Armenia says it’s ready for peace deal if Azerbaijan shows political will
Antalya, Turkey Reuters Armenia is ready to sign a peace agreement with Azerbaijan if Baku shows the same political will, and is keen to make progress on normalising relations with Turkey, a senior Armenian official said the weekend. Yerevan and Baku said in December they wanted to reach a peace deal after decades of being […]
No pay: In Ethiopia’s Tigray region, workers count the cost of war
KATE MIGIRO, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports on how health workers and civil servants in Tigray – who hoped a peace deal would mean their wages resumed – are are still waiting…
“Strong concerns”: Ethiopia digital ID prompts fears of ethnic profiling
ZECHARIAS ZELALEM, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports on fears the rollout of digital ID Fayda in Ethiopia could entrench discrimination against Tigrayans and other ethnic minorities…
Yemen truce expires as UN keeps pushing for broader deal
Aden, Yemen Reuters Yemen’s warring parties failed to renew a UN-brokered truce deal that expired on Sunday, dashing the hopes of some Yemenis for a broader pact that would ease economic woes and prolong relative calm after more than seven years of fighting. United Nations special envoy Hans Grundberg said late on Sunday he would […]
Colombia’s next government must focus on tackling criminal groups, UN says
Bogota, ColombiaReuters Colombia’s next government must prioritise dismantling illegal armed groups and criminal gangs, a report from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Tuesday, with rising violence devastating rural communities. Violence in Colombia fell dramatically following the 2016 peace deal between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of […]
South Sudan President dissolves parliament in line with peace deal
Juba, South SudanReuters South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has dissolved parliament, a long-awaited step to pave the way for the appointment of lawmakers from formerly warring parties in the country. The move was in line with a peace deal signed to end a civil war that began in 2013. South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir delivers […]
Azerbaijan delays takeover, promises to protect churches
Moscow, RussiaAP Azerbaijan on Sunday postponed taking control of a territory ceded by Armenian forces in a cease-fire agreement, but denounced civilians leaving the area for burning houses and committing what it called “ecological terror.” The cease-fire ended six weeks of intense fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region and territories outside its […]
Sudan, rebel alliance reach deal in ongoing peace efforts
Juba, South SudanAP Sudan’s transitional authorities and a rebel alliance signed a peace deal on Monday following months of tortuous negotiations aimed at ending the country’s decades-long civil wars, but other powerful armed groups have thus far declined to join them. The deal was reached between the Sudanese Government and the Sudan Revolutionary Front, a […]
Afghanistan forms new women’s council ahead of Taliban talks
Kabul, AfghanistanThomson Reuters Foundation The Afghan Government has announced a new council to safeguard women’s rights and interests, amid fears peace talks with the Taliban could lead to the loss of hard-won gains. President Ashraf Ghani said the council, announced late on Thursday, would “empower women”, promote their rights at home and implement Afghanistan’s international […]
Ex-South Sudan rebel leader believes unity government won’t be ready by 12th May
RomeReuters The two sides of war-ravaged South Sudan will not be able to meet a 12th May deadline to form a unity government because key requirements of a peace deal have not been met, former rebel leader Riek Machar told Reuters on Friday. Machar – who should regain his post as vice president under the […]