Colonial-era borders create conflict in Africa’s oceans – how to resolve them: Africa has 38 coastal and island nations. Their maritime industries – including energy, tourism, maritime transport, shipping and fishing – play a crucial role in developing these nations. Key to harnessing these resources are Africa’s maritime boundaries – lines on a map showing …
India-Pakistan conflict over water reflects a region increasingly vulnerable to climate change: Water from the Chandra Taal lake in Himachal Pradesh, India, ultimately flows into Pakistan and the Indus river. ImagesofIndia / shutterstock In an unprecedented move, India recently suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, citing cross-border terrorism. This was one of a …
Women always suffer in times of conflict. Yet the arms industry is accused of gender washing war: A displaced Yemeni woman makes food for her children in the camp where they live in the city of Taiz. akramalrasny/Shutterstock International Women’s Day, marked each year on March 8, is all about celebrating women and furthering efforts …
DRC conflict: talks have failed to bring peace. Is it time to try sanctions?: The crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) escalated at the end of January 2025 when Goma, the capital of the province of North Kivu, fell to Rwanda-backed M23 rebels. The civilian population is paying a heavy price as …
World Update: Middle East conflict escalating rapidly – there’s no telling where it will end: This article was first published in our World Update email newsletter. To receive this in-depth weekly briefing on the most important global events and how they are shaping international affairs, sign up here. For months now, analysts and academic observers …
Gaza update: what the Lebanon pager attacks could mean for the Middle East conflict: This article was first published in our Gaza Update newsletter. Click here to receive our fortnightly updates on the conflict direct to your inbox. Israel tends not to rush to claim responsibility for assassinations and the like. But the reputation of …
Displaced by violent conflict: the world’s most neglected crises are in Africa – six essential reads: The Norwegian Refugee Council recently released a report highlighting the 10 most neglected displacement crises in the world in 2023. Nine of the 10 countries are in Africa – the only non-African country on the list is Honduras in …
Rwanda’s role in eastern DRC conflict: why international law is failing to end the fighting: The power of international law lies in its potential to offer alternatives to force and violence. The ideal is that states submit their grievances to a court rather than duke them out on a battlefield, or carry them out against …
How maps are used and abused in times of conflict: kirill_makarov/Shutterstock Maps, although seemingly objective representations of the world, hold immense power. They shape our understanding of space, navigate our journeys and define political boundaries. But beneath the veneer of neutrality lies a potential for manipulation. The history of warfare is littered with examples of …
Five tips on talking politics with family without falling out – from a conflict resolution expert: Family gatherings can be difficult, especially when politics enters the conversation. If you feel anxious about discussing divisive issues and falling out with people you love, you are not alone. The war between Israel and Gaza, climate change, culture …
Getting climate funds to conflict zones – a case for working with armed groups and local communities: Conflict-ridden and fragile countries are among the most vulnerable to climate change and least prepared to deal with it. They are largely excluded from climate adaptation programmes and funding. This is partly because funding is channelled through national …
Gaza war: Hamas’s web of allies in the October 7 attacks makes ending the conflict much harder for Israel: There have been reports that Hamas cooperated with a number of other armed groups to stage the October 7 attacks. If correct, this indicates substantial challenges for Israel – especially when it comes to ending the …
Development aid cuts will hit fragile countries hard, could fuel violent conflict: Fragile and least developed countries have had their development assistance cut drastically, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. For instance, net official development assistance to sub-Saharan African countries has shrunk by 7.8% compared to 2021. And development aid for peace …
Projects funded by the World Bank Group’s private sector arm fuel armed conflict – it’s time to reform the system: To what extent does private investment help developing countries to reduce conflict and violence and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals? This is a hotly debated issue. Most international institutions such as the World Bank …
Gaza war: reporting from the frontline of conflict has always raised hard ethical questions: The BBC's veteran foreign correspondent Jeremy Bowen reporting from Syria, 2014 Twitter Who would want to be a journalist covering the conflict in Gaza? It seems that every day a new accusation of bias surfaces on social media. Live reporting is …
Israel-Hamas conflict: what Gaza might look like ‘the day after’ the war: Less than a week after Hamas’s devastating attacks on October 7, Israel’s intelligence ministry produced a chilling document. It advocated that Israel remove all of Gaza’s Palestinian population and forcibly resettle them in the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula. In November, a poster advertising a …
Gaza conflict: if the cycle of violence is to end we must not prioritise one side’s suffering over the other: Shortly after the Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7, people I know and respect were posting Palestinian solidarity notices on their social media feeds. I am supportive of the rights of the Palestinian people …
Israel-Hamas war: Lebanese peace plan reflects country’s lack of appetite for more conflict: As the Lebanese prime minister, Najib Mikati, outlined a three-step peace plan for the conflict in Gaza on October 31, he made a statement which may seem ordinary to a western audience: “We will consider the right of Israel and the right …