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 […]
US-Russia Talks: The Choice Between Pursuing Peace and Escalation
By Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J. S. Davies* NEW YORK | 17 August 2025 (IDN) — Donald Trump came into office promising to end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours. Now, six months later, his high-stakes meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska may have put the United States and Russia on a new path […]
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. […]
Sri Lanka at the Human Rights Council: “Engage to Disengage”
By A.L.A. Azeez* COLOMBO, Sri Lanka | 14 August 2025 (IDN) — Time is ticking off. And it is ticking off on Sri Lanka’s human rights and accountability front, in Geneva. In less than a month from today, the question of promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka will come up for consideration […]
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 […]
Leveraging Trump’s Tariff Shock: Diversify Products and Markets — Industrialise
By Darini Rajasingham Senanayake* COLOMBO, Sri Lanka | 12 August 2025 (IDN) — Real and staged crises present opportunities to reorient, innovate and think outside the box. Trump’s tariff ‘shock’ presents Sri Lanka’s business sector and national policy makers an opportunity for short, intermediate and long-term economic and industrial policy shift out of the current […]
Seizing the Global Momentum for a Two-State Solution
Palestinians and Israel, with the unwavering support of the US, must seize on the growing international momentum in support of an independent Palestinian state by heeding France’s and Saudi Arabia’s call, initiated in the recent United Nations High-Level Conference. By Alon Ben-Meir* NEW YORK | 9 August 2025 (IDN) —The unfolding horror in Gaza has galvanized […]
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 […]