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 […]
Situation Report Horn of Africa: Ethiopia accused of training RSF
Situation in Sudan (per 12 February) There have been multiple recorded drone strikes by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in recent days. One on 7 February near Rahad in North Kordofan killed 24 people including 8 children. Another on 11 February killed 2 people and injured 13 in a boarding school. Fighting between the RSF […]
Elections in Thailand — More of the Same?
By Jan Servaes BANGKOK, Thailand | 11 February 2026 (IDN) — During early general elections on Sunday, February 8, 2026, Thai voters elected a new 500-seat House of Representatives and voted in a national referendum on drafting a new constitution to replace the military-backed 2017 constitution. Approximately 60 political parties participated in these elections. Four […]
European Parliament Publishes Study on Transnational Repression
European Parliament publishes study on transnational repression; Eritrean diaspora among those impacted