The first round of talks between armed groups and the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo concluded April 28 in Nairobi. The Islamist Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) wasn’t invited, however, while the Ituri-based CODECO was approached but didn’t… Read moreConfused DRC peace dialogue in Kenya
Lawmakers in Niger have approved a bill that clears the way for more foreign troops to be deployed in the country, which is fighting several jihadist insurgencies. The move comes as French and European forces withdraw from neighboring Mali, having… Read moreFrench forces out of Mali, into Niger
The European Union announced April 11 that it is halting its military training mission in Mali, citing the presence of Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group, who are said to have committed a slew of abuses in recent weeks alongside the… Read moreEU ends Mali training as junta turns to Russia
Malian armed forces and associated foreign soldiers are believed to have summarily executed an estimated 300 civilian men in a town they occupied in late March, Human Rights Watch says in a new report April 5, calling it “worst single atrocity… Read moreRussian mercenaries accused in Mali massacre
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett instructed security services March 28 to hold any “terror suspects” in “administrative detention,” even without charge. The order extends to Palestinians within Israeli a policy long applied to Palestinians on the West Bank. Bennett cited “a new… Read moreIsrael: detention of ‘terror suspects’ without charge
France and allied European countries are withdrawing their military forces from Mali after diplomatic relations broke down with the ruling junta that came to power in last year’s coup d’etat. The junta has meanwhile reportedly welcomed in hundreds of mercenaries from the… Read moreMali: crisis deepens as foreign forces withdraw
Taliban fighters—now acting as the security forces of the self-declared “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan”—used tear-gas to break up a protest by women in Kabul on Jan. 16, called under the banner of “Rights and Freedom Now.” The small demonstration in… Read moreAfghanistan: Taliban repress women’s protest
Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo are continuing to pursue a joint military offensive launched late last month against the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a rebel group that is now said to be integrated into the Islamic State Central Africa Province… Read moreUganda-DRC joint offensive against ISIS franchise
The head of the United Nations team investigating Islamic State crimes in Iraq on Dec. 2 delivered his report to the Security Council, accusing Islamic State (ISIS) actors of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. Christian Ritscher, special adviser and… Read moreUN team delivers report on ISIS atrocities in Iraq
Taliban forces in Afghanistan have summarily executed or forcibly disappeared more than 100 former police and intelligence officers in just four provinces since taking over the country in August, despite a proclaimed amnesty, Human Rights Watch said in a report… Read moreAfghanistan: Taliban kill, ‘disappear’ ex-officials
A cycle of attacks and counter-attacks in eastern Iraq raises concerns about a return of deadly sectarian violence in the country. On Oct. 26, gunmen killed 15 people in the largely Shi’ite village of al-Rashad (also rendered al-Hawasha) outside the… Read moreCycle of sectarian reprisals in Iraq
The ending of Egypt’s nearly four-year state of emergency, announced by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Oct. 25, was hailed by international human rights groups as a positive step. But Sisi is now trying to make permanent a more recent,… Read moreState of emergency lifted in Egypt —charade?
