Welcome to the newest installment of This Week in Peace, where we highlight breaking news in global peacebuilding each week.
This week, we cover the continued crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh, developments in Sudan and Ethiopia, and the ongoing negotiations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh
The situation in Nagorno-Karabakh continues to develop, with fears of a humanitarian crisis growing. Following the rapid Azerbaijani military victory, Armenians began to flee, fearing further outbreaks of the ethnic violence that has been an unfortunate feature of conflicts in the disputed territory. The situation is rapidly developing, recent estimates are that 70,000 people, over half of the region’s Armenian population, have fled, and the exodus seems set to continue. The future of the region’s remaining population is unclear, a blockade of the region had caused shortages of food and other vital products even before the outbreak of military conflict. A fuel explosion increased civilian suffering, and many fear reprisals, despite Azerbaijani statements that the Armenian population are welcome to remain in their homes as long as they become Azerbaijani citizens.
Peace News published an article on this issue yesterday, read it here or on our website.
Threats to Peace in Ethiopia
Open warfare in Ethiopia between the central government and the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), ended with a peace agreement last year, following two years of devastating war which displaced up to 2 million civilians. Both sides were accused of committing atrocities against civilians, and there are fears that abuses may continue, especially in areas near the Eritrean border. Violence in the Amhara region, between the government and ethnic militia groups, has raised fears of further conflict in the country. The threat to peace was illustrated by the postponement of the Tana Peace Forum, which was scheduled to take place in a region now affected by this newest conflict.
Read some of our past stories on Ethiopia: https://peacenews.com/category/ethiopia/
A Chance for Peace in Sudan?
As fighting continues between the military government of Sudan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), there have been some positive developments that have raised hopes for an eventual peaceful resolution of the conflict. Both sides have been accused of targeting civilians, and the RSF has been accused of atrocities in Darfur, raising fears of a repeat of past crimes against humanity in that region. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the Sudanese military, recently said for the first time that he would be willing to sit down with the head of the RSF. While both sides continue to fight, this is a positive step for peace in the country, following the breakdown of several peace initiatives. Hopefully this represents an openness on both sides to find a diplomatic solution, and a committment to respect the safety and security of Sudanese civilians.
Read our past coverage of Sudan here: https://peacenews.com/category/sudan/
Saudi-Israeli Peace Initiative
Negotiations continue between Israel and Saudi Arabia, as slow but steady progress is made on a peace agreement that would normalize ties between the two countries. The deal would be an important step for peace in the region, and could help to promote reconciliation in the region. Concerns remain over the future of the Israel-Palestinian peace process, which could potentially hold up the deal. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia have pushed for Palestinian inclusion in the negotiations, while members of Israel’s governing coalition oppose any concessions. A potential deal would be the latest in a series of normalization deals between Israel and Arab states, and hopefully continue a trend of actors in the region working towards build reconciliation instead of division.
Read some of our past coverage of these issues: https://peacenews.com/category/israel-palestine/
