped global politics and development
- The Israel-Hamas war war that began on October 7 has been one of the significant events in the world
- In Africa, the spate of coups and attempted coups made headlines, especially in West African countries
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Amos Khaemba, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.
As 2023 comes to an end, it is important to remember the significant events that have shaped global developments.
TUKO.co.ke looks at some of the major news that made headlines worldwide in 2023.
1. Hamas-Israel war
The ongoing war in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas is one of the major events that took place in 2023.
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The war began on October 7, when Hamas executed one of the deadliest attacks on Israel, killing more than 1200 people.
The attack, which came on the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, is regarded as one of the worst Israeli intelligence failures since its creation in 1948.
In retaliation, Israel launched a full-scale attack on Gaza, and so far, more than 20,000 have been killed.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the fighting will continue until all of the goals of the offensive are achieved, chiefly destroying Hamas and bringing the hostages home.
2. Civil war in Sudan
On April 15, 2023, a civil war broke out in Sudan between Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and Mohamed Hamdan "Hemedti" Dagalo, the head of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia.
The war began after attempts by the al-Burhan government to dismantle the RSF militia and put the army under one command.
US- and Saudi-brokered talks have failed to end the conflict, which has killed more than 12,000 people and forced more than seven million people to flee their homes.
3. Coups in Africa
The spate of coups and attempted coups made headlines, especially in West African countries.
On July 26, President Mohamed Bazoum of Niger was taken hostage after his government was overthrown.
The coup attracted condemnation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which threatened military intervention to return Bazoum to power.
However, coup leader General Abdourahamane Tiani received support from the governments of Mali and Burkina Faso, which warned ECOWAS against involving itself in the internal affairs of Niger.
At some point, France was forced to withdraw both its ambassador and counter-terrorism troops from Niger.
In August, Gabon's long-serving president, Ali Bongo Ondimba, was removed from power after an election that the military termed shambolic.
Bongo was temporarily placed under house arrest before he was later allowed to seek medical attention.
4. Devastating quakes
The year 2023 witnessed some of the deadliest earthquakes in the world that left thousands of people dead.
On February 6, one of the deadliest earthquakes in a century flattened entire cities in southeast Turkey, killing at least 56,000 people.
Close to 6,000 people were killed in Syria as a result of the same earthquake.
Elsewhere, close to 1,000 people were killed and more than 1,200 injured in Morocco after one of the most powerful earthquakes ever struck the country.
The tremors were centred in the High Atlas mountains late on Friday night. The toll was expected to rise as rescuers struggled to reach the remote areas hit hardest. The epicentre was said to be in the Ighil area, about 40 miles (70km) south of Marrakech.
5. Pope Francis's decision on same-sex marriage
The decision by the head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis, to allow priests to bless same-sex couples is also among the global news items featured in 2023.
The Pope said that priests should be permitted to bless same-sex couples and irregular couples under certain circumstances.
The Vatican said blessings should not be part of regular Church rituals or related to civil unions or weddings. It also added that it continues to view marriage as between a man and a woman.
Pope Francis approved a document issued by the Vatican announcing the change on Monday. The Vatican said it should be a sign that "God welcomes all," but the document says priests must decide on a case-by-case basis.
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