Welcome to the first installment of our new series: This Week in Peace, where we will highlight developments in global peacebuilding each week.
This week, we cover the end of a brief conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, continued progress towards “total peace” in Colombia, and Saudi Arabia’s involvement in three different peace initiatives.
Ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh
A deal was reached to end renewed fighting in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh just a day after it began. An Azerbaijani offensive had raised fears of renewed fighting in the region, with concerns of potential ethnic cleansing and a wider conflict involving Armenia and other actors. This was the latest escalation of the conflict over the disputed area, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but has a majority Armenian population. Two wars, one in the 1990s and one in 2020, have been fought over the territory, with a Russian intervention ending the most recent conflict. Whether or not this most recent development will lead to lasting peace remains to be seen, but the swift end of this new conflict is a positive development.
Peace News recently produced a video exploring this conflict and the prospects for longterm peace. Watch it here: https://peacenews.com/can-peace-be-achieved-in-nagarno-karabakh/
A New Ceasefire in Colombia
Colombia announced a 10 month ceasefire and upcoming peace talks with a FARC dissident group. This follows the announcement earlier this summer of a ceasefire with the National Liberation Army (ELN), positive steps towards ending fighting in Colombia’s civil conflict, which has lasted for over half a century. The current Colombian administration is aiming for a “total peace” with armed groups in the country, and this recent news is an important step towards ending the long-running civil conflict.
Read some of our past stories on Colombia: https://peacenews.com/category/colombia/
Saudi Arabia and Israel
The EU and a group of Arab States convened a working group during the UN General Assembly to create a peace package intended to “reinvigorate the peace process in the Middle East” and work towards a Two-State Solution. Whether or not this initiative will succeed where many others have failed remains to be seen, however it is a sign that peace is always possible, despite recent struggles.
Saudi Arabia, one of the countries included in this initiative, is engaged in separate negotiations with Israel aimed around normalizing relations, with the United States playing an important role. While this deal would not fully resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict in its current state, it would still be an important step towards reducing tensions in the region.
Read some of our past coverage of these issues: https://peacenews.com/category/israel-palestine/
Positive Steps Towards Peace in Yemen
Saudi Arabia and the leadership of the Yemeni Houthi rebel group recently held five days of talks in the kingdom. While details were scarce, both sides publicly stated that the talks had a positive outcome, which raises hopes that the long conflict could be resolved peacefully. In 2014, the Houthis seized the capital, Sana’a, and large parts of the country, which was followed by military intervention by a Saudi-led coalition. The conflict has created a humanitarian crisis in Yemen and any step towards peace is a positive development.
Read our stories on Yemen here: https://peacenews.com/category/yemen/
Peace at risk in Mali after clashes between government and rebel groups
Concerns grew over the risk of increased violence in Mali, as Tuareg rebel groups claimed to have captured two military bases. Mali, like other countries in the Sahel, has been confronting a long-running transnational jihadist insurgency, and has experienced two recent coups, which replaced French military assistance with Wagner Group mercenaries. A resumption of conflict between the government and Tuareg groups would further degrade the security situation in the country and place Malian citizens at risk. There is an urgent need for
Read past PNN coverage of Mali here: https://peacenews.com/category/mali/
