Conflict and Peace

 Last week, as NATO leaders gathered in Brussels for their summit, LINKS Europe joined other civil society organisations in a public statement. The Statement was the initiative of The Hague Humanity Hub. The statement called for a balanced vision of peace and security, one that places people at its heart. At a time when the focus is increasingly drawn toward defense capabilities and military preparedness, the statement urged equal and sustained attention to and investment in the long-term work of building resilient, inclusive, and just societies. This is not an alternative to security, it is the foundation of it, the statement added.

On Friday (4 July), Eurasia Review reported that Yemen’s Houthi rebels were supplying drones to Somali militant groups, raising security concerns across the Horn of Africa. Despite having different religious affiliations — Somali militant groups primarily advocate for Sunni Islamist ideology, while the Houthis back Shiism — the two groups began cooperating to expand ammunition and weaponry supply routes.