conflict

Several dozen men and a few women mass on a road at the top of the image between a green field on the left and a stone wall and field on the right (presumably the church grounds). About a dozen police officers mill around in the foreground, separated from the Orangemen by two white police vans.

De-transition: Northern Ireland and the Ongoing Challenges of Keeping the Peace

The recent Garvaghy Road standoff in Northern Ireland highlights the harsh reality that transitions from conflict are long and fragile processes.

Oct. 15, 2026 Fionnuala Ní Aoláin KC (Hons)

Three armed Ethiopian soldiers in camouflage uniforms, pants tucked into black boots, and wearing red berets, walk in front of sand-colored block walls, with the top of an airport terminal in the background and blue skies with puffy clouds overhead.

Ethiopia’s Fragile Peace Has Broken – But This is Not the 2020-2022 Conflict

Unlike in the previous war, Ethiopia's government faces a coalition of armed groups that could receive backing from rivals in the Horn of Africa and the Gulf.

Oct. 14, 2026 Lesley Anne Warner

A woman sits on a wooden plank with her hands clasped around her knees and a worried expression on her face outside of a wooden hut whose shadowed entryway appears near the center of the frame.

World Bank Group Doubles Down on Risky Strategy Despite Microlending Gaps

Expanding microfinance in places affected by conflict without instituting robust safeguards risks exposing already vulnerable communities to greater financial harm.

Oct. 14, 2026 Amy Ekdawi

M23 soldiers walk down the street as M23 North Kivu provincial leadership marked one year of M23's control of Goma with a review of ongoing construction work and a visit to the Stade de l'Unite on February 6, 2026 in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo.

DRC Takes Rwanda to the ICJ: Proxy Warfare, Layered Obligations, and the Future of State Responsibility

The DRC’s case against Rwanda could mark an important moment in the legal development of responsibility for proxy warfare.

Jul. 29, 2026 Joshua Joseph Niyo

A tiny three-wheeled vehicle with open sides drives from right to left in the foreground across a wide dirt road in front of an embankment, beyond which a calm expanse of water extends to the mostly cloudy skyline with a bit of whitish sun glaring through. The silhouette of a goat can be seen standing or walking along the top of the embankment from left to right.

Why Gold Threatens Peace in South Sudan

Without robust safeguards, ramping up gold production in South Sudan could fuel corruption, money laundering, and conflict.

Jul. 22, 2026 Brian Adeba

Guterres speaks at a podium in the massive General Assembly hall, on a large dais at the base of a gold backdrop stretching to the high ceiling, his image also projected on screens behind him, as member state representatives are seated at long rows of desks arrayed in front of the dais.

As U.N. Secretary-General Candidates Make Pitch to be Mediator-in-Chief, Will Peacebuilding End Up On the Cutting Room Floor?

A U.N. pivot back to conflict mediation, suggested in the secretary-general search, will only reap dividends if peacebuilding is high on the next leader's agenda.

Jun. 23, 2026 Jordan Street and Maria Kisumbi

Four women in colorful garb and headwraps work in a flat, barren field, with lines of trucks full of what appear to be soldiers or fighters in the distance.

The Risks of Gender-Blind Conflict Analysis

The relevance of women to conflict, democratic resilience, and peacebuilding is evidence-based, yet they are commonly overlooked in forecasting and response.

Mar. 20, 2026 Ambassador Melanne Verveer and Jessica Anania

Three men wearing prostheses and a woman in a colorful long dress sit in a mostly empty room with bare floors and light coming from windows at the back.

Risk of Renewed War in Tigray: Painful Reminders From Ethiopia’s Last War Demand Action to Prevent Another

With the possibility of renewed fighting in Ethiopia's Tigray region, reminders of the toll and recommendations for the world to take preventive action.

Feb. 26, 2026 Sarah Miller and Abdullahi Boru Halakhe

A bullet proof vest carrying a patch with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) flag and a ballistic helmet are lying in an empty road that stretches into the background, alongside other personal belongings. Mountains can be seen stretching across the photo in the background.

Rwanda–DRC Peace Deal: Trump Owns It. Now What?

Trump's Rwanda-DRC peace deal inherits six months of failed implementation, unmet security commitments, and a worsening humanitarian crisis in eastern Congo.

Dec. 12, 2025 Hardin Lang and Mark J. Wood

The band members march toward the left of the photo, wearing red jackets and black pants with red stripes and playing instruments including a tuba, as a red, yellow and green Ethiopian flag flies in the background in front of the dam, with water flowing down its slope.

The Brewing Egypt-Ethiopia Nile River Conflict is Ripe for “Solving”

An agreement to resolve the dam conflict has long been drafted. Trump could be the "closer" engaging Presidents Abiy and el-Sisi for a deal.

Oct. 31, 2025 Allison Lombardo and Peter J. Quaranto

A mother walks with her daughters outside a building

Global Fragility Act 2.0? Amid a Possible Bipartisan Revival, a Chance to Make U.S. Peace Efforts More Effective

If the administration seizes this moment, GFA 2.0 could help the U.S. prevent costly wars and compete effectively with rivals abroad.

Oct. 15, 2025 Peter J. Quaranto and Kevin Melton

People install obituaries for people killed in a terrorist attack

Regular ISIL-Threat Review at U.N. Shows U.S., Russia, China, and European Interests and Competition on Counterterrorism

An upcoming UNSC review is a good chance for States to reflect on what is needed in implementing the Council's counterterrorism work.

Aug. 19, 2025 CJ (Caleb) Pine