Welcome back to This Week in Peace, our weekly summary of events in global peacebuilding.
This week, the crucial Camp David Accords are threatened by the ongoing war in Gaza, as negotiations to find a plan to end the fighting continue without success. The Congolese national soccer team made a public call for peace in the eastern DRC, and a border clash illustrated the many obstacles to a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
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A landmark peace treaty is threatened by the war in Gaza
While the US and regional partners continue to try to find an agreement that would lead to a ceasefire in Gaza, lay the groundwork for a future Palestinian state, and release Israeli hostages, another agreement is under threat. Egypt was the first Arab state to recognize and make peace with Israel, through the Camp David Accords, which have held for decades and were a landmark step towards peace in the Middle East. Since the start of the war Egypt has insisted that it will not allow Palestinians to be pushed into its territory, which is a growing concern as Israel prepares an offensive into Rafah, the last remaining refuge for over a million Palestinians, and which is on the border with Egypt. Reports surfaced in a number of outlets that Egypt had threatened to pull out of the treaty in the event of an invasion of Rafah. This would be highly destabilizing for the region, and further harm the prospects for long-term peace. Thankfully, Egypt’s Foreign Minister denied that such an action was being considered, but the reports illustrate the potential consequences of an operation in Rafah, which would exacerbate an already dire humanitarian situation.
We published an article on the 45th anniversary of the Camp David Accords in September, which you can find here.
Congolese national team makes a public plea for peace amid ongoing violence
Before a recent Africa Cup of Nations Semifinal, the Congolese national team made a public call for peace. Fighting is ongoing in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo between the government and M23 rebels, threatening the major city of Goma. The region has experienced decades of conflict, which began with the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide and involves numerous regional and nonstate actors. This latest fighting has displaced thousands, and signals a significant escalation as tensions between the DRC and Rwanda are at their highest point in decades. Despite the high stakes, the conflict receives little international attention, and hopefully this protest will help to draw further attention to this pressing issue.
Read our recent story about this conflict here.
An exchange of fire illustrates challenges facing Armenia and Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan and Armenia continue to negotiate on the terms of a potential historic peace treaty, which could end decades of tensions between the two former Soviet states. This week, four Armenian soldiers were killed in what Azerbaijan said was retaliation for Armenian troops firing on its border. While the negotiations continue, and incidents along the border are not uncommon, it does illustrate the challenges facing both countries. There is a long history of clashes between the two neighbors, who fought an all-out war in 2020. The resolution of the status of the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh (due to Azerbaijani military force) and the ongoing negotiations have opened the door for long-term peace which would prevent further conflict in an unstable region.
You can read more of our coverage of this issue here, we’ll continue to cover any further developments in the ongoing peace process.
