Welcome back to This Week in Peace, our weekly summary of events in global peacebuilding.
This week, peace negotiations between Israel and Hamas reach a critical point, the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo called for peace in his country amid an ongoing dispute with Rwanda, and some American colleges chose to address student protests with peace instead of opposition, as pro-Palestinian encampments continue to spread throughout the country.
Time is running out for peace in Rafah
Negotiations between Israel and Hamas, with significant Egyptian, Qatari and American mediation, continue with no final agreement reached as of the time of writing. The talks have been on the verge of an agreement for months, and participants and outside mediators all agree that this is perhaps the closest the two sides have been since the start of the new year. According to British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, the current deal would release over 30 of the remaining hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, and thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The two sides still differ on a number of important topics, including whether Israeli troops will fully withdraw from Gaza, whether the ceasefire will be permanent, and whether Israel will carry out its threatened attack on Rafah, where over one million displaced Palestinians have taken shelter. The Israeli government is under increasing pressure from the families of hostages, who are urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a deal as soon as possible, while far-right extremists in his cabinet continue to call to continue the war. An attack on Rafah would almost certainly have drastic humanitarian consequences, considering the ongoing crisis brought on by Israel’s destruction of much of Gaza’s humanitarian infrastructure, and the lack of sufficient aid being allowed in by the IDF. It is essential that both sides agree on a peace treaty, and hold to its terms, in order to take a step towards permanent peace in the region, and to protect the people of Gaza.
Congolese president recognizes the need for peace
During a visit to Berlin, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi emphasized the need to reach a state of peaceful coexistence with Rwanda, as fighting between the government and the Rwandan-backed M23 continues in the eastern DRC. Tshisekedi said he was open to meeting with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, and walked back some of his aggressive statements threatening war from late 2023. The eastern DRC has experienced decades of conflict since the Rwandan genocide, including two wars (which began with Rwandan invasions) involving actors from across Africa which radically changed the country. Tshisekedi was clear to emphasize his desire for peace with Rwanda, and made it clear that his issue is with Kagame and its government, not the Rwandan people themselves. Whether or not the two leaders can come to an agreement remains to be seen, but Tshisekedi’s statements are a positive indication that the recent tensions between the two states are not permanent. The conflict in the eastern DRC has been extremely destructive and negatively impacted millions of lives, and reconciliation between the DRC and Rwanda is the only way to end it.
Amid ongoing protests, some American universities choose peace over confrontation
Pro-Palestinian protests have appeared at many American universities over the past week, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and for their universities to divest from weapons manufacturers and from Israel. Some universities, most notably Northwestern in Illinois and Brown in Rhode Island, have chosen to work with the protestors, peacefully negotiating deals to prevent confrontation and avoid the chaotic and often violent scenes seen at many other schools – where hundreds of students in similar protests have been arrested or suspended. As the college protests and the often disproportionate response threaten to overshadow the war itself, these sorts of agreements are extremely valuable in avoiding conflict, and demonstrating the potential effectiveness of smaller-scale, bottom-up peacebuilding.
