Armed Conflicts

To Aid Afghans, Not Just Afghanistan

By Giuliano Battiston
Afghanistan’s international donors will gather on Sunday in Tokyo for a conference at which they are expected to pledge economic aid, and ensure their assistance level will be maintained after withdrawal of ISAF-NATO troops, in 2014. But Afghan people and civil society groups working in the country say much of the aid is being directed the wrong way.

Key Syrian Defection Heartens U.S.

By Jim Lobe and Samer Araabi
The defection this week of a key general with longstanding ties to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad was hailed Friday by officials in the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama as an important step towards ending the regime.

Anxiety as Donors Chart Aid for Afghanistan Beyond 2014

By Carey L. Biron
A key United Nations official on Friday urged the international community to match security funding for Afghanistan with economic and development funding after 2014, when most international – particularly U.S. – forces will leave the country.

New U.S.-Pakistani Supply Accord Seen as Tenuous

By Zoha Arshad and Jim Lobe
As NATO supply convoys began crossing from Pakistan into Afghanistan for the first time in more than seven months Thursday, analysts here warned that the reopening of the key route does not necessarily signal a new dawn in the fraught relations between Washington and Islamabad.

The Battle for Federalism in Libya’s East

By David Poort
With Libya's first election in more than four decades looming, a vocal group of people in the east of the country is far less enthusiastic about this democratic milestone than those in the west.

U.N. Report Links Rwanda to Congolese Violence

By Ethan Freedman
After weeks of delay, the United Nations released Monday its full annex by the U.N. Security Council condemning the Rwandan government for its support of Congolese rebels.

Fishermen Caught on a Political Hook

By Zofeen Ebrahim
“The number will never come to zero and in a few months you will see as many captive fishermen, maybe even more to fill the prison barracks,” says Mohammad Ali Shah of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF), following the release of more than 300 Indian fishermen from Pakistani jails.

Report Details Widespread Torture in Syrian Jails

By Lawrence Del Gigante
Since March 2011, Syrian authorities have subjected tens of thousands of people to torture, rape, sexual abuse and unlawful detention, with some cases of ill treatment leading to death, according to a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report released Tuesday.

Governments Challenged to Rein in Arms Flow

By Isabelle de Grave
Talks to develop greater control of the arms trade have cast a glaring spotlight on the role of diverse countries in fuelling conflicts worldwide, offering governments a historic opportunity to rein in the flow of weapons.

About 200 Children Fighting in Uprising in Eastern DRC

By Emmanuel Chaco
"I saw at least three or four little fighters accompanying each adult soldier," said Jean Claver Rukomeza, a resident of Runyonyi, one of the strongholds of the M23 rebellion that has rocked the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo since March.

Back to Kashmir in Hope and Fear

By Athar Parvaiz
After spending more than 15 years in Pakistan Administered Kashmir, Rafiq Mir (name changed) is keen to come back to his home in the part of Kashmir administered by India.

U.S. Aid Policies in Pakistan Resulting in Anti-U.S. Sentiment

By Carey L. Biron
Despite President Barack Obama's stated policy of using foreign aid to improve public perception of the United States in Pakistan, two major new reports suggest that U.S. policies are exacerbating an already soured relationship.

Karadzic Acquitted on One Genocide Charge

By AJ Correspondents
The Yugoslav war crimes tribunal has acquitted former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic of one of the two genocide charges he faces at the halfway stage of his long-running trial.
A sack of cassiterite (tin ore) at a trader. Credit: Courtesy of Global Witness

Explanations Demanded on U.S. Inaction on Conflict Minerals

By Carey L. Biron
A U.S. government agency is being questioned on why it is dragging its feet on 2010 legislation that would increase transparency in extractive industries around the world, one aim of which would be to cut down on the global trade in "conflict minerals".
Radhika Coomaraswamy, UNMISS, South Sudan Ministry of Defence and UNICEF sign action plan for the release of children from the SPLA and allied militias. Credit: Children and Armed Conflict

Q&A: Children Killed with Impunity in Syria

By Carlota Cortes
Radhika Coomaraswamy has been the United Nations Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict since April 2006.

New Initiative to Combat Toxic Threats

By Isabelle de Grave
Reducing the risks associated with chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats is the goal of a new multi-country initiative known as the Centres of Excellence (CoE).

Conflict Heats Up in the Sahara

By Karlos Zurutuza
"We’ve been building a lot of new walls lately," says Polisario Front commander Ahmed Salem as he drives his 4 X 4 across Tindouf in Western Algeria. But the newly introduced security measures may not be enough to ensure the survival of the Western Sahrawis.

Israelis Grapple with an Unfinished War

By Pierre Klochendler
As the threat of war against Iran and its allies in Lebanon and Gaza lingers, questions arise over a war launched 30 years ago. Israel’s far-reaching invasion of Lebanon launched in June 1982 wasn’t an easy choice. Veterans still grapple with this controversial episode of Israel’s history whose name, objectives and legacy were never officially sanctioned.

2012 Shaping Up as Worst Year Ever for Journalists

By Peter Richards
It's the type of honour roll that journalists would prefer not to be on.

No Human Rights – in Theory or Practice

By Sana Altaf
Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on Dec. 10, 1948, in the aftermath of the Second World War, world leaders embarked on a process of ensuring the rights of every individual in the world.

This Football Is a Game of Dispossession

By Karlos Zurutuza
The football teams are back in their refugee camps in Algeria, and no, FIFA has taken no note of this tournament. And the television cameras are all at the Euro cup.
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