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This Week in Peace #95: August 22

By
Tara Abhasakun
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0
Anchorage, Alaska, where Trump and Putin met, photo via Wikipedia.

This week, will Ukraine and Russia’s presidents meet? Violence continues to cause suffering in DRC despite peace deal. Despite ceasefire, Thai-Cambodian relations remain tense. 

Will Ukraine and Russia’s Presidents Meet?

A highly publicized meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin failed to result in a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. On August 15, Trump met with Putin in Alaska for the US-Russia Summit. At the press conference after the summit, no details were revealed regarding what the two presidents had discussed, with Trump only discussing “some headway” having been made, saying “There’s no deal til there’s a deal.”

Prior to the summit, Trump had warned Putin that there would be “severe consequences” if he didn’t agree to stop his war in Ukraine. However, after meeting with Putin, Trump has said he doesn’t know if a ceasefire is necessary. 

On August 18, Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders at the White House. On August 19, Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said that Putin had agreed to a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, however, Russia did not confirm this. 

Since then, Russia has played down talks of a meeting with Ukraine, while Trump has said it is possible that Putin doesn’t want to make a deal. On August 21, the Ukrainian Air Force said that Russia targeted Ukraine with 574 drones and 40 missiles overnight. Officials said that at least one person was killed, with 15 injured. In a statement, the French government said these attacks showed “Russia’s lack of any genuine intention to engage seriously in peace talks.”

Violence Continues to Cause Suffering in DRC Despite Peace Deal

Violence continues to cause suffering in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) despite a ceasefire deal between the M23 armed group and the DRC government on July 19. On August 20, Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported that M23 had killed over 140 people in the country’s eastern region in July in one of the group’s worst atrocities since its resurgence in 2021. 

M23 rebels summararily executed these 140 civlians, mostly ethnic Hutus along with some ethnic Nandes, in at least 14 villages and farming areas in July 2025 near Virunga National Park, HRW reported. These attacks included women and children, the organization said.  The M23 has denied being involved in the killings, BBC reported. 

Despite Ceasefire, Thai-Cambodian Relations Remain Tense

Despite Thailand and Cambodia agreeing to a 13-point ceasefire on August 7, relations between the two countries remain tense. On August 18, Royal Thai Army (RTA) spokesman Major General Winthai Suvaree said Cambodians were building housing beyond an allocated refugee zone in Sa Kaeo province.

Suvaree said that Thailand set up the refugee zone in 1977 to help Cambodians fleeing conflicts within their country. However, he said that some refugees refused to leave, and the Cambodian government claimed it was Cambodian land. Suvaree added that Cambodia was encouraging its citizens to invade Thai land. Meanwhile, Cambodia has accused Thailand of staging footage of Cambodian soldiers laying anti-personnel landmines.

Meanwhile, analysts have warned of the economic risks of the tensions. A research fellow at Cam Tech University, Kosalthanan Neth, has noted that in 2024, Cambodia imported US$41 million of fertilisers from Thailand, and in the first seven months of 2025, exported US$130 million in cassava to Thailand. Neth says that with  land transport restricted, cassava exports risk sharp drops unless domestic processing expands to serve China and other markets, The Nation reported.

Local media interviewed Thais who lived in border provinces who, due to having to stay in shelters, were not able to return to their farms and businesses, and thus were being cut off from their livelihoods. 

Neth said that if relations between the countries continue to deteriorate, Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand could also be forced to return home.

Keywords: Ukraine, Russia, Putin, Alaska, US-Russia Summit, peace, DRC, M23, Thailand, Cambodia, conflict, conflict resolution

Peace Between Armenia and Azerbaijan Can’t Be Built on Paper Alone

By
Margarita Tadevosyan
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President Donald Trump signs a trilateral joint declaration with President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia, Friday, August 8, 2025, in the State Dining Room. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok).

Armenia and Azerbaijan share a thorny history of a decades-long conflict, militarization, exclusive nationalism, mistrust, and displacement. Within this context, the meeting between the Prime Minster of Armenia and the President of Azerbaijan on August 8, 2025 at the White House was framed as a historic peace summit hosted by US President Donald Trump. The photo-ops, handshakes, and social media posts that followed referred to a historic agreement that is seen as the final step in ending the conflict. While this is a real and significant breakthrough in the peace processes between these two rival neighbors, it is also fragile. If history tells us anything, it is that the signing of a document does not by itself guarantee peace.

From Mediation to Direct Engagement

The decades-long conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh region (internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but historically populated by ethnic Armenians) began as a late Soviet dispute. It has since escalated into two full-scale wars (which occurred in 1992-1994 and 2020), repeated clashes, and mass displacements that left behind legacies of militarization, competing victimhoods, and hardened mistrust that still shapes both societies today.

Between 1994 and 2020, international mediation facilitated through the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group produced little progress. While some argue that the Minsk Group remains important for its unique mandate, institutional memory, and international legitimacy, in practice, the approach of this mediation platform proved to be limiting since the talks rarely included direct bilateral engagement. Since the 2020 war, the Azerbaijani government has been more openly critical of the international mediators, accusing them of ineffectiveness and stalling the process, even very directly calling for the disbandment of the group. In addition, for the past decades civil society-led dialogue processes and workshops also failed to produce any tangible results, partly because they were disconnected from the high-level diplomacy efforts and were running on parallel tracks rather than reinforcing the overall peace process. 

With this historical context, the pathway of the peace summit in Washington and the framework peace agreement is central. Since the 2020 war, the intensity of bilateral engagements between Armenia and Azerbaijan has increased substantially, and many working on these issues have rightfully noted that this bilateral approach has done more to bring the sides closer than decades of externally driven diplomacy. 

Avoiding the trap of photo-ops 

While many local and global headlines rushed to frame this as a “historic peace deal,” quickly moving to the next news sensation–Trump’s meeting with Putin in Alaska—it is important to pause and understand what exactly happened in Washington.  First of all, it would be a mistake to consider this a final peace accord. While some of the major points of contention have been agreed upon and reflected in the text of the initialed Agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the timing of actual signing by the heads of states into a binding agreement remains unknown.  More importantly, even with the signing of the agreement, we need to be careful not to hang the “mission accomplished” banner too quickly. Decades of comparative research show that what matters most is not the signing  of the document but the implementation process that follows: Agreements with weak implementation rarely hold, while those with robust implementation are far more likely to sustain peace.

The recently published PA-X Peace Agreements Database by Peace Rep also confirms this pattern at a global scale. According to the report, 2024 was the second year in a row without a single comprehensive peace agreement in the world. Instead, most new agreements worldwide were partial, technical, or procedural, and did not address the root causes of the conflict. While these kinds of agreements are necessary steppingstones, their design is extremely fragile and can lead to weak implementation and eventual collapse of the agreement. Peace agreements are the starting point; what builds sustainable peace is the creation of practical follow-up mechanisms and tools that translate words on paper into ongoing action. 

 
From Corridors to Community 

One of the most immediate and visible outcomes of the Washington process is the much-discussed transport corridor. Designated as the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), it allows Armenia to avoid the politically sensitive “Zangezur Corridor” label that implies a loss of sovereignty over the southern border in Syunik and territorial concessions, which has created major domestic backlash in Armenia, while satisfying Azerbaijan’s strategic goals. 

More importantly, this road is not just an abstraction. This road will pass through real geographies where real people live. It will run along villages, homes, and landmarks that locals call their backyard. This creates very real, practical, and potentially explosive challenges. What happens if an Azerbaijani driver crashes on the new road, or an Armenian driver causes a fatal accident that involves an Azerbaijani vehicle? Are local police, courts, and medical systems prepared, after decades of animosity, to manage such crises in ways that will reinforce trust rather than inflame resentment? We must be fully aware that this road will carry not only goods (the issue of customs and inspection is another potential challenge) but more importantly, real humans with all their fallibilities will be travelling across it. Unless there are well thought-out and carefully crafted mechanisms in place, and both sides are committed to managing such incidents fairly and transparently, this important breakthrough could quickly fall apart under the weight of avoidable crises.

The painful memory of the 2015 Gyumri massacre lingers as a warning. When a Russian conscript killed an Armenian family of seven, he received a life sentence. Yet, the case still sparked mass protests amid fears of cover-up, even though it involved Armenia’s strategic partner, not its long-time enemy. This shows that perceived fairness and transparency matter as much as formal processes in highly emotionally charged contexts. If cross-border incidents on this new corridor are not handled credibly, they could trigger street-level outrage and political backlash derailing the fragile peace process. 

Sustaining the Breakthrough

The Washington summit opened a window of opportunity that many had a hard time imagining in 2020 and 2023. But windows can close. The true test of leadership and commitment to the peace process in Yerevan and Baku is not the handshakes in front of cameras. It is their ability to build institutions, practices, and habits of trust that will allow everyday peace to become reality in everyday lives of their citizens. August 8, 2025, can easily become another missed opportunity, but it has the potential of opening a new chapter in the history in which Armenians and Azerbaijanis live as neighbors rather than enemies.

Keywords: Azerbaijan, Armenia, peace, conflict, conflict resolution, peace summit, Trump Corridor

Can Haiti’s New Leadership Build Peace Amidst Gang Violence?

By
Tara Abhasakun
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0
Aerial view of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, photo by Matteo Favre via Pexels.

Gang violence has caused mass suffering in Haiti. In the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince, gangs control 90% of neighborhoods. In June 2025, the UN reported that gang violence had displaced a record 1.3 million people in Haiti, a 24 percent increase from December 2024. 

The violence escalated in 2021 after the assasination of President Jovenel Moïse. As of March 2025, the violence has spread to areas previously unaffected by it, such as the Artibonite and Centre Departments where 92,000 and 147,000 people were displaced respectively.

International peacekeeping efforts have not managed to contain the crisis. In March 2024, the Biden administration put forward 10-year plan to promote stability in Haiti. However, experts have said that the US response remains insufficient, calling for more US cooperation with Haitian authorities to secure the country’s ports and borders and limit the flow of munitions to the gangs.

On August 7, a businessman named Laurent Saint-Cyr became the head of Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council (CPT) tasked with restoring order. Saint-Cyr called for action, saying, “We must restore state authority.” He added that the present challenges were linked to insecurity, but also to “a lack of vision and our irresponsibility.”

Saint-Cyr says he aims to: restore constitutional order; reconcile state and nation; and safeguard Haiti’s interests. He stressed eliminating gangs and fostering hope among Haitians who remain in the country, Haitian Times reported.

In April, the CPT signed the ‘Political Accord for a Peaceful and Orderly Transition,’ which outlines steps to a smooth transition toward restoring democracy and stability. A document outlining the agreement’s key points stated that the primary focus was to “quell the ongoing gang violence and turmoil, safeguard national sovereignty and foster a consensus-based national solution.”

However, the CPT has made limited progress, with key neighborhoods still under gang control, and no major national dialogue or transitional justice. On top of this, the CPT has also faced issues with its credibility due to corruption allegations. It was formed in April 2024, however, by the end of that year, three of its members had been accused of corruption, which they denied. 

Saint-Cyr is meant to be the final head of the CPT before it fulfills its duty of holding a presidential election on February 7, 2026. Saint-Cyr and the council are then expected to hand off power to the election’s victor, Al Jazeera reported.

In September 2024, Peace News Network (PNN) published an article about how Haiti remains insecure despite international peace efforts. Louis-Henri Mars, the executive director of Lakou Lapè, said that a key driver of violence is the lack of a clear pathway out of organized crime for gang members. Without ways for their members to reintegrate into society, he argued, the gangs will continue to violently resist state control and international intervention. 

He also pointed to Haiti’s porous border with the Dominican Republic, which he said allows weapons to flow into the country. To achieve long-term security, he said, Haiti needs to address the root causes of insecurity and instability. To read the full article, click here.

Keywords: Haiti, gang violence, leader, peace, peacebuilding, conflict, conflict resolution

This Week in Peace #94: August 15

By
Tara Abhasakun
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0
Shabam, Yemen, photo by Mohammad Hadi via Pexels.

This week, Azerbaijan and Armenia come to a peace agreement. Trump says he won’t discuss land divisions with Putin, sources say. Yemen envoy reports concerning developments hindering peace.

Azerbaijan and Armenia Come to a Peace Agreement

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a peace agreement on August 8 in Washington. The two countries had been engaged in an ethnic and territorial conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region since 1988 in which around 30,000 people were killed and over one million were displaced.

The region was semi-autonomous and primarily inhabited by ethnic Armenians, despite being located within Azerbaijan. In 2023, Azerbaijan reclaimed control of the region in a military campaign. 

The new deal includes a transit corridor named the Trump Route connecting Azerbaijan to the enclave of Nackchivan, which is separated from the rest of Azerbaijan by a 32-kilometer patch of Armenian territory. The Trump Route will  “allow unimpeded connectivity between the two countries while respecting Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and its people,” said White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly.

Trump Says He Won’t Discuss Land Divisions With Putin, Sources Say

US President Donald Trump says he won’t discuss dividing up Ukraine land when he meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska this week, sources say. On August 13, Trump threatened Putin with “very severe consequences” if he didn’t agree to stop his war in Ukraine. 

Trump’s warning came after he attended a virtual meeting with European leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the leaders had a “constructive and good” discussion with Trump. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy told the group that Putin “is bluffing” about seeking peace, The Associated Press reported. 

However, some European officials have said they had the impression that Trump was not optimistic about the results of his meeting with Putin. They said that Trump told them he does not intend to discuss divisions of territory with Putin, and his goal is to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine. 

Some of the leaders are reportedly worried that Trump and Putin might agree to the parameters of a peace deal, including territorial divisions, and then try to pressure Ukraine to agree to it.

Yemen Envoy Reports Concerning Developments Hindering Peace

The UN’s Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg reported on August 12 that regional turmoil was hindering hopes for peace in Yemen. In July, the Houthi armed group, which controls a significant portion of the country, launched a significant assault on Government forces in Sa’adah Governorate, which Grundberg said was “concerning.”

Adding to the situation are Yemen’s missile exchanges with Israel, which have continued in the past month. Grundberg called for an end to Houthi strikes on civilian ships in the Red Sea, saying, “For Yemen to have a real chance for peace, it must be protected from being further drawn into the ongoing regional turmoil emanating out of the war in Gaza.” He called on bot countries to take actions that “build trust and good faith.”

Some areas of Yemen, particularly those where people are displaced, are suffering from extreme hunger and malnutrition. UN coordination office OCHA reports that Yemen is one of the most food-insecure countries, with 17 million people going hungry. Without a political solution, “current cycles of violence – local and regional – along with economic devolution and endemic humanitarian need, will persist,” Ramesh Rajasingham, Director of OCHA’s Coordination Division, said.

Keywords: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Ukraine, Russia, Yemen, peace, conflict, conflict resolution

Pakistan’s National Minorities Day Champions Religious Harmony

By
Tara Abhasakun
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0
St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Hyderabad, photo by A. Savin via Wikipedia.

On August 11, 2025, Pakistan celebrated its annual National Minorities Day. The day commemorates a speech that the country’s founder, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, made on Aug 11, 1947, where he stressed equal rights for all citizens regardless of religion. 

Pakistan’s constitution contains several provisions which intend to protect minority rights. In practice, however, Pakistan has a long way to go in protecting religious minorities, which primarily include Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Ahmadi Muslims, and Shia Muslims, among other smaller groups. Persecution including violent attacks, abductions, and forced conversions against minorities still occur regularly in the country. Accusations of “blasphemy,” punishable by death in Pakistan, are used to incite violence, particularly against religious minorities and people with differing ideas. Studies have shown that Pakistani authorities, particularly in rural areas, act under pressure from extremist groups or fail to respond altogether.

National Minorities Day aims to remind society of the religious and socio-economic rights of Pakistan’s minorities, and promote religious harmony and peace. The day before National Minorities Day this year, minority rights groups rallied in the city of Karachi. One participant, Sardar Ram Singh, told The Associated Press, “The first demand is to end forced conversions. Second demand is that the places that non-Muslims, that minorities have given to the city, the schools, the colleges, they should be acknowledged and preserved.” Singh noted that some of these places had been taken over, and should be given back. The third demand, she said, was safety, security, and guarding places of worship for non-Muslims. 

Speakers advocated for changes to the legal and education system in the Pakistan to end religious hatred and discrimination.

Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif made separate statements, each reaffirming their commitment to minority rights and religious harmony. In a press release, President Zardari said, “We remain determined to build a society free from prejudice — one that embraces diversity as a strength and is anchored in mutual respect, interfaith harmony, and shared progress.”

Zardari pointed out the contributions of minorities to Pakistan. He noted that minorities have served in the armed forces, judiciary, civil services, education and healthcare. He described their patriotism and service as “a source of pride for the entire nation.”

In his own statement, PM Shebaz said, “Our struggle is for a Pakistan where no citizen feels isolated or unsafe due to their religion, but where bonds of brotherhood rise above prejudice.”

Across the country, NGOs and activists commemorated the day. The Community Development Foundation (CDF), based in Jacobabad, posted on Facebook honoring the day, saying it continues to promote “peace through togetherness.”

The Sustainable Social Development Foundation (SSDF), based in Islamabad, says that minority rights day offers a valuable moment to “recommit ourselves to fostering a society that values the rights and dignity of all its citizens, regardless of their backgrounds.” The SSDF says that schools should “incorporate lessons on diversity, tolerance, and respect for all cultures and religions.” This, it said, involves teaching empathy and understanding through curricula highlighting the historical contributions of minorities in Pakistan.

The SSDF calls for interfaith dialogue and community workshops and initiatives to break down barriers. It also calls for legal reforms and new legislation to address emerging challenges and protect minorities from discrimination and violence. The organization also advocates for positive media representation of minorities which highlights their achievements and contributions to society, while combating negative stereotypes.

In May, Peace News Network (PNN) published an article about a forum in Pakistan’s city of Narowal which aimed to combat hate and extremism, and build peace. Pakistan’s Narowal Peace Dialogue Forum aimed to turn the memory of past violence into a platform for unity, as bitter polarization and extremist ideology threaten the nation’s social fabric. Read the full article here.

Keywords: Pakistan, religious minorities, minorities, National Minorities Day, minority rights, human rights, peace, conflict, conflict resolution, religious harmony

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