Armed Conflicts

Shadow Fighting Erupts over Gaddafi

By Mel Frykberg
Civilians in the town of Bani Walid, 170 km south-east of Tripoli, are facing a humanitarian crisis as Libyan security forces lay siege to the stronghold of Muammar Gaddafi supporters, cutting off water, food and medical supplies.

To Press for Peace in Kivus, Donors Should Hold Aid, Report Says

By Jim Lobe
Major donors to Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) should withhold aid to both governments until they comply with prior agreements to pacify the DRC's mineral-rich Kivu provinces, states a new report released Thursday by the International Crisis Group.

As Conflict Spreads, Syrian Opposition Prepares for the Future

By Samer Araabi
As the uprising in Syria becomes violently entangled with its neighbours, the expatriate opposition leadership is already formulating plans for a political transition following the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

“How Much to Lift the Sanctions?” Iranians React to MEK De-Listing

By Yasaman Baji
Last week’s decision by the U.S. State Department to remove the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK) from its terrorism list has, as anticipated, led to charges by the Iranian government that the administration of President Barack Obama is hypocritical and using double standards.

Turkey Authorises Use of Force in Syria

By AJ Correspondents
Turkey’s parliament has authorised cross-border military action against Syria, if deemed necessary by the government.
One of the reasons the Abyei region is disputed is that it offers grazing land for cattle, which are valued in Sudan and South Sudan for their intrinsic wealth. Credit: Charlton Doki/IPS

Abyei Region Still a Stumbling Block between South Sudan, Sudan

By Charlton Doki
Pressure from ethnic groups along the border, security concerns, and keen interest in resources like oil and land are making it difficult for Sudan and South Sudan – the world’s newest country - to resolve their dispute over the fertile, oil-rich region of Abyei and demarcate their common border. Speaking in Turkey on Monday, Sudan’s first vice president, Ali Osman Taha, called for a referendum to resolve the issue.

Europe’s Support Crucial for Ongoing Arab Spring

By Daan Bauwens
The Arab Spring is far from over. The protracted conflict in Syria continues to swallow lives while the international community, hamstrung by geopolitics, looks on; riots across the Muslim world following the release of a low-budget American movie that is disrespctful of the Prophet Muhammad resulted in the death of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens in Libya; Tunisia and Egypt continue to struggle with post-revolutionary economies; and a string of democratically elected Islamist governments has taken root in newly-liberated countries throughout the region.

Donors Must Seize 2013 Opportunity in Sahel, U.N. Urges

By Carey L. Biron
Reporting that the worst of the food crisis in the Sahel region of Africa appears to have been averted, the United Nations’ top official on the area, David Gressley, warned on Wednesday that the potential passing of the immediate emergency should not divert international attention from what needs to be done in 2013, which he calls a critical year for building resilience in the region.
This image is taken from a video secretly recorded when 16-year-old captive Omar Khadr was interrogated by Canadian officials in Guantanamo. Credit: Public domain

Coming of Age in a Guantanamo Jumpsuit

By Walter García and Fawzia Sheikh
Plenty of monikers have been attached to Omar Khadr, one of the most famous Guantanamo Bay detainees - child soldier, terrorist, war criminal, Al-Qaeda family member, security threat.

Deadly Explosions Hit Central Aleppo

By AJ Correspondents
Four blasts have struck a government-controlled district close to a military officers' club in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, killing at least 40 people and wounding more than 100, opposition activists say.

Israel’s Hypocrisy on a Nuclear Middle East

By Thalif Deen
When world leaders packed their bags and headed home last week, there was one lingering memory of the General Assembly’s high-level debate: Benjamin Netanyahu’s dramatic presentation of a cartoonish nuclear red line, which hit the front pages of most mainstream newspapers in the United States.

Egypt and U.S. Step Past Crisis

By Adam Morrow and Khaled Moussa al-Omrani
The wave of unrest in the Middle East caused by blasphemous depictions of Islam's Prophet Muhammad last month – and events near the U.S. embassy in Cairo in particular – does not appear to have impaired Egypt's longstanding 'strategic partnership’ with Washington, say local analysts.

Wall Threatens to Cut Through History

By Jillian Kestler-D'Amours
Dating back to the late 1890s, the historical Jaffa-Jerusalem railroad winds in a U-shape at the base of the valley. Olive groves adorn the bottom of one steep hill. Further up the slope, pine trees and an Israeli army patrol road lead westward towards Jerusalem.

Gaza Looks For Work, Not Aid

By Eva Bartlett
“The overwhelming majority of people we work with tell us, 'We don't want the aid, we want to have an opportunity to work and earn money’. Especially people who had a decent job but lost it in the last many years: before asking for any aid, they ask for a job.”

Gaza Farmers Find Canadian Support

By Eva Bartlett
“From the coast to eight miles out, the sea is like a desert: it's sandy and there are no fish.” Mohammed Al-Bakri traces a thick line on the wall map before him, following the lines of Gaza's eastern and northern borders, continuing south from three miles off the coast.

Army’s Former Sex Slaves Testify in Guatemala

By Danilo Valladares
"In the garrison they had rooms where they would rape us; sometimes there were three, four or five soldiers,” Rosa Pérez*, one of the women used by the Guatemalan army as a sex slave during this country’s civil war, testified in court.

Q&A: Colombia’s FARC Guerrillas “Took Up Arms to Make Ourselves Heard”

By Patricia Grogg
It's hard to imagine her in guerrilla fatigues, carrying a 25-kg backpack and firing shots to repel an enemy attack, or diving for cover from aerial bombardment. She is known as Sandra Ramírez, and she has left the field of battle in Colombia to come to the Cuban capital to talk peace.

International Community “Overselling” Sudan-South Sudan Pact

By Carey L. Biron
The international community is reacting triumphantly following an agreement on Thursday between Sudan and South Sudan to resume oil production and trade, despite the accord’s failure to address two of the situation’s most intractable issues, on border demarcation and control over lucrative oil-producing regions.

Living in Hiding From Libyan Militias

By Walter García and Mel Frykberg
Farrah Hamary looks the picture of despair as sweat trickles down his face in Tripoli’s heat and humidity. Hamary is too afraid to give his full name or to allow his picture to be taken.

U.N. Takes Up Intervention Plan on Mali

By Carey L. Biron
The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday began to debate a plan to deploy West African peacekeeping troops to tackle the six-month Islamist insurgency in northern Mali.

Vaccines Get Past Taliban, Finally

By Ashfaq Yusufzai
Over thirty thousand children in the remote Tirah area of the Khyber Agency, part of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in Northern Pakistan, have waited four years for protection from polio, a viral disease that is sometimes referred to as ‘infantile paralysis’ due to its crippling effects on children.
« Previous Page — Next Page »
*#*