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
Tara Abhasakun
Tara Abhasakun is Peace News Network (PNN)'s managing editor. She is journalist based in Christchurch, New Zealand, and formerly in Bangkok, Thailand. She has reported on a range of human rights issues involving youth protests in Thailand, as well as arts and culture. Tara's work has appeared in several outlets, including Al Jazeera and South China Morning Post.
