UN Security Council renews arms embargo on South Sudan
27/5/2022: A UN expert panel recommended that that the embargo remain in place over persistent ceasefire violations. The embargo was imposed in 2018 after a peace agreement ended five years of bloody civil war which left nearly 400,000 dead and millions displaced.
Source: The East African
OSCE could fulfill its potential after Ukraine war ends
23/5/2022: The Ukraine war represents a setback for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the world's largest security body, established to prevent conflict and war in Europe. As both Russia and Ukraine are members, OSCE may have a longer term role to play.
Source: DW
What the Russian invasion means for Syria
20/5/2022: Russian military intervention allowed the Assad regime to brutally reassert its control over much of Syria. The Ukrainian conflict will entrench the status quo, further complicate negotiations over a political transition, and worsen the humanitarian conditions in the country.
Source: Inter Press Service
Why some young Swedes remain uneasy about joining NATO
18/5/2022: While the majority of Swedes are in favour of joining NATO, many young people are more hesitant. They warn the decision is rushed and that neutrality in military conflicts is embedded in Swedish identity.
Source: DW
War crimes in Africa must be stopped at all costs
14/5/2022: African leaders should learn from NATO's role in Europe to redouble efforts to contain conflict in their own backyard. Collective action on the flow of illicit arms, money and minerals could diminish the swathe of territory embroiled in conflict and war crimes, from Somalia to the Central African Republic.
Source: The East African
UN peacebuilding role now more complex and urgent
27/4/2022: A high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly has highlighted the lack of support for the Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund. The number of violent conflicts is at the highest level since 1945. Global military expenditure exceeded $2 trillion last year, an all-time high.
Source: UN News
New regional peace bid in DR Congo
26/4/2022: The African Union and the UN say they support the latest bid by the East African Community to bring armed groups to dialogue with the government in Kinshasa, as well as formation of a regional force to counter rebel groups who will refuse to negotiate for a political solution.
Source: The East African
World military expenditure passes $2 trillion for first time
25/4/2022: Total global military expenditure increased by 0.7 per cent in real terms in 2021, to reach $2,113 billion. The five largest spenders in 2021 were the US, China, India, the UK and Russia. This was the seventh consecutive year that spending increased.
Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
Bachelet backs call for women’s role in disarmament talks
21/4/2022: The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, has welcomed calls for more women to participate in international security discussions. Only two women have been involved in negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.
Source: UN News
Crimes against humanity in Western Tigray Zone
6/4/2022: Amhara regional security forces and civilian authorities in Ethiopia’s Western Tigray Zone have committed widespread abuses against Tigrayans since November 2020 that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, according to a report by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Ethiopian authorities have severely restricted access and independent scrutiny of the region.
Source: Human Rights Watch