SITUATION REPORT – HORN OF AFRICA & NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
No. 705 – 19 February 2026
A ‘Wrecking-ball’ Smashing the International Order
By Somar Wijayadasa* NEW YORK | 19 February 2026 (IDN) — The 62nd Munich Security Conference (MSC), held from February 13–15 in Munich, Germany, convened global leaders at a moment of mounting geopolitical strain. Long regarded as a premier forum for international security dialogue, this year’s conference unfolded against the backdrop of what its organizers […]
Iran, War, and the Illusion of Control
By Alon Ben-Meir* NEW YORK | 18 February 2026 (IDN) — As U.S.–Iran negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program continue under the shadow of possible military action, both Washington and Tehran must weigh carefully the potentially catastrophic regional consequences of failure. If Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convinced President Trump during their recent meeting that now is […]
Human Rights and the U.S. Presidency
By Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden | 18 February 2026 (IDN) — Jimmy Carter liked to think of himself as a human rights president. Many of us believed he heralded a new spring. Spring is coming again now. Snowdrops and crocuses are pushing through the frost; daffodils are preparing to bloom; trees along the Potomac will […]
Europe Now Needs the Courage to Pursue Peace
A call for peace on the 4th anniversary of the war in Ukraine By Harald Kujat, Michael von der Schulenburg* BRUSSELS | 16 February 2026 (IDN) — The world is currently experiencing one of the most profound geopolitical upheavals since the end of the Second World War – an upheaval in which the European Union […]
Russia Optimising Partnership With Burkina Faso
By Kester Kenn Klomegah MOSCOW | 16 February 2026 (IDN) — Russia and Burkina Faso have moved quickly to finalise a number of key documents forming the bedrock of their future strategic partnership. The agreements span multiple agencies, signalling concrete progress on understandings reached by both leaders, including during President Ibrahim Traoré’s visit to Russia […]
Situation Report Horn of Africa: UN accuses RSF of war crimes
Situation in Sudan (per 16 February) The UN Human Rights Office reported that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) committed acts amounting to war crimes during their October 2025 offensive on El Fasher, citing more than 6,000 killings and widespread abuses, according to UN High Commissioner Volker Türk. An RSF drone attack on the Al […]
From Exile to Power: Bangladesh Votes for Change and Reform
By Raghav Kumar* SYDNEY | 15 February 2026 (IDN) — The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secured more than two-thirds of parliamentary seats in the 13th general elections, reports Hindustan Times. India, the United States, the United Kingdom, and China were swift to congratulate BNP’s leadership while emphasizing the elections’ peaceful, transparent nature. BNP’s decisive victory […]
After New START: Ban the Bomb
Why nuclear abolition must replace deterrence and treaty illusion By Ramesh Jaura* This article first appeared on rjaura.substack.com BERLIN | 14 February 2026 (IDN) — The New START treaty expired on 4 February 2026, marking what many see as a dangerous shift in global security. The last accord limiting U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals—together nearly 90 […]
Suffocating an Island: What the U.S. Blockade Is Doing to Cuba
By Medea Benjamin* NEW YORK | 13 February 2026 (IDN) — Marta Jiménez, a hairdresser in Cuba’s eastern city of Holguín, covered her face with her hands and broke down in tears when I asked her about Trump’s blockade of the island—especially now that the United States is choking off oil shipments. “You can’t imagine […]