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This Week in Peace #109: December 5

By
Tara Abhasakun
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Caracas, Venezuela, photo via

This week, a pending reparations loan for Ukraine. Pope Leo calls for “another way” to handle situation in Venezuela. New peace agreement between DRC and Rwanda.

A Pending Reparations Loan for Ukraine

The European Commission is discussing providing Ukraine a ‘reparations loan’ with frozen Russian assets. However, in a concession to Belgium’s concerns over the loan, the EU executive proposed an EU loan based on common borrowing as another option.

On December 3, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the two proposals would ensure that “Ukraine has the means to defend [itself] and take forward peace negotiations from a position of strength,” as quoted by Jennifer Rankin and Shaun Walker of The Guardian. EU leaders will be asked to decide on the options later in December. 

This development comes amidst ongoing US efforts to reach a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia, which have yet to bear fruit. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, along with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, met with Putin in Moscow on December 2 to discuss the US’s revised proposal. Putin aide Yury Ushakov said the meeting was “constructive” although no compromise was reached.

Pope Leo Calls for “Another Way” to Handle Situation in Venezuela

Pope Leo is calling on US president Donald Trump to find “another way” to deal with the situation in Venezuela. This development comes amidst tensions between the US and Venezuela over Trump’s accusations of Maduro running a “narcoterrorist” cartel flooding the United States with drug, and threats to expand the US’s military actions in the country. In recent months, the US has carried out airstrikes on boats traveling from Venezuela which Trump accused of carrying drugs.

On a plane returning to Rome from Beirut on December 2, Pope Leo told reporters, “I truly believe that it is better to look for ways of dialogue, maybe pressure, including economic pressure, but looking another way to change, if that is what they want to do in the United States,” as quoted by Christopher Lamb of CNN.

New Peace Agreement Between DRC and Rwanda

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda signed a new peace agreement on December 4 at the White House. The deal is meant to advance the United States-brokered peace deal reached in June. 

US President Donald Trump said he was confident in both country’s leaders, adding, “We’ll keep these commitments. I know they’re going to keep them and follow through on the agreement and create a much brighter future for the people of their countries,” as quoted by Emery Makumeno, Samba Cyuzuzo, and Bernd Debusmann Jr. of BBC.

Eastern DRC has for decades suffered from fighting between M23 rebels and the DRC government. The government has repeatedly said that any agreement depends on Rwanda ending its support for M23, although Rwanda denies backing the group.

Tina Salama, a spokesperson for DRC president Felix Tshisekedi, told The Associated Press on November 29 that any peace agreement must exclude “any mixing or integration of M23 fighters.”

Despite peace efforts between Rwanda and DRC, violence against civilians has continued in DRC. On November 16, M23 rebels and the DRC government signed a framework for peace in the country’s eastern region. 

Still, between November 23 and 24, members of the AFC-M23 executed 12 men between the ages of 20 and 40 under the pretext of collaborating with and/or belonging to the “Wazalendo” militia, Agenzia Fides reported.

Keywords: Ukraine, Russia, Pope Leo, Venezuela, DRC, Congo, Rwanda, peace, conflict, conflict resolution

Still No Peace Deal Reached Between Ukraine and Russia

By
Tara Abhasakun
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0
Moscow, Russia, photo by Pixabay.

A peace deal between Ukraine and Russia still has yet to be reached. US and Ukrainian officials met for talks in Florida on November 30 after US President Donald Trump’s administration last week proposed a 28-point peace plan which some European countries criticized as caving in to Russian demands for Ukraine to give up large amounts of territory, limit its military, and abandon efforts to join NATO.

The amended plan now includes 19 points, and US Secretary of State Marc Rubio said after the talks that there was still “much work to do” on the proposal, as quoted by Cassandra Vinograd in The New York Times. Rubio and Rustem Umerov, who led the Ukrainian delegation after the resignation of former chief of staff Andriy Yermak, both described the talks as productive, although they did not provide further details.

One potential difference between the original proposal and the revised proposal is the number of personnel allowed in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The original proposal capped this number at 600,000. While the new proposal is not publicly available, reports say a potential part of the revised proposal is capping this number at 800,000. The original proposal would require Ukraine to hand over the remaining land it controls in Donetsk and Luhansk. Reports say that a potential part of the revised proposal is requiring Ukraine to commit to not recovering occupied sovereign territory through military means, but through negotiations. The original proposal would not allow Ukraine to join NATO, however, reports say that another potential part of the revised proposal is that Ukraine’s Nato membership will depend on the consensus of the alliance’s members.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on November 30 that he had received a preliminary report from the delegation in Florida. Zelensky stated on social media that “It is important that the talks have a constructive dynamic and that all issues were discussed openly and with a clear focus on ensuring Ukraine’s sovereignty and national interests.”

Zelensky said that after the revisions, the peace proposal “looks better,” however, The European Union (EU)’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, warned however that talks between Putin and Witkoff would again pile pressure on Ukraine to make concessions. 

Meanwhile, violence continues. Dan Sabbagh and Jane Clinton reported in The Guardian on November 29 that Russian attacks on Ukraine had killed six people and wounded dozens. On December 2, Al Jazeera reported that Russian attacks in Dnipro had killed four and injured 40.

Amidst the high-stakes meetings, Zelensky is seeking support from European allies. On December 1, Zelensky met with French president Emmanuel Macron, who stressed Europe’s commitment to supporting Ukraine, saying that only Ukraine could decide whether to cede any territory. Zelensky said that territory is the most complicated topic, and Macron said that there was “no finalized peace plan to speak of at this time,” as quoted by Vinograd.

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, along with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, met with Putin in Moscow on December 2 to discuss the revised proposal. Putin said ahead of the meeting that Russia would continue to advance against Ukraine on the battlefield. 

Both sides agreed not to disclose the substance of the talks, which lasted nearly five hours. However, Putin aide Yury Ushakov said the meeting was “constructive” although no compromise was reached. Ushakov noted that the idea of Ukraine territorial concessions and Russia-US economic cooperation were points of discussion in the meeting. Moscow-based NPR correspondent Charles Maynes reports that while Russia agreed to some points of the US plan, it disagreed with others.

Ukrainian troops say they doubt the proposed pact with Russia will bring lasting peace, as they believe that Russia remains determined to conquer Ukraine. 

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, there have been 53,006 civilian casualties, including 14,534 deaths, according to the UN. The UN notes that frontline communities remain the most at risk, particularly in the Kherson, Kharkiv, and Donetsk regions, accounting for 65 percent of deaths and injuries.

Keywords: Ukraine, Russia, war, conflict, conflict resolution, peace, peace deal, proposal, 28-point proposal, Putin, Zelensky, US

Leaders Speak Out for Gender Justice in Peacebuilding in Somalia

By
Tara Abhasakun
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0
Celebration with Somalia National Flag at Night, Mogadishu, Banaadir, Somalia, photo by Ibrahim Sakhawi.

Since the fall of former president Siad Barre in 1991, various armed groups have fought for power in Somalia. Meanwhile, the country is further challenged by weak government authority. Roughly 60% of Somalis live below the poverty line, making Somalia the second poorest country in the world, according to the World Bank in October 2025.

Somali and international leaders have recently spoken out in support of gender justice as a part of building peace in Somalia. On November 23, 2025, UNDP Somalia Resident Representative Lionel Laurens delivered remarks at the opening of Somalia’s first Annual Justice Sector Conference in Mogadishu. Laurens said, “Advancing gender justice and ensuring equal access to legal aid and protection are not only moral imperatives but also essential for sustainable peace and development.” 

Laurens stressed the need to expand justice, particularly for women, children, internally displaced people, and marginalized groups, “so that no one is left behind.”

On October 31, 2025, Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre met with women leaders from civil society, leadership forums, and the security forces, and affirmed their crucial role in Somalia’s future and survival. PM Barre said, “lasting statehood and sustainable peace cannot be achieved unless women are given a visible, decision-making role,” as quoted by Abdiqani Abdullahi of the Somali National News Agency (SONNA).

Somali women are speaking out in support of freedom in the face of terrorism through the use of community forums, radio, and powerful networks, according to Abdullahi. They are often the main mediators in their communities resolving conflicts such as land disputes. In many areas of the country, Somali women have formed neighborhood watch groups, and have come up with new ways of reporting suspicious activity to police, helping to sharply increase safety. 

A key element of the work Somali women do to build peace is rehabilitating youth and defectors from militant groups such as Al-Shabaab. Women provide counseling, therapy, and opportunities to engage in sports, giving young men leaving these groups a “second chance.” They also work with business communities to help these men find jobs.

Somali women have particularly made gains in peacebuilding in the past few years. An August 2025 report for UNDP by Madina Ahmed Nur, the Director General of the Ministry of Women, Family Affairs and Human Rights Development, states that just a few years ago, women had “little access to formal decision-making spaces. They were the first to respond when communities were displaced or when local disputes erupted, yet their voices were absent in the rooms where real power was exercised.”

In 2022, The Somali government, along with UNDP, UN Women, and UNTMIS, launched the Women, Peace and Protection (WPP) Programme. The program aims to localize the Women, Peace, and Security agenda in Somalia’s Southwest State. One of the program’s biggest achievements is the adoption of the Local Action Plan for U.N. Security Council Resolution 1325. The plan was a declaration that women would be at the heart of peace and security. 

Polls show that much of Somali society is now supportive of women’s involvement in politics and public life, Abdullahi reports. Surveys show that 80 percent of the public believes women have a right to participate in the administration of their country. Meanwhile, 74% of Somalis support legislating the 30% parliamentary quota for women to make it a constitutional reality. 

According to polls, 58% of Somalis believe women politicians represent the interests of the Society, while viewing male politicians as more likely to represent their personal (22%) or clan (20%) interests.

In the past, Peace News Network (PNN) has written about UNDP’s efforts to include women and youth in peacebuilding in Somalia. In September 2025, we published an article on the UNDP and a South Korean agency’s work on the program Peacebuilding and Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) in East Africa. A key leader of the program, Wankyu Park, said that communities, youth and women leaders, and government institutions in Somalia are engaging in peace dialogues, while six local action plans on preventing violent extremism have been developed.

Park said, “Importantly, women will be engaged as active leaders in peacebuilding, reflecting their unique role in reconciliation.”

Keywords: Somalia, Somali, women, women peace and security, WPS, terrorism, extremism, peace, conflict, conflict resolution, Mogadishu, UNDP

This Week in Peace #108: November 28

By
Tara Abhasakun
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0
Kyiv, Ukraine. Photo via Pexels.

This week, will Ukraine-Russia peace deal reach success? Sudan army rejects US ceasefire proposal. Violence continues in DRC despite peace efforts.

Will Ukraine-Russia Peace Deal Reach Success?

On November 25, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was ready to advance a US-backed framework for ending the war with Russia, and to discuss remaining points of disagreement with United States President Donald Trump in talks he said should include European allies.

However, after Ukraine indicated that Zelensky was prepared to go to Washington to finalize a deal with Trump on the Russia-Ukraine war, Russia launched a missile and drone attack on Kyiv, killing at least seven people and injuring 20 others.

Trump had originally proposed a 28-point peace plan that some European countries criticized as caving in to Russian demands. The UK, France, and Germany drafted a counterproposal that would halt fighting at the front lines, leaving discussions of territory for later. According to a draft viewed by Reuters, the proposal would include a NATO-style US security guarantee for Ukraine.

Zelensky said on November 24 that the peace plan now contained fewer than 28 points and incorporated “correct elements,” and that he would discuss “sensitive issues, the most delicate points” with Trump.

Russia President Vladimir Putin has said the details of the draft peace deal between the US and Ukraine could provide a framework for a future agreement. Putin suggested he was open to developing a new agreement, however, he added that Russia would continue fighting if no deal was struck. 

This development is continuing to unfold, and it remains to be seen if Ukraine and Russia will reach any progress in peace.

Sudan Army Rejects US Ceasefire Proposal

On November 23, Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said the United States’ latest ceasefire proposal was unacceptable. Burhan insisted that future proposals would also be one-sided as long as the United Arab Emirates is involved in negotiations with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), although the UAE denies supporting the RSF.

In a video address, Burhan said the proposal was was “the worst ever” because it sidelines the army and “allows the Rapid Support Forces to remain.”

Massad Boulos, US President Donald Trump’s senior Africa envoy, denied the bias Burhan accused the US of. He said, “He was making reference to something that does not exist, that has never been presented by us. So we have no idea what he is talking about.”

This development comes after the US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and UAE proposed a three-month humanitarian truce in September, followed by a permanent ceasefire and transition to civilian rule. The RSF said it had agreed to a humanitarian ceasefire, however, there were later reports of violence by the group. The Sudanese army rejected “foreign interference,” and has repeatedly accused the UAE of providing the RSF with foreign fighters and weapons.

Violence Continues in DRC Despite Peace Efforts

Violence against civilians is continuing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) despite peace efforts. On November 16, M23 rebels and the DRC government signed a framework for peace in the country’s eastern region. The US’s Africa Envoy Massad Boulos said the document covered eight protocols and that most still required work. He noted that prisoner exchanges and ceasefire monitoring had been slower than originally hoped, BBC reported.

The DRC demanded the withdrawal of Rwandan troops from its territory. Rwanda says this can happen after the DRC-based Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) rebel militia is disbanded. The FDLR is largely made up of ethnic Hutus who participated in the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Between November 23 and 24, members of the AFC-M23 executed 12 men between the ages of 20 and 40 under the pretext of collaborating with and/or belonging to the “Wazalendo” militia, Agenzia Fides reported.

Keywords: Russia, Ukraine, Sudan, DRC, Congo, DR Congo, peace, conflict, conflict resolution, ceasefire

Summit in Liberia Teaches Youth About Transitional Justice

By
Tara Abhasakun
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0
Rubber plantation in Margibi county, the county where the summit took place. Photo by Erik Cleves Kristensen via Wikipedia.

Liberia has experienced two civil wars, one from 1989 to 1997, and the other from 1999 to 2003. The wars killed a total of between 150,000 and 200,000 people, and to this day, Liberia’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) has failed to implement many recommendations, such as banning perpetrators from public office. 

A recent summit held in Liberia helped to educate young people about transitional justice, human rights, and reconciliation. The summit, held in Margibi County in November 2025, was organized by the Office for the Establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court (OWECC-L) in collaboration with UNICEF Liberia.

The summit gathered over 150 students from more than ten schools to bring them into Liberia’s ongoing conversation about accountability, reconciliation, and national healing. Through lectures, workshops, and storytelling, students delved into the history of Liberia’s civil conflicts and the country’s current efforts to establish the War and Economic Crimes Court (WECC) and the National Anti-Corruption Court.

During the summit, students engaged in discussions with legal professionals, human rights advocates, and university interns from the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, who served as mentors and trainers, Liberian Observer reported.

Dr. Cllr. Jallah A. Barbu, Executive Director of OWECC-L, described the summit as part of a national strategy to ensure inclusivity in Liberia’s transitional justice process, particularly for children who were either victims, or indirect witnesses of war. “Our mandate is to ensure that every Liberian—including children—is engaged, consulted, and heard in this process,” he told The News. “Many of today’s young people did not experience the war firsthand, but they live with its legacy. Educating them about our history and empowering them to promote peace is essential to preventing future conflicts.”

The Ministry of Justice’s Deputy Minister for Administration Councilor Cora Hare Konuwa discussed how the trauma of conflict, which many young people continue to endure. She recounted the 1989 civil war, and the disastrous impact of using young people in conflicts. 

“Young people were often used because of their energy and influenceability,” she said. “That is why you must now be part of the accountability process to make sure such tragedy never happens again.”

The initiative, Dr. Barbu noted, also reflects the implementation of Executive Orders No. 131 and 148, which originate from Joint Resolution 001/2024—the legal framework guiding the creation of the new courts. For Barbu, engaging young people is a deliberate effort to foster intergenerational dialogue and civic responsibility in a country still healing from decades of division.

Mohammed El-dust Fahnbulleh, representing the Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR), stressed that ongoing advocacy for youth can help keep Liberia moving towards peace and reconciliation. He praised OWECC-L and UNICEF for amplifying youth voices in national conversations on justice.

“We must not allow resistance from policymakers to silence the call for justice. Go back to your communities and tell your leaders, you support the court, and you want transparency, fairness, and accountability,” said Fahnbulleh.

As the program expands beyond Montserrado and Margibi Counties, organizers envision a national network of youth ambassadors leading dialogues in classrooms and communities—spreading the message about Liberia’s war legacy, human rights, and peacebuilding.

Peace News Network (PNN) has written in the past about efforts to empower youth for peace in Liberia. In September 2025, we published an article on how peace camps have been empowering Liberian youth to envision a different future. In July 2025, 50 young people from Liberia’s Maryland and Grand Kru communities gathered in Monrovia for the ninth Annual Peace Through Fair Play (PTFP) Youth Camp, organized by the Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa (GPFA). 

For a week, the youth participated in activities teaching them to build a more peaceful Liberia. These activities included: visiting an ice-cream factory to learn about entrepreneurship; attending a service by a pastor about “walking in purpose and peace;” a session on understanding conflict and root causes of the civil wars; a session on effective communication; and a community-building workshop led by Nobel Peace Laureate Madam Leymah Bgowee. To read the full article, click here.

Keywords: Liberia, youth, transitional justice, summit, Margibi County, OWECC-L, UNICEF, peace, conflict, conflict resolution, Office for the Establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court, National Anti-Corruption Court

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