Lawsuit challenges Trump’s ICC sanctions regime
25/9/2026: Sanctions on officials of the International Criminal Court imposed by the Trump administration will be the subject of legal action by human rights experts and organisations from around the world. They will assert that the sanctions illegally undermine access to justice for victims of serious international crimes.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Ethiopia’s foretold war arrives
25/9/2026: There are worrying signs of a return to war in Tigray and northern Ethiopia as a diverse coalition of the country’s ethnic-based opposition movements announced their intention to oust the federal government. With several conflicts already disrupting the region and the international community distracted by war in the Middle East, hopes for effective mediation are slim.
Source: African Arguments
Yemen’s latest escalation pushes millions deeper into crisis
15/9/2026: While the reasons behind the new offensive are murky and complex, the impact on Yemen’s most vulnerable civilians has been clear and direct. The UN reports that 125,000 people have been newly displaced in just two weeks and the numbers are rising quickly. This is a country where 15-16 million people are already expected to need food aid through September.
Source: The New Humanitarian
Being serious about peace
30/8/2026: The path to self-determination of what is today independent Timor-Leste and Nepal’s emergence from a 10-year civil war are case studies of successful peace-building through intense UN involvement. Candidates for selection as the next UN secretary-general should take heed of the lessons learned.
Source: PassBlue
Will there be accountability for war crimes in the US‑Iran war?
27/8/2026: The Trump administration has consistently claimed that international law doesn’t apply to the US, an opinion that may be tested in due course. Starting the war with Iran, and detail of its conduct, are both potential war crimes under international law.
Source: The Conversation
DRC peace roadmap: Will the fighting finally end?
24/8/2026: A new roadmap sets out the conditions toward peace in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), building on the US-brokered framework signed in Doha last year. But disagreements over M23 rebels, Rwanda's role and security concerns remain, and could still derail the process.
Source: DW
New US sanctions on International Criminal Court
19/8/2026: The US has imposed a new round of sanctions targeting the president and a senior prosecutor, alleging that the International Criminal Court is a threat to US national sovereignty. Although the Court is not part of the UN, the Secretary-General has expressed serious concerned at the latest US action.
Source: UN News
The economy sustaining eastern Congo’s endless war
19/8/2026: The economy that sustains rebel militias is vital to understanding conflict in eastern Congo. Peace processes built around military and political settlements keep failing because control of territory is more important than winning major battles. Civilian populations suffer the consequences.
Source: African Arguments
Only 3 percent of Gaza’s cropland remains accessible and undamaged
18/8/2026: According to a new geospatial assessment released by UN agencies, accessible and undamaged cropland in Gaza has fallen by 25% since the October 2025 ceasefire. Before hostilities escalated in October 2023, agriculture supported the livelihoods of more than 560,000 people.
Source: UN Food and Agriculture Organization
An attack on healthcare every six hours, and no one held to account
14/8/2026: Across the world, healthcare venues and personnel have suffered more than 10,000 attacks in the past eight years, resulting in approximately 5,700 deaths and over 8,000 injuries. Most incidents occurred in Ukraine, Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territory, but other locations include Myanmar, Iran, Sudan, the DRC, South Sudan, Russia, Syria and Nigeria
Source: UN News