Conflict

9/10/2026: African economies are already suffering from the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, which is making fuel and fertilizer scarce and more expensive. If the Bab el-Mandeb Strait also becomes impassable, the situation could deteriorate further.

Source: DW

9/10/2026: The US has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court as an institution, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowing to “dismantle the ICC, brick by brick”. The UN Secretary-General has strongly criticised the US decision and independent human rights experts have called on countries committed to the rule of law to stand together in defence of the Court.

Source: UN News

8/10/2026: The escalating violence in Tigray is a civilian catastrophe reflecting deep domestic rifts. Ethiopia needs relief, reconstruction and a political reconfiguration. But its conflict cannot be separated from the broader picture, as wars in Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, Iran and beyond enmesh to devastating effect.

Source: The Guardian

2/10/2026: Just four years after a landmark peace deal officially halted the devastating Tigray war, fighting has escalated once again in northern Ethiopia. The situation looks quite different from the previous conflict. Parties outside the country have been accused of meddling, each having their own motives to destabilize Ethiopia's government.

Source: DW

29/9/2026: Members of Mali’s armed forces have been accused of committing war crimes, including the murder and torture of civilians, during joint operations in the Ségou, Mopti and Timbuktu regions between 2023 and 2025. A report by Amnesty International includes evidence that personnel from the Wagner Group were complicit.

Source: Amnesty International

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

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

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

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

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