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Comfort Ero

@comfortero.crisisgroup.org
1.7K followers 250 following 301 posts

President & CEO @crisisgroup

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Comfort Ero @comfortero.crisisgroup.org · 5h
Israelis go to the polls next month in what some are calling the most important elections in Israel’s history. But three years after the 7 October Hamas attacks and the chain of wars that followed are the most important issues to the outside world are actually being discussed? My latest newsletter.
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Comfort Ero @comfortero.crisisgroup.org · 29/09/2026
“We have to be clear that this is a war of choice among the various contending elites.” @crisisgroup.org's Africa Director on the latest Hold Your Fire! Episode on escalation in northern #Ethiopia.
crisisgroup.org
Back to War in Ethiopia? | International Crisis Group
This week on Hold Your Fire!, Richard speaks with Crisis Group’s Africa director Murithi Mutiga about renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia, how the conflict could unfold, the risks of regional escala...
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Comfort Ero @comfortero.crisisgroup.org · 25/09/2026
🚨Latest on Ethiopia: Beyond the risk of setting off an unpredictable spiral, a major escalation could push fighting close to the Ethiopia-Eritrea border, creating the potential for interstate conflict. www.crisisgroup.org/stm/africa/e...
crisisgroup.org
Arresting the Dangerous Descent Back into War in Northern Ethiopia | International Crisis Group
Long-simmering tensions have turned to large-scale fighting after armed opposition groups in Tigray, Amhara and Afar launched a multi-pronged offensive against Ethiopian government forces. It is not t...
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Comfort Ero @comfortero.crisisgroup.org · 25/09/2026
In my new piece for @elpais.com, I look at how world leaders are gathering in New York this week praising multilateralism, but the UN is in severe distress. As the race for a new UN Secretary-General heats up, a new leader alone won't save the organisation.
english.elpais.com
The UN’s decline is a choice
The selection of a new chief is an opportunity for governments to rally round the ailing organization and choose a ‘general’, not a ‘secretary,’ to lead the charge
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Crisis Group Latinoamérica @latam.crisisgroup.org · 24/09/2026
✍️ NUEVO OP-ED | El declive de la ONU depende de una decisión "Casi todos [los gobiernos] se declaran partidarios de la ONU. Muy pocos actúan como si lo fuesen." @comfortero.crisisgroup.org en @elpais.com
elpais.com
El declive de la ONU depende de una decisión
La cuestión decisiva para la organización es si los gobiernos están dispuestos a cerrar filas y respaldarla
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Crisis Group Latinoamérica @latam.crisisgroup.org · 24/09/2026
"Aunque resulte fácil para otros gobiernos culpar a Washington, Moscú y Pekín por los males de la ONU, pocos han dado un paso al frente para ayudar a la debilitada institución." ✍️ @comfortero.crisisgroup.org en @elpais.com elpais.com/opinion/2026...
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Crisis Group @crisisgroup.org · 24/09/2026
NEW OP-ED | The UN’s decline is a choice The selection of a new chief is an opportunity for governments to rally round the ailing organisation and choose a ‘general’, not a ‘secretary,’ to lead the charge, writes @comfortero.crisisgroup.org in @elpais.com. english.elpais.com/opinion/2026...
english.elpais.com
The UN’s decline is a choice
The selection of a new chief is an opportunity for governments to rally round the ailing organization and choose a ‘general’, not a ‘secretary,’ to lead the charge
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Comfort Ero @comfortero.crisisgroup.org · 24/09/2026
Great dialogue with DPM Mouauni, @liechtensteinun.bsky.social & @crisisgroup.org during #UNGA week. Appreciate the level of engagement and sharing of ideas at such a crucial time. Here’s to all our efforts to cause peace. @enripicco.bsky.social @fortid.crisisgroup.org @gingermjacobs.bsky.social
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Comfort Ero @comfortero.crisisgroup.org · 22/09/2026
Is the United Nations still fit for purpose? As world leaders gather in New York for UN General Assembly, I discuss with Caitriona Perry on BBC key challenges for the next leader of the UN.
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Comfort Ero @comfortero.crisisgroup.org · 21/09/2026
On #InternationalDayofPeace, as states rearm and multilateral channels face severe strain, the core challenge is clear: how do we reduce the mounting risks? Here are 7 practical steps for preventing and managing conflict in an era of hard power 🧵👇
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Comfort Ero @comfortero.crisisgroup.org · 20/09/2026
Good 3 heads defend necessity of multilateralism: “As we contend with a world order that is transforming fast, we call on other international leaders to join us in choosing co-operation over fragmentation by, law over power and shared responsibility over division.” giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
giftarticle.ft.com
Multilateralism is not idealism, it is a necessity
We need to strengthen our system of co-operation, not replace it
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Comfort Ero @comfortero.crisisgroup.org · 19/09/2026
“Democratic Europe needs its two nuclear states to get on. It also helps that Brexit has disappointed most surveyed voters. A routine has formed in Britain: the government makes modest overtures to the continent, the right screams betrayal, no one listens.” giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
giftarticle.ft.com
The Anglo-French moment
And why it must endure
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Comfort Ero @comfortero.crisisgroup.org · 19/09/2026
🧵 Houthi rebels have charged down Yemen’s western coast, threatening to tip the country back toward full-scale war and worsen what is already a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. 1/3
crisisgroup.org
Closing the New War Front in Yemen | International Crisis Group
The Houthis’ rapid advance on the western Yemeni coast has opened a new front in the Middle East war that began with February’s U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran. A truce in Yemen is an urgent priority, so ...
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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 17/09/2026
Sweden’s center-left political parties squeaked to victory in elections this week, according to results released on Thursday, making the country one of the first in Europe to tap the brakes on the far right’s march toward power.
nyti.ms
Sweden Swings Back Left, Bucking a Trend in Europe
The results of this week’s exceptionally close election dealt a blow to far-right nationalists, who have gained ground elsewhere.
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Richard Gowan @richardgowan1.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
What's going to be on top of the agenda at the UN General Assembly? @fortid.crisisgroup.org, our new @crisisgroup.org colleague Mariea Sekijima and I have ideas @justsecurity.org 👇 www.justsecurity.org/157177/un-ge...
justsecurity.org
At the U.N. General Assembly, Competition May Outdo Cooperation
The challenges facing the U.N. include recurrent financial shortfalls and political irrelevance to some of the world's major crises.
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Brian Finucane @bcfinucane.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
With news that the Trump administration is advancing a sale of tens of thousands of 2000lb bombs to Israel, I'm reposting my article in @foreignaffairs.com from the fall of 2023. www.foreignaffairs.com/israel/washi...
foreignaffairs.com
Is Washington Responsible for What Israel Does With American Weapons?
The IDF’s conduct in Gaza should prompt scrutiny of U.S. arms transfers.
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Richard Gowan @richardgowan1.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
It's out! @crisisgroup.org's annual reckoning with the state of the UN is here. Big congrats to @fortid.crisisgroup.org for pulling it together this year. www.crisisgroup.org/sbr/global/s...
crisisgroup.org
Ten Challenges for the UN in 2026-2027 | International Crisis Group
As the 2026 General Assembly begins, the UN remains hobbled by cost cutting and big-power wrangling. The new Secretary-General to be chosen soon cannot cure all that ails the organisation, but much ca...
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Crisis Group @crisisgroup.org · 14/09/2026
NEW SPECIAL BRIEFING | Ten Challenges for the UN in 2026-2027 Leaders gathering at #UNGA will find a United Nations in need of revival. A new Secretary-General cannot resolve the world’s crises overnight, but they should work to address immediate challenges. www.crisisgroup.org/sbr/global/s...
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Comfort Ero @comfortero.crisisgroup.org · 14/09/2026
Myanmar possesses some of the world’s most valuable deposits of jade, tin, gold and heavy rare earth elements. In our new investigation, my colleagues show how international demand for these key critical minerals is helping sustain war economies. A must-scroll: crisisgroup.org/visual-expla...
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Al Jazeera English @aljazeera.com · 17/09/2025
Brian Finucane, from the International Crisis Group NGO, says another deadly US military strike on Venezuelan boats "implicates murder statutes under US federal law.”
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Crisis Group @crisisgroup.org · 10/09/2026
NEW VISUAL EXPLAINER | How Critical Minerals Link Myanmar’s Civil War to the World Electric vehicles, data centres, missiles and luxury goods rely on resources from Myanmar. @crisisgroup.org's new visual investigation shows how four key resources are intertwined with the civil war.
crisisgroup.org
The Critical Minerals Linking Myanmar’s Civil War to the World
A new visual investigation shows how Myanmar's civil war is at the heart of jade, tin, gold and rare earths global supply chains
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Comfort Ero @comfortero.crisisgroup.org · 04/09/2026
“As President Donald Trump has continued to wage the post-9/11 forever war, his faux war of maritime strikes represents a frightening new development.”
foreignpolicy.com
It’s Time to Rein in Trump’s ‘Wars on Terror’
Congress must act to address new and old executive abuses.
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Crisis Group @crisisgroup.org · 25/08/2026
NEW OP-ED | Peacemaking Is Power Politics Again The post-Cold War model of institutionalised peacemaking has waned. But influential capitals are still looking to end and avoid conflicts, writes @comfortero.crisisgroup.org in @foreignpolicy.com.
foreignpolicy.com
Peacemaking Is Power Politics Again
The post-Cold War model of institutionalized peacemaking has waned. But influential capitals are still looking to end and avoid conflicts.
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Comfort Ero @comfortero.crisisgroup.org · 26/08/2026
Hollowed out by funding cuts just as the global order fragments, the UN faces a pivotal moment at this year’s General Assembly. In my newsletter, I look at how the UN can stay relevant, and why world leaders must demonstrate a real commitment to strengthening it before it's too late.
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Richard Gowan @richardgowan1.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
New @foreignpolicy.com from @comfortero.crisisgroup.org and me: "Peacemaking is Power Politics Again". foreignpolicy.com/2026/08/25/p...
foreignpolicy.com
Peacemaking Is Power Politics Again
The post-Cold War model of institutionalized peacemaking has waned. But influential capitals are still looking to end and avoid conflicts.
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Comfort Ero @comfortero.crisisgroup.org · 30/07/2026
"The travails of middle powers in an age of US unpredictability...Such is the fate of middle powers: planning for autonomy until the harsh reality of conflict compels them to call their distrusted patron." giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
giftarticle.ft.com
Saudi Arabia is still doomed to dependence on America
The US president’s latest outburst reveals that Benjamin Netanyahu’s preferences continue to trump Mohammed bin Salman’s ambitions
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Richard Gowan @richardgowan1.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
"The average UN-related social media feed is a mish-mash of repetitive slogans about the virtues of global cooperation and photographs of middle-aged officials in suits in conference rooms in the UN basement (I am one of them)." cirsd.org/horizon-arti...
cirsd.org
The Seven Parts the UN Secretary General Must Play - CIRSD
William Shakespeare wrote that “one man in his time plays many parts” in the theatre of the world. The Secretary General of the United Nations faces the even greater challenge of playing many differen...
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Comfort Ero @comfortero.crisisgroup.org · 29/07/2026
Five years after taking power, the Taliban remain global pariahs, largely of their own making. The last time the Taliban were in control, the world simply looked away. We cannot let Afghanistan be forgotten again. My latest edition of The Month Ahead 👇
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This Is Anfield @thisisanfield.com · 20/07/2026
NEW: Kevin Keegan, Liverpool legend, dies aged 75 #lfc
thisisanfield.com
Kevin Keegan, Liverpool legend, dies aged 75
This Is Anfield
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Michael Hanna @mwhanna.crisisgroup.org · 22/07/2026
My reflections from last year on a possible U.S.-Saudi nuclear deal. Most notable features remain the same: the decoupling of nuclear issues from normalization with Israel and Trump’s political latitude in this space in comparison to a Democratic president. www.crisisgroup.org/alr/united-s...
crisisgroup.org
As Other Partners Struggle with Trump, U.S. and Saudi Arabia Move toward Nuclear Cooperation | International Crisis Group
Crisis Group’s Michael Wahid Hanna on a prospective nuclear cooperation deal between Washington and Riyadh
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Comfort Ero @comfortero.crisisgroup.org · 16/07/2026
“After more missiles are fired, ships attacked, infrastructure destroyed and civilians killed, the parties will return to the same negotiating table — only angrier and less capable of compromise.” ~ @crisisgroup.org @alivaez.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2026/07/15/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | This Is a Forever War in the Making
The vague language of the U.S.-Iran cease-fire memo laid the foundation for the war’s resumption.
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Democracy Now! @democracynow.org · 07/07/2026
Hamas said this week that it's dissolving its government in the Gaza Strip as part of the U.S.-backed ceasefire agreement with Israel. "In practice, Hamas is still the de facto governing authority," says Amjad Iraqi, senior Israel-Palestine analyst at the International Crisis Group.
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Comfort Ero @comfortero.crisisgroup.org · 10/07/2026
Must-read debut report by @dmoravera.bsky.social on the criminal turf wars raging in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. President Claudia Sheinbaum should harness Trump's pressure to tackle official collusion and corruption that sustains organised crime in Mexico. www.crisisgroup.org/rpt/latin-am...
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Crisis Group @crisisgroup.org · 30/06/2026
NEW BRIEFING | New Chapter, Same Stalemate: Somalia’s War with Al-Shabaab Neither side is gaining a decisive advantage. Mogadishu needs to bolster its military, alleviate suffering in areas under insurgent control and look for openings for dialogue. www.crisisgroup.org/brf/africa/s...
Soldiers of the Somalia National Army (SNA) walk near the frontlines at Sabiid, one of the towns they have liberated from the Al-Qaeda-linked militants, Al-Shabaab, in Somalia's lower-Shabelle region on November 11, 2025. TONY KARUMBA / AFP
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Comfort Ero @comfortero.crisisgroup.org · 27/06/2026
In Venezuela: “Every moment, every action matters. It is a race against time to find survivors.” www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
'Every person saved is a miracle': Families call to trapped loved ones in region devastated by Venezuela quakes
Families keep vigil at buildings where they fear their loved ones are trapped, but face an impossible task to move heavy debris.
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Crisis Group @crisisgroup.org · 24/06/2026
📩 The Month Ahead | NATO’s Awkward, High-Stakes Summit @comfortero.crisisgroup.org unpacks what to watch in the looming meeting between Donald Trump and other alliance members in Ankara. Can NATO keep it together?
linkedin.com
NATO’s Awkward, High-Stakes Summit
Hello, It’s hard to believe we’re already halfway through 2026. July is nearly upon us – as is a NATO summit.
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Comfort Ero @comfortero.crisisgroup.org · 24/06/2026
NATO leaders will convene this month. Here’s why the high-stakes meeting between Donald Trump’s White House and the transatlantic alliance, coming at a time of tremendous upheaval, could be awkward and tense. Can the alliance hold it together? My latest: www.linkedin.com/pulse/natos-...
linkedin.com
NATO’s Awkward, High-Stakes Summit
Hello, It’s hard to believe we’re already halfway through 2026. July is nearly upon us – as is a NATO summit.
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Comfort Ero @comfortero.crisisgroup.org · 19/06/2026
“Dialogue is a necessary step toward addressing the grievances that have driven citizens to take up arms and enabled jihadists to expand their influence in Mali and the broader Sahel.” @franklinnoss.bsky.social in @justsecurity.org www.justsecurity.org/140398/could...
justsecurity.org
Could the United States Make a Difference in Mali?
Washington cannot afford to neglect the lessons of past counterinsurgency efforts as it contemplates a partnership with Mali’s military.
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Crisis Group @crisisgroup.org · 15/06/2026
NEW REPORT | Countering Israel’s Grip on the West Bank Economy Harsh Israeli restrictions since 2023 have made matters much worse, risking instability. Outside powers should push Israel to take remedial steps so that Palestinian livelihoods can recover.
crisisgroup.org
Chokehold: Countering Israel’s Grip on the West Bank Economy | International Crisis Group
Since 1967, the Palestinian economy in the West Bank has become ever more dependent on the Israeli one. Harsh Israeli restrictions since 2023 have made matters much worse, risking instability. Outside...
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Comfort Ero @comfortero.crisisgroup.org · 10/06/2026
As ties between North Korea and Moscow deepen, Beijing is aggressively moving to reassert its grip. Excited for tomorrow's conversation on the high-stakes Xi-Kim summit and what it means for the security of the Korean Peninsula. us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
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Comfort Ero @comfortero.crisisgroup.org · 27/05/2026
Ethiopia dominated my talks with policymakers in Washington and Europe. Here’s why the country’s northernmost region, Tigray, has become a powder keg potentially threatening all the Horn of Africa. us2.campaign-archive.com?e=[UNIQID]&u...
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Comfort Ero @comfortero.crisisgroup.org · 14/05/2026
Just saying ⤵️ “The blunt reality is that when there are no consequences, we humans are capable of immense depravity toward those we are taught to scorn as subhuman.” www.nytimes.com/2026/05/11/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | The Silence That Meets the Rape of Palestinians
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Comfort Ero @comfortero.crisisgroup.org · 10/05/2026
What he says he won’t do: “intervene in foreign country’s internal politics. It was the way of Orbán to intervene into the western Balkans, U.S., Spain, Slovakia. It’s not the task of a Hungarian Prime Minister to intervene into other countries’ internal politics.”👏🏽 www.newyorker.com/news/the-new...
newyorker.com
Péter Magyar Led Hungarians out of Autocracy. Where Will He Take Them Now?
In his first substantial conversation with a foreign journalist since being elected, Péter Magyar, Hungary’s new Prime Minister, discusses the rewriting of the Hungarian constitution, the implications...
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Comfort Ero @comfortero.crisisgroup.org · 29/04/2026
The Trump-Xi summit looms large in Beijing. Against the backdrop of war in the Middle East, tensions over Taiwan and tariffs, I explain why Xi enters talks with a strong hand: mailchi.mp/crisisgroup....
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Comfort Ero @comfortero.crisisgroup.org · 26/04/2026
Strait of Hormuz closure leading to disproportionate impact on poorer nations: ➡️fuel shortages spreading ➡️disruption to food supplies + fertiliser; “risk of malnourishment where agricultural yields have already been hit by climate shocks” ➡️weaker remittance flows giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
giftarticle.ft.com
The Iran war shock for developing nations
Poorer countries face a triple whammy of crises in fuel, food and remittances
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Comfort Ero @comfortero.crisisgroup.org · 21/04/2026
DC's posture: hard to decipher. It may be an attempt to reshape the conflict rather than end it. Trump appears eager to find off-ramp from what he hoped would be a short-lived military engagement. His repeated declarations of victory have air of wishful thinking. www.crisisgroup.org/bnt/middle-e...
crisisgroup.org
Iran Crisis Monitor #2 | International Crisis Group
In this weekly update, Crisis Group experts take stock of developments in the Middle East war and the progress of efforts to end it.
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Crisis Group @crisisgroup.org · 17/04/2026
🗒️NEW ANALYST’S NOTEBOOK | Latest Sudan Conference Shows Diplomacy is Backsliding Crisis Group President @comfortero.crisisgroup.org and Horn of Africa Director Alan Boswell reflect on this week’s Sudan conference in Berlin. www.crisisgroup.org/anb/africa/s...
crisisgroup.org
Latest Sudan Conference Shows Diplomacy is Backsliding | International Crisis Group
Crisis Group President Comfort Ero and Horn of Africa Director Alan Boswell reflect on this week’s Sudan conference in Berlin, which revealed more divi-sion than unity among key external actors
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Emmanuel Gamard @emmanuelgamard.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
"The hard truth is that diplomacy has simply not met the scale of ​this crisis.” @comfortero.crisisgroup.org tells @reuters.com as Sudan enters its fourth year of war today, with little hopes for resolution. www.reuters.com/world/africa...
reuters.com
Germany seeks $1 billion in aid for Sudan to ease hunger crisis
Germany pledged a further 20 million euros ($23.6 million) to Sudan this year, the development ministry said on Wednesday, ‌ahead of an international aid conference hosted in Berlin that is aiming to ...
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Comfort Ero @comfortero.crisisgroup.org · 14/04/2026
For Sudan, lack of common vision for the war’s endgame undermines efforts to secure a humanitarian truce. Even if one is attained, if the US, its Arab partners or anyone else is to have best shot at achieving success, they’ll have to tackle range of thorny endgame questions sooner rather than later.
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Comfort Ero @comfortero.crisisgroup.org · 14/04/2026
“In most countries that have been at war, cease-fires are a welcome development…or Israel’s maximalist leaders, cease-fires are too often seen as getting in way of efforts to finish the job. And even when Israel enters cease-fires, it continues to fire unilaterally.” www.nytimes.com/2026/04/13/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | For Israel, War Is the Only Answer
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