This week, a ceasefire begins for Israel and Lebanon, only for fighting to resume. Bishops cry out for peace in Haiti. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda take a step forward in the peace process.
A ceasefire begins for Israel and Lebanon, only for fighting to resume
A 60-day ceasefire took hold between Israel’s military and the Lebanese Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah on November 27, only for fighting to resume the next day. The ceasefire initially allowed thousands of displaced residents of southern Lebanon to return to their homes, although the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) warned residents not to go towards villages that it had evacuated, or towards its forces in the area.
However, Israel carried out another airstrike on November 28, saying in a statement that “several suspects were identified arriving with vehicles to a number of areas in southern Lebanon, breaching the conditions of the ceasefire. The IDF opened fire toward them.” While Lebanese state-run media said that it was civilians who were wounded, Israel said that the wounded were suspects who had violated the ceasefire’s terms.
The ceasefire came after 14 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, with US president Joe Biden saying that it aims to permanently end hostilities. UN secretary general Antonio Guterres called the ceasefire the “first ray of hope” after the “darkness of the past few months,” as quoted in The Guardian.
According to a US senior administration official, Israeli forces must withdraw from Lebanon within 60 days, and Hezbollah forces are expected to retreat 25 from the Israel-Lebanon border, CNN reported.
Meanwhile, Biden says that he will again push for a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza. Biden said on X, “Over the coming days, the United States will make another push with Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Israel, and others to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza with the hostages released and an end to the war without Hamas in power.”
Bishops cry out for peace in Haiti
Amidst Haiti’s gang violence crisis, Bishops in the country are crying out for peace. The Haitian Catholic Bishops’ Conference released a statement urging people in powerful positions to bring safety back to Haiti.
The statement said that there is “no real peace in the country,” and that Toussaint Louverture International Airport is closed, “cutting off Haiti from the rest of the world,” as quoted by the organization Aid to the Church in Need.
The statement went on to call for the government, civil society members, and actors on all sides, whether armed or unarmed, to realize that the problem of violence must be resolved.
Last week, a UN official called for funding for the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti to be converted into a UN peacekeeping operation. Armed gangs have gained more and more territory, now controlling an estimated 85 percent of Port-au-Prince, he said. The humanitarian situation is “severe,” and 20,000 people fled gang violence in four days this month, he added. In September, the total number of people internally displaced in Haiti had been 700,000. To learn more, read here.
DRC and Rwanda take a step forward in the peace process
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda are taking a step forward in the peace process. The two countries signed a document crucial to advancing the peace process in DRC’s conflicted eastern region on November 25, with Angola’s mediation. A statement by Angola’s foreign ministry said the document aims to set terms by which Rwandan forces will disengage from the DRC.
This news comes after last month, DRC’s Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner accused Rwanda of creating barriers to peace talks with M23 rebels. Wagner said Congo had drawn up a plan for its side of the deal, but accused Rwanda of offering only a promise of withdrawal “with no guarantees or concrete details,” Reuters reported.
Both M23 rebels and Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) have committed grave war crimes and violations of international law, including unlawful killings and sexual violence. DRC’s crisis has left over 7 million people internally displaced, accounting for 10 percent of the world’s internally displaced people (IDPs). This follows a number of failed peace efforts between the DRC government and M23 rebels. To learn more about the human suffering caused by this crisis, click here.
Tara Abhasakun
Tara Abhasakun is a journalist in Bangkok. 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.
