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Description: Following last week’s negotiations in Switzerland, representatives from the DRC government and the M23 rebel alliance have agreed to implement a ceasefire monitoring mechanism, restore corridors for delivering humanitarian aid and exchange prisoners. Qatar, the US, Togo and members of the African Union were mediating the latest round of negotiations. M23 and the DRC government also signed a memorandum of understanding which prohibits both warring parties from targeting critical infrastructure, civilian targets and resources as well as obligations that both parties will engage in a confidence building prisoner exchange. Impact: The latest round o
Description: UN’s undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs, Tom Fletcher, has warned that South Sudan risks becoming another humanitarian and security flashpoint as fighting continues between the White Army Militia and the military. The latest assessment estimates that numerous humanitarian compounds have been looted by either rebels or government forces while nutrition centers have been destroyed. Fletcher assessed that more than 7.5 million people are in desperate need of humanitarian aid while more than 140 thousand have been displaced in Jonglei state since the reignition of hostilities. Impact: The withdrawal of international aid organizations su
Description: Nigeria’s defense minister, Christopher Musa, traveled to Ankara, where he concluded a defense partnership agreement with Turkey. Musa stated that training, production of military equipment and other forms of defense cooperation were agreed. He added that more than 200 members of Nigeria’s special forces units would be sent to Turkey for training, while drone manufacturing and other equipment would be also delivered to Nigeria. Nigeria is engaged in fighting a 17 – year jihadist insurgency with terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa province, while also handling low – scale separatist insurgencies and violence between tribesmen and her
Description: Following the lifting of sanctions on several Venezuelan banks, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank announced that they would restore cooperation with the current Venezuelan government. The resumption of cooperation enables the Venezuelan government to access loans and enhance cooperation with international state and non – state actors and investors. It will also enable the country to access billions in frozen funds in international banks which could rescucitate its economy and relatively stabilize domestic financial flows. Members of the European External Action Service also held high – level talks with Venezuela’s government, primarily th
Description: Myanmar’s president, General Min Aung Hlaing, has announced that approximately 4,500 prisoners would be pardoned while death sentences would be reduced to life in prison. Among the pardoned is the former president Win Myint while Aung San Suu Kyi, who was ousted in the 2021 coup that ignited the civil war, has had her sentence reduced by four years. Pardons in Myanmar are common in light of the holiday and new year seasons with 180 foreign prisoners also being pardoned and deported from the country. According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, there are more than 30 thousand political prisoners in Myanmar still awaiting their fate. The countr
Description: US President Donald Trump announced that a 10 – day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has been concluded which both countries are willing to abide. The framework of the ceasefire outlines that Israel maintains the right to defend itself against any incoming attacks, Lebanon commits efforts to constrain Hezbollah, officials on both sides are free to extend the ceasefire beyond the deadline by their own convenience. Prime minister Netanyahu stated that Israeli forces would remain present in southern Lebanon 10 kilometers in the country as they would maintain a buffer zone in case of any incoming attacks. The ceasefire arrives after extensive diplomatic efforts
Description: The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) conducted drone strikes on the Adukong border crossing with Chad killing three Chadian citizens and injuring a dozen civilians. According to regional emergency hospitals, this was the fifth drone strike that the SAF has conducted in the past week targeting the border crossing with Chad where the RSF is receiving military support from the UAE in the form of mercenaries and military equipment. The villages of Bir Daqiq and Habilla in the Darfur region were also targeted, however, no casualties have been reported. The Adukong border crossing has been previously used to deliver humanitarian aid in east Sudan, however, the RSF has repu
Description: Roberto Sanchez, leftist presidential candidate and a political ally to the former imprisoned Peruvian president Castillo, unexpectedly surged in the polls, narrowly surpassing Rafael Lopez Aliaga. Keiko Fujimori still maintains a firm lead ahead of the runoff election with the second candidate with most votes expected to be announced by Monday, 20 Apr. Sanchez’s platform rides on appeal to the Peruvian rural community, much alike Castillo’s, with plans to nationalize the economy and focus on restructuring Peru’s mining operations. Impact: Peru’s disrupted general election in any case would deliver political remnants of former leaders who would
Description: Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and Malaysia’s prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, met in Putrajaya, Malaysia’s administrative capital, as the leaders agreed extensive energy ties. Ibrahim stated that he and Albanese agreed extensive trade ties regarding food production as well as the exchange of oil and gas between the countries. State – owned Petronas would be responsible with providing Australia with oil while Malaysia would continue importing gas from Australia that stood at 20% of imports in 2025. The visit to Malaysia is Albanese’s third stop in southeast Asia having previously visited Brunei and Singapore. The Australian government also separatel
Description: DRC government officials and member of the M23 rebel alliance have engaged in negotiations in Switzerland. The discussion focused around establishing a monitoring mechanism which would follow potential violations of the previously agreed ceasefire. Independent monitoring entity would be established which would consist of members of the DRC government, representatives from the M23 and chaired by the UN’s mission in the country MONUSCO. The situation on the ground meanwhile remains volatile as both the DRC military and the M23 exchange accusations of violating the truce. Violence has significantly spiked up in the North Kivu province under the control of the M23 r