Sudan’s paramilitary-turned-rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have repeatedly attacked the Darfur border town of Tina, with more than 123 injured people arriving at a hospital supported by Médecins Sans Frontières near the Chad frontier last week. A drone strike—with responsibility still unclear—also killed 17 people on the Chadian side of the border. Tina has been hosting large numbers of displaced Darfuris fleeing RSF attacks elsewhere. (TNH)

Davignon, who was a junior diplomatic intern at the time of the assassination, is the first person to be prosecuted in the case. He is the last living suspect among 10 Belgian diplomats who allegedly assisted in the unlawful abduction and transfer of Lumumba that ultimately led to his death. The Belgian federal prosecutor’s office charged Davignon with “participation in war crimes,” and has also investigated him for involvement in the murders of two of Lumumba’s political allies, Maurice Mpolo and Joseph Okito. A cabinet minister and senator, respectively, Mpolo and Okito were killed alongside Lumumba.

Before becoming the first prime minister of what was initially known as the Republic of Congo, Lumumba led the struggle for independence from Belgium and was hailed by the public as an anti-colonial icon. He served for three months in 1960 before he was forced out and killed early the following year.

While Lumumba’s killers were Congolese rebels, a Belgian Parliamentary Committee concluded in 2002 that “certain members of the Belgian government and other Belgian participants were morally responsible for the circumstances leading to the death of Lumumba.” It also noted that the United States acted behind the scenes to organize active opposition to Lumumba, creating “the first plans of physical elimination.”

The push for a criminal case began in 2011, when Lumumba’s children demanded justice for their father in light of mounting evidence of Belgium’s involvement in the assassination. This January, 10 grandchildren of Lumumba brought both civil proceedings and criminal charges, marking one of the first instances of prosecution for crimes committed in colonial-era Africa.

The Belgian system is one of a few criminal justice systems that combine criminal and civil procedures. It allows parties to join criminal proceedings as civil parties and allows judges to rule on both the criminal and civil aspects of a proceeding in a single decision. The trial is expected to begin in 2027.

From JURIST, March 19. Used with permission.

Photo: Harry Pot/ANEFO via Wikimedia Commons

The World Food Programme (WFP) warned March 17 that the escalating hostilities in the Middle East could lead to record levels of food insecurity, and the largest disruption in the global economy and humanitarian efforts since the COVID-19 pandemic.

WFP deputy executive director and chief operating officer Carl Skau said: “If this conflict continues, it will send shockwaves across the globe, and families who already cannot afford their next meal will be hit the hardest.” Skau urged the international community to mount an adequately funded humanitarian response.

Since the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran in late February, the conflict has spread to encompass much of the region, causing thousands of civilian casualties and forcibly displacing over 3 million people. The WFP predicts 45 million people may slide into acute hunger (a level known as IPC Phase 3+) if the conflict continues. Due to the heavy reliance of food and aid distribution on energy, the skyrocketing price of oil has placed heightened strain on already over-stretched aid supply lines. The disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has also increased fertilizer costs, posing a more long-term threat to food security.

In 2025, an estimated 318 million people across 68 countries were already experiencing acute food insecurity, with 41.1 million under “Emergency” conditions or worse (IPC Phase 4+). The number of people facing catastrophic hunger (Phase 5) remained alarmingly high in 2025, exceeding 1 million.

Import-reliant countries, predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, face the greatest risk. Humanitarian organizations are already spread thin by tightening budgets, as well as the proliferation and exacerbation of global crises. Global funding for foreign aid has contracted exponentially in recent years, with a sharp decline following President Trump’s signing of Executive Order 14169, which effectively suspended most operations of USAID. Together, these developments place extraordinary pressure on humanitarian organizations, leaving millions at risk of famine. Sudan and Somalia were named as particularly vulnerable.

From JURIST, March 19. Used with permission.

Note: Hunger in the Global South has already been exacerbated by Trump’s trade tariffs regime, while spikes in the price of oil and grain since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022 have contributed to popular privation and unrest worldwide.

Photo: Alex Blokha via Wikimedia Commons

Photo via TNH

HRW called on the Malian government to “seek assistance from the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights” for the effort to “protect civilians and hold those responsible for abuses to account.”

Witnesses to the attack on the road to the the city of Kayes said assailants opened fire on the front of the 40-truck convoy, followed by a shift towards the middle and back. A military escort accompanied the convoy, and soldiers advised drivers not to panic or stop. Some drivers abandoned their trucks and fled; however, attackers captured many fleeing drivers, later executing 10 and releasing others. Attackers burned multiple trucks, creating large clouds of smoke.

Bodies were abandoned by the side of the road and found on Feb. 11 “with their hands tied behind their backs and their throats slit.” One surviving truck driver said, “No one dared recovering them out of fear of another attack.”

Mali’s truck driver union staged a nationwide strike in response to the attack, demanding recovery of victims’ bodies to ensure their families can have proper funerals.

The group believed responsible for the attack was Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin(JNIM), which has described itself as the official branch of al-Qaeda in Mali. The group has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks against Malian security forces, the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission for the country (MINUSMA), and others.

The trucks had been transporting fuel to a region that hosts several military bases. Whether attackers knew the fuel was slated for military use would partially determine whether the attack on the trucks constituted oppositional military action under the laws of war. HRW explained, however, that the treatment of the drivers was criminal in any case, stating:

The legality of the attack on the fuel convoy would depend on whether the attackers took all feasible steps to verify that the fuel was intended for armed forces use. Whether the attack on the trucks was lawful or not, the cruel treatment and execution of the truck drivers was clearly unlawful.

HRW stated that the acts violated customary laws of war and Article 3 to the Geneva Conventions. Under the former, attacking forces are required to distinguish between civilians and combatants, and any intentional attack on civilians is strictly prohibited. The latter states that this principle applies to “conflicts not of an international character,” such as that in Mali.

From JURIST, March 10. Used with permission. Internal links added.

Map: PCL

Map: PCL

The RDF have reportedly provided direct operational support to the M23 and its affiliates by introducing advanced military equipment to eastern DRC, including GPS jamming systems, air defense equipment, and drones. According to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the US seeks the immediate withdrawal of RDF troops, weapons and equipment.

Rwanda government officials expressly rejected the sanctions as “unjust and one-sided,” stating:

The sanctions issued today by the United States unjustly targeting only one party to the peace process misrepresent the reality and distort the facts of the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Consistent and indiscriminate drone attacks and ground offensives constitute clear violations of ceasefire agreements by the DRC, and continue to cost many lives. Protecting our country is a badge of honour which the Rwanda Defense Force carries very proudly.

The sanctions come two months after the International Contact Group for the Great Lakes (ICG) issued a joint statement on the escalation of violence in eastern DRC and the new M23 offensive, which Rwanda is charged with having supported. The ICG urged all parties to honor their obligations to protect civilians, uphold commitments under last year’s Washington Accords, and immediately de-escalate the situation.

Armed group M23 has operated in the DRC for well over a decade and has allegedly committed numerous war crimes, including mass rape, during its occupation of Goma in eastern DRC in late 2012. The group is also documented to have forcibly recruited at least 146 young men and boys in the Rutshuru territory of the eastern DRC alone since July 2012, some as young as 15 years old. The actual number of forcibly recruited youth is believed to be far higher.

The UN Security Council has condemned M23 actions and imposed sanctions on parties violating arms, transport and finance rules, as well as political and military leaders of Congolese militias receiving support from outside the DRC.

The RDF actions come despite a joint declaration between the DRC and Rwanda signed late last year as part of a US-backed Regional Economic Integration Framework, to chart a future of mutually beneficial partnerships, greater connectivity with international development initiatives, and investment opportunities across sectors, including in mining, infrastructure, industrial development, and national park management.

From JURIST, March 3. Used with permission. Internal links added.

Photo: US Air Force via Wikimedia Commons

In his speech, President Ramaphosa stated that organized crime is a major threat to South Africa’s economic growth and security, justifying the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to assist police in combating gang violence and illegal mining in the Western Cape and Gauteng, two provinces that have experienced mass shootings and violence linked to illegal mining. The Defense Ministry indicated that preparations were underway to finalize the troops deployment plan in priority areas within the next few days, pending parliamentary approval.

The president also announced that his country will implement a whole strategy focused on the use of technology, intelligence, and integrated law enforcement to address organized criminal activity and its root causes. The new measures include streamlining regulations on firearm possession and trade, increasing police officer recruitment, and eradicating corruption within government institutions, including police departments. The aim of these measures is not only to tackle organized crime but also to fight corruption and illicit firearms trading, which are fueling ongoing gang wars and illegal mining activities.

South Africa has for years struggled with gang violence and illegal mining, which threaten the country’s stability and are impeding economic growth. The government has intensified efforts to combat the surge in violence by implementing targeted strategies and measures, such as creating specialized police units.

While many individuals engage in illegal mining due to unemployment, the mining is closely tied to organized crime, involving international criminal syndicates that employ illegal artisanal miners known as zama zama. These illegal miners are often heavily armed, conduct attacks against rival miners and security forces, and usually sell extracted minerals to local dealers or exporters. The South African government has employed several measures to combat this activity, such as the criminalization of illegal mining under the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act 28. Controversy surrounded last year’s deadly Operation Vala Umgodi, a security initiative that included cutting off food and water supplies to workers illegally occupying an abandoned mine to resurface so they could be arrested.

From JURIST, Feb. 13. Used with permission

Photo: Wesley Nitsckie via Wikipedia

From The New Humanitarian, Feb. 13

Image: INPACT

Instead of banning political parties and jailing people for expressing their opinions, the authorities in Burkina Faso need to open up space for civil society, including humanitarian actors, respect the exercise of freedom of association and expression, and lift bans on the activities of political parties, in accordance with their international obligations and commitments.

The rights chief further urged the government to repeal its restrictive laws, allow unimpeded humanitarian assistance to those in need, and unconditionally release those arbitrarily detained. Türk’s office stated that the authorities’ actions have “sharply constricted civil society’s activity in the country, inconsistent with international human rights law.”

Burkina Faso’s military-led government dissolved all political parties on Jan. 29 and repealed the laws governing their operation. This followed a government review finding that “the proliferation of political parties has led to abuses, fueled divisions among citizens and weakened the social fabric.”

In September 2022, Captain Ibrahim Traoré took control of the country after staging a successful coup. While Traoré immediately suspended all independent political activities, and cancelled promised elections in September 2023, the new government decree goes further by dismantling the legal framework supporting multiparty democracy altogether.

Human Rights Watch stated Feb. 4 that in multiple West African countries, including Burkina Faso, military juntas have consolidated power by postponing democratic transitions, banning political opposition, and expelling international bodies. The rights group urged these countries to comply with their obligations and protect human rights.

From JURIST, Feb. 6. Used with permission.

Map: Perry-Castañeda Library