Conflict and Peace

"When playing on Armenian vulnerabilities, both Azerbaijan and Turkey should take into account that each step aimed at increasing fears in Armenia leads to a new level of dependence on Russia", writes Alexander Petrosyan in this op-ed. "In the end, everything is a matter of interpretation and perception", he argues.

A year has passed since the end of the 44 day Karabakh War. Relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan are generally stable despite periodic escalations, writes Vasif Husseynov. "The statements of the leaders from both sides along with some major developments promise a more peaceful year ahead", he argues.

Several countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and Britain, called in a joint statement for the restoration of Sudan’s civilian-led transitional government and reverse the military coup that happened two weeks ago. 

The United Nations condemned the atrocities committed in the conflict over Tigray and accused all parties of committing humanitarian abuses. However, the report is also a subject of doubt due to the rare collaboration between the UN and the Ethiopian rights commission and the lack of alternative investigations.

Libya welcomed its first batch of international tourist groups after a decade of conflict. The group traversed the Libyan desert to Ghadames, an oasis that had been off-limits due to the war. 

The UN Security Council called on Friday (29 October), in a resolution, on all parties involved in the Western Sahara dispute to resume negotiations “without preconditions and in good faith” in search of a “just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution”. The resolution also extended the mandate for the UN Mission for the Referendum on Western Sahara (MINURSO) for another year until 31 October 2022.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi expressed Egypt's desire to reach a "binding, balanced agreement [...] without further delay" with Ethiopia, to end the long-lasting dispute on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).