UN report warns of war crimes in Sudan’s El Fasher
13/2/2026: A report released by the UN human rights office investigates the RSF assault on the besieged city of El Fasher in North Darfur last October. The report concludes that the atrocities committed amount to war crimes and possible crimes against humanity. Sudan's national army and the Rapid Support Forces militia have been fighting for control of the country for almost three years.
Source: UN News
Food security is the basis of global stability
12/2/2026: The annual Munich Security Conference has highlighted the imbalance between investment in defence and global food security. We need our leaders to recognize that stability and food security are inseparable.
Source: Devex
Africa should press for place on UN Security Council
12/2/2026: A report by Oxfam finds that conflicts across Africa have dominated UN Security Council resolutions over the last decade, despite no African country having a permanent seat on the Council. Decisions without proper African representation too often fail to deliver peace or address root causes.
Source: Oxfam International
Sudan’s latest peace plan: does it stand a chance?
11/2/2026: The US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (collectively known as the Quad) have announced they are close to finalising a detailed initiative aimed at ending Sudan’s civil war, with preliminary approval from the two warring parties. Continued military escalation and the Sudanese army’s refusal to legitimise the RSF undermine prospects for de-escalation.
Source: The Conversation
Decline in leadership undermining global fight againt corruption
10/2/2026: The 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index published by Transparency International reveals a worrying picture of long-term decline in leadership to tackle corruption. Even established democracies, like the US, UK and New Zealand, are experiencing a drop in performance. At the same time, many states are increasing restrictions on civic space.
Source: Transparency International
Jimmy Lai jail sentence in Hong Kong is an attack on freedom of expression
9/2/2026: Hong Kong’s High Court has sentenced pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison for conspiracy. Lai, a 78 year-old British citizen, has been recognized as a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International.
Source: Amnesty International
Cluster munitions plan a deadly regression by US
9/2/2026: Reported plans for the US Department of Defense to purchase cluster munitions from Israel weaken global norms that protect civilians from the widely banned weapons. The US has also recently rolled back restrictions on the use of antipersonnel landmines, another inherently indiscriminate weapon.
Source: Human Rights Watch
The risk of nuclear war is rising – it’s time for a movement for global peace
8/2/2026: With the end of the New Start treaty, we face a potentially catastrophic nuclear war. Leaders in Washington are pushing ahead with a massive weapons upgrade. In the history of the arms race, citizen pressure and grassroots political action have been effective in prompting weapons limitation and disarmament.
Source: The Guardian
Trump signs one-year extension of US-Africa trade program
5/2/2026: While the U.S. House of Representatives approved a three-year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act — a 25-year-old program between the US and sub-Saharan African nations, the final bill passed by Congress and signed into law offers only a one-year reprieve. Established in 2000, AGOA has helped create hundreds of thousands of jobs.
Source: Devex
US Congress passes $50 billion foreign affairs bill
3/2/2026: The $50 billion compromise foreign affairs spending bill is now law — even if it took a little longer than expected. Although the total is nearly $20 billion above the president’s budget request, humanitarian assistance funding is roughly 37% lower than the previous year.
Source: Devex