Situation in Sudan (per 25 September) A drone strike by the Rapid Support Forces on a mosque during dawn prayers in El Fasher, North Darfur, on Friday morning killed over 75 civilians, according to the El Fasher Resistance Committee. The strike hit the Masjid al-Safiya in the neighbourhood of Safiya on the western side of […]
Situation Report Horn of Africa: Over 100 Sudanese refugees die in shipwrecks
Situation in Sudan (per 18 September) At least 18 people were killed and 14 kidnapped by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in an attack on El Fasher, North Darfur, on Tuesday. This happened during violent clashes between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). The death toll only accounts for those brought to the […]
Human Rights Council’s Revived Harassment of Sri Lanka, Exposes Double Standards
By Kalinga Seneviratne Colombo | 17 September 2025 (IDN) – With the visit of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Commissioner Volker Turk to Sri Lanka in June and his subsequent report to the 60th session of the UNHRC presented on September 8th, the UN human rights body has revived its 16 year […]
Situation Report Horn of Africa: UN Security Council extends sanctions on Sudan
Situation in Sudan (per 15 September) The UN Security Council (UN SC) has extended sanctions on Sudan for another year, maintaining an arms embargo and targeted sanctions while also prolonging the oversight of a UN Panel of Experts until October 2026. Disagreements emerged among UN SC members, primarily US and European allies, advocating for stronger […]
Situation Report Horn of Africa: UN peacekeepers in South Sudan ambushed by armed group
Situation in Sudan (per 8 September) Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have committed grave violations against civilians, including killing, arbitrary detention, torture and inhumane treatment, states a new report by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan to the UN Human Righst Council. According to the report findings, the RSF committed […]
Climate change impact on workers’ health explored at Osaka EXPO
By Mahinda Seneviratne* OSAKA, Japan | 8 September 2025 (IDN) — As the sun rose over the picturesque, volcanic mountain region of central Kyushu in Japan, four young women from Myanmar were reporting for work as house maids at a local ryokan (Japanese-style inn). They are part of the growing number of migrant workers evident […]
Humanitarian Response Critically Underfunded as Refugee Numbers Surge in Gambella, Ethiopia
By Daniel Tesfa & Mirjam van Reisen AKSUM | 02 September 2025 (IDN) — The refugee situation in Ethiopia remains one of the most complex and pressing humanitarian challenges in the region. Ethiopia hosts 1,080,563 refugees and Gambella hosts the largest refugee population with 395,470 South Sudanese refugees. Approximately, 79% of the South Sudanese (SS) […]
Is the West accepting Azerbaijan to hold political prisoners?
By Benoit Lannoo* ANTWERP (Belgium) | 02 September 2025 (IDN) — For two years, at least twenty-three Artsakhis are jailed in Baku. Their crime: wanting to be what they are, namely Artsakhis. And what does the European Union do? Nothing! Today, it is Independence Day in Artsakh. But there is nothing to celebrate, since the […]
Crackdown in Quatit: Arrests and Isolation Deepen Tensions in Southern Eritrea
By Daniel Tesfa and Mirjam van Reisen 22 August 2025 (IDN) — A new wave of arrests in Quatit has heightened unease in Eritrea’s southern region, with locals reporting that dozens of residents have been detained in recent weeks. Among those arrested is the father of Shishay Tesfalem, the owner of the YouTube-based media outlet […]
Pashinyan Apologies For Insulting The Armenian Apostolic Church
By Benoit Lannoo* YEREVAN, Armenia | ANTWERP, Belgium | 21 August 2025 (IDN) — There is little chance that the Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will congratulate the Armenian Apostolic Catholicos on his birthday today. This is a U-turn from five or six years ago, when a praising press release was issued every year by […]