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This Week In Peace #12: December 8

By
Peace News Staff
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The opening of the COP28 conference in Dubai, where the link between peace and climate change was on the agenda. Image credit: COP28/Christopher Pike

Welcome back to This Week in Peace, our weekly summary of events in global peacebuilding. 

This week, we cover continued efforts to find a peaceful solution to the war in Gaza, as Palestinian civilians face continued threats amid the ongoing Israeli ground operation. In Bosnia, a Serb leader is put on trial, which threatens the fragile state of peace in the country. Peace was on the agenda at the COP 28 climate conference in Dubai. And the leaders of Turkey and Greece pledged to maintain a peaceful relationship in a landmark meeting in Athens. 

In case you missed it, we are now offering this series as a newsletter! You can sign up here to get future editions directly every week, and stay up to date on peacebuilding around the world. 

The War in Gaza 

Last week, we covered, with some optimism, the weeklong pause in fighting in Gaza, accompanied by a prisoner exchange that freed dozens of hostages. Unfortunately, that deal broke down, as the leaders of Israel and Hamas rejected peace in favor of continued fighting. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF)  have begun to advance into the major city of Khan Younis, forcing many Palestinians to flee further south. The UN says that nearly 1.9 million Palestinians, around 80% of the territory’s population, have been forced to flee their homes, amid widespread destruction caused by Israeli airstrikes and the ongoing ground offensive. A peace deal is desperately needed to protect civilians and end the cycle of violence, but there is a great deal of uncertainty of what the immediate postwar reality will be in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the IDF will have control over Gaza’s security following the war, which, along with the remaining hostages held by Hamas, will complicate any peace negotiations. 

The ongoing conflict threatens peace for all who live in the region. The cycle of violence must end, in order to prevent another destructive conflict in the future. There is some hope, as some peace activists in Israel have continued their work to build bridges between Israelis and Palestinians. 

Read our recent story on how the media has covered this conflict here, and you can also read our piece on the Israelis and Palestinians working to build peace and reconciliation. Our past and future stories on Israel and Palestine are available here. 

COP 28: Progress and Setbacks

The COP 28 climate conference continues in Dubai, not without controversy as the fight against climate change is overshadowed by the ongoing war in Gaza. Attendees of the conference, including heads of state, raised the issue and called for an end to the war. Some protestors linked the ongoing war with threats to the climate and the environment in Gaza, calling for any peace agreement to also include environmental justice. The relationship between building peace and addressing climate change was a topic of discussion as well. The EU and UNICEF both endorsed initiatives to support peacebuilding in conflict-fragile countries that will be heavily impacted by climate change. However, these constructive steps were overshadowed by debates over the war in Gaza and the role of fossil fuels. Further progress on this front is essential, as many experts have warned that the effects of climate change will threaten peace around the world. 

We recently published a story on the role climate change plays in increasing tensions between herders and farmers in Nigeria, which you can watch here. You can also read more of our stories on the link between climate change, peace, and conflict here. 

Positive Engagement between Greece & Turkey

Turkish President Reccep Tayyip Erdogan met with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens this week, where the two signed a declaration of friendship. The two states, neighbors and NATO allies, have a long history of rivalry, with recent disputes over territorial boundaries in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean driving fears of open conflict. However, on this visit Erdogan took a radically different tone compared to his previous statements on these issues, saying he wants to turn the Aegean into a “sea of peace”. The two leaders announced agreements on migration, allowing Turkish citizens visa-free travel to Greece, and on other subjects. The meeting has raised hopes that a peaceful resolution can be found to the long-running disputes between the two states, which is crucial to avoiding a potentially disastrous conflict. 

You can read more of our stories on Turkey here. 

Peace is Threatened in Bosnia

This week, the trial of Milord Dodik, the president of the Republika Srpska, the Serb political entity within Bosnia & Herzegovina, began in Sarajevo. Under the Daytona Agreement, which ended a destructive civil war in the 1990s, the country has a weak central government and two constituent political entities, one of which is the Republika Srpska. Dodik is charged with defying an international peace envoy who enforces the Agreement, having signed laws seen as threatening the state of peace. Dodik is close with Vladimir Putin, sanctioned by the U.S., and has said that he would declare independence from Bosnia if Donald Trump is elected to a second term as president of the United States. This trial is a high-profile demonstration of the fragile state of peace in Bosnia. It is crucial that both sides prioritize constructive engagement with each other, to avoid another civil conflict. 

Witnessing War: Civilian Voices in Sudan

By
Daniel Rothbart, Karina Korostelina and Beltina Gjeloshi
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The Sudanese capital of Khartoum, where fighting is ongoing between the Sudanese military and a rival paramilitary group. Image credit: Christopher Michel

Sudan has endured decades of devastating wars, including civil conflicts from 1956 to 1972 and from 1983 to 2005, with ongoing conflicts in many regions including Darfur, the Nuba Mountains, and the Blue Nile state. These wars have devastated large segments of the population either due to their proximity to combat zones or as systematic targets. Civilians who witness such violence gain unique insights into its ravages, distinct from militants.  

In 2019, a popular uprising led to the removal of President Omar al-Bashir by the military. A peace agreement, the Juba Agreement for Peace in Sudan, was brokered in 2019, envisioning a transitional period of governance. However, this path to democracy was disrupted by a military coup on October 25, 2021, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burham, who declared a state of emergency and dissolved the civilian-military government. The coup led to arrests of key figures, violence against protesters, and a retreat from democratic governance. In April 2023, the nation reverted to war once again when a militia group called Rapid Support Force attacked the state-run Sudan Armed Forces, leading to mass atrocities against civilians. 

What does war look like from the civilians’ perspective? This article presents the findings of an oral history project involving 116 Sudanese civilians from these war-torn regions, focusing on their experiences during war and their vision for a just future for Sudan. The project has two main objectives: first, to showcase civilians’ experiences during these wars, emphasizing their suffering, the rupture of family relations, and the struggle for survival, and second, to collect diverse recommendations for promoting justice in a nation marked by systemic inequalities. The project team includes human rights investigators affiliated with the Gisa Group, an international NGO. 

The project highlights the narrative power of civilian noncombatants who serve as witnesses to various forms of violence, including systematic killings, rape, looting, and the destruction of essential resources. This narrative power is inherent in civilians and can be summarized in three main categories:

(a) Violence: Respondents recounted various forms of violence, including shootings, aerial assaults, rape, destruction of property, and strategic destruction of the land. Some mentioned scorched earth strategies and theft and rape by certain rebel groups, illustrating the brutality of the perpetrators.

(b) Trauma: The violence resulted in the loss of homes, possessions, and conditions for sustainable living, leading to a profound rupture in their sense of a secure future. Many respondents experienced trauma and uncertainty, with questions about their future and how to support loved ones.

(c) Justice: What does justice entail in Sudan, and how can it be realized, and by whose standards? These are pivotal questions, and the respondents shared a diverse array of perspectives on the matter. While the vast majority expressed hope in the attainability of justice, the interpretations, methods, and possibilities for achieving it varied considerably. Among the interpretations put forth by the respondents, justice is perceived as:

  1. Restoration of Equal Rights: Many view justice as the reinstatement of equal rights for all citizens.
  2. Criminal Prosecution: Some believe justice can be achieved through the legal prosecution of those responsible for acts of violence.
  3. Peace-Building: Another perspective is that justice is intertwined with efforts to build and maintain peace.
  4. Reconciliation: Some see justice as linked to fostering reconciliation and healing within communities.
  5. Education: Certain respondents associate justice with the expansion of educational opportunities.
  6. Compensation: For others, justice involves compensation for the losses suffered.
  7. Divine Will: Lastly, a few respondents view justice as aligning with the will of God.

In summary, while there is a shared aspiration for justice among the respondents, the understanding of what justice entails and the paths to achieve it are multifaceted and reflect a broad spectrum of beliefs and priorities.

The oral history project represents a systematic effort to document the experiences of Sudanese civilians in war-torn regions. It highlights the inseparability of peace and justice, emphasizing that lasting peace cannot be achieved without addressing structural injustices. The narratives of the respondents carry political implications, underlining the importance of their memories, beliefs, and aspirations in the face of the current military regime. Nurturing the narrative power of civilians plays a critical role in overcoming fragmentation and working toward a just peace in Sudan.

What Peacebuilding Means to Us

By
Peace News Staff
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Peace News is a proud member of the Alliance for Peacebuilding (AfP), a network of over 200 organizations around the world that work for peace. The concept of peacebuilding itself has always been difficult to precisely define and took some effort to publish in the dictionary, as featured in this story. The AfP chose to define it not in an academic sense, but by providing clear, real-world examples of what peacebuilding means to its member organizations, in a campaign they call #PeacebuildingIs. Peace News was one of the groups invited to contribute, and you can read our submission below. You can also read the submissions of other AfP members here to learn about their work and what peacebuilding means to them. 

Peace News Network: Peacebuilding is Listening 

Narratives of peace are often marginalized or excluded from the news media, especially in times of violent conflict. Peace News aims to provide an alternative to sensationalized coverage of war by elevating the voices of peacebuilders. We don’t take sides, we listen – to peacebuilders, experts, and ordinary people impacted by conflict. When the war in Gaza began, we had an obligation to cover it, as any news organization would. Unlike many news organizations focused on the violence, voices of elites or extremists, and victory framing, we chose to focus on the voices of ordinary people and peacebuilders and solutions to the conflict.

We met with Israeli and Palestinian representatives of the Parent’s Circle, a group of people who had lost family members to the conflict, and chose to work to build peace and end the cycle of violence. We heard from Stand Together, which works to build solidarity between Israelis and Palestinians. We listened to their stories, and shared them with our audience. As journalists, the way we build peace isn’t through our own actions, but by sharing the words and actions of others. This conflict will only end when both sides listen to one another, and accept their shared humanity. With our stories, we hope to contribute to building an environment of empathy and promote a narrative of hope. 

If you want to read more stories about peacebuilding, you can sign up for both of our newsletters here, and stay up to date on efforts to build peace around the world.

Is Climate Change Increasing Conflict between Farmers and Herders in Nigeria?

By
Mohammed Ibrahim and Marta Morais
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Climate change has forced many Fulani herders to move south, into a region of Nigeria known as the “Middle Belt”. Conflict between the Fulani and Hausa farmers has been increasing in recent years, leading to outbreaks of violence. Peace News explores the drivers of this conflict, including the impact of climate change, and speaks with peacebuilders on the ground, working to address the issue and bridge the divide between the two communities.

This Week in Peace #11: December 1

By
Peace News Staff
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Doha, Qatar, where talks between Israel and Hamas are ongoing amid a weeklong truce and prisoner exchange. Image credit: Erik Törner


Welcome back to This Week in Peace, our weekly summary of events in global peacebuilding. 

This week, we cover a continued pause in fighting in Gaza, successful negotiations with an armed group in India, the start of peace talks in the Philippines, and a peace deal under threat in Mali. 

In case you missed it, we are now offering this series as a newsletter! You can sign up here to get future editions directly each week, and stay up to date on peacebuilding around the world. 

Israel Palestine

The most important news of the week was once again in Gaza, where a pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas remains in effect. While it is not permanent, it has allowed hostages to be released, and for the Israeli bombing of Gaza to temporarily halt. The original agreement has been extended beyond the original period twice, and will now last at least 7 days. Despite continued violence in the West Bank, where two Palestinian boys were killed by the IDF, and in Jerusalem, where three people were killed in an attack on a bus stop that was claimed by Hamas. Despite the uncertainty over what comes when the truce eventually ends, the last week has been an overall positive period for peace. A prisoner exchange has seen over 90 hostages released by Hamas, including childeren and the elderly, while 200 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel have also been released, some of whom were held without charge. Negotiations are ongoing in Qatar, and the U.S., along with many other nations, has pushed for the pause to be extended, to continue the prisoner exchange and allow more aid to reach Gaza. The U.S., Israel’s most prominent international supporter, publicly called for aid deliveries to continue independent of the rest of the agreement. The next week will be crucial for peace in the region – further extensions could lay the groundwork for a more lasting ceasefire, while a return to war would make short-term peace far more difficult to achieve. 

Read our recent story on how the media has covered this conflict here, and check out our past stories on Israel and Palestine here. 

Philippines 

The government of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front, a communist rebel organization, agreed to resume peace talks. The New People’s Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, has fought the government since 1969, with tens of thousands killed in the decades of conflict. The Philippines, the U.S., and the EU consider the NPA to be a terrorist organization, and the government stated that it would not enforce a total ceasefire despite the resumption of negotiations.  Previous talks ended in 2019, when the government of Rodrigo Duterte pulled out following attacks on government outposts. The current peace talks, mediated by the Norwegian government, could finally bring an end to the fighting, as the Philippines faces continued pressure from China regarding territorial claims in the South China Sea. 

India

This week, the Indian government and the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), an armed group in the state of Mirapur, announced a peace deal. The UNLF has fought the government since 1964, and is currently made up of hundreds of fighters, some based in Myanmar. Under the terms of the agreement, the UNLF agreed to renounce violence and seek a peace settlement within the bounds of India’s constitution. There are hopes that other rebel groups in the region will follow the UNLF and sign deals with the government. Since 2014, Narendra Modi’s government has reached a number of peace agreements with armed groups in India’s northeast, continued engagement with these groups will help to improve the overall level of peace in the world’s largest democracy. 

Mali

A peace agreement between the Malian government and Tuareg groups, in place since 2015, faces further strain. Mali, ruled by a military junta, announced an investigation into some of the signatories of the agreement, calling them “terrorists” and equating them with jihadist groups also active in the country. The groups rebelled in 2015, and some of which have separatist ambitions for an independent Tuareg state. The withdrawal of UN and French troops, the continued presence of jihadist groups, some linked to al-Qaeda, and some violent incidents carried out by both the government and Tuareg groups have threatened the fragile state of peace in the north of Mali. Some rebels have already abandoned the agreement, and the latest move by the junta makes it possible that more will follow suit. 
You can read more of our stories on Mali here.

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