Stories related to violent conflicts, diplomatic tensions, and conflict prevention, mediation and resolution.
On January 23, the Council of the European Union (EU) agreed to establish a civilian monitoring mission in Armenia’s border areas in order to “ensure an environment conducive to normalization efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan”. The deployment of the mission has caused mixed reactions in the two countries and frustrated Russia, writes Vasif Huseynov in this op-ed for commonspace.eu.
The African Union’s chief mediator Olusegun Obasanjo said on Monday (7 November) that the Ethiopian government and the Tigray rebel forces have established a telephone hotline following a truce struck last week.
This comes after the two parties agreed on 2 November to end any hostilities and call a ceasefire to a war that has already killed thousands and displaced millions.
The Orthodox Church of Ukraine had already broken away from the Russian Orthodox Church, but now it is going one step further. The Church is allowing its congregations for the first time to no longer celebrate Christmas according to the Eastern calander, as in Russia, on 7 January, but on 25 December.
The decision is a historic new step away from Moscow and closer to the West. The Ukrainian and Russian Orthodox churches used to celebrate Christmas at the same time. Orthodox Christians thus follow the old, Julian calendar, according to which Jesus was born on 7 January.