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 […]
Situation Report Horn of Africa: Shire in Tigray hub for smuggled gold
Situation in Sudan (per 21 August) Armed individuals clashed within the Zalengei hospital in Central Darfur after two different patients were brought in with gunshot wounds on 16 August. A grenade attack left one person dead and five injured. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) decided to suspend its activities at the hospital and evacuate its staff following […]
Haiti Situation Report: Three-month state of emergency declared
Situation in Haiti Haiti declared a three-month state of emergency on 9 August in the West, Artibonite, and Center departments to counter escalating gang violence and its impact on food production. Two Haitian National Police (PNH) officers were killed in Kenscoff when their armored vehicle got stuck in a ditch dug by gangs and were […]
Situation Report Horn of Africa: Secret Sudan-US talks in Switzerland
Situation in Sudan (per 14 August) At least 40 people have been killed in an attack by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the Abou Shouk displacement camp close to El Fasher, North Darfur, on Monday, states the Abu Shouk Emergency Response Room. Civilians were shot in their homes and in public. The Yale Humanitarian Research […]
Karapetyan’s Case Crucial for Armenia’s future
By Benoit Lannoo* YEREVAN, Armenia | 14 August 2025 (IDN) — Today at 5:30 PM local time, an Armenian anti-corruption Court in Yerevan will decide on a petition of the General Prosecutor of the country to prolong the detention of Mr. Samvel Karapetyan. Last Monday, the Armenian Court of Criminal Appeals already decided that Mr. […]
New testimonies of harrowing incidents of sexual violence in Sudan
By Mirjam van Reisen IDN received 15 new testimonies collected by an organisation focusing on supporting rape victims in the war in Sudan. The testimonies document a series of harrowing incidents of sexual violence in Sudan, primarily targeting women aged between 18 and 36 years. These incidents occurred across various locations, including Khartoum and its […]
Situation Report Horn of Africa: SAF states it destroyed UAE airplane carrying mercenaries
Situation in Sudan (per 7 August) The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) repelled a coordinated assault by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in northern North Kordofan state. They captured and executed dozens of SAF prisoners. The RSF launched a counteroffensive from Umm Sayyala, reportedly inflicting heavy losses on the SAF and forcing a full retreat, with claims […]
Haiti Situation Report: Nonprofits withdraw after Kenscoff kidnapping
Situation in Haiti The nonprofits Our Little Brothers and Sisters and the St. Luke Foundation shut down all operations in Haiti, including hospitals and orphanages, after gunmen abducted seven staff members and a 3-year-old child from the St. Helene Orphanage in Kenscoff on 3 August. Three police officers were killed in an ambush by the […]