Sudan

May marked one month since fighting began in Sudan. Since the latest escalation in April, this conflict has left approximately 550 people dead and more than 4,900 people wounded. The Khartoum region has faced a plethora of bomb explosions and air raids, including a school in Darfur that was burned down. The UN refugee agency stated that the number of people seeking refuge in another country due to conflict will reach 860,000 people. 

Additionally, in response to the conflict, the World Health Organization provided 30 tons of medical supplies to Sudan. This is one of the first shipments to arrive in Sudan since the fighting began. The WHO plans to send more shipments to Khartoum in order to supply hospitals with adequate resources to respond to the fighting as soon as it is able to get the clearance to do so. Likewise, other countries have been making an effort to provide humanitarian assistance to Sudan.

While the situation seemed to be improving as negotiations between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took place, agreeing on a week-long ceasefire, both sides seemed to ignore the agreement and continued fighting. On May 31, the last day of the month, Sudan’s army withdrew from the agreement, citing this ceasefire violation and criticizing the RSF for their lack of commitment to negotiations. 

South Sudan

Tens of thousands of people fleeing violence in Sudan have entered South Sudan. With little infrastructure to support them and interethnic tensions already high, this has created fears about how sustainable this will be in the future. Already, there have been interethnic conflicts over limited resources, which have further displaced people. In addition, because South Sudan has historically relied on trade with Sudan to support its economy and to provide important supplies, the war has led to a spike in food prices, making resources even more scarce and inaccessible. While violent incidents have occurred at a relatively small scale thus far, there are concerns that they might escalate. South Sudanese officials have helped to mediate conflict in Sudan, but during this time, peace talks within the country have not made any progress. The head of the UN Mission in South Sudan has warned that the country is behind in the peace process and in achieving the goals of the transitional government, including writing a new constitution. More economic support and political progress will be necessary to prevent larger ethnic conflict.

Tigray, Ethiopia

May 2 marked six months since the Government of Ethiopia and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) signed the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement and began working towards lasting peace. While significant progress has been made so far, there are still complications, particularly regarding the involvement of the neighboring Eritrean military. While both signing parties agreed to the removal of Eritrean troops months ago, they have yet to withdraw. This is a major point of contention due to the atrocities they committed against Tigrayan civilians during the war on the side of the Ethiopian government. Recently, thousands of people protested in Tigray to demand the withdrawal of all foreign troops. They also sought to aid the return of those displaced by two years of conflict.

Humanitarian aid access has also been made more difficult by these tensions. Early this month, both USAID and the World Food Programme ended food shipments to Tigray after discovering they were being sold on the black market instead of given to those most in need. There are still 20 million people in need of humanitarian aid in the region, and conditions will likely worsen as a result of this. Furthermore, remaining Eritrean forces blocked a United Nations humanitarian mission from entering a village in Tigray. Locals reported that atrocities are still being committed by the Eritrean military, adding to the urgency of their withdrawal. Aside from blocking humanitarian aid, they continue to commit rape and sexual violence and destroy local infrastructure. Eritrea’s government denies any involvement.

Central Africa

Cameroon

On May 20, Cameroon observed National Unity Day. While some people saw the occasion as a chance to celebrate peace and come together, conflict between anglophone separatists and government forces has continued with little interruption or progress towards peace. The same day, thirty elderly women who had protested the taxes separatists placed on residents of the predominantly English-speaking Northwest region were abducted. The women were released three days later after experiencing torture. This came after 50 women had been abducted, beaten, and released on May 19. Civilians have also faced violence at the hands of government forces. Those who have reported on the conflict have been arrested, with some even dying while in custody. Despite claims of unity, the divisions and violence remain.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

While violence has been ongoing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the region was also recently swept up in a deadly natural disaster. Around 400 people were killed in floods that affected much of East Africa, including the DRC, which has hampered aid efforts. These events, including a recent attack by a rebel group that killed 17, make the violence seem everlasting as people continue to be displaced, still have no access to food, and remain exposed to many diseases with little healthcare services.

Despite this, the DRC has registered around 43.9 million people to vote in the upcoming election in December. Opposition groups have complained about irregularities in polling and led protests against the government. Hopefully change can take place as a result and bring about a lasting peace in the region.

Southwest Asia 

Yemen

Procedures to remove 1.1 million barrels of oil from a deteriorating tanker anchored off Yemen’s coast will begin soon, according to the UN. The tanker may release four times the amount of oil as the 1989 Exxon Valdez catastrophe off Alaska, according to U.N. authorities, putting the Red Sea and Yemen’s coastline at risk. With Yemen’s ongoing humanitarian crisis, oil leaks or an explosion could cause a significant environmental catastrophe. The Houthis currently control the region where the tanker is docked and view the oil as a possible resource.

Despite this, progress continues with Yemen’s ceasefire agreement. The UN has noted that all sides seem willing to participate in the process and important gains have been made, although 21.6 million people are still in need of humanitarian aid. While the war seems to be over for now, this has not ended human suffering in the country. The Houthis continue to target the Baha’i community, a religious minority group in Yemen, and recently detained and disappeared 17 Baha’is  who were meeting at a community gathering. This is just the latest move in a history of persecution.

Syria

Israel’s air strikes have recently targeted the international airport in Aleppo. This attack killed one Syrian soldier and put the airport out of commission. This is a harmful development, as the airport has been crucial in efforts to bring in humanitarian aid during the aftermath of the earthquake that hit Syria in February. Israel has carried out hundreds of attacks on Syria in the hopes of stopping Iranian influence on other countries. 

Turkish intelligence has also claimed to have killed Abu al-Hussein al-Qurayshi, the leader of ISIS. Syria and ISIS have not commented, but Turkish occupation in Syria continues despite the tension between the two countries. This comes at the same time as Russia, Turkey, and Syria are holding talks in Moscow and all sides are striving to work with each other. 

Palestine

Israel is responsible for the deaths of five members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command (PFLP-GC) in an explosion in eastern Lebanon, close to the Syrian border. Unnamed Israeli sources, however, claimed to news organizations that Israel was not responsible for the attack. Israeli officials, the Lebanese army, and the Hezbollah organization, which is sponsored by Iran, all remained silent. There were conflicting accounts from Palestinian and Lebanese sources that the explosion was caused by mines going off while being relocated or by an outdated rocket exploding in an armaments storage.

Additionally, for the first time in history, the United Nations commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Nakba, the mass displacement of Palestinians during the construction of the modern state of Israel. This is an important step of global recognition, particularly as violence continues in Gaza, putting countless civilians at risk. The UN has condemned this as well. Israel called for its allies to boycott this event, and the US was one of a few countries that did not attend.

East and South Asia

Burma

As violence in Burma has increased, members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have become increasingly concerned that their efforts to control violence have been ignored by the country’s military-led government. On May 9, the military used a vacuum bomb in an air attack that killed more than 160 people in the Sagaing region. The junta continues to blame independent resistance groups, yet their destruction and violence has increased and they are now targeting smaller villages and community centers. Members of organizations like Human Rights Watch say that this is more proof that other countries need to impose stricter sanctions and cut off funding for the junta’s arms and jet fuel.

Cyclone Mocha also has increased the need for humanitarian aid in Burma. Sittwe, the capital city of the Rakhine state and home to many Rohingya, has been badly damaged. Many homes have been destroyed and countless people have been displaced as numbers continue to rise. Both the total damage and aid needed are hard to evaluate because of the sheer destruction of the cyclone.

East Turkistan (Xinjiang, China) 

This month, human rights groups reported that Abuduwaili Abudureheman, a Uyghur scholar born in East Turkistan, went missing after arriving in Hong Kong. In his last known encounter, Abudureheman was reported to have texted his friend that he was being questioned at the city’s airport. In an announcement last Tuesday, Amnesty International noted that he was accounted for, reiterating that while he was actually safe in this case, they will continue to do all they can to support those who believe their loved ones are in danger of human rights violations. Notably, the announcement contradicted previous accounts in reporting that Abudureheman didn’t voluntarily travel to Hong Kong, contributing to the unusual circumstances surrounding his disappearance. 

In response to the ongoing genocide in East Turkistan, the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party held two panels. The first panel recorded first-hand testimonials from survivors of camps in East Turkistan, while the second one was composed of experts on the subject. Drawing upon testimonials from both panels, the Committee provided legislative recommendations for Congress that include putting sanctions on tech companies using Uyghur forced labor, restricting investment from American actors towards sanctioned Chinese companies, strengthening US-funded groups like Radio Free Asia that report human rights violations in East Turkistan,  eliminating alleged loopholes in the Uygur Forced Labor Prevention Act. While the report advises action, it is worth noting that the bipartisan committee of 13 Republicans and 11 Democrats is unable to draft or amend laws to be voted on by Congress. 

Kashmir

India, the host of the G20 Summit this year, plans to host the summit in Kashmir. China has chosen to boycott the summit, as Chinese representatives have spoken and said that they refuse to participate in any event in the disputed territory. 

At the same time, rebels opposing Indian rule in Kashmir killed 5 soldiers in a recent altercation with the military. This is one of the major attacks that has happened in Kashmir in the past two weeks, and security has been heightened due to the upcoming G20 Summit. India has claimed that Pakistan is training rebels while Pakistan has not responded to these claims. In response, the Indian army killed 2 rebels in Kashmir and continues to watch over Kashmir. The National Investigation Agency of India has also ramped up their searches and efforts to dismantle rebel groups. More than a dozen raids have been conducted in the Agency’s increased terror efforts to prevent rebel sympathizers.

North America

United States 

May has seen a wave of transgender healthcare bans in various states. Texas passed a bill that banned transgender medical care for youth, including hormone, puberty, and surgical treatments. Children that are already getting these treatments may continue but are required to slowly stop these forms of treatment eventually. This bill drew outrage from many, inspiring protests. This is the largest transgender ban for youth in the US. Similarly, Nebraska also passed transgender health bans for youth. This bill bans surgeries for trans youth starting on October 1. Nebraska also passed an abortion ban that limits abortions after 12 weeks. North Carolina overrode its governor’s veto of a similar law and continued a 12 week abortion ban. While the ban is now in place, the override had a very slim majority in the state legislative body. 

There have also been freedom of speech concerns after Montana banned the use of the social media platform TikTok. Many constitutional researchers and TikTok users believe this ban is unconstitutional as it impedes on free speech. Some TikTok users even sued the state because of the ban. The predicted conclusion of the lawsuit is unknown. 

In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis recently announced his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election. His actions as governor concern many human rights activists. His previous bills include a six week abortion ban, the creation of a low threshold for death penalty sentences, lessened gun control, and a ban on sexual orientation and gender identity education in elementary and middle schools. 

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Alishba Waqar is a junior at Westfield High School. She contributed to the Yemen and Palestine portions of this update.

Allison Weiner is a sophomore at DePauw University majoring in Global Health, and minoring in Peace and Conflict Studies. She contributed to the Sudan portion of this update. 

Grace Harris is a sophomore at UCLA majoring in International Development Studies. She contributed to the Tigray portion of this update.

Jerry Harris is a recent graduate of George Mason University with a BA in Psychology. He contributed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo portion of this update.

Krisna Kumar is a junior at Friends School of Baltimore. She contributed to the United States portion of this update.

Mira Mehta is a sophomore at Brown University. She contributed to the South Sudan and Cameroon portions of this update.

Robert Liu is a junior at Durham Academy. They contributed to the East Turkistan portion of this update.

Seng Hkawn Myitung is a sophomore at Albemarle High School. She contributed to the Burma, Syria, and Kashmir portions of this update.

Sudan

On April 15, violence broke out in the cities of Khartoum and Obdurman in Sudan. The fighting is ongoing, and has killed more than 420 innocent civilians so far, with one being a United States citizen. According to a Sudanese medical group, there has been a significant amount of destruction done to the city of Khartoum. Civilians who have been affected by this fighting are still trying to flee and reach safety. There were several ceasefire attempts made three separate times, all of which have failed. 

Disagreements between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are the reason for this violent outbreak. While the leaders of the two forces united in 2019 to overthrow Omar al-Bashir, the former dictator of Sudan, there were power struggles after the fact when Sudan decided that it was going to form a new government that involved both civilians and military officials. Eventually, the goal was to create a government that was fully run by civilians. Instead, the army and RSF broke out into conflict because of disagreements over which military branch was going to lead the government. As a result of the attack, all United States military and government employees have been evacuated from the country, and there has been no breaks in the conflict since it began.

South Sudan

On April 24, approximately 10,000 civilians fleeing the escalating conflict in Sudan arrived in South Sudan. While the majority of these people were South Sudanese, many Sudanese refugees were included among them as well. This influx of people represents one of many ways South Sudan will be impacted by violence in Sudan. South Sudan’s oil industry, which is a key component of the country’s economy, relies on a pipeline that runs through Sudan. The industry is already struggling due to infrastructure challenges, and further pressure could have serious humanitarian and political consequences. In addition to this, the transitional government in place in South Sudan remains fragile, and Sudanese leaders have helped to mediate conflicts and preserve unity in the past. These leaders will likely be unable to fulfill the same role while embroiled in their own conflict, which creates new risks and challenges in South Sudan.

South Sudan continues to experience violence and challenges to governance within the country as well. In recognition of this situation, the UN Human Rights Council renewed the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan on April 3, despite protests from the government. This is meant to provide greater accountability for perpetrators of human rights violations, though it is unclear how this will happen without support from the government.

Tigray, Ethiopia

Despite an official end to the war and the commitment of both sides to the peace agreement, many Tigrayans are still reckoning with the aftermath of the conflict and atrocities they faced during it. Over the last three years, 380,000 civilians and 253,000 military forces were killed, tens of thousands of women were raped, and millions of people were cut off from food and other necessary resources due to the blockade. Countless people have come forward to share their stories about the atrocities they were subject to at the hands of Ethiopian and Eritrean soldiers. Despite these horrors, many are optimistic that change is possible.

There have been multiple important developments in Ethiopia’s peace process this month. First, schools in Tigray have begun registering students in preparation for the upcoming school year. This is the first time classes will have been held in the region in three years. Administrators plan to start classes on May 2, and are offering remedial education to help students make up for the last three years. This, alongside the reinstitution of communications, banking, and transportation, are all good signs for a lasting peace. Many prisoners of war have also been released in recent weeks.

Central Africa

Cameroon

Fighting between anglophone separatists and government forces has continued with little sign of ending. There has not been any further news about the peace talks Canada offered to help mediate at the beginning of the year, nor has there been significant progress on their business development initiative. In fact, government officials recently announced that their initiative to rebuild infrastructure destroyed by conflict over the past several years would need $100 million to be invested in addition to their original $150 million plan. While some projects have been successful, progress has been very slow, in part due to the fact that conflict is ongoing.  Officials have specifically accused separatists of seizing construction materials and attacking workers, citing this as the main cause for the delay.  Separatists have been known to justify the use of guerrilla tactics as a necessity against a more powerful army, though they have not commented on this particular situation.

At the same time as this conflict continues within the countries, civilians in Cameroon also face danger from cross-border attacks by militants, mainly members of Boko Haram, in the Central African Republic and Nigeria. In response to a spike in this violence, the government of Cameroon announced that it would redeploy troops to the border to help protect civilians.  It remains to be seen what this change in military resource allocation will mean for the course of conflict with anglophone separatists and for civilian trust in government.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Violence continues to be prevalent and tensions still remain high between rebel groups and the government of the DRC. In one week, the Allied Democratic Forces, an Islamic militant group, killed over 30 people in one attack and killed 22 people in another. This cycle of never-ending violence continues to traumatize the people of the DRC. Recently, reports have shown that at least 60 people have been killed by the M23 rebel group. This makes it all the more imperative to have these groups withdraw in order to fully investigate the atrocities they have committed and to provide aid to those who have been in the crossfire of this conflict.       

Southwest Asia 

Yemen

Yemen is currently at a crucial point in the peace process. Although the truce between warring sides in the conflict expired six months ago, critical progress is still being made. This is the longest period of peace in the nation since the war began eight years ago. Airports have reopened, food and fuel continue to flow into ports, and recently, 900 prisoners on all sides were released following a series of negotiations. There is still a lot that needs to be done to help the people of Yemen, who continue to suffer from the effects of years of war and a humanitarian crisis, but many remain optimistic that lasting peace is possible.

In Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, at least 78 people were killed and dozens more were injured in a crowd surge on April 19. This occurred during the holy Islamic month of Ramadan as people were receiving charity handouts from local merchants because someone was shooting in the air, causing panic among the people. A bullet hit an electrical wire, which fell on the ground and caused electroshocks. The tragedy was Yemen’s deadliest in years, even though it wasn’t directly correlated with the conflict in Yemen. Due to a lack of basic necessities, such as water, healthcare and education, the people of Sana’a found themselves desperate for a small amount of money, making violence and chaos occur. 

Syria

On April 25, Turkish, Russian, Iranian, and Syrian defense ministers and intelligence chiefs met in Moscow to discuss potential peace talks to rebuild relationships after years of war. While no definitive actions came from these talks, they were considered constructive and were an important first step for later action. All four countries reiterated their desire to preserve Syria’s original territory and the need to intensify efforts for the speedy return of Syrian refugees to their country. Syrian officials have reiterated that peace talks between Ankara and Damascus can only come after the removal of Turkish troops along northwest Syria.

Palestine

 On April 24, thousands of Israelis and Palestinians came together in a joint memorial ceremony to honor and remember the victims of the conflict. This was a powerful show of solidarity despite opposition from right-wing counter-protestors. While the Israeli government attempted to ban Palestinians from joining this memorial ceremony, this was overturned by the Supreme Court.

This show of peace comes at the same time as escalating violence in Jerusalem, a significant Muslim, Jewish, and Christian holy city. At the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, Israeli authorities made overnight worship illegal and banned many Palestinians from entering to pray. While people were praying inside the mosque earlier this month, police forces attacked them, injuring 12 people, arresting 400 others, and using violent force to stop further people from worshiping. Since then, retaliatory violence has erupted, with armed groups in Gaza and Lebanon sending rockets towards Israel and Israel carrying out airstrikes in both regions. In response to this, the UN has reaffirmed its calls for peace, declaring that the international community needs to strengthen Palestinian institutions and work towards a two-state solution.

East and South Asia

Burma

On Tuesday, April 11, the military junta bombed the Kant Balu township in the Sagaing region, killing around 100 people. The Nation Unity Government’s Ministry of Labour described the attack as a war crime. The military junta has not commented on the attack. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, in a statement responding to the attacks, condemned the junta’s actions and reassured that the United States would continue to support Burma through the UN Security Council, other UN member states, and other partners like ASEAN.

Violence between the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and the junta has increased this month as the KNLA attacked military outposts and more than 80 people have died in Shwe Kokko. Some 10,000 Burmese people have fled to Thailand to escape fighting between the military and KNLA since the start of increased conflict at the beginning of this month. A singular monastery holds almost 500 refugees as the humanitarian crisis worsens, and is now reported that 1 in 3 Burmese persons are in need of humanitarian aid.  

East Turkistan (Xinjiang, China)

Since June of last year, the Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act (UFLPA) has been in effect in order to ensure that products imported by the US are not made using forced labor in East Turkistan. However, a recent review by Reuters shows that the crackdown on imports from East Turkistan has harmed manufacturing in Vietnam, which depends on China for imported materials to make apparel and footwear. Due to Vietnam’s reliance on cotton textile materials from China, this could lead to difficulties in complying with the UFLPA affecting the nation’s trade with the US.

As a way to promote tourism in East Turkistan, a Chinese advertisement featured a Uyghur woman dancing in a mosque. Many Uyghurs in the diaspora have condemned this as an act of desecration. It is particularly noteworthy that this video took place during the holy month of Ramadan for Muslims, who have been persecuted by the Chinese government for their religion in the region. This is seen as a way for the Chinese government to erase and diminish their culture and language, turning important cultural and religious traditions into ads with no understanding of their history and importance.

Kashmir

A court in the Pakistan controlled region of Kashmir has recently removed a local leader and protégé of Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan from office because he made public remarks insulting judges. Another one of his allies was elected to this post as a replacement. Since his removal from power last April, Khan has remained outspoken about the current government.

While these internal disputes have been going on, violence has surged in Kashmir as five Indian soldiers were killed in an ambush near the Line of Control that separates the Indian and Pakistani controlled regions of Kashmir. They were killed in an ambush by a rebel group opposed to Indian control and oppression. At the moment, tensions remain high.

North America

United States 

Gun violence continues to run rampant in the United States, with a recent spree of shootings of people who accidentally walked up to the wrong house, made a U-turn in the wrong driveway, got in the wrong car, lost a ball in the wrong yard, argued with the wrong neighbor, and brought an instacart delivery to the wrong address. Very little change has been made to address this culture of violence in the name of self-defense.

Despite this, there have been some recent positive developments in the US legal system. First, neither Nebraska nor South Carolina was able pass a statewide abortion ban due to the abstention of a single vote in Nebraska and the efforts of five women to filibuster in South Carolina. Both states have a Republican majority, yet were unable to garner enough votes for an abortion ban. Despite the ongoing destruction of reproductive rights in the United States following the overturning of Roe V. Wade, this is an important move that will protect the rights of countless women and all people who can become pregnant. Additionally, Tennessee– a state that recently banned gender-affirming care for transgender youth– is currently being sued by the US Justice Department for this law. The Justice Department has declared that no person should be denied medical care for being transgender, and that this policy violates the equal protection clause of the US Constitution. If the lawsuit goes through, this could be a landmark case amidst the hundreds of proposed laws aimed at the destruction of trans rights.

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Alishba Waqar is a junior at Westfield High School. She contributed to the Yemen portion of this update.

Allison Weiner is a sophomore at DePauw University majoring in Global Health, and minoring in Peace and Conflict Studies. She contributed to the Sudan portion of this update. 

Grace Harris is a sophomore at UCLA majoring in International Development Studies. She contributed to the Tigray, Palestine, and United States portions of this update.

Jerry Harris is a recent graduate at George Mason University with a BA in Psychology. He contributed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, East Turkistan, and Kashmir portions of this update.

Mira Mehta is a sophomore at Brown University. She contributed to the South Sudan and Cameroon portions of this update.

Seng Hkawn Myitung is a sophomore at Albemarle High School. They contributed to the Burma and Syria portions of this update.

Sudan

On March 11th, Sudan’s military leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, along with the Rapid Support Forces leader, Mohamad Hamda Dagalo, met in Khartoum. There has been tension between the two groups, as the army is trying to gain authority over all of Sudan’s military forces, while the Rapid Support Forces are aiming for independence. 

This month, talks began about military reforms, which are a major aspect of the democratic transition. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan came out with a statement saying that the army will be run under a new civilian-led government. He also stated that it is time to end the dictatorship form of government that has been in place for so long and shift to a democracy. Additionally, he stated that part of the reform will include creating a military force that will remain separate from politics and that civilians can rely on for completing the shift to a more democratic state. 

South Sudan

The government of South Sudan resumed peace talks with holdout rebel groups before quickly adjourning to resolve differences on the structure of the negotiations. Rebel groups have asked for a conference that includes all relevant stakeholders, while the government would prefer to focus on only the issues they see as most relevant, picking up where they left off from the most recent round of negotiations. Talks are set to resume on May 8th.

At the same time, the government is facing its own rifts, which threaten a fragile peace agreement.  On March 8, President Salva Kiir dismissed the country’s foreign minister without any apparent reason. This came less than a week after he did the same to the country’s ministers of defense and interior, the former of whom is Vice President Riek Machar’s wife.  While Machar condemned the move, he has remained committed to the peace agreement that guides his and Kiir’s unity government. However, these developments indicate potentially fragility in the arrangement.

Tigray, Ethiopia

The US State Department, in its annual global human rights report, has determined that all sides of the conflict in Tigray, Ethiopia committed crimes against humanity, including murder, rape and sexual violence, persecution, civilian starvation, deportation, and the ethnic cleansing of Tigrayans. It is estimated that 500,000 civilians were killed in Tigray alone over the course of the two-year war. While important steps are being taken towards peace, it is necessary to reckon with the impact these atrocities have had on the people of Ethiopia.

On a more positive note, Ethiopia has established a new interim government in the region of Tigray. Getachew Reda, appointed by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) was chosen as the head of this new administration on March 23, and this collaboration is an important part of the November 2022 peace agreement. The TPLF has also been removed from Ethiopia’s list of terrorist organizations, signaling an improvement in the relationship between both sides of the conflict and a hope for lasting peace.

Central Africa

Cameroon

Violence has continued with no signs of progress towards peace in the last month. Although there has been little news about Canada’s proposed peace agreement for Cameroon, the two countries have partnered for other purposes. They have begun an initiative in which Canada will support local business development in Cameroon, which could signal greater cooperation and a potential future plan for peace negotiations. Cameroon has also experienced significant political developments domestically. On March 12, President Paul Biya’s party won all Senate seats up for election. This sets the majority party up for continued rule, while minority parties, including anglophones, remain unrepresented in formal government.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Tensions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been heating up for the past month despite efforts to end the ongoing violence between the government and other rebel forces. While the UN has called for rebel groups, including the M23 group, to honor a ceasefire agreement early in the month, acts of violence continue to surge, breaking the agreement. Islamist militant groups have committed multiple violent attacks, killing 40 people in one attack and 19 people in another, as well as destroying a medical facility. These events have prompted neighboring countries like Angola to send troops to quell the violence in the eastern part of the country. As a result, 300,000 people have had to leave their homes in the last month, joining a total of 800,000 who have been displaced since last year. The humanitarian crisis will likely not end until lasting peace can be ensured for the region. 

Southwest Asia 

Yemen

After years of continuous hostilities, hopes have been elevated that the Saudi Arabian–led intervention in Yemen might finally come to an end due to an unexpected deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran this month. Nevertheless, analysts caution that if Saudi Arabia were to decide to cease military activities, the conflict there would still be far from over and may potentially get more violent. The long-standing animosity between the Houthis and their rivals, as well as the conflicts and strains that rule the anti-Houthi camp, cannot be resolved by Iran and Saudi Arabia uniting.

Syria

As Syria continues to recover from the devastating earthquake that struck in February, the nation has become more and more vulnerable to internal conflict. Last month, the UN reported that the humanitarian crisis has been at the highest level since the start of the conflict. Since the defeat of ISIS in 2019, over 65,000 detainees have been held in northwestern Syria. As ISIS starts to regain power in Syria, they have also made moves to free their captured fighters, along with allied women and children. There have been calls from humanitarian organizations for the removal and rehabilitation of those detained in these camps.

Despite the lull in conflict for much of the month due to earthquake recovery, air strikes and bombings from all sides have recently begun to re-escalate last week. Israel carried out an airstrike on Aleppo International Airport, where much of the recent humanitarian aid has come in. Following a Syrian militia drone attack that killed a U.S. contractor and injured six other Americans, the US killed 19 in retaliatory air strikes. After that, the Iran-backed militias involved struck multiple US coalition bases in a further attack. The ongoing humanitarian crisis is only worsened by this violence and destruction.

Palestine

Last week, Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich caused outrage by denying the existence of Palestine and Palestinians. Earlier this month, he also stated that a Palestinian village in the West Bank should be wiped out. This reflects a destructive colonial mentality that only serves to worsen the conflict.

The United Nations has also expressed concern over the ongoing conflict in Palestine. Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has reported that the occupation must end in order for the violence to end. The death toll has risen alongside escalating violence, and 2022 was the deadliest year in the past 17 years for Palestinians and in the past 6 years for Israelis. Over half a century of occupation, oppression, and human rights violations have deeply impacted the people of Palestine, creating lasting legacies of harm. Change is needed.

East and South Asia

Burma

The U.S. Treasury Department has recently imposed sanctions on Tun Min Latt and his wife, Win Min Soe and the companies they run under their names, Sia Sun Group, Asia Sun Trading Co Ltd, and Cargo Link Petroleum Logistics Co Ltd, along with three other firms involved in importing weapons and military equipment, such as drones and aircraft parts. This is important because the Burmese military has increasingly used airstrikes to attack villages and other countries have imposed sanctions on jet fuel suppliers. These actions align with the United Kingdom, Canada, and the European Union’s decision to impose more sanctions on Burmese companies that are giving direct aid to the Junta.

On Armed Forces Day, greeted by lavish parades and thousands of perfectly placed troops, General Min Aung Hlaing vowed to crush acts of terror by armed resistance groups. In the same speech, he continued to blame former leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the democratic party for the alleged election fraud in November 2020. He promised an eventual return to democracy where he promised that the winning group would be able to peacefully rule, but his promises of democracy seem to be shallow as support from China and Russia sat side-by-side with the General as he gave his speech.

East Turkistan (Xinjiang, China)

As tensions rise between the United States and China as Xi Jinping enters his third term as China’s president, the issues surrounding East Turkistan still remain at the forefront of this contentious relationship between both countries.This month, the United States convened a committee in the House dealing with competition with China. This drew bipartisan support, although some fear it could escalate tensions with the ruling Chinese government. At a recent hearing, two Uyghur and Uzbek women, both oppressed minority groups in China, spoke of the horrors of being placed in internment camps that they described as being like a war zone. As the month of Ramadan has come, celebrated by Muslims around the world including the ethnic minorities that live in East Turkistan, President Biden has expressed his solidarity with the Uyghur population as they struggle with the oppression that the Chinese government has inflicted upon them. With this clear message from the US, it is imperative that change will come as a result of these hearings.

Kashmir

The UN has urged India to immediately stop its repression of Kashmiri activists. The government must be held accountable for the violation of human rights that they are responsible for upholding. This call comes from the arrest and ongoing detainment of prominent Kashmiri activist Khurram Parvez and the manipulation of laws used by the government to detain the activists. He was charged with financing terrorism for his investigation into India’s human rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir, an arrest that has been widely criticized by the international community.

North America

United States

This year, a record number of bills targeting transgender people and all members of the LGBTQ+ community have been introduced in numerous State governments. The ACLU is currently tracking 435 anti-LBGTQ bills in the United States, many of which revolve around removing access to gender affirming healthcare, censoring education, and banning trans people from playing on the sports team and using the bathroom that aligns with their gender. At the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), right-wing political commentator Michael Knowles called for the eradication of trans people. This is just one instance of the transphobic rhetoric that is becoming increasingly mainstream and is a warning sign of the early steps of genocide.

Gun violence also continues to run rampant in the United States. This month, 38 mass shootings have killed 57 people and injured another 133. Six people, including three children, were just killed this Monday on March 27. It is clear that change is needed to end this epidemic of gun violence. 

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Alishba Waqar is a junior at Westfield High School. She contributed to the Yemen portion of this update.

Allison Weiner is a sophomore at DePauw University majoring in Global Health, and minoring in Peace and Conflict Studies. She contributed to the Sudan portion of this update. 

Grace Harris is a sophomore at UCLA majoring in International Development Studies. She contributed to the Tigray, Palestine, and United States portions of this update.

Jerry Harris is a recent graduate of George Mason University with a BA in Psychology. He contributed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and East Turkistan portions of this update.

Mira Mehta is a sophomore at Brown University. She contributed to the Cameroon and South Sudan portions of this update.

Seng Hkawn Myitung is a sophomore at Albemarle High School. They contributed to the Burma, Kashmir, and Syria portions of this update.

Sudan

This month, the need for humanitarian assistance for the people of Sudan has reached an all time high. The four risks that are the most significant at the moment for the Sudanese people are conflict, disease outbreak, an extremely poor economic state, and natural disasters. Additionally, many Sudanese people are experiencing a lack of access to water, along with food insecurities that are causing starvation and malnutrition. Humanitarian organizations plan to provide food, healthcare, and basic necessities, but there is still a lot of uncertainty, and the situation continues to deteriorate.

Likewise, a disease outbreak is sweeping the nation. Some people have contracted malaria while others have contracted dengue fever. While most people thought they had malaria due to the malaria-like symptoms, it turns out that they had actually contracted the dengue fever virus. One of the biggest factors contributing to the disease spike in the nation is the poor public health system, along with a lack of access to health care. 

South Sudan

On February 3, the Pope arrived in South Sudan and encouraged leaders and civilians to support meaningful peace. Ahead of his visit, President Salva Kiir announced that the government would resume participation in peace talks with holdout opposition groups. The announcement was cautiously welcomed by opposition leaders, but it is unclear what progress in the peace process has been made since then.

Some progress has been made in achieving transition goals, as the government continues to work on a new constitution. It was announced this month that a law allowing arrests without warrants would be removed, indicating room for compromise and more democratic governance. Leaders have also said that they plan to have elections next December, with a formal transition of power in early 2025. This could force more action towards comprehensive peace in the coming year.

Tigray, Ethiopia

On February 3, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and senior leaders of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) met in person for the first time since the peace deal was signed to discuss progress in the restoration of communications, disarming of armed groups, withdrawal of Eritrean troops and access to humanitarian aid. However, many Tigrayans have reported that attacks on civilians, especially sexual assault, are still ongoing. One woman recounted how she was raped by a soldier on the same day of this meeting. Progress cannot be made if the people of Tigray are still suffering.

On this note, the Ethiopian government has called for an end to investigations into its human rights abuses during the war. The UN has ordered an inquiry into the massacres, rapes, and arbitrary detentions that took place in Ethiopia, but the government is opposed to this. Ethiopia has claimed that this is a politically motivated stunt to block funding, but these crimes have been widely documented. Ending the investigation would set a bad precedent and not hold Ethiopia accountable, but continuing it may result in diplomatic conflicts.

Central Africa

Cameroon

The Cameroonian government has refused to participate in peace talks proposed by Canada and conflict has continued to escalate, especially due to controversy over the upcoming Senate elections. Anglophone separatists vowed in January to disrupt this process and killed two election officials. Clashes have continued over the past month, with both sides claiming to have killed scores of opposing soldiers. The government has refused to release exact numbers of troops who have been killed, but touted their successes in detaining separatist soldiers who have surrendered. They plan to continue with elections as scheduled.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Despite the recent visit of the Pope last month, tensions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) still remain high as the government clashes with rebel forces. The government has also blamed rebel forces, especially the M23 group, for violence, including the death of an UN peacekeeper. However, many civilians have been expressing anti-UN sentiments since last year, claiming they were not being protected by these UN peacekeepers.

Conflict has continued, and eight civilians were killed in clashes after protestors blocked an UN convoy. In addition to this, Amnesty International has reported that the M23 group was involved in numerous killings and mass rapes on a large scale since Novemeber of last year. While things may be looking up as people in the DRC have registered to vote in this year’s election in December, it remains to be seen if any lasting change will happen in this ongoing crisis.     

Southwest Asia 

Yemen

During a national conference on Monday to contribute to humanitarian assistance funding for the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, international donors donated roughly $1.2 billion. The amount is much less than the $4.3 billion goal established by the UN to avert the humanitarian disasters in Yemen. The United Nations, Sweden, and Switzerland jointly sponsored the national conference in the Palais des Nations in Geneva. Yemen needs the funds to cover food expenses and medical services as more than 21 million people are in desperate need of humanitarian aid.  The ongoing armed conflict has resulted in violence, displacement, and food shortages, but there is hope that peace will improve the conditions for Yemenis.

Syria

On February 6th, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck northern and western Syria, along with southern and central Turkey. Tens of thousands of people were killed and just as many people were injured as a result of the earthquake. Millions of Syrians have been left homeless and in need of humanitarian aid because of the earthquake. This is especially concerning because the humanitarian crisis in this region was already at the highest level since the start of conflict in Syria in 2011. Over 4 million people were already in need of aid before the earthquake occurred, and hundreds of thousands more will need help because of it.

On a more positive note, in the Netherlands, the first case trying the Syrian armed group Daesh for crimes against humanity has begun. Daesh has targeted Yazidi and Christian religious minorities with genocide, committing murder, enslavement, forced displacement, sexual violence, and other atrocities. Twelve women rescued from a prison camp have spoken out against the abuse they faced in these hearings. This is an important step for justice and accountability.

Palestine

Israeli and Palestinian officials held a summit in Jordan for the first time in a number of years in an effort to improve relations before the holy month of Ramadan, which many worry might serve as the ignition for a larger escalation. At this meeting, representatives from Israel and Palestine pledged to start working right away to stop additional conflict.

This comes at a time of conflict and high tensions. Late last month, the Israeli military killed nine Palestinians in the occupied West Bank in the deadliest raid in decades. There is hope for peace and reconciliation, but Israel’s plans to build more housing in and fully annex the West Bank negate that. The participants agreed to meet again in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt next month for additional discussion.

East and South Asia

Burma

February 1 marked the second anniversary of the military coup in Burma, and life in Burma has not changed much since then. Around 3,000 people have been killed, 17,000 detained, and 1.5 million displaced. The international response has been strong, with both the United States and the European Union (EU) imposing sanctions on the military government. The EU recently placed a sixth round of sanctions on Burma, targeting 9 high ranking officials and 7 companies. It placed restrictive measures on private companies involved in supplying fuel, weapons, and funding to the military and travel bans on certain individuals who have sentenced protesters to death, overseen air strikes, ordered massacres, and committed other atrocities. 

East Turkistan (Xinjiang, China)

A major data leak from Chinese police documents has been released, revealing mass systems of surveillance and enabling people to search for files on their missing family members. Tens of thousands of people were listed as detained, mainly between 2016-2018, and there are around 750,000 total people in the files. The Chinese government has not yet spoken on this, but previously claimed that similar reports were misinformation and propaganda. Through these documents, multiple Uyghurs who have fled the country have found that their family members were targeted because of them and arrested for arbitrary reasons such as taking a vacation in a so-called suspicious country and associating with political dissidents. 

Canada has also recently voted to take in 10,000 Uyghur refugees over the next two years, a strong show of support following their recognition of the genocide in 2021. While this is a non-binding measure, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet have stated that they intend to make this happen. 

Kashmir

The Rawalpindi Arts Council in Pakistan held a photography exhibit early this month highlighting Indian atrocities in Kashmir. At this event, speakers called for Kashmiri freedom and self-determination and declared that Pakistan stands with Kashmir. This was just one of many events, protests, and other demonstrations held on Kashmir Solidarity Day on February 5. At the main state ceremony, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for India to end its occupation of Kashmir and honor previous agreements.

There was also diplomatic conflict between India and Pakistan at a recent United Nations assembly. Pakistan reiterated a call for India to end its occupation of Kashmir and brought up the recent death of a young Kashmiri boy after being tortured by Indian forces. India responded, declaring that Kashmir is an integral part of the nation and criticizing Pakistan for harboring hatred towards India. Tensions continue to rise between these two countries over Kashmir.

North America

United States

There have been multiple proposed bills in the United States Congress relating to genocide and atrocity issues. On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Congressman Josh Gottheimer and three others introduced the Holocaust Education and Antisemitism Lessons (HEAL) Act. This House bill follows a startling rise in antisemitic incidents and Holocaust misinformation over recent years. The HEAL Act would direct the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to evaluate state-level Holocaust education and report its findings to Congress. Late last month, Senator Tammy Duckworth re-introduced the Korematsu-Takai Civil Liberties Protection Act. During the Second World War, the United States forcibly removed over 120,000 Japanese Americans and incarcerated them in camps. This Senate bill would clearly prohibit the incarceration of individuals based on their identity and rectify the loophole created by the Non-Detention Act of 1971, which does not specify this. 

In other news, Judge Susan Eagen sentenced the domestic terrorist who killed ten people and injured three at a Tops Friendly Market in Buffalo, New York, to life in prison without parole. The gunman was convicted of one act of domestic terrorism motivated by hate and ten counts of first-degree murder after he targeted a supermarket within a predominantly Black neighborhood last year. 

Additionally, this month marks one year since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war. Vice President Kamala Harris declared at the Munich Security Conference that Russia is committing crimes against humanity in Ukraine. The United States Department of State released a press statement reporting summary executions, mass rape, and child deportations. Furthermore, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution imploring Russia to withdraw from Ukraine.

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Alishba Waqar is a junior at Westfield High School.  She contributed to the Yemen and Palestine portion of this update.

Allison Weiner is a sophomore at DePauw University majoring in Global Health, and minoring in Peace and Conflict Studies. She contributed to the Sudan portion of this update. 

Anne-Sophie Hellman is a junior at Buffalo State University majoring in History. She contributed to the United States portion of this update. 

Grace Harris is a sophomore at UCLA majoring in International Development Studies. She contributed to the Tigray and East Turkistan portions of this update.

Jerry Harris is a recent graduate of George Mason University with a BA in Psychology. He contributed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo portion of this update.

Mira Mehta is a sophomore at Brown University. She contributed to the Cameroon and South Sudan portions of this update.

Seng Hkawn Myitung is a sophomore at Albemarle High School. She contributed to the Burma, Kashmir, and Syria portions of this update.

Sudan

On January 10, Egypt proposed an initiative to help Sudan settle its ongoing crisis and further unity in Sudan. The Egyptian government plans to create tactics that will lead to a peace settlement, aiming to provide aid to the Sudanese government and restore the former civilian-led transitional government. They also want to ensure that the Democratic Unionist Party is involved in the post-transitional government, as they have historically been allied. Sudanese military and government officials are currently in the process of restoring this civilian government, and Egypt plans to be involved.

South Sudan

President Salva Kiir reaffirmed in his New Year Address that the government would not participate in peace talks until rebel groups genuinely commit to peace. However, it is unclear what the threshold is for the government to resume talks. For the time being, some rebel groups have been reportedly preparing for war, and violent clashes have continued. In addition, three humanitarian aid workers have been killed in the past month.

However, there have also been some attempts to build peace and stability. On January 24, South Sudan welcomed the Pope’s advance team in preparation for his visit to the country in February. For the country’s Catholic population, the visit is expected to help promote peace and reduce intercommunal violence. The government also began another attempt to write a new constitution in January, which will be necessary to maintain stability as they move out of the transitional period. Political infighting has limited progress on the constitution, so it remains to be seen what the final product will be.

Tigray, Ethiopia

Following the November 2nd peace treaty signed by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front and the Ethiopian government, significant efforts have been made towards peace. The remaining presence of Eritrean troops in Tigray has been an issue due to the country’s involvement in human rights abuses during the war, but forces are now being withdrawn. Ethiopia has stated that there are no more Eritrean troops remaining in the country, but the US claims that they have moved to the border but have not left yet. There is no clear proof on either side, but Tigray has also reported that thousands of troops are still there. On a positive note, Tigrayan forces have been in the process of handing over weapons such as tanks and rockets, a sign that they believe the peace deal will last. 

Central Africa

Cameroon

On January 20, Canada announced that it would host talks to begin a peace process in Cameroon and address some of the technical issues that have caused conflict. Several separatist groups, including the Ambazonia Governing Council and the Ambazonia Defence Force, have agreed to participate in the talks, unlike past attempts at peace processes. However, on January 23, the government of Cameroon denied having asked any other country for assistance in resolving the crisis. This came after months of its representatives attending talks in Canada to begin the process. It remains to be seen what the future of these talks will be, or if the change in stance indicates further fragmentation within the government.

Democratic Republic of Congo 

Despite the recent ceasefire called last month, the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s government remains suspicious about rebel troops, notably the M23 group. A recent report from the UN details suspected M23 troop movements in areas they were supposed to be withdrawn from. They have also seized new territory in other areas, and have been involved in multiple military clashes.

On January 15, at least 10 people were killed in a church bombing carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan rebel group that has pledged allegiance to ISIS. Both Uganda and the DRC forces have launched a campaign against them, but attacks have been increasing with no sign of letting up. Recently, the same group attacked a bar, killing 23 people and burning several shops and homes. UN peacekeepers have also made a grisly discovery as bodies were found in mass graves after reports of attacks from local militia groups. A total of 42 victims and six children were found among them, and CODECO militants are suspected of involvement in the killings. These events have left countless people, including children, traumatized and trying to desperately figure out how to rebuild their lives.

Southwest Asia 

Yemen

Since the end of the six-month truce in Yemen in October 2022, there has been an uneasy ceasefire. In the past few weeks, Saudi Arabia and the Houthi rebels have revived back-channel talks in efforts to strengthen the current ceasefire and pave the way towards a more sustainable peace agreement. However, the situation on the ground in Yemen is by no means stable or without violence; military and Houthi activity across the country have continued to result in the deaths of civilians. Additionally, the U.S. Navy reportedly seized over 2,000 assault rifles bound for Houthi rebels in Yemen from Iran. However, in a briefing to the UN Security Council on January 16, UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg has urged that parties should take advantage of the lack of major escalation and focus their efforts on holistic peace efforts rather than short-term measures that focus on individual issues. As Yemen remains ravaged by the ongoing humanitarian crisis, it is vital for all parties to meaningfully engage with UN Peacebuilding mechanisms, and that those mechanisms are inclusive and Yemeni-led.

Syria

Early this month, the Israeli military launched a missile strike at an airport in Damascus, killing two soldiers and putting the airport out of service. While tensions have remained high between Israel and Syria, they have also risen between Turkey and Syria. Due to the threatening presence of Kurdish forces in northern Syria, Turkey has threatened a military offensive to stop them. Russia also has a presence in the region and had talks with Turkey to expand troop patrols to bring better security to the region. While some Syrians in the area have protested against the renewed contacts between Turkey and Syria, the effects of the civil war that has been brewing since 2011 have taken a toll, displacing countless people and sending many to Turkey as refugees. The UN has unanimously voted on a resolution to bring cross-border aid from Turkey to the northern part of Syria for another six months, while Amnesty International has called on the Syrian government to lift its siege on civilians in Aleppo. Hopefully, with these measures being implemented, the region can see a sign of reprieve from the horrors of ongoing civil war.    

Palestine

Following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s return to power in December and the swearing in of his new government, human rights defenders and policy experts began warning against the actions the extremist, far right government would begin to take. So far this year, the government is looking to be as bad as people feared. The government is moving to continue and expand illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, has banned the flying of the Palestinian flag in public, and is actively working to weaken the power of the Israeli Supreme Court to reverse or strike down legislation. Furthermore, violence against Palestinians is on the rise. On the heels of the deadliest year for Palestinians since 2005, 2023 has already seen the deaths of at least 23 Palestinians by the Israeli military in the West Bank alone, including several children. At least one of the individuals killed occurred during a raid on the Qalandia refugee camp. According to the IMEU, Palestinian children have begun carrying goodbye letters on their person just in case, for fear of being killed by Israeli soldiers. The ongoing apartheid in Israel cannot be allowed to continue and is a violation of international law. The international community is obligated to take action to hold the government of Israel responsible for the decades of atrocities.

East and South Asia

Burma

Earlier this month, Burma’s military government held meetings with three different armed groups in the nation about holding elections in the regions they control. However, the military justified their initial takeover by claiming that there was fraud in the 2020 elections, and have spent the last two years suppressing opposition parties and taking control of the entire voting process. Because of this, many see this move as an attempt to legitimize the coup through a vote that may be unfair. 

At the same time, opponents of the military government plan to protest the second anniversary of the coup on February 1. They urge the entire country to participate in a silent strike within their homes to show mass discontent. Previously, the military has responded violently to protests, attacking and killing countless civilians. An estimated 2,890 people have been killed and 17,400 have been detained since the 2021 coup.

East Turkistan (Xinjiang, China)

China hosted a delegation of 30 Muslim scholars from the World Muslim Communities Council earlier this month to claim that their treatment of the Uyghurs in East Turkistan is an anti-terrorism measure, not a genocide. Following the visit, the organization has repeated this idea in a press statement, a move that has been heavily criticized by the World Uyghur Congress. The trip has been described as a propaganda visit to gloss over China’s atrocities by getting Muslims to deny the criminalization of Islam among the Uyghurs.

The World Uyghur Congress also recently challenged the British government in court for not investigating cotton imported from East Turkistan that may have been produced with forced labor. Unfortunately, they lost the case, as the court decided that they did not have a clear link to forced labor from specific products. 

Kashmir

On January 1, two gunmen broke into homes, killing four civilians and injuring six others. Those shot were part of the Hindu community, reflecting the bitter divide between Hindus and Muslims in India and Pakistan fighting over Kashmir. The next morning on the 2nd, an explosion occurred in one of the homes that was attacked, resulting in the deaths of two children and injuring four others. It is still unclear if the attackers from the first incident played a role in the explosion.

In responding to these two incidents, blame has shifted between both India and Pakistan’s role in the Kashmir region, as local residents have protested these events. While India’s government has blamed Pakistani militants for the attacks, political parties in the Kashmir region have blamed security lapses of the ruling lieutenant governor from policies that have resulted in more attacks in the region. Despite this, all sides have condemned the two attacks and security has been increased in the region.

North America

United States

January has been a tumultuous month as gun violence has continued to run rampant across the U.S. in the new year. Just in the last week, in California there have been two shootings in three days killing 18 people; the first at a Lunar New Year gathering in Monterey Park targeting Asian-Americans, and the second in Half Moon Bay. Unfortunately, the U.S. is no stranger to these horrific acts this year. According to the Gun Violence Archives, while we are only 24 days into 2023 at the time of writing this piece, there have been 39 mass shootings recorded across the country. Following these tragedies, President Joe Biden called, again, for a congressional bill banning assault weapons. Unfortunately, congress continues to be divided on this issue; last year House Democrats passed a bill banning assault weapons, but the bill stalled out in the Senate with little to no chance of reaching the White House for signature. The absence of gun control policy remains unacceptable in a country where mass shootings outnumber the days in the year, and the leading cause of death among children and youth under 24 is gun violence. As we move into February and beyond, we cannot continue to operate in the familiar cycle of witnessing these tragedies, calling for change, and meeting inaction. It is urgent that U.S. policymakers protect lives over weapons and take swift and concrete actions to prevent further loss of lives.

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Allison Weiner is a sophomore at DePauw University. She contributed to the Sudan portion of this update.

Alonna Despain is a recent graduate of New York University with a MS in Human Rights and International Law. She contributed to the Palestine, United States, and Yemen portions of this update. 

Grace Harris is a sophomore at UCLA studying International Development Studies. She contributed to the Tigray, Burma, and East Turkistan portions of this update.

Jerry Harris is a recent graduate of George Mason University with a BA in Psychology. He contributed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, and Kashmir portion of this update. 

Mira Mehta is a sophomore at Brown University. She contributed to the Cameroon and South Sudan portions of this update.

Sudan- 

On December 5, 2022, an agreement was signed between the military of Sudan and the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC), a coalition made up of the civilian members of the former transitional government. This deal includes language to create the framework for a new transitional government to be formed by civilians. While it includes general wording for the government to be held accountable for human rights issues, it is phrased in a vague way that fails to acknowledge any formal, specific policy on how to do so. The agreement states that specific plans will be made at a later time. 

Even though this pact has been made, there have been many protests regarding the agreement. Thousands have joined protests in the capital, and have been met with severe violence and poor treatment from police. They believe that this peace deal will not do anything and will only serve as an extension of the coup to keep the military in power.

South Sudan

On December 24, there were violent ethnic clashes in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area, as armed people attacked from the nearby Jonglei state. This comes amidst a larger trend of ethnic violence in South Sudan. The UN reported that about 30,000 civilians have been displaced by ethnic violence in South Sudan.

Despite continued high levels of intercommunal violence, there has been some progress in establishing more stable peace in the nation. After ending formal participation in peace talks with rebel groups last month, the South Sudanese government has pursued other avenues for establishing peace and working with these groups. It remains to be seen what form this new approach will take. In addition, President Kiir on December 25 formally forgave Vice President Machar for, in his view, causing power struggles. The two have a history of disagreement and clashes, which appeared to be escalating again over the past two months. Machar has not responded, but it is possible that the two may be recommitting to peace and collaboration.

Tigray, Ethiopia

Since the ceasefire between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front last month, the situation has continued to improve. Mediators from both sides are currently negotiating the terms of a truce, where important settlements such as the withdrawal of Eritrean troops and the restoration of humanitarian aid are being discussed. Eritrea’s role in these atrocities is notable, especially since its military has been seen looting towns and arresting civilians in Tigray after the peace agreement was signed.

In another important step forward, Ethiopian Airlines has resumed flights into Tigray, connecting people who have been separated for two years due to war. The entire region has also been reconnected to the national power grid, and plans have been made for a handover of weapons. While the peace process is progressing slowly, there is a general sense of hope that the war and the atrocities committed during it could end.

Central Africa

Cameroon

The Anglophone Crisis has continued with little progress towards peace. The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported on December 16 that more than 7,000 people were displaced as a result of this civil war in a single month. Civilians continue to bear the burden of the continued violence in other ways as well. There have been reports of unfair detentions, as people are labeled separatists with little proof. Conditions for detainees have been inadequate, and many have died in custody without due process or ability to see their families. The economy has been severely disrupted as well.

Despite the lack of progress this past month, there is hope for possible change. Cameroonian President Paul Biya attended the US-Africa summit on December 13-15, where he was expected to discuss a new response to the anglophone crisis with President Biden. The summit was reportedly fruitful, though there were not any reports of specific decisions made on this issue.

Democratic Republic of Congo 

With the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) between government and rebel forces, security is one of the most significant challenges facing the region. Because of human rights abuses and having the highest number of internally displaced persons in Africa, the UN has intensified its support of providing humanitarian aid and condemning the atrocities by the rebel groups.

Not only has violent conflict affected the DRC but severe flooding has caused great damage recently as well. At least 100 people have been killed from floods and landslides in the capital city of Kinshasa this month. This has been the worst flooding the country has seen since 2019, and the death toll has been rising. However, there is hope for a more peaceful situation as the M23 rebel group has withdrawn from seized positions in a goodwill gesture as the result of a ceasefire that was called last month. Hopefully this can ease tensions and build a stronger platform for peace in the next year. 

Southwest Asia 

Yemen

Over the past few weeks, President Biden lobbied against and even threatened to veto the Yemen War Powers Resolution blocking US support for Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen, despite his pledge to stop US support for the war. 

The Yemen War Powers Resolution was introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders, who called for a vote on December 13th. According to The New Republic, during the debate over the war powers resolution, the White House had pleaded with senators to vote against it. A vote in support, according to the White House, was not necessary as serious conflicts haven’t commenced despite the ceasefire’s expiration, and they believe the vote will make mediation increasingly challenging. Additionally, the White House has issued a warning that the resolution could make it difficult to support Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. Accordingly, Sanders withdrew his bill before the scheduled vote, but pledged to discuss the resolution again if he and Biden are unable to reach a consensus on how to stop the war. This is disappointing, as US weapons are still being used to bomb Yemen.

Syria

After weeks of Turkish airstrike attacks, Syria and other neighboring countries are trying to gauge if Turkish threats of invasion are serious. Turkey sees the Kurdish forces along their shared border with Syria as a threat and has launched attacks against Kurdish forces. Not only has anti-refugee sentiment grown in Turkey, but discrimination and violence have only increased against Kurdish people living in Turkey. Syria has been pressuring the U.S. and Russia, who both have military posts in northern Syria, to prevent further attacks from Turkey. The Kurds are also worried that Western silence will give Turkey further motivation to intensify attacks against Syria.

As Turkish relations worsen in Syria, so do the humanitarian and economic crises. Energy and fuel shortages have become more common, and access to healthcare has become more difficult to acquire. A projected 3 million Syrians could face food insecurity as many Syrian families have become unable to meet basic needs because of the increasing conflict. The lack of access to healthcare and basic needs has also contributed to a rise in cholera cases, and the displacement, imprisonment, and disappearance of Syrian people continue to go on in the heat of Syrian conflict.

Palestine

On December 27, dozens of Palestinian protesters marched from the Al-Amari refugee camp, south of Ramallah, to Israel’s capital, Jerusalem, protesting against Israel’s refusal to release over 300 bodies of prisoners. According to the protesters, these bodies are being kept to put pressure on Hamas to release four missing Israeli soldiers in Gaza. During the protests, at least 11 individuals were wounded in the capital when Israeli security forces fought with protesters calling for the return of the Palestinian bodies held hostage at the Qalandia crossing. 

While these protests are ongoing, there is positive news that Chile’s president, Gabriel Boric, announced recently that he is planning to open an embassy in Palestine. In order to create diplomatic connections between Palestine and Chile, Gabriel Boric has declared that his nation will increase the level of its representation of its Palestinian citizens by opening an embassy, as Chile is home to the largest Palestinian communities outside the Middle East. Chile will be the first nation in Latin America to establish an embassy in Palestine. 

East and South Asia

Burma

Starting off with good news: the BURMA Act of 2021 has been passed and signed into law! Thanks to the great work of GM4MD and everyone else who has contributed to the advocacy, education, and awareness of the BURMA act, a huge accomplishment has been made regarding efforts of peace and reconciliation in Burma.

Over a million people have been internally displaced as the military coup has come close to its second year now. Since the coup in February 2021, attacks on mines and environmentalists have increased. Miners and environmentalists have faced conflict with not only the Burmese military, but the Chinese government as well, who use the mines and surrounding land to fuel their hydroelectricity plants. The Burmese military has also strengthened its relationship with the Russian government. Russia and China remain one of the anti-coup movement’s biggest opponents due to their continued support of the military government. Human Rights Chief Volker Turk has denounced Burma’s use of the death sentence against political opposition, and the UN Security Council has demanded a resolution to the violence in Burma, pressuring the Burmese military and the Chinese and Russian governments to give in to their demands. Lastly, the UN has urged other Southeast Asian countries to rescue over 200 Rohingya refugees who have been stranded at sea for the past month. The people on the boat have been without food and water for weeks and are facing extreme dehydration. Crises like these have become more common as thousands of Rohingya refugees are taking the risk to cross the sea to escape to Bangladesh.

East Turkistan (Xinjiang, China)

On November 24, a fire broke out at an apartment building in Urumqi, the capital of East Turkistan. This resulted in the deaths of at least 10 Uyghur Muslims. Protests condemning the state’s zero-COVID policies– which exacerbated the fire’s severity and prevented firetrucks from reaching the scene– erupted across the country, particularly among China’s younger generation of workers and university students. While a promising indication of the people’s unwillingness to accept authoritarian measures, no one protesting in China made demands to close the camps, end forced labor or stop the Uyghur genocide. While some among China’s majority Han Chinese population have expressed sentiments of common humanity, with Chinese netizens circulating slogans like “we are all Chinese people” and referring to Xinjiang residents as “tongbao,” or compatriots, their aversion to explicitly naming the oppressed group in question, the Uyghurs, is a testament to the Chinese Communist Party’s control over the flow of information through censorship and propaganda. Whether the lack of recognition of the ongoing repression and genocide against the Uyghurs is willful ignorance or genuine unknowing, the underlying ethnic and religious forces of oppression must not be ignored. Looking into future conflict updates, Han solidarity with the Uyghurs will be a crucial indicator of progress in resolving the conflict.

At least two more prominent Uyghur cultural figures have died this month following their imprisonment in detention camps. Omar Huseyin, a former preacher, was arrested in 2017 after making the pilgrimage to Mecca. He died in prison, despite being in good health prior to his arrest. Abdulla Sawut, a renowned poet and influential individual in contemporary Uyghur literature, died after being released from prison. His condition deteriorated in prison, and it was reported that he could not obtain medical treatment and food upon release.

Finally, in East Turkistan updates, a report published by the Sheffield Hallam Institute’s Helena Kennedy Institute for International Justice found that almost every automobile company uses parts made by Uyghur forced labor in its production process. In response to the report’s findings, Senate Finance Committee chair Ron Wyden (OR-D) sent letters to Ford, General Motors, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, Tesla, Toyota and Volkswagen to ask if they were aware that parts of their cars were sourced from East Turkistan. Additionally, the United Auto Workers Union responded with a statement calling on these companies to move their supply chains out of the province.  

Kashmir

Violence has escalated this month in Kashmir as violent protests erupted after the deaths of two civilians shot by the Indian army. This occurred near the entrance of a military base where three laborers were fired upon in what the Indian army claimed was a terrorist attack. Residents in the town, close to the border between India and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, protested the claim and demanded justice in protests at the base.

On December 28, four suspected militants were killed in a gunfight with Indian police in India-controlled Kashmir after police intercepted a truck carrying weapons and ammunition after the gunfight. More reports will be coming in about the recent event, as so far no one besides the police have confirmed this. 

North America

United States

This week, President Joe Biden signed the BURMA Act into law– a piece of legislation to hold Burma’s military government accountable for genocide and atrocities through sanctions and support for opposition groups. This law has been a priority for many Burmese diaspora activists within the US for a while, and it is an important step in accountability. 

Unfortunately, Biden has not extended his support for the Yemen War Powers Resolution to end US weapons sales to Saudi Arabia. While Senator Bernie Sanders attempted to bring it to a vote earlier this month, he withdrew it for rewrites because Biden’s aides recommended a veto if it were to pass. This is disappointing, as the US still needs to reckon with its own role of enabling atrocities for profit. American weapons are being used to bomb Yemen, but the US government could stop if it wanted to.

Allison Weiner is a sophomore at DePauw University. She contributed to the Sudan portion of this update.

Mira Mehta is a sophomore at Brown University.  She contributed to the South Sudan and Cameroon portions of this update.

Grace Harris is a sophomore at UCLA. She contributed to the Tigray and United States portions of this update.

Jerry Harris is a recent graduate of George Mason University with a BA in Psychology. He contributed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kashmir portions of this update. 

Alishba Waqar is a junior at Westfield High School. She contributed to the Yemen and Palestine portions of this update. 

Seng Hkawn Myitung is a sophomore at Albemarle High School. They contributed to the Syria and Burma portion of this update.

Robert Liu is a junior at Durham Academy. He contributed to the East Turkistan portion of this update.

Sudan

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, visited Sudan on Sunday, November 13. Sudan was Türk’s first official visit since he became the UN High Commissioner. At the meeting, Türk met with the President of the Transitional Sovereign Council, First Lieutenant-General Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan Abdelrahman Al-Burhan. He also met with other representatives of the National Human Rights Commission, along with other regional officials in other parts of the country.

In addition, he held a news conference on November 16, the last day of his visit, in which he emphasized the human rights abuses that are still being committed. Türk expressed a great sense of urgency in ending crises that are currently taking place and how it is crucial that we take whatever actions we can to create change in the country. 

South Sudan

On November 21, the government of South Sudan withdrew from peace talks with rebel groups who did not sign the 2018 deal that officially ended the country’s civil war. These groups, both armed and unarmed, have maintained concerns about the country’s governance and have remained outside of the transition to democratic governance. However, some of the most prominent of the groups, including the National Salvation Front and the South Sudan United Front said on November 25 that they are still committed to the talks. It is unclear what the future of these discussions and peace agreements may look like.

Tigray, Ethiopia

The ongoing peace deal discussions between Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken have not stopped violence and human rights abuses in the region of Tigray despite the truce on November 2nd. The Ethiopian military has set up detention centers to arrest anyone believed to have ties with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, and forces from the neighboring country of Eritrea have been allowed to kidnap, rape, and commit atrocities against Tigrayans. 

On a good note, aid deliveries have resumed following the truce and organizations like the World Food Program have sent food and fuel to people in need. However, two years of war has made road access difficult, and millions are still in need. The UN estimates that 90 percent of the nation’s 6 million people are dependent on food assistance, and the current deliveries are not enough to serve them all. Still, this is an important step forward that will help many.

Central Africa

Cameroon

Cameroon’s anglophone crisis has continued, with civilians often caught in the crossfire.  On November 4, anglophone separatists allegedly kidnapped nine health care workers.  A spokesperson for the Ambazonia Governing Council said that healthcare workers should be protected and that this was against their principles. However, the group has a long history of this type of behavior and continues to engage in violence that disrupts civilian life, including by closing down schools. Anglophones have also faced significant violence at the hands of the government. The UN has noted arbitrary detentions of anglophone separatists and violation of international human rights law. There has not been any significant progress towards ending the conflict or protecting civilians.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Armed conflict has been increasing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and is not letting up between the DRC government and other rebel groups such as the M23 group. This has resulted in bordering countries like Kenya sending in troops to bring peace to the mineral rich region in the eastern part of the DRC. As a result, many people have been forced to flee and many have been displaced, including children. This proves worrisome as rebel forces continue to push toward these towns where the camps are located, putting them more at risk of being harmed or killed. As the conflict has been brewing and escalating further with more neighboring countries joining in, it seems more difficult to end the hostilities. A ceasefire has been called for the fighting in the eastern part of the DRC, which initially was ignored by the M23 group. They said they will accept it conditionally on the condition that they talk with the DRC government. The DRC has also scheduled their presidential elections for December of next year, so hopefully something will change to address this harrowing conflict in the region.  

Southwest Asia 

Yemen

Although violence between the Saudi-led coalition and Iranian-backed Houthi rebels still continues to harm civilians in Yemen, there has been some recent development in economic reform within the country. On Sunday, November 27, the Saudi Press Agency reported that Saudi Arabia sponsored The Arab Monetary Fund, intending to support the Yemeni government in its efforts to improve its financial standing and economy. This is an economic and financial program with a one billion dollar agreement with the Yemeni government to expand the nation’s banking industry and stimulate its private sector. Priorities for the program include strengthening services for small and local firms, youth, and women in rural areas. Additionally, it will work to increase digitalization and the variety of payment options.

Syria

Ever since the Syrian Civil War began in 2011, many countries, including the US, have placed sanctions in order to dissuade the Assad government from cracking down on those who protested against him. Recently, a U.N. convoy has called to lift the sanctions imposed as it has worsened shortages in medical supplies and other necessities and resulted in “catastrophic effects of unilateral sanctions across all walks of life in the country.” Some other human rights groups have argued that sanctions should only be lifted if the Assad regime ends its crimes against humanity against its people. Not only has this impacted Syria internally, it has also affected other neighboring countries. After a bombing in Istanbul, Turkey which killed six, Turkey retaliated by launching deadly airstrikes over the northern regions of Syria and Iraq escalating further tensions by putting the responsibility of the bombing on the Kurds. While a US official has called for a de-escalation of airstrikes between the two countries, the airstrikes have affected many communities living between the crossfire.

Palestine

The UN has reported on a surge in violence in occupied Palestinian land due to a stalled peace process, continued occupation, and economic challenges. Bombings, airstrikes, and violent attacks have resulted in the deaths of both Palestinians and Israelis, and negotiations have been challenging.

As a result, 197 organizations have written to the International Criminal Court to investigate and prosecute Israel’s human rights abuses. They argue that the ICC has the authority to intervene as an early warning to prevent further escalation.

Attention to the crisis has garnered worldwide attention as both Tunisian and Moroccan fans at the Qatar World Cup have displayed “Free Palestine” banners. This was done at the 48th minute of each nation’s respective matches as a symbol in memory of the Nakba– the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in 1948.

East and South Asia

Burma

On Thursday, November 17, the Burmese Junta released 6,000 prisoners in a mass amnesty including former British ambassador Vicky Bowman, and Australian economic advisor to the currently imprisoned leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, Sean Turnell.

Turnell was arrested a few days after the coup d’etat on Suu Kyi’s elected government in February 2021. This coup marked the end of a decade of democracy in Burma. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pressured Thai and Cambodian leaders to pressure the Burmese military to release the prisoners.

Organizations like the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) have been documenting the Junta’s actions since the start of the coup. They believe that the Junta is using political prisoners as bargaining chips and released the prisoners to ease political tension. Nations of the prisoners, Japan and Australia have released statements and continue to pressure the Junta to solve problems peacefully and rebuild the democratic society of Burma.

East Turkistan (Xinjiang, China)

Cybersecurity researchers have discovered that a spyware program is targeting Uyghurs by masquerading as regular apps such as messaging services and dictionaries. This spyware is connected by a Chinese government hacking group in order to track those they suspect of engaging in religious activity that they view as extreme, which can lead to being sent to a re-education camp. This surveillance program allows human rights violations to occur that can be difficult to stop, as many unofficial apps are treated as genuine services.

After a deadly high rise fire occurred in Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang region, protests have been triggered over China’s COVID-19 lockdown strategy that has put the Xinjiang region in the longest lockdowns in the entire country. These events have in turn triggered many other protests in China and around the world calling for an end to the Chinese Communist Party’s rule and Xi Jinping to step down as leader. While many countries have passionately expressed their support for the Uyghur population, many companies have privately invested funds in other companies that are involved in Uygur forced labor and repression. Since many of these investments are privately funded, it is hard to tell where the money ends up going and who is ultimately benefiting from the investments. Establishing a list of banned entities and companies that are involved is crucial in ending further oppression and is what many countries must do to truly stand with the Uyghur people.

Kashmir

While there has not as of this month been any violent conflict in Kashmir, the weather has impacted many near the Indian and Pakistani borders in Kashmir. A brutal avalanche killed three Indian soldiers along the Himalayan frontier. With these tense conditions, as well as the difficult border dispute still being maintained by both countries by having troops stationed there, it still remains to be seen if tensions will decrease with both countries. As of a year ago on November 22, 2021, Kashmiri human rights defender Khurram Parvez, was arrested on political terrorism charges. Amnesty International and other human right groups are calling for him to be unconditionally released from custody and drop all charges for speaking out on human rights in Kashmir and working towards change. Being detained silences the work of human rights defenders who work to expose the human rights violations and it is crucial for Kashmir to have a voice on these matters to bring accountability, transparency, and justice when violations occur.     

North America

United States

Midterm elections in the United States were held early this month on November 8. While a “red wave” of Republican elections was predicted, no such event occurred. Republicans now control the House with a narrow margin, and Democrats control the house with only one seat. This sets the stage for future political decisions over the next two years.

The United States has a long history of genocide against Indigenous people, a practice that may continue with the possible overturn of the Indian Child Welfare Act. This law, which has been in place since 1978, requires Indigenous children in foster care or adoption agencies to be kept with Indigenous families in response to the family separations and cultural assimilation forced upon them throughout history. With a recent challenge in Brackeen v. Haaland, this may change. There is concern over the Supreme Court’s political bias– a factor that may determine the outcome of the case. If overturned, this could pave the way for future limits on tribal sovereignty and put more Indigenous people at risk of cultural genocide.

Another relevant case being considered by the Supreme Court revolves around the deportation of undocumented immigrants. A lower court in Texas ruled that Biden’s policy of only deporting criminals who pose a threat was too narrow of an interpretation of federal immigration policy, and the case has now reached the Supreme Court. While the labeling of certain immigrants as threats often has prejudiced and racialized undertones, the Trump-era policy of deporting everyone is certainly worse for human rights. This case will have wide-reaching repercussions for national immigration policy, and the bias of the court will likely play a key role.

–

Grace Harris is a sophomore at UCLA studying International Development Studies. She contributed to the Tigray, Palestine, and United States portions of this update.

Jerry Harris is a recent graduate of George Mason University with a BA in Psychology. He contributed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, East Turkistan, and Kashmir portions of this update.  

Mira Mehta is a sophomore at Brown University studying Economics and International & Public Affairs. She contributed to the Cameroon and South Sudan portions of this update.

Alishba Waqar is a junior at Westfield High School. She contributed to the Yemen portion of this update.

Seng Hkawn Myitung is a sophomore at Albemarle High School. They contributed to the Burma portion of this update. 

Allison Weiner is a sophomore at DePauw University. She contributed to the Sudan portion of this update.

Sudan

October 25th of this month marks one year since Sudan’s military coup, where General Abdel-Fattah Burhan and General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo took control of the country instead of allowing it to peacefully transfer to civilian control. This was a major violation of the terms of the 2019 agreement following the uprising against former President Omar al-Bashir. In the year since then, public support for the military has decreased due to the deaths of protesters and the continued use of militias that committed the Darfur genocide in 2003.​ 

Tens of thousands of Sudanese people came together in a protest on the capitol to demand that the military relinquish control. They were met with tear gas, internet blackouts, and one protester was run over by a security truck and killed. The military is currently in negotiations with the pre-coup civilian organization Forces of Freedom for Change (FCC), but there are many who doubt that they will ever give up power willingly.

On the 29th, a separate group of thousands of protesters, including many still loyal to Bashir, joined together in support of the military government and against UN influence in their country. They seek to reject the FFC and any possible democratic processes in favor of religious rule. This only adds to the complexity of Sudan’s political system at the moment, with so many clashing ideas of how the country should be run.

At the same time, 220 people were killed in a land dispute in the south of Sudan between the Hausa and Berta people. An estimated 7,000 people were forced to flee, joining the 211,000 displaced by general conflict over the last year. Political instability has only worsened the violence.

South Sudan

On October 22nd, the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) removed the country’s First Vice President Riek Machar and former Secretary General Pagan Amam from their party and leadership. Both people led separate wings of the party, and the SPLM declared that this decision was crucial to unify the SPLM in accordance with its constitution.  However, there are also concerns about the consolidation of power and the elimination of opposition opinions.

At the same time, humanitarian conditions have worsened, with many criticizing the international response because it has only worsened the crisis. In September, the African Energy Chamber called on the US to lift its oil sanctions on South Sudan. They noted that the initial stated goal of sanctions was to end the war, and the war has officially ended, with the formation of a unity government in 2020. Moreover, the sanctions have exacerbated economic difficulties in the country– which is now at risk of famine– and may be causing more harm than good to civilians.

In addition, aid workers in a UN camp have been accused of committing sexual abuses against residents. An estimated 5,000 more people are expected to come to the camp in the near future, raising concerns about further sexual abuses and dangers for these people.  The allegations began in 2015, and despite a UN-led task force meant to combat this problem, many new reports of such abuse have continued to surface.

Tigray, Ethiopia

Peace talks have begun, organized by the African Union between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front: the two main forces at war for two years in the Tigray region of Northern Africa. While August’s ceasefire collapsed with the deaths of thousands and the displacement of even more, a spokesperson for Tigray’s forces has expressed a desire for a non-military solution with an end to hostility, unrestricted humanitarian aid, and a withdrawal of forces. Despite this hope, the ongoing humanitarian situation remains bleak. 

Genocide watch has deemed Ethiopia’s persecution of Tigrayans a genocide, with massacres of thousands of Tigrayans, mass rape, and forced ID cards. The Ethiopian government denies involvement in this and claims to minimize civilian casualties, but as conflict intensifies, so do humanitarian atrocities. Six million people living in Tigray have lost access to healthcare due to the closings of the vast majority of health centers, blockage of humanitarian aid, and shortage of medical supplies. In addition, access to food and hygiene have been limited. The combination of physical violence with this humanitarian structural violence has culminated in the current crisis despite little international attention.

Central Africa

Cameroon

October 1st marked five years since anglophone separatists declared their independence from Cameroon as the Independent Republic of Ambazonia. During this time, violence has escalated, and 4,000-6,000 people have died. In addition, the military has been accused of committing extensive human rights abuses against civilians living in the anglophone region of the country. For the first time, Cameroon’s military has publicly arrested several of its own soldiers for torturing suspected separatist fighters. However, they have denied accusations that these soldiers hurt civilians in the fighting and have not yet provided any details about how many soldiers were arrested or what consequences they will face.

Civilians have also faced violence from separatist fighters. On October 22nd, nine people who had been captured over a month prior were released. They expressed gratitude that they had been released without a ransom, but the group had demanded that their church pay throughout most of the time they were held captive. This has sparked fears that more similar incidents will occur in the future in order to fund separatist groups who are seeking more resources to match Cameroon’s government.

Democratic Republic of Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has seen widespread amounts of torture from victims in the conflict areas of the country. The United Nations has reported that  responsibility for these cases of torture rest with both the DRC’s security forces and other armed militia groups. Due to the low number of reports filed, the sheer amount of torture that has been afflicted upon victims has been underestimated. As violence has been brewing between armed groups, families have been separated and many people have been displaced from the country to escape being attacked.

While violence in the DRC has been happening for years, recent violence has seen a high number of deaths after the resurgence of rebel groups to try to take back control against security forces and UN peacekeepers. Tensions are rising as the DRC has accused Rwanda of alleged support for the rebel groups– a longstanding issue that stems back to the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. As recently as yesterday the Rwanda ambassador has been expelled from the DRC after rebel forces captured a town in the country. While other East African countries are discussing ways to de-escalate the conflict, it remains difficult to see if there will be any cooperation from these countries to curb out violence in the region.

Southwest Asia 

Yemen

Since April, the UN has led a truce in Yemen between the Yemeni government, backed by a Saudi Arabia-led coalition, and the Houthi group, backed by Iran. This truce that once marked a hope for an end to the war expired at the beginning of this month, and the two parties failed to extend it. Conflict has not yet escalated, and the UN hopes to negotiate a ceasefire, but this is a very precarious moment for Yemen. There is a much greater risk of war now, concerning both the international community and the people of Yemen who will be directly affected by it.

There has been no end to Yemen’s humanitarian crisis. Half of Yemen’s hospitals have been destroyed or are non-functioning, 2.2 million children are hungry, and food and fuel prices are on the rise due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, cutting off important supplies. Even during the truce when fighting ceased, vulnerable Yemenis still suffered from a lack of basic human necessities. 

Syria

The United Nations in a recent statement said that Syria is facing acute violence due to a worsening economic crisis and a cholera outbreak that has resulted in over 24,000 cases and at least 80 deaths. Conflict remains ongoing despite a stalemate, preventing a peace process between government and opposition forces. The cholera outbreak has been worsened by Syria’s water shortage, causing high malnutrition rates. As winter approaches, Syrians are desperate for aid to help them, but programs are severely underfunded. This is further complicated by suppliers who benefited from UN contracts despite involvement in human rights abuses.

Recently, Israel has conducted airstrikes on Damascus as part of their efforts to stop Iranian-backed groups from funneling weapons to their country. This array of security, health, and economic crises have affected Syria daily since the start of the civil war in 2011. Many Syrians are struggling to survive, and recent events show that these cycles of crises are not letting up for their communities.   

Palestine

Since the killing of an Israeli soldier earlier this month by a Palestinian armed group called the Lions Den, the city of Nablus in the occupied West Bank has been under a blockade with multiple military attacks. There has been a siege on a refugee camp, an attack on a school, and a raid that killed six and injured 21, affecting countless innocent people not involved in the fighting. These are just a few incidents among a long history of the brutal treatment of Palestinians by Israel’s military.

The UN Middle East Peace Envoy has also rated this the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank. Since January, 32 have been killed and 311 have been injured in military raids and crackdowns on protests, along with 63 who were injured when they were attacked by Israeli citizens. On the other hand, 2 Israeli soldiers were killed and 13 were injured in attacks by Palestinians. The violence remains ongoing.

The long-ongoing occupation of Palestine has been deemed illegal under international law by a UN Commission of Inquiry that has pushed for the International Court of Justice to address it. Members have stated that occupation of land in war must be temporary and cannot take away state sovereign power– two rules Israel has violated. In addition, the exploitation of natural resources, lack of access to water, and forced displacement have greatly hurt the people of Palestine. This international recognition of the harm of Israel’s occupation of Palestine is an important step forward.

East and South Asia

Burma

On the night of October 23rd, an air raid by the Myanmar Air Force targeted the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in Kansi village in Hpakant Township. Witnesses reported that three bombs were dropped as villagers were celebrating a concert to mark the 62nd anniversary of the KIA’s founding. The attack resulted in 50 deaths and injured 100 people, including the musical performers. The military junta has denied killing civilians in the air strike, and said the attack was a counterinsurgency operation. The Myanmar Army has blocked humanitarian aid and first responders from treating the victims, making the death toll rise even further.

This attack marked the deadliest attack on civilians since the start of the civil war that occurred after the military coup last February. As a result, anti-government resistance has increased, especially in Kachin State with the KIA. While the attack has been condemned both internationally and domestically, a meeting will be held in Indonesia by Southeast Asian ministers to consider the peace process for Burma. This will prove difficult however, as the junta have ignored any previous attempts to bring about peace and end their oppression.      

East Turkistan (Xinjiang, China)

With the human rights abuses that have been inflicted on ethnic minorities in China, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has now been using social media influencers to whitewash and deny that these human rights abuses have taken place. While Chinese propaganda has been viewed as unconvincing, using individuals in the Uyghur community to deny that abuse was happening on social media gives an authentic feel to convey a false sense of what is actually taking place. This form of propaganda appears casual enough that it is hard to prove if it is scripted or if influencers have any links to the CCP, making it easier to convince others to support the CCP narrative of Uyghurs living in peace and not concentration camps.

Despite of this, the UN has reported that what China has been doing to the Uyghur Muslim community in the Xinjiang province amounts to crimes against humanity. This has led the international community to investigate and put pressure on China to end and acknowledge what has been done to the Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities. Uyghurs have also put pressure on other countries to take strong action, such as how U.K. Uyghur groups have challenged the government to ban the import of cotton products produced using forced labor.   

Kashmir

Starting this month, a cinema opened in Kashmir for the first time in fourteen years as the Indian government seeks to normalize tensions brought about after imposing direct rule in 2019. However, few moviegoers decided to show up, which stems from the long insurgency that Kashmir and India have faced where many cinemas in the past have been attacked or bombed. Ever since direct rule has been imposed, the region has come under new laws and restrictions, making tensions more volatile. This has even led India to stop a Kashmiri photojournalist from flying to receive the Pulitzer Prize.

With these difficulties with India as well as Pakistan, Kashmir has faced dual problems, making peace ever more difficult. But there is a sense of hope among some with the recent appointment of the next U.K. prime minister. Rishi Sunak, who has Indian and Pakistani roots, hopes to forge a solution to stop the hostility in Kashmir. Both countries have embraced him and it remains to be seen if Sunak can bring better cooperation and understanding to the region.    

North America

United States

October 10th was Indigenous People’s Day, a day of remembrance of the genocide of millions of Indigenous people and a day to celebrate and honor those still here fighting for their rights today. In our work for atrocity prevention today, it is important to remember the atrocities of our past and uplift survivors today.  

Earlier this month, the UN Human Rights Council held a meeting discussing police violence in the United States and across the world. Speakers called for the US to bring down historical and systemic barriers to equality and to hold systems of law enforcement accountable for the harm they have brought to Black communities. It has been over two years since the murder of George Floyd, but police brutality and systemic injustice within the entire police and prison system continue. 

Additionally, the US Supreme Court’s removal of nationwide abortion rights with the overturn of Roe v Wade in June continues to affect millions of women and other people who can get pregnant. Thirteen states have complete bans with few exceptions, and even more have harsh restrictions or bans in progress. While the United States claims to support international human rights, it has been criticized by members of its own Congress for the hypocrisy of this restriction of human rights by its own legal system. 

There is also a heightened fear of political violence as the 2022 elections approach. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s husband was attacked by a right-wing conspiracy theorist who was one of many posting violent rhetoric online. Ever since the attempted coup on January 6th of last year, the number of threats against American political figures have only increased.

–

Grace Harris is a sophomore at UCLA studying International Development Studies. She contributed to the Sudan, Tigray, Yemen, Palestine, and United States portions of this update.

Mira Mehta is a sophomore at Brown University studying Economics and International & Public Affairs.  She contributed to the South Sudan and Cameroon portions of this update.

Jerry Harris is a recent graduate of George Mason University with a BA in Psychology. He contributed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, Burma, East Turkistan, and Kashmir portions of this update.  

East Turkistan (Xinjiang, China)

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated that United Nations Human Rights Chief Michelle Bachelet may visit Xinjiang, China, as long her team does not call for an investigation based on “prejudices” and other “uncalled for accusations,” which the Chinese government rejects. Several human rights groups have denounced China’s treatment of Uyghurs, including forced labor, concentration camps, and other human rights violations. As such, Bachelet has been wanting to delve into these occurrences in Xinjiang for much of her tenure. 

Amidst this tension, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a premier global development bank, has been exposed for financing loans to companies reliant on forced labor from Uyghurs and other ethnic groups in the Xinjiang region. A report titled, “Financing and Genocide: Development Finance the and Crisis in the Uyghur Region,” published by the Helena Kenedy Center for International Justice, showcases statistics and evidence that link the IFC to four major Chinese corporations. The Chenguang Biotech Group, Camel Group, Century Sunsion, and Jointown Pharmaceutical Group have received around $439 million worth of investments and loans from the IFC. Such investments contribute to the human rights violations that occur within camps in Xinjiang, which is reported to have over 2 million ethnic minorities imprisoned. 

Kashmir

The month of February has seen a large degree of crackdown on the press in Kashmir by the state. Journalists in Kashmir are claiming their archives are disappearing from local newspapers as a way to “rewrite” and “twist” the history of the land. This is especially prevalent in Indian-administered Kashmir where records of human rights abuses have gone missing. The stripping of Kashmir’s historical record began in 2019 when the special status of the region was revoked. One of the most prevalent instances of these erasures concerns the work of Mudasir Ali, a well-known reporter in the Greater Kashmir region. Ali was known for his groundbreaking news reports regarding human rights abuses and bringing the narratives of locals forward. However, much of his work has been missing from the newspaper archives and shows only four field stories. 

This censorship is concerning in many aspects. The local newspapers have been a window to the conflict in Kashmir. With the takeover of Indian censorship agencies, there is no guarantee the outside world will be able to pick up on the risk of mass atrocities in the region. At this point, Kashmir falls at the risk of being a “silent genocide.”

Middle East

Palestine

Recently, 17 Israeli civilians were arrested by Israeli police for committing hate crimes against Palestinians living in Huwara, a West Bank town. Hate crimes included multiple accounts of assault, uninvited participation in a Palestinian gathering, and property damage. Another group of Israeli protestors stoned at least 25 Palestinian vehicles, broke windows of small Palestinian businesses, and injured at least three individuals, including a three-year-old Palestinian child. The Israeli police and Defense Forces did not stop or arrest these rioters and are proceeding to question them to bring them to court instead. 

As the conflict worsens, the rates of the COVID-19 pandemic in Palestine also increased. The Omicron variant still persisted in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, with the 4th and 5th waves of the virus occurring in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. COVID-19 had increasing rates in January, with a strong peak in the middle of February and a fast decline immediately after. Many officials suspect that this sharp decrease is attributed to a lack of medical supplies and fewer tests being conducted versus improved health. 

Syria

Attacks on Syrian civilians still prevail after ISIS captured a prison in northeastern Syria. Recently, an Israeli airstrike landed in the outskirts of Damascus, Syria’s capital, resulting in the death of at least two civilians. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the frequent occurrences of these attacks, as the Israeli military consists of an extensive network within Syria that has been carrying out raids since the beginning of this year, with an increase beginning in February. For instance, earlier this month, Israeli missiles killed four Iran-backed Houthi militia fighters and Syrian soldiers as well. 

Amidst this conflict, the Syrian government announced its position in the Ukraine conflict, which has been at the forefront of the international stage. President Bashar al-Assad made his decision to ally with Russia and supported President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine. During a conference in Moscow, Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad cited the West’s treatment of Russia mirrors its treatment of Syria as well, which has contributed to the solidarity that both Syria and Russia have with each other. The Assad regime especially favors Russia due to the military campaign it launched in 2015 that changed the course of the civil war to place Assad in power. However, the Syrian presidency still recognizes and vouches to build relations with Donetsk and Luhansk, two Ukrainian cities, as the conflict continues.

Yemen

There have been sixteen reported casualties in Saudi Arabia due to a claimed Houthi rebel attack. Recent attacks on Saudi Arabia and the UAE may indicate that the conflict in Yemen is “spiraling out of control,” as claimed by the United Nations this month. Yemen’s Hajjah province, located in the north-west region of the country, experienced a bombing on February 21st that killed a 12-year-old girl and injured many others.

The Norwegian Refugee Council, a human rights nonprofit, cited a bleak report by the Civilian Impact Monitoring Project that the death toll in Yemen has almost doubled following the removal of UN human rights monitors last October. The UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, reported that the past month has seen a sharp increase in civilian casualties and speaks to the underwhelming effort by the international community to intervene in the crisis. He cites the airstrikes by Coalition forces that killed or injured more than 300 detainees at a prison in Sadaa, the Yemeni capital, in late January. Martin Griffiths, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, also claimed during a Security Council briefing that Yemen could be experiencing an aid shortage in the coming months due to a lack of funds. By the end of January, almost two-thirds of UN aid programs had to be cut back or closed.

In an open letter signed by multiple humanitarian agencies, there is a plea to the Biden administration to not designate Ansar Allah, the name of the Houthi rebels, as a foreign terrorist organization after reports of the administration considering it. Doing so, the letter says, would gravely impact the private sector which is responsible for imports of most food, medicine, and aid to Yemenis. 

Africa

Cameroon

In early February, there was a violent conflict between the Ambazonia Defense Forces (ADF) and Ambazonia Restoration Forces, two rival anglophone separatist groups. It resulted in several casualties, though the exact number has not been determined. ADF leaders have noted that the in-fighting among separatist groups, which are both fighting to create an anglophone state called Ambazonia, has posed significant problems for their efforts.

Conflict between separatists and the government has also been escalating over the past year. There has been an increase in the use of explosive devices, which increase casualties. Female activists have also been facing greater violence from both government and separatists forces, according to a new report highlighting the previously ignored role of women in the conflict. All of these factors have combined to create rising tensions and danger for civilians.

DR Congo

On February 1, an internally displaced peoples camp was attacked by the Cooperative for Development of Congo militia in a massacre that left an estimated 60 people killed and dozens injured. All victims were members of the Hema ethnic group, raising concerns about potential increasing tension between the country’s Lenu and Hema populations. UN peacekeepers and teams from UNHCR responded to the violence in the days following, deploying additional troops and initiating medical evacuations for the over 230,000 IDPs in DR Congo’s Ituri province. On February 5, four people were injured after a bomb explosion in a Beni market that many have attributed to the volatile nature of the region and its armed rebels. On February 17, a machete attack in Djugu Territory left 17 dead, 8 of whom were children, in addition to the death of a mother and her children as militia groups burned civilian homes. In response to February’s increase in violence, the UN stated its intention to work alongside DR Congo policymakers and key stakeholders to offer civilians, particularly IDPs and women, greater protection from future bloodshed. 

Sudan

Earlier this month, the United Nations attempted to facilitate a negotiation between Sudan’s military government that has been in power since its October 25 coup and the citizens protesting its rule. However, the Sudanese Professionals’ Association (SPA), a leading anti-coup group, has rejected this proposal because the UN has yet to outright condemn the coup and the new military government. They see this position of neutrality as legitimizing it. 

Since the coup, Sudan’s new leaders have arrested countless protesters, with dozens taken in the last few weeks. Both protesters and politicians have been abducted from their homes or public spaces, and 81 have been killed by government police forces. Furthermore, those arrested have been given harsh charges, often for things they did not do. Ordinary people are facing the brunt of this state-sanctioned violence.

Still, the Sudanese people continue to protest. Young people are at the forefront of this movement, and young activists have expressed a desire to end this cycle of coups, violence, and authoritarianism. There is a strong sense of solidarity in opposition to military rule, despite protesters being labeled terrorists.

United States

​​The US Justice Department is putting an end to a Trump-era initiative that targeted Chinese professors. Designed to deter Chinese threats, the China Initiative was enacted in 2018 to address cyberattacks and other cybercrimes affiliated with the Chinese government. Consequently, many institutions in the United States, including schools or research centers, imposed stricter disclosure policies on professors of Asian descent. Members of the government as well as other critics claimed that the initiative’s name was controversial and implies an unjustified suspicion towards the Asian community.

On another hand, Texas Governor ordered state health agencies to report parents who provide medical treatment and hormones to transgender teenagers as “child abusers.” Not only does this statement express a misinterpretation of the definition of child abuse as written in the family code, but it also disregards a fundamental human right – that of equal access to healthcare. If applied, this order would have disastrous impacts on transgender teenagers’ mental health and integration. It echoes a general trend in the country – about twenty-one states introduced similar bills in the last year.

Writers

Grace Harris is a freshman at UCLA. Grace contributed to the Sudan section of this update. 

Alondra Becerra is a student at Texas State University. Alondra contributed to the Yemen section of this update. 

Caroline Mendoza is a sophomore at Columbia University. Caroline contributed to the DR Congo section of this update. 

Mira Mehta is a freshman at Brown University. Mira contributed to the Cameroon section of this update. 

Éléonore Louis contributed to the United States portion of this update. 

Shreya Satagopan is a student at George Washington University. Shreya contributed to the Syria, China, and Palestine portions of this update. 

Ishreet Lehal is a student at the University of Southern California. Ishreet contributed to the Kashmir section of this update. 

Burma

Since the end of 2021, there has been an increase in displaced persons in Burma. There has been an increase in fighting in Loikaw, the capital of Burma’s eastern Kayah state. The Burmese military carried out an airstrike in early January, and on January 6th, the military cut off electricity in the area. There has been difficulty in accessing the water supply by locals in Loikaw. Many civilians have been forced to flee the intense fighting and relocate to relatively safer areas, including Thailand. The United Nations reported that more than half of the population of Loikaw have been displaced since the intense fighting in the area began in December. The fighting has also suspended humanitarian organizations from operating in the area and delivering aid. In the region of Kayin, there have been disruptions of mobile networks, and it has been hindering response efforts to affected people and communities. 

East Turkistan (Xinjiang, China)

Two Uyghurs have been detained in Saudi Arabia after fleeing China. Human Rights Watch (HRW) has been trying to prevent the men from being sent back to China where they will most likely face torture or execution. HRW believes that the two men were arrested after speaking out about China’s persecution of Uyghurs.  

At the end of 2021, an unofficial United Kingdom tribunal launched an investigation into the treatment of Uyghurs in China. The tribunal concluded that “by the imposition of measures to prevent births intended to destroy a significant part of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang as such, has committed genocide.” The Chinese government has since denied the tribunal’s findings; China has also sanctioned the tribunal and its chair, Geoffrey Nice, a former United Nations judge. 

Kashmir

In January, Indian troops are reported to have killed at least five Kashmiri militants, including a commander of the Jaish-e-Mohammad insurgent group, after increased operations that have been struggling to regain control of the Himalayan region of Kashmir. The militants were killed in two different battle operations towards the south of Srinagar, the main city in the Indian-governed area of Kashmir. The Pakistani government and Foreign Ministry condemned these actions and called for international actors to hold the Indian army accountable for killing these individuals, stating that the, “Indian occupation forces are known to kill innocent Kashmiris passing them off as ‘alleged militants.’” However, no extra-judicial moves have been made, and the conflict between Indians and Pakistanis continues over land disputes on Kashmir. 

Middle East

Palestine

The rift between Israelis and Palestinians worsened over mass land conflict. In January, the Jerusalem Municipality destroyed a two-story building in Beit Hanina, an Arab Palestinian neighborhood in Occupied East Jerusalem. Nine civilians were severely injured as Israeli security forces attacked individuals living in the suburb of Abu Tor, in which buildings were supposedly constructed without a permit and necessitated demolition. For instance, the Karameh family, a local Palestinian family of 15, was forcibly removed by the Israeli police, resulting in six family members needing immediate hospitalization. Such treatment has increased feelings of anger and resentment in Palestinian families, as they demand justice for their families. Another family, the Salhiyehs, took Israeli authorities and military offices to the International Criminal Court (ICC) after another forcible eviction from their apartment in Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem, in which they have lived for decades. The Jerusalem Municipality and Israeli Defense Forces continue to destroy Palestinian homes, hurt residents, and exacerbate tensions between Palestinian and Israeli civilians. 

Syria

Recently, the Islamic State of Iraq (ISIS) attacked and regained complete authority and control over a prison in northern Syria, causing the battle and conflict to spread in surrounding urban centers and neighborhoods, such as the Ghweran neighborhood. To mitigate the attacks, the U.S. Special Operation troops and Kurdish counterterrorism forces tracked down ISIS militants that posed as residents in alleys, streets, and these neighborhoods. The Syrian Democratic Forces reported 30 surrendering ISIS members were found antagonizing adolescents within the Gheran neighborhood and Hasaka, a Kurdish-led region of northeastern Syria. This area, called ‘Rojava’, had received no electricity or water for over a week and has been a ‘hotspot’ for terrorist activity and ISIS’s attacks. Many individuals face violence not only from ISIS but unfortunately, from Kurdish and Syrian troops as well. 

Yemen

Violent attacks spurred by the Iran-backed Houthis continue to escalate conflict within Yemen. On January 17th, the Houthi group residing in Yemen launched military strikes, including missiles and drones, resulting in three casualties in Abu Dhabi. These deaths sparked Saudi and Emirati officials to enforce military action against the Houthis that increased the number of Yemen civilian casualties. Iran’s relationship with the Houthis signifies a crucial role in the development of Arab-Israeli relations, as Iran’s potential plan to pressure Israel is supported through its usage of Yemen as a base. These campaigns led the United Arab Emirates to overtly request the United States to blacklist the Houthi rebel group again and label them “terrorists.” On the other hand, human rights groups within Yemen advocate the U.S. government not to, as the adverse effects entail the Houthis fulfilling this label by carrying out more attacks against civilians. Due to the global discourse, this matter remains suspended, and violence still presides. 

Africa

Cameroon

Violence in Cameroon has continued over the past month, especially as Cameroon’s hosting of the Africa Cup of Nations raised tensions. Anglophone separatists planned to disrupt games, while the government enacted further restrictions on freedom of movement and association.  There were not any casualties related to the anglophone crisis during the tournament, though the crisis has continued.

Anglophone separatists killed an opposition senator and a soldier in two different attacks in their region during the past month. This is just the latest in violent exchanges between government forces and separatists. Meanwhile, government repression of anglophones not engaging in violence continues. More than 1,000 anglophones who have been arrested for participating in peaceful protests against this repression face inhumane conditions and torture in Cameroonian jails.

DR Congo

Violent conflict, which momentarily simmered, escalated again in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Near the end of January, a bomb exploded in a populated market in the city of Beni, killing at least four people. Local police officers attempted to find the suspect but were unable to trace the bomb. Such attacks are a result of military campaigns carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces, a Ugandan militia group that maintains close ties to the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIS). As such, Beni and its civilians are often the target of bomb explosions and violent outbursts. 

Amidst this violence, a DRC military court sentenced fifty-one individuals to the death penalty for the murder of Michael Sharp and Zaida Catalan, two members formerly part of the United Nations Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of Congo. Fifty-four individuals were charged with “murder,” “terrorism,” and “the act of a war crime through mutilation” at the trial. Some officials and activists spoke out condemning the death penalty and stated that these individuals must be imprisoned for life instead. However, capital punishment signifies a key penalty in the DRC justice system, and a date for this penalty for the accused is yet to be determined. 

Sudan

Since the military coup in Sudan in the fall of 2021, there has been a declaration of a state of emergency in the region. Protestors have been on the streets ever since trying to get the governmental reform they deserve in the form of peaceful democratic transition. However, there have been many reports of arbitrary arrest of protestors across Sudan, especially in recent weeks. Reports show that at least 105 protesters are being held without due process, a blatant violation of their rights. According to Noon Kashkosh, a member of the Democratic Coalition for Lawyers, security forces are trying to make the protests die down by scaring the public through false charges against young protesters. 

Global pressures by world powers have helped some of those who have been abducted; however, this is not enough as some protestors still have charges of possession of illegal weapons and ammunition. Despite these efforts to subdue the protesters. Many Suadnacese civilians claim that this only “ignites us more,” speaking to the courage of the people of the region. 

United States

The Customs and Border Protection released their annual data on immigration to the United States. Migrant arrivals at the southern border went up by 7% in the last month, but Immigration and Customs Enforcement also increased the number of deportations. According to data released by the CBP report, 55% of immigrants were deported in the month. The increase in immigration arrests came mostly from Mexico, Guatemala, Cuva, and Colombia, all countries which have seen an increase in gang violence since the start of the pandemic. 

The increase in arrests is putting a large pressure on detention centers, especially since the beginning of this year. The Biden Administration is planning for as many as 9,000 arrests per day by spring, which raises the question as to if border control reform is truly possible in the next few years. 

Writers

Alondra Becerra is a student at Texas State University. Alondra contributed to the Burma and Xinjiang sections of this update. 

Mira Mehta is a freshman at Brown University. Mira contributed to the Cameroon section of this update. 

Shreya Satagopan is a student at George Washington University. Shreya contributed to the Yemen, DR Congo, Palestine, Syria, and Kashmir portions of this update. 

Ishreet Lehal is a student at the University of Southern California. Ishreet contributed to the Sudan and United States portion of this update.