No time to lose as famine stalks millions in Sudan amid intense fighting
31/5/2024: A statement by Principals of the UN's Inter-Agency Standing Committee warns that more than 800,000 civilians are bracing for an imminent large-scale attack in the city of Al Fasher. They fear a nightmare scenario in which famine will take hold in large parts of Sudan and more people will flee to neighbouring countries.
Source: World Health Organization
World court orders Israel to halt military operations in Rafah
24/5/2024: The International Court of Justice has issued new provisional measures that order Israel to immediately end military operations in Rafah in southern Gaza and to open the governate’s border crossing for urgent aid deliveries.
Source: UN News
Biden should oppose US sanctions on ICC
23/5/2024: Over 100 human rights and civil society groups have signed a letter to the US President calling on him to oppose threats of punitive actions against the International Criminal Court. Although the US is not a member of the ICC, Republican and Democratic administrations have supported the Court in specific cases. The Court is seeking arrest warrants for three leaders of Hamas and two senior Israeli officials.
Source: Human Rights Watch
ICC move to seek warrants for Israel’s leaders triggers backlash from US
21/5/2024: The International Criminal Court’s decision to seek warrants on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has triggered a strong backlash both from the Biden administration and a group of pro-Israeli Senators in the US Congress. The names in the ICC arrest warrants also include leaders of Hamas.
Source: Inter Press Service
Kenya calls for sustainable peace in South Sudan as talks begin
10/5/2024: Kenyan President William Ruto has launched mediation talks, dubbed the Tumaini Initiative, between parties in South Sudan's peace process. He said that the initiative exemplifies the pan-African policy of African solutions to African challenges.
Source: The East African
Global military spending surges amid war and insecurity
22/4/2024: Total global military expenditure reached $2,443 billion in 2023, an increase of 6.8 per cent in real terms from 2022. This was the steepest year-on-year increase since 2009 according to new data on global military spending published today by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
Europe’s indifference to Rwanda’s atrocities is costing Congolese lives
19/4/2024: A decade ago, Europe responded to Rwanda’s incursions into the Democratic Republic of Congo with sanctions. Today, it’s turning a blind eye – with devastating consequences for the Congolese. Rwanda continues to receive unprecedented sums from Europe and the UK for development, despite evidence that the M23 rebel group has again led a military assault in eastern DRC.
Source: African Arguments
War in Sudan is ‘a crisis of epic proportions’ as atrocities abound
19/4/2024: Top UN and African Union officials have warned the Security Council that the world must rethink the way it supports the Sudanese people. Efforts to negotiate a ceasefire in the year-long war have been hampered by the support that rival armies obtain from outside Sudan, flouting the Council’s sanctions regime. Meanwhile, extreme food insecurity has prompted UN agencies to launch a famine prevention plan.
Source: UN News
Sudan’s year of war: why there’s no hope for a cease-fire
14/4/2024: After a year of war in Sudan, the call to negotiate an immediate cease-fire by Norway and other Western governments has gone unheeded. As more local and international actors get involved, the outlook remains grim despite the suffering of one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
Source: DW
Deaths of peacekeepers underline concerns over Congo mission
10/4/2024: Three Tanzanian soldiers have been killed whilst deployed by the Southern African Development Community's (SADC) mission to defeat M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The SADC force is considerably smaller than the 5,000 military personnel originally pledged and lacks vital support and equipment. The UN has started pulling out its 15,000 peacekeepers after Congo's government asked it to leave.
Source: DW