A study of eight decades of bargaining over senior UN posts raises questions about the independence of António Guterres’s successor. By Ramesh Jaura BERLIN | 3 October 2026 (IDN) — The contest to succeed António Guterres as United Nations Secretary-General is gathering pace. Much of the public discussion centres on the candidates, their qualifications and […]
Tigray’s Renewed Conflict: How Drone Warfare is Reshaping the Battlefield
By Daniel Tesfa, Shim Masha and Filmon Gebremikael Addis Ababa | Ethiopia | 30 September 2026 (IDN) — Drone warfare reshapes Ethiopia–Tigray’s battlefield, while civilians relive the devastation of past wars. From Pretoria to Renewed War The Pretoria Agreement of November 2022, formally known as the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoHA), was intended to end […]
Russia Challenges South Africa’s Exclusion From G20 Summit
By Kester Kenn Klomegah* MOSCOW | NEW YORK | 30 September 2026 (IDN) — At the 81st UN General Assembly in New York, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated Russia’s objection to South Africa’s exclusion from the forthcoming G20 summit in the United States, while emphasising the importance of multilateral institutions and the place of […]
Palestine Gains Recognition While Losing the Land for a State
Diplomatic recognition has widened, but settlement expansion and territorial fragmentation threaten the foundations of Palestinian statehood. By Ramesh Jaura BERLIN | NEW YORK | 26 September 2026 (IDN) – Mahmoud Abbas delivered one of the most important speeches of this year’s United Nations General Assembly without being allowed into the hall. The Palestinian president appeared […]
Guterres Bids Farewell to a United Nations Under Strain
The outgoing Secretary-General leaves behind unresolved questions of war, representation, finance and climate justice. By Ramesh Jaura BERLIN | NEW YORK | 25 September 2026 (IDN) — The Security Council offers the clearest example. It becomes paralysed whenever a conflict touches the interests of a permanent member or a close ally. Russia can block action […]
Iran and the United States Find a Narrow Opening in New York
Indirect exchanges through Qatar have revived diplomacy, although the two governments remain far apart By Jamshed Baruah NEW YORK | 25 September 2026 (IDN) – The annual United Nations gathering is often dismissed as a succession of speeches. Much of its diplomacy, however, takes place outside the General Assembly Hall, in private rooms, hotel meetings […]
Ukraine and the Security Council’s Unresolved Contradiction
The body charged with maintaining international peace remains constrained when a permanent member is involved in the war. By J. Nastranis NEW YORK | 24 September 2026 (IDN) – The warning that the war in Ukraine has entered a dangerous new phase may sound familiar after more than five years of fighting. Repetition, however, should […]
When Artificial Intelligence Reaches the Security Council
The technology has moved from laboratories and boardrooms into the chamber responsible for international peace and security By Ramesh Jaura BERLIN | NEW YORK | 24 September 2026 (IDN) – The United Nations Security Council has spent most of its history discussing wars, peacekeeping missions, sanctions and threats posed by armed groups. Its meeting on […]
Rethinking Digital Public Infrastructure for the Age of Emerging Technologies
By Leonora Smart-Abbey* SUVA, Fiji | 23 September 2026 (IDN) — Digital identity, digital payments and data exchange have become powerful reference points for thinking about what digital public infrastructure (DPI) can enable. They have supported financial inclusion, improved access to services, enabled new forms of digital participation and demonstrated how common digital foundations can […]
Peter Obi and the Obidient Movement: Nigeria’s Future
By Kester Kenn Klomegah MOSCOW | 22 September 2026 (IDN) — As the Federal Republic of Nigeria prepares for the 2027 presidential election, the Obidient Movement is seeking to build on the political momentum it generated around Peter Obi’s 2023 candidacy. The movement attracted significant support among younger Nigerians and sections of the country’s professional […]