This week, South Sudanese Christians unite against hate despite community divides. Rebel groups threaten to abandon DRC peace talks. Houthis refusing a peace deal, diplomat says.
South Sudanese Christians Unite Against Hate Despite Community Divides
South Sudanese Christians are uniting against online hate despite divides between their communities. On November 3, Premier Christian News reported that Christians from opposing communities have pleged to tackle online hate speech and misinformation with the Digital Pledge for Peace, supported by Church Mission Society (CMS) which encourages Christians to take greater responsibility for what they share online.
The first pledge signed in July 2025 between the Abyei and Twic communities, which have fought over land for years. CMS said some young leaders have already stood up to hateful messages within their own social media groups.
Peacemaker Paul Lueth said, “A single post, share, or voice note can directly cause loss of innocent lives, displacement of families, and community destruction.”
Despite South Sudan’s 2018 peace deal, the country is experiencing renewed violence between the military, loyal to president Salva Kiir, and insurgents believed to be allied with the suspended vice-president Riek Machar. On August 24, unidentified gunmen killed two UN peacekeepers in Jonglei state, South Sudan, highlighting dangers to peacekeepers in the country. The UN reported that the patrol by the peacekeeping mission in the country, UNMISS, was attacked on the way to Pajut, a remote area in the eastern region.
The country has roughly 330,000 refugees and asylum-seekers (mainly from Sudan), and 2 million internally displaced persons due to conflict.
Rebel Groups Threaten to Abandon DRC Peace Talks
On November 2, a coalition of rebel groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) threatened to abandon peace talks under the Doha Framework Agreement signed in 2025 if the government proceeds with its proposed referendum to amend the country’s Constitution.
Former Congolese President and leader of the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN) Joseph Kabila announced this in Goma after a meeting with UN officials led by James Swan, head of the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo (MONUSCO).
FRN vice president Bertrand Bisimwa said they expressed their concerns about the prospect of changing the country’s Constitution to give President Felix Tshisekedi a third term in office.
This development comes after the US imposed sanctions on Rwanda’s Ministry of Defence and Zigama Credit and Savings Society for alleged support of the M23 armed group in eastern Congo. In its sanctions announcement, the US Treasury Department accused Rwanda’s military of deploying thousands of troops alongside M23 in North and South Kivu provinces and supplying the group with weapons, equipment, logistical support and training. The US also alleged that Rwanda introduced surface-to-air missile systems and jamming equipment into eastern DRC, creating risks for civilian aviation.
Yemen’s Houthis Refuse Peace Deal, Diplomat Says
Yemen’s top diplomat says the Houthi armed group is refusing a peace deal. The diplomat, Foreign Minister Afrah al-Zouba, said, told The Associated Press on November 4, “The problem is that the Houthis aren’t willing, and they will not be ready for peace,” and accused Iran of employing the group to serve its agenda.
Al-Zouba added that any agreement must give Yemen’s government the ability to regain control of the whole country.
Keywords: Yemen, Houthi, DRC, Congo, rebels, rebel, M23, South Sudan, Christians, Christian, peace, conflict, conflict resolution
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.
