Conflict

1/2/2026: The New START treaty, the last remaining arms control agreement between the US and Russia, has expired, removing the last restraints on an accelerating arms race. A more encouraging milestone relates to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which has been in force for five years as of Jan. 22. Inspired by the land mines and cluster munitions bans, the idea is that as more countries join the TPNW, clinging to these weapons will become less acceptable as the diplomatic and reputational costs of doing so will become greater.

Source: PassBlue

19/1/2026: Israel has suspended nearly every established aid group engaged in Gaza, from Médecins Sans Frontières to World Vision. These organisations refused to sign on to new registration rules explicitly designed to exert Israeli control over the aid response. Instead of upholding the law, the international community has lent its support to US President Trump’s farcical peace plan for Gaza.

Source: The New Humanitarian

8/1/2026: In 2019, Gambia filed a case before the International Court of Justice alleging that Myanmar’s atrocities against the Rohingya in 2017 constitute genocide. During the three-week hearings to commence on January 12, the parties are expected to present their arguments and supporting evidence about whether Myanmar violated the Genocide Convention.

Source: Human Rights Watch

30/12/2025: At least 150,000 people are estimated to have been killed in the conflict within Sudan. Millions more have been internally displaced, or fled across the border or face acute hunger. The international community has the power to stop the killing, but first it must acknowledge the role of the UAE and its western allies in enabling it.

Source: Inter Press Service

19/12/2025: The UN Security Council has unanimously extended the mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for another year. Members expressed concern about renewed offensives by M23 rebels, urging the group to comply with its commitments under the recently agreed Doha framework.

Source: UN News

15/12/2025: The International Criminal Court has sentenced a former leader of Sudan’s “Janjaweed” militias to 20 years in prison for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the Darfur region between 2003-2004. Further fugitives to the court, including former Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, remain protected inside Sudan.

Source: Human Rights Watch

5/12/2025: The Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity have been signed by Presidents Félix Tshisekedi of DR Congo and Paul Kagame of Rwanda, facilitated by US President Trump. The UN has welcomed the signing as a “critical step” toward restoring trust, while warning that active fighting near border areas has continued.

Source: UN News

1/12/2025: A report by Human Rights Watch expresses concern that in 2025 five states parties have moved to withdraw from the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty. Russia has used antipersonnel landmines extensively in the war in Ukraine, causing thousands of casualties and contaminating vast tracts of land.

Source: Human Rights Watch

10/11/2025: Little progress has been reported since the June signing of a US-brokered peace deal between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, and a separate July ceasefire agreed in Doha between Kinshasa and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels. Congolese civil society remain sceptical of deals they view as externally imposed and part of a long-term pattern of exploitation.

Source: The New Humanitarian

7/11/2025: The Trump administration is dragging its feet on obligations under the 2017 Women, Peace, and Security Act which recognizes the benefits of inclusion of women in peace and security efforts. The agencies and personnel responsible for reporting on the Act have been dismantled.

Source: Devex