Conflict

17/2/2021: A cross-section of civil society is calling on the new US Administration to engage constructively with the International Criminal Court and to dismantle the Trump-era sanctions that disrupt the Court’s work.

Source: Human Rights Watch

15/2/2021: Since last October, the UN-brokered truce between the east and west factions, fighting for control of the country since 2014,  has largely held. But UN calls for withdrawal of the estimated 20,000 foreign fighters inside the country may remain unheeded.

Source: DW

15/2/2021: Apprehension is building over the future of Somalia where scheduled parliamentary and presidential elections have failed to take place. As the current impasse may reflect a proxy war between Qatar and the United Arab Republic, the international community should intervene to secure peace in Somalia.

Source: The East African

13/2/2021: Member states of the International Criminal Court on Friday elected British human rights lawyer Karim Khan as the new chief prosecutor. The vote was triggered in New York after parties to ICC could not reach a consensus.

Source: DW

5/2/2021: Judges in The Hague said the International Criminal Court could investigate cases in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israel branded the ruling 'political', while Palestinians said it was a 'victory for truth.'

Source: DW

5/2/2021: Dominic Ongwen is the first LRA commander to be put on trial and convicted by the International Criminal Court. He was found guilty of 61 charges, including multiple murders, rape and sexual enslavement by the rebel group.

Source: The East African

5/2/2021: The US has said it intends to revoke the terrorist designation of the Houthi movement in response to Yemen’s humanitarian crisis – reversing one of the most criticised last-minute decisions of the Trump administration.

Source: The Guardian

4/4/2021: A bipartisan report to Congress recommends that the US  should extend the May 1 deadline for pulling all its troops from Afghanistan, and make force cuts contingent on progress in peace talks, reduction in violence, and containment of al Qaeda.

Source: CNA

29/1/2021: With only days to spare, Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed off on the law that would keep the Obama-era nuclear treaty in place. The New START treaty limits the number of deployed nuclear warheads for both the US and Russia to 1,550.

Source: DW

22/1/2021: Joe Biden brings to the presidency an impressive depth and breadth of experience in the field of arms control and international negotiation. But the past four years have seen major parts of the international arms control architecture weakened or dismantled. Biden's team will face severe constraints.

Source: Inter Press Service