Welcome back to This Week in Peace, our weekly summary of events in global peacebuilding.
This week saw mixed results for long-term global peace. Colombia extended a ceasefire with a leftist guerilla group – and extracted a crucial promise which could make an eventual peace deal more likely. Russia barred the only anti-war candidate from running in the upcoming presidential election, removing an unexpectedly high-profile challenge to the Kremlin’s war. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a deal proposed by Hamas, which would have resulted in the release of Israelis held as hostages in exchange for the eventual end of the war in Gaza.
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Colombia extends its ceasefire with the ELN
This week, Colombia formally extended a ceasefire deal with the National Liberation Army (ELN), a leftist guerilla group which has fought the government for decades. The extension of the ceasefire for 180 days is a victory for Colombian president Gustavo Petro, who has staked his reputation on his “Total Peace” initiative, aiming to build peace with all armed groups active in Colombia. The initiative has seen mixed success, but the continuation of talks and the ceasefire with the ELN is an important step. Crucially, the deal included a commitment from the ELN to stop carrying out kidnappings. Ransoming victims of kidnapping is a major income source for the rebels, and the high-profile abduction of a well-known soccer star’s parents last year almost derailed the peace process. Total Peace has failed to live up to its name or lofty expectations, and Petro faces challenges of his own, from allegations of campaign finance irregularities. However, this announcement is a major victory for peace in Colombia, and hopefully will lead to a long-term deal between the government and the ELN, following the 2016 peace accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
Read more stories about Colombia here, including our story on the Total Peace initiative.
Russia bars an antiwar candidate from presidential election
Russia’s election commission barred Boris Nadezhdin, an antiwar opposition candidate, from running in the country’s March presidential election. Nadezhdin’s candidacy had received unexpected support, challenging the Kremlin’s narrative of broad support for Russia’s war in Ukraine. Antiwar speech has already been heavily criticized, and without Nadezhdin there are no remaining candidates opposed to the war remaining. Russian President Vladimir Putin is widely expected to secure a fifth presidential term in an election that will be neither free nor fair. Nadezhdin’s candidacy, while unlikely to succeed given the Kremlin’s near-total control of Russia’s media and institutions, presented a rare opportunity for an agenda of peace to be given public exposure.
Nadezhdin now joins the rank of Russian opposition figures, including Alexei Navalny and numerous peace activists, who have been targeted by Putin’s weaponization of the country’s legal system. The strength of his candidacy, the unexpected level of support he received for running an openly anti-war and pro-peace campaign, and the disqualification of his candidacy indicate that there is a growing peace constituency within Russia, which is backed by polling. Russia’s autocracy and censorship, especially of antiwar speech, continue to intensify, but Nadezhdin’s candidacy, and the thousands of Russians willing to publicly list themselves as his supporters, gives hope that in a post-Putin Russia peace may be possible. As long as the current regime remains in power, however, Ukrainians and Russians will continue to suffer, and a just peace is all but impossible.
Click here for Peace News content on Russia, we will continue to cover the war in Ukraine and efforts to find a just peace.
Netanyahu rejects a ceasefire deal, aims for victory over peace
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a proposed ceasefire agreement this week, vowing to continue the war in Gaza until Israel’s “complete victory”. A deal was presented to both Israel and Hamas including an initial pause in fighting for six weeks, the release of remaining civilian hostages held by Hamas, and the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, along with increased aid to Gaza. Hamas issued a response, which included provisions for the reconstruction of Gaza and the eventual withdrawal of Israeli troops, first from populated areas and then from all of Gaza. Hamas also demanded the release of al Palestinian women and children prisoners held in Israel, as well as 1,500 male prisoners selected by Hamas. On the other side, Israel has held firm to its refusal to end combat operations until the defeat of Hamas, and is unlikely to agree to a return to the pre-war status quo. The need for a ceasefire is more urgent than ever as Israeli forces move closer to entering Rafah, the last refuge for over a million Palestinians and the only port of entry for aid to the besieged territory.
Read more of our stories about Israel and Palestine here, and you can find our new video on how the media has covered the war in Gaza here.
