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Protest: Media and Youth Urged to Lead Cameroon’s Path to Peace Amid Election Tensions

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Young Man Using a Laptop in Douala, Région du Littoral, Cameroun, photo by Stephane Fabrice Bassangue via Pexels.

Following the October 12, 2025 presidential election in Cameroon, waves of protest have swept across the nation, with young people at the forefront of demonstrations contesting the results. From Douala to Yaoundé, Bafoussam to Bamenda and Garoua, thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets demanding transparency about the ballot box results reported in the media. At least four people have been killed during protests in Douala, according to regional governor Samuel Dieudonné Diboua.

Amidst the rising tension, peace activists, and media practitioners from across the country are calling for restraint, urging the media and youth to play constructive roles in maintaining peace and preventing further violence.

Youth as Drivers of Peace

According to Menai Felix Yengo, Manager of Babungo Community Radio in Cameroon’s Northwest Region, young people have immense potential to shape the country’s peacebuilding efforts. He told Peace News Network (PNN) that Cameroon’s youth can play a “vital role” in maintaining peace and preventing election-related violence by being actively engaged in their communities.

“They can promote peacebuilding and conflict resolution by organizing community-based initiatives, such as peace campaigns, cultural events, and intergenerational dialogues,” Yengo said.

Yengo emphasized the importance of responsible use of social media, noting that, by leveraging their social media skills, young people can also disseminate accurate information, counter misinformation, and promote peaceful coexistence.

Major challenges for youth in the post-election climate include fake news posts, hate speech against fellow citizens from opponents’ parties on social media, and information posted to incite hatred before and during the elections.

Mboppi market in Douala, Cameroon, photo by Johnkekam via Wikipedia.

He encouraged young people to collaborate with community leaders to address conflict triggers. “Youth can work with local leaders and authorities to identify potential flashpoints and develop strategies to mitigate conflicts. By taking ownership of peacebuilding efforts, Cameroon’s youth can help create a more stable and peaceful environment for elections,” Yengo urged.

Media’s Responsibility in Peacebuilding

The role of the media has also come under the spotlight. Yengo stressed that journalists must remain objective and verify their information before publishing. “The media has a critical role to play in promoting accurate information and discouraging the spread of fake news and misinformation online.”

As a media practitioner, he believes it’s their responsibility to verify information before disseminating it to the public, saying the media should prioritize fact-checking and collaborate with organizations that specialize in verifying information.

He added that the media must promote balance and understanding by providing context and balanced reporting, giving voice to diverse perspectives and opinions. By doing so, he said, they can empower citizens to make informed decisions and reduce the spread of misinformation. 

Challenges for media in the post-election climate include a lack of editorial independence, partisanship by some media practitioners, lack of protection from the authorities, and also intimidation and attacks from thugs against the media .

Yengo recommended that media outlets take “proactive measures” to monitor and counter fake news, while promoting media literacy programs to help citizens critically evaluate online information. Beyond reporting, Yengo said journalists can also help build peace through engagement and education.

He further highlighted that one of the best ways to redirect youth energy away from unrest is through empowerment.  “One of the most effective strategies for turning youth energy away from protest agitation toward peacebuilding is to provide alternative platforms for expression and engagement.” 

He added, “This can include supporting youth-led peacebuilding initiatives, providing training and capacity-building programs on conflict resolution and peacebuilding, and creating spaces for youth to engage in constructive dialogue and decision-making processes.”

Yengo said that by empowering young people with skills, knowledge, and opportunities, the media can redirect their energy toward positive and constructive endeavors. Additionally, media can play a crucial role in amplifying youth voices and promoting their peacebuilding efforts.

Voices from Youth Peace Advocates

Peuchuqui Laurata, a Cameroon-based peace advocate, urged young people to be responsible and truthful when sharing information online. “Youth can maintain peace by not sharing fake news because hate speech goes a long way to incite violence,” she told PNN.

She called on journalists to ensure that their reporting contributes to calm rather than chaos. “The media’s major role is to just pass across information in a way that does not incite violence in the society. Any information that is going to cause conflict or division, especially at this period, should be kept in the fridge.”

Laurata also reminded citizens that official election results come from legitimate institutions, not the media. She expressed understanding of the frustrations leading to protests, but appealed for non-violence. Laurata said it’s important to encourage young people to protest peacefully and “tell them to always ensure that their security comes first.” 

Condemning destruction of property, Laurata added, “You can actually protest and you can pass across your message without being violent. Violence has never solved anything.”

Calls for National Unity

Political and civil society leaders have also joined the call for peace. The Cameroonian Party for National Reconciliation (PCRN) released a statement signed by its National Spokesperson, Christian Ndjock Ndongo, on October 28, 2025, urging calm and dialogue in the wake of the post-election violence.

The statement read, “Each loss is a wound to the nation,” and called on all Cameroonians to “embrace restraint, dialogue, and national unity. Nothing can justify hatred or revenge between the children of the same nation.”

The PCRN further urged security forces to uphold professionalism. “The Defense and Security Forces must act in strict compliance with the Constitution and the laws of the Republic, protecting citizens rather than dividing them,” the statement declared.

The communiqué also appealed to government officials to listen to citizens’ concerns. “To govern is to listen,” it said, emphasizing that, “the true strength of leadership lies not in repression but in its ability to meet the legitimate expectations of the sovereign people.”

PCRN reaffirmed its commitment to a Cameroon of peace, justice, and truth, remaining faithful to its principles of defending life and the dignity of every citizen.

Community Leader Advocates Peaceful Expression

Echoing these sentiments, Reverend Papa Billie, a respected elder and Community leader, addressed Cameroonians directly, appealing for calm and restraint in a video clip shared on social media.

“I want to address the people of Cameroon from north to south and north to west. As I said before, I want to say it again: No violence, no burning, no breaking because you need those infrastructures, they belong to you,” he said.

He further urged demonstrators to avoid carrying weapons or harmful objects during protests. “When you come on the street do not carry stone, don’t carry any instrument in your hand, maybe only the flag of the nation. Peace is coming to Cameroon.” he said. 

He cautioned Security agencies against the use of force against their fellow citizens as he called for the unity of the country.

As Cameroon grapples with post-election tensions, voices from across generations from community leaders to journalists and peace advocates continue to highlight one central message: Peace must prevail.

Keywords: Cameroon, election, Cameroon elections, election violence, conflict, conflict resolution, peace, youth, media, journalists, journalism, peace journalism, Douala

This Week in Peace #104: October 31

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A village in South Sudan, photo by Diego Delso via Wikipedia.

This week, still no peace deal for Pakistan and Afghanistan. UN Investigators warn South Sudan could slide back into full-scale conflict. US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and UAE form ‘quad’ on Sudan.

Still No Peace Deal for Pakistan and Afghanistan

After weeks of fighting, Pakistan and Afghanistan still have not arrived at a peace deal. The conflict between the two countries intensified when Pakistan carried out airstrikes on Kabul on October 9, 2025. Pakistan says that Pakistani Taliban militants who have increased attacks on Pakistan operate from Afghanistan. 

Pakistan was a major supporter of the Afghan Taliban in 2001 following the US invasion of Afghanistan. However, relations soured after Pakistan accused the Afghan Taliban of harboring the Pakistani Taliban, which has launched an insurgency against Pakistan’s government. 

Following the latest round of fighting, Qatar hosted a first round of peace talks on October 19.  Delegations from both countries have met for talks in Istanbul, Turkey. However, the talks have hit a wall, and on October 28, each country’s state media blamed the other for the failure to reach a deal. 

While delegations from Afghanistan and Pakistan remain in Turkey, it was not clear whether there would be a fourth day of talks. Pakistani security officials told The Associated Press that there was a deadlock due to Afghanistan not accepting what it described as legitimate demands that Afghan soil not be used against Pakistan.

UN Investigators Warn South Sudan Could Slide Back into Full-Scale Conflict

UN investigators warn that South Sudan could slide back into full-scale conflict. On October 29, the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan addressed the UN General Assembly regarding armed clashes, political detentions, and widespread human rights violations.

Commissioner Barney Afako told the assembly that South Sudan’s political transition is “falling apart.” Since March, the commission said, fighting has intensified and displaced over 370,000 civilians internally, and forced many more to flee to neighboring countries. Across the country, a total of around 2.6 million people remain internally displaced due to violence over many years. Meanwhile, around 600,000 have become refugees. 

Afako said, “The ceasefire is not holding, political detentions have become a tool of repression, the peace agreement’s key provisions are being systematically violated, and the Government forces are using aerial bombardments in civilian areas. All indicators point to a slide back toward another deadly war.”

After the country experienced a civil war in 2013 which killed over 400,000 people, South Sudan’s fragile peace has been deteriorating this year, despite a peace agreement signed in 2018. Amnesty International on May 28 reported that violence had killed 180 people between March and mid-April amid deepening divisions between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar. On September 21, at least 48 people were killed and over 152 injured in fighting between South Sudan’s army and opposition forces in Burebiey. 

US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and UAE Unite form ‘Quad’ on Sudan

On October 24, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and United Arab Emirates have united to form a Joint Operational Committee or ‘quad’ on Sudan. The comittee aims to secure an urgent humanitarian truce and permanent ceasefire, as well as halt external support for the warring factions, Sudan Tribune reported.

The committee’s statement describes a roadmap including: an initial three-month humanitarian truce to allow for rapid aid delivery, followed by a permanent ceasefire, and concluding with a nine-month transitional period leading to “an independent, civilian-led government with broad-based legitimacy and accountability”.

Since the ‘quad’’s formation, commenters have questioned whether it will be effective, or whether it will be simply another failed attempt to bring peace to Sudan.

Keywords: Pakistan, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Sudan, Quad, Trump, US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Istanbul, Istanbul talks, peace, conflict, conflict resolution

The DRC’s Kivu-Kinshasa Green Corridor, a New Green Economy for Peace and Sustainable Development

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Photo by Anicet Kimonyo.

Armed conflicts in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are fueling poverty and accelerating environmental degradation.

In North Kivu province, home to Virunga National Park, one of the oldest in Africa, nearly 50% of the park’s territory is now under the control of armed groups, according to an assessment by the Provincial Directorate of North Kivu of the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN) from April 2025. These groups include the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC)-M23 rebels, Islamist groups, and various smaller local militias, as well as Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), which has members who took part in the Rwanda Genocide in 1994.

This armed presence around the park deprives the green economy of an estimated US$30 million a year in revenue, diverted to rebel groups, according to the report. This perpetuates a cycle of violence, to the detriment of biodiversity and local development.

The DRC has officially launched, by decree, the “Kivu-Kinshasa Green Corridor” (CVKK), a colossal project that aims to combine reforestation, economic development, and the stabilization of conflict-ravaged regions. The initiative, presented by authorities as a major contribution to the fight against climate change, will nevertheless require the government to overcome numerous structural and political challenges.

Signed on January 15, 2025 by Prime Minister Judith Suminwa, Decree No. 25/01 gives substance to one of the largest greening initiatives ever conceived in Central Africa. Spanning nearly 550,000 square kilometers, including 285,000 square kilometers of primary forests and 60,000 square kilometers of peatlands, the CVKK aims to transform areas weakened by decades of violence into poles of sustainable growth.

Photo by Anicet Kimonyo.

“The CVKK project is considered one of the largest initiatives [in the world] on the climate issue,” says Emmanuel de Mérode, director of the ICCN. “The Congo is providing good news, and this will continue to be noticed,” he emphasizes.

In addition to protecting the Congo Basin, described as “the world’s largest tropical forest carbon sink,” the corridor is expected to enable the annual transfer of 1 million tons of food from the Kivus to Kinshasa. This will help to feed people impacted by conflict, primarily, and the entire country, considering the agricultural potential of this Green Corridor area. A dedicated fund will be created to develop businesses along the route in renewable energy, agriculture, and logistics. The government estimates the financing needs at US$1 billion over the next three to four years.

The CVKK is structured around several pillars: sustainable agriculture, ecotourism, community forestry, and ecosystem restoration. The stated objective: to create hundreds of thousands of “green” jobs, and legal alternatives to poaching and illegal resource exploitation.

“The corridor provides economic benefits that do not depend on forest destruction, but on sustainable production methods,” explains de Mérode. “Hundreds of thousands of jobs [will be] created thanks to the preservation of species and forests. The communities themselves become conservation agents.”

Photo by Anicet Kimonyo.

In Bas-Uélé, forest administrator Justin Tshipopo welcomes an “opportunity to strengthen community forestry.” He emphasizes the need to take traditional knowledge into account. “Communities have preserved their forests for centuries. These practices must not be forgotten,” he said.

He stresses that the corridor must become a concrete instrument of development in fragile territories, capable of generating economic opportunities and strengthening social cohesion.

Long-term success will depend on the authorities’ ability to sustainably involve local populations, integrate their ancestral knowledge, and ensure impeccable governance. The Kivu-Kinshasa Green Corridor thus presents itself as a crucial test for the DRC’s ecological and economic transition, a challenge worthy of its immense natural resources.

Photo by Anicet Kimonyo.

While the ambitions are lauded, voices are being raised to demand inclusive and transparent implementation. Fanny Minesi, representing the wildlife conservation NGO Friends of Bonobos of Congo (ABC), warns against a purely technocratic approach to the project.

“Our concern is to ensure that communities are not only informed, but also that they consent to the projects and become active participants,” she asserts. “We must ensure that projects are not designed without the communities, and that the private sector, often preoccupied with profit, is not the only one guiding the decisions.”

The success of the CVKK depends on close coordination between the government, conservation agencies, the private sector, and communities. However, land tensions, weak infrastructure, and historical mistrust persist. Some local populations are wary of the project, as they believe the government wants to take their land.

Pilot initiatives in the eastern DRC and Tshopo, however, are showing encouraging results, with a measurable reduction in local violence by armed groups toward civilians, and better protection of Virunga National Park. The corridor’s plans provide jobs to hundreds of thousands of people, including young people, will help to provide more options to them so that they are not pressured to join armed groups due to poverty. 

Already, the DRC launched Climate Week on Monday, October 27, with the aim of bringing together stakeholders in the climate sector to jointly reflect on the issues.

“Without the DRC, there are no sustainable solutions to the global climate crisis, which we have not created elsewhere,” declared the Congolese Minister of the Environment and Climate Economy Marie Nyange Ndambo.

Marie Nyange Ndambo, photo via Ministre de l’Envirnoment.

Continuing her address to the participants of the Congolese National Climate Week, Ndambo clarified that through the Congolese National Climate Week, the DRC aims to unite the voices of civil society, indigenous peoples, and other local and national stakeholders to prepare for COP30, which will be held in Belem, Brazil, next November, with a strong and credible conviction that “reflects our priorities and realities, so that at Belem, the Congo and the Congolese people speak with one voice and affirm that the DRC is ready to assume its role as a climate leader.” 

Nyange added “We want every Congolese to understand that the climate is not a distant issue, it affects our daily realities and therefore protecting the environment is protecting our future.”

Keywords: DRC, Congo, environmental peace, climate change, Kivu-Kinshasa Green Corridor, peace, sustainable development, conflict, conflict resolution, Virunga National Park, North Kivu Province, national parks, green peace, conservation, nature, species, DR Congo, Kinsasha

Can Environmental Diplomacy Build Peace in the Middle East?

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Editor’s note: In wartime, those working for peace are often viewed with suspicion and even hate by those who see peacebuilders as a barrier in their quest to defeat their adversary. Such pressure can make the life of a peacebuilder, working to rehumanize and find non-violent solutions with the other side, difficult. While such difficulties are not at the same scale and depth of human suffering as those directly impacted by the violence, they are nonetheless worth acknowledging and understanding as another aspect of conflict. This is especially because the work of peacebuilders is more important than ever during periods of mass violence and human suffering, as currently witnessed in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

The Israel-Palestine conflict has brought immense pain and suffering to the peoples of both nations. Violence between Israelis and Palestinians has created intense anger and desires for revenge. Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 and Israel’s subsequent war in the Gaza strip have exacerbated such emotions even more, with mistrust and division festering. 

However, one glimmer of hope is that partnerships between Israeli and Palestinian organizations have managed to remain intact in the two years following October 7. Although it hasn’t always been easy, Israeli and Palestinian organizations have successfully continued to collaborate on environmental projects to help better the lives of people in rural West Bank communities, and the Gaza Strip. 

In 2017, the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies in Israel— which works to advance cross-border environmental cooperation in the face of political conflict— and Damour for Community Development (DCD)— a Palestinian NGO promoting sustainable development in underserviced Palestinian communities—agreed to cooperate on environmental initiatives to improve natural resource management and supply in rural communities. The initiatives aimed to demonstrate that Palestinians and Israelis can work together on mutual environmental concerns, and prove that there are partners for peace on both sides. 

From 2017 to 2023, under the “Track II Environmental Forum”—established by the Arava Institute to identify cross-border environmental challenges that both sides have an interest in addressing—Damour and the Arava Institute worked together to solve these challenges. To address the lack of potable water in Gaza, the Track II Environmental Forum introduced atmospheric water generators which take humidity out of the atmosphere and turn it into high quality drinking water. To address the lack of wastewater treatment and reuse in the West Bank, the Track II Environmental Forum introduced wastewater treatment and reuse systems into Palestinian villages, and negotiated a building permit from the Israeli Civil Administration to the Palestinian Water Authority for a treated wastewater trunkline to bring agricultural water from the Ramallah area down to the Jordan Valley for Palestinian farmers to use. Permits to build inside of Area C, under Israeli military control, are rarely granted to Palestinian entities. 

During this period, the Track II Environmental Forum began to develop a methodology called applied environmental diplomacy, which uses public diplomacy tools to address environmental issues, not just in theory but in practice.  The main principles of applied environmental diplomacy are:

  1. Bottom-up – Top-down process – While much of the work of applied environmental diplomacy is focused on stakeholder engagement with local communities, real change will require both grassroots engagement and government engagement.
  1. Build capacity and resilience of municipalities – Local governments, as opposed to national governments, are often more attuned to the environmental needs of residents, because they are closer to the community and more sensitive to the dissatisfaction of residents when environmental services are unreliable. 
  1. Engage government officials in being part of the solution – Though the focus of applied environmental diplomacy is on solutions for local communities, national governments should not be ignored, because if they are not co-opted early on to be part of the solution, they will become part of the problem.
  1. Enlist international support through embassies and former diplomats – To prioritize cross-border environmental initiatives, international engagement can provide a motivation for decision makers to remove barriers to implementation. In addition, international organizations and foreign governments can provide funding to increase financial feasibility. 
  1. Develop multi-national networks of scientists, practitioners, and emerging leaders (community, women, and youth) – A multi-national network can help to build trust across borders by focusing on practical solutions while building personal relations. 
  1. Propose scalable and replicable regional solutions to strategic development goals based on proofs of concept – Building on the success of pilot demonstrations, projects can be scaled and replicated by international donor organizations and national governments. Adoption of ideas and policies developed through an applied environmental diplomatic approach can lead to a more sustainable development and more peaceful relations. 

The attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 left many in the region devastated and in shock.  The Track II Environmental Forum Steering Committee had a scheduled Zoom call on October 9, two days after the Hamas attack on the Gaza Envelope. 

Our Track II Israeli-Palestinian team was not sure we could meet, even virtually, and look each other in the eye. But we decided that despite the conflict, this was not the time to take a step back but a time to take a step forward. We held the virtual call, and although it was very painful, we all agreed that the relationship and trust we had built over six years was too precious to allow it to deteriorate.  Instead, we committed to each other to maintain our partnership despite the conflict, and to work together to address the crisis in the region.  

Our first mission was to help our Palestinian partners trapped in the war in Gaza to get out.  One of our Palestinian partners from Damour, a former minister in the Palestinian Authority, had gone back to visit her family in Gaza just before the war broke out. She eventually was able to leave Gaza but while she was there, organized a network of shelters for displaced persons, as many in Gaza, including herself, lost their homes to bombings. 

Soon, our colleague approached us and said that the displacement was not a short-term situation, and that people would be living in displaced persons camps or shelters for a long time before they could move back to permanent housing. She said we needed to build “Green Refugee Shelters,” meaning we needed to find a way to provide a sustainable, secure, and dignified solution for temporary housing of displaced persons for the five to 10 years it may take to rebuild the infrastructure and housing to resettle the millions of displaced Palestinians in Gaza. 

We soon launched an initiative called “Jumpstarting Hope in Gaza” to respond to the growing humanitarian and environmental crisis there. It was the first Palestinian-Israeli initiative to supply emergency aid to Gazans during the war. Now that a shaky ceasefire has been declared and a pathway to ending the conflict has been proposed, we hope to implement “Green Refugee Shelters” to provide sustainable, safe, and dignified living conditions with off-grid technologies such as atmospheric water generators, mobile wastewater treatment and reuse systems, and solar energy arrays and batteries. 

Aid distribution in Gaza, photo of Damour for Community Development (DCD) provided by David Lehrer.
Water trucks, photo provided by David Lehrer.

Throughout the painful war, the Arava Institute and Damour maintained our partnership because we believe that what unites us is much more important than what divides us. Our partners in Gaza and in Cairo, where many refugees from Gaza are now located, have already begun to think about recovery for Gaza. It is our hope that through applied environmental diplomacy, our demonstration of Palestinian-Israeli partnership inspires people in the region to base recovery on cross-border environmental cooperation and peacebuilding.

Photo provided by David Lehrer.

Keywords: Middle East, Israel, Palestine, Gaza, October 7, environmental diplomacy, environmental, conflict, conflict resolution, peace, diplomacy, humanitarian, green

This Week in Peace #103: October 24

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Kyiv, Ukraine, photo via Wikipedia.

This week, Trump holds off on meeting with Putin after Russia rejects frontline freeze. DRC and Rwanda meet in Washington to revive peace efforts. Trump envoy discusses peace prospects in Libya and Sudan.

Trump Holds Off on Meeting With Putin After Russia Rejects Frontline Freeze

US President Donald Trump is holding off on meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin after Russia rejected Trump’s call on October 21 to freeze the current frontline in the Russia-Ukraine war. Eleven European leaders signed a joint statement saying they “strongly support” US President Donald Trump’s position that “the fighting should stop immediately, and that the current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov communicated that Russia opposed an immediate ceasefire. 

Trump said that he would hold off on a meeting with Putin in Budapest, Hungary, because he didn’t want it to be a “waste of time.” The Associated Press reports that Trump’s hesitancy to meet with Putin came as a relief to the European leaders who signed the statement. The leaders have accused Putin of stalling for time while he works to gain more ground in Ukraine. 

The leaders, including the British prime minister, French president, and German chancellor, oppose any pressure on Ukraine to give up land that Russia has captured in return for peace, as Trump has recently suggested.

DRC and Rwanda Meet in Washington to Revive Peace Efforts

Representatives from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda met in Washington on October 21 and 22 for the third session of the Joint Security Coordination Mechanism (JCSM), established as part of the peace agreement signed on June 27. The meeting aimed to evaluate how to further advance the agreement’s implementation. The two countries were joined by the United States, Qatar, and the African Union Commission.

Previous meetings had concluded with both sides agreeing to a ‘Concept of Operations’ (CONOPS), which outlines steps toward military and security cooperation. Building on the CONOPS, the parties laid out a framework for neutralizing the Rwandan Hutu rebel group the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).

JCSM members made plans to monitor progress and deal with challenges, and confirmed the fourth JSCM would be held on November 19-20.

This news comes after, on October 14, the DRC and M23 armed group agreed to establish an international group to oversee the ceasefire they agreed to in July. 

Trump Envoy Discusses Peace in Libya and Sudan

US President Donald Trump’s senior envoy Massad Boulos discussed peace prospects in Libya and Sudan, Business Insider reported on October 21. 

When discussing the need to stabalize Libya, which has been unstable since the assassination of Muammar Qaddafi in 2011, Boulos said “We think it’s achievable.” Although he acknowledged that peace processes cannot be “implemented overnight,” he also said, “I hope that this process moves fast.”

While discussing the humanitarian crisis in El Fasher, Sudan, which has been under siege since April 2023, Boulos said that lifting the seige and negotiating a ceasefire was a “top priority.” 

Keywords: peace, Russia, Ukraine, DRC, Congo, Libya, Sudan, peace talks, conflict, conflict resolution, Putin, Trump