Published: 24/02/2025 Sudanese fighters from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group [File: Hussein Malla/AP] The signatories said they would establish a government of ‘peace and unity’ despite concerns from human rights groups and the international community. Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), accused of carrying out crimes against humanity as it fights the country’s army in a 20-month war, has signed a charter with allied political and armed groups to establish a “government of peace and unity”, its signatories said. The signing ceremony was held behind closed doors in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, but it was not immediately clear whether the document was signed late on Saturday or on Sunday. The announcement comes as the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) make advances against the RSF in the country’s capital Khartoum and elsewhere, and the government is not expected to receive widespread recognition. The RSF is also accused of carrying out ethnic cleansing and even genocide by international human rights organisations and by countries that include the United States. The charter, however, is a sign that the splintering of Sudan is cementing, as the RSF focuses on the western region of Darfur as it loses ground elsewhere. According to the text of the charter, the signatories agreed that Sudan should be a “secular, democratic, non-centralised state” with a single national army, though it preserved the right of armed groups to continue to exist. The war between the army and the RSF – former allies – began after a dispute over the timing of the RSF’s integration into the army. The RSF-led charter said the government did not exist to split the country, but rather to unify it and to end the war, tasks it accused the army-aligned government operating out of Port Sudan of failing to do. Among the signatories to the charter is Abdelaziz al-Hilu, a powerful rebel leader from Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), who controls vast swathes of territory and troops in South Kordofan state, and who has long demanded that Sudan embrace secularism. Abdel Rahim Dagalo, deputy and brother of RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan ‘Hemedti’ Dagalo – who was notably absent – also signed. Al-Hadi Idris, a former official and head of an armed group, said the government’s formation would be announced from inside the country in the coming days. Government will not accept rebels’ move The army-aligned government said it will not recognise the parallel one created by the rebel groups. “We will not accept any other country recognising a so-called parallel government,” Sudan’s foreign minister Ali Youssef said on Sunday. A spokesman for United Nations chief Antonio Guterres, meanwhile, warned the move could “increase the fragmentation of the country and risk making this crisis even worse”. The charter’s signing comes as Sudan’s army on Sunday claimed that it had regained control over the city of el-Gitaina after destroying RSF units and opening the road to the city of el-Obeid, it said in a statement. The RSF has seized most of Darfur and parts of the Kordofan region in the war, but is being pushed back from central Sudan by the Sudanese army. The conflict has devastated the country, creating an “unprecedented” humanitarian crisis and driving half the population into hunger, with famine in multiple areas. It has also killed more than 20,000 people and driven more than 14 million people from their homes, according to the UN. An estimated 3.2 million Sudanese have fled to neighbouring countries. The RSF’s Hemedti was hit with sanctions by the US earlier this year. He had previously shared power with the army and civilian politicians as part of an agreement following the ouster of President Omar al-Bashir in 2019. The two forces ousted the civilian politicians in a 2021 coup before war erupted between them. © 2025 Al Jazeera Media Network

Published: 24/02/2025 Copyright AP Photo The city of el-Obeid, a commercial and transportation hub, had been under siege for nearly two years by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Sudan’s military says it has broken an almost two-year siege by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the strategic city of el-Obeid, in a major boost for the army in the country's civil war. The Sudanese army said late on Sunday that it had also taken back control of the town of el-Gitaina, located just south of the capital, which was the RSF's last stronghold in the White Nile province. The RSF has not publicly commented on the military's claims. Sudan was plunged into chaos in April 2023 when simmering tensions between the army and the RSF exploded into open warfare across the nation. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and at least 12 million displaced, and a humanitarian crisis is worsening. A military spokesman, Brigadier General Nabil Abdullah, said in a statement that the army had managed to reopen the road to the commercial and transportation hub of el-Obeid — which is the provincial capital of North Kordofan province — and destroy RSF units. Finance Minister Jibril Ibrahim hailed the military’s advances in el-Obeid as a "massive step" to lift the RSF siege on el-Fasher — the capital of North Darfur province — as well as delivering humanitarian aid to the Kordofan area. The RSF has suffered a series of setbacks since September when the military launched an offensive aiming at recapturing the Great Khartoum area — Khartoum and its two sister cities of Omdurman and Khartoum North, or Bahri. In recent weeks, the army has captured strategic areas, including its own main headquarters and is close to recapturing the Republican Palace, which RSF fighters stormed in the first hours of the war. Elsewhere in the country, the military has also regained control of the city of Wad Medani — the capital of Gezira province — as well as the country’s largest oil refinery. The developments on the ground have given the military the upper hand in the war, which is approaching its two-year mark with no realistic prospects for peace in sight. Mass rape and ethnically motivated killings The conflict has been marked by atrocities committed by both the army and the RSF, including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings, that may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, according to the UN and international human rights groups. The respective leaders of the army and the RSF — General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who is better known as Hemedti — have been sanctioned by the US over the abuses. Washington has also accused the RSF of committing genocide. Both the military and the RSF have strongly denied the accusations. The Sudanese army's advances on Sunday came hours after the RSF signed a political charter that paved the way for establishing a parallel government to challenge the military-backed administration. This proposed government is unlikely to gain much recognition but has further raised concerns about the splintering of the war-torn nation. The military currently controls the north and the east of Sudan, while the RSF and its allied militias hold most of the Darfur region in the west as well as areas in the south. Copyright © euronews 2025

A woman stands in a bombed-out building in Pokrovsk Town in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. © UNOCHA 21 February 2025  I    Peace and Security         In the nearly three years since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the country’s people have endured continuous attacks, “psychological terror…displacement and hardship”, top UN aid coordinator Matthias Schmale said on Friday. Briefing from Ukrainian capital Kyiv after another night of “air sirens and more loud explosions”, Mr. Schmale noted that the crisis began in 2014, with Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea. “So, all children that were born since - all children up to the age of 11 - have never experienced their country at peace, ” he said. According to the UN aid coordination office, OCHA , 2024 saw a 30 per cent increase in civilian casualties compared to 2023. “The humanitarian situation is worsening, especially in frontline areas,” it said in an update, highlighting that a full 36 per cent of Ukraine’s population - 12.7 million people - needs humanitarian aid this year. “There are very strong pushes by the armed forces of the Russian Federation along the front line and evacuations are ongoing,” Mr. Schmale explained.  “We are supporting people with essential goods, including cash assistance, as they are on the move to transit centres, collective sites and wherever they end up being.” Speaking from Zaporizhzhia in southeast Ukraine, Toby Fricker from the UN Children’s Fund ( UNICEF ) said that more than 2,520 children have been killed or injured  since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion. “The real number is likely far higher and it’s getting worse”, said Mr. Fricker, chief of communication in Ukraine.  “There was a more than 50 per cent increase in child casualties in 2024 compared to 2023 and what we see is no place is safe: schools, maternity wards, children’s hospitals, all have been affected by attacks .” Behind battle lines Underscoring the essential role played by women in Ukraine “beyond the battlefield”, UN Women Geneva Director Sofia Calltorp explained that “there is another story unfolding, and that is the story of all those women and girls who are bearing the brunt of this war.” In 2024, the number of people killed and injured in Ukraine increased by 30 per cent, Ms. Calltorp noted. “Of them, 800 women lost their lives and more than 3,700 women were injured last year in Ukraine. We also know that the vast majority of Ukrainian refugees and displaced persons are women, and 6.7 million women are in need of lifesaving humanitarian assistance.” © United Nations © United Nations Funding crisis Responding to questions about the impact of the US funding freeze on humanitarian work, Ukraine Humanitarian Coordinator Mr. Schmale expressed “hope that US funding will become part of the equation. Last year, it made up 30 per cent of what we spent on the humanitarian side, 10 per cent on the development side.” The UN’s top aid official in Ukraine added: “We are of course worried about the funding freezes; as we all know, it's not the end of the day yet, there are a lot of discussions going on. We have some of our partners, including within the UN, that have received some exemptions from the general freeze of funding, but so far, no money has been flowing as a result of those exemptions.” In addition to repeated attacks on energy infrastructure across Ukraine, other public facilities have also been targeted, with 780 health centres and more than 1,600 schools damaged or destroyed,  according to the UN World Health Organization ( WHO ). “In Odessa this week we saw a health clinic providing care for 40,000 children and a kindergarten serving 250 of the youngest children were severely damaged in an attack,” said Dr Jarno Harbicht, WHO Country Representative for Ukraine.  “When a children's hospital is hit, a school shelled or electric grid destroyed, children suffer even when they survive.” Haunted by drones The mental stress faced by millions of Ukrainians because of the war is real and debilitating, the WHO official continued: “Imagine a young mother in Kharkiv region in Ukraine, her days interrupted by air raid sirens and her nights haunted by drones. Each day is a struggle balancing her children’s safety with their anxiety that has become her constant companion.” Rising toll The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission (HRMMU) has confirmed the killing of more than 12,654 civilian men, women, girls, and boys  since the full-scale Russian invasion on 24 February 2022, with nearly 30,000 injured . Eighty-four per cent of the casualties happened in territory controlled by the Ukrainian government and 16 per cent in territory occupied by Russia. “Three years of full-scale conflict in Ukraine have wrought persistent and escalating human rights violations and breaches of international humanitarian law,” said Danielle Bell, Chief of HRMMU. “As the civilian toll grows heavier, the human rights of all those affected must remain at the forefront of any negotiations for sustainable peace.” © 2025 United Nations.

Humanitarian aid is delivered by the UN to Kharkiv Oblast in Ukraine. © WFP/Niema Abdelmageed 17 February 2025  I Peace and Security        A senior UN political affairs official on Monday reaffirmed that any peace deal in Ukraine must respect the country’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, in accordance with the UN Charter and international law.       Briefing ambassadors in the Security Council ahead of the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Miroslav Jenča, Assistant Secretary-General for Europe in the political and peacebuilding department (DPPA), stressed diplomatic efforts must focus on securing a just and lasting peace. Full participation of Ukraine, Russia “The United Nations encourages dialogue among all stakeholders and welcomes all genuine efforts and initiatives, with the full participation of Ukraine and the Russian Federation, that would alleviate the impact of the war on civilians and de-escalate the conflict ,” he said. He also reiterated Secretary-General António Guterres ’ position that “ any peaceful settlement must respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine , in line with the UN Charter , international law and resolutions of the General Assembly.” The Security Council session coincided with the 10th anniversary of resolution 2202, which endorsed the now-defunct Minsk agreements of 2015 signed by the representatives of European security pact, the OSCE, Russia, Ukraine and leaders of the pro-Russian separatists in the occupied east of Ukraine following Russia’s annexation of Crimea. The unanimously adopted resolution included a “package of measures” as its annex, including an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, as well as the withdrawal of all heavy weapons by both sides by equal distances to create a security zone. A stark reminder Mr. Jenča noted that the anniversary serves as a stark reminder of past diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions and as an opportunity to reflect on the consequences of failing to forge a peace through international diplomacy. He commended the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission for its eight years of work in tracking ceasefire violations and facilitating dialogue, noting that the experience offers key lessons for future diplomatic efforts. “ The Minsk agreements have taught us that agreeing on a ceasefire or the signing of an agreement alone do not ensure a durable end to the violence ,” Mr. Jenča said. “Ensuring that the conflict does not reoccur and does not escalate will require genuine political will and understanding of its multi-dimensional complexity, for Ukraine and for the region.” European nations must stop ‘provoking’ Zelensky: Russia Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said that as part of any lasting peace deal Ukraine needs to be a “demilitarized, neutral state, not a part of any blocs or alliances”, something that has “already been acknowledged” by US President Donald Trump. He added that the 10th anniversary of resolution 2202 will be a good opportunity for European nations “to finally get back to reality, to stop provoking Zelensky and his henchmen towards a futile confrontation.” “If you do not bring your protege in Kyiv to his senses, and if you do not put him in his place, this will not end well for Ukraine,” he said. US committed to ending ‘carnage’ John Kelley, Political Coordinator at the Permanent Mission of the United States to the UN, said that his country wants a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine, “but we must start by recognising that returning to Ukraine’s-pre 2014 borders is an unrealistic objective”. “Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering,” he said. He stated that Ukraine is a “sovereign, independent country” and that Russia’s “illegal war of conquest” violates the United Nations Charter. “Russia must immediately end its war against Ukraine, which not only violates international law but was also a strategic error for Russia. The easy way out is through negotiations,” he said, adding that if Russia chose the “hard way”, it would incur greater and escalating costs to its economy and losses on the battlefield. “The US, as President Trump has made clear, is committed to ending the carnage and restoring stability to Europe. Ukraine, Russia and our European partners need to be a part of the conversation,” Mr. Kelley said. Ukraine must be at the centre of negotiations: UK Barbara Woodward, Ambassador of the United Kingdom, said that Russia was once again using the Security Council meeting to “distort the truth behind its illegal war.” “The events of the last decade in Ukraine originate from a simple, sad reality: Russia’s imperialist ambition and failure to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty,” she said. She stated that Russia was the “sole architect” of the war in Ukraine and that it could end it immediately by withdrawing its forces, urging the international community to “stand firm”. “We can and must create the conditions for a just and lasting peace, which protects Ukraine’s security, sovereignty and independence,” Ambassador Woodward added, stating: “Ukraine’s voice must be at the heart of any negotiations.” Peace cannot be bought: Ukraine Khrystyna Hayovyshyn, Deputy Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN, said that Russia has violated several previous agreements “almost immediately” after signing them, and that such violations ultimately led to its invasion of her country. Stating that Russia would break any agreement “the very moment its new aggressive plan requires so,” she said that any arrangements with the Kremlin “must include enforcement mechanisms and preventative measures.” “Weak agreements will not bring real peace, they will only lead to greater war,” she stated, adding that this is why Ukraine is working with its partners to find strong and effective solutions. “Peace cannot be bought – especially not at the expense of laws and principles, especially principle of territorial integrity and sovereign equality. Peace cannot be replaced with appeasement,” she said. Copyrights © 2025 United Nations.

Sign at demonstration protesting Hindutva persecution of Christians. credit Maktoob Media Genocide Warning: Hindu Extremists Call for Genocide Against Christians February 24, 2025 Hindutva leaders have called for the killing of Christians on March 1, 2025, across three villages in the state of Chhattisgarh, India: Bishrampur, Janakpur, and Ganeshpur. One leader, Aadesh Soni, declared that the plan is to rape and kill all Christian men, women, and children in the villages. He calls for Christian leaders to be executed and any trace of Christianity erased from the region. Aadesh Soni defends his call for genocide by accusing Christians of engaging in the slaughter of cows, a revered animal in Hinduism. Soni has urged his followers to rally at least 50,000 people for the scheduled attack on March 1, 2025. He asserts that local authorities support this genocidal initiative. Another leader Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati ordered  Hindus to kill all Christians. He called upon 1,000 Hindus to rise and “slay those who slay our mother cow.” Violent attacks on minority communities in India, particularly Christians and Muslims, have been rising in recent years. In 2024, there were 834 incidents targeting Christians, a notable rise compared to 2023, which saw 734 such attacks. On June 12, 2024 a Hindutva mob in Chhattisgarh, attacked Christian families, threatened them, and gave them a 10-day ultimatum to renounce their faith . In July 2024, a Hindu mob attacked  a pastor in Chhattisgarh state. On December 27, 2024, members of the Vishva Hindu Prasad (VHP), a right-wing Hindu militant group, f orcibly converted  a Christian Dalit man to Hinduism and paraded him in Uttar Pradesh. VHP members raised slogans  such as “Jesus murdabad” or “Death to Jesus.”   The United Nations has raised concerns about discrimination and violence against religious minorities in India. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has recommended that the US designate India as a "Country of Particular Concern" due to its ongoing and severe violations of religious freedom. Genocide Watch recommends: The Indian police must send armed guards to protect Christians in threatened villages. Prime Minister Narendra Modi must publicly denounce these threats against Christians. Members of the Indian and international press should report on this threat of genocide.

Olena stands in front of her damaged home in Kharkiv, hit during a May 2024 attack (file) © UNOCHA/Yurii Veres 23 February 2025 I Humanitarian Aid         24 February 2025 marks the third year of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the civilian population continues to face near daily-attacks. The UN staff living alongside them, enduring the same difficult conditions, have been a lifeline throughout the war.      “I’m trying not to cry, but I can’t help it. I’m glad I have tissues on hand,” admits Natalia Datchenko, a Ukrainian staff member of the UN children’s agency, UNICEF , struggling to hold back her tears as she recounts the explosions that awoke many Ukrainians three years ago, heralding the start of the conflict. Courtesy of Natalia Datchenko I Natalia Datchenko, employee of UNICEF-Ukraine Alongside feelings of shock and anger, Ms. Datchenko also felt a surge of energy. “I knew, with absolute clarity, that I wanted to help others, to protect people. I knew I had to do something,” she recalls. UNICEF leadership instructed staff to prioritise their own safety and that of their families before resuming their work. Ms. Datchenko evacuated to Lviv, a city in the west of Ukraine, with her family. “There were 12 of us crammed into a small train compartment,” she says. “I held someone else’s child in my arms because there was no place for them to sit. The train moved slowly to avoid being targeted. When we finally arrived, we saw families with children sitting directly on the cold stone floor of the Lviv station. It was February, and it was freezing.” Life goes on Lyudmyla Kovalchuk, a staff member of the UN Women  office in Ukraine, lived near Kyiv International Airport, one of the war’s first targets. “We woke up at five in the morning to the sound of explosions,” she explains. “It was shocking. Even though we had heard warnings of an impending invasion, we couldn’t believe it was actually happening.” Photo provided by Ludmila Kovalchuk I Lyudmyla Kovalchuk, UN-Women Ukraine staff member After three years, exhaustion has set in but life and work continue. Women in Ukraine need the UN’s support – psychological, legal, logistical and financial. Many Ukrainian women are raising children alone, searching for jobs to support them and constantly moving to keep them safe from the war. Ms. Kovalchuk says that about 75,000 Ukrainian women are serving in the military and represent a group with unique needs that require specific support. “We have adapted to working under new conditions,” Ms. Kovalchuk says. “Whenever we arrange to meet somewhere, we check if there is a shelter nearby in case of an attack. We don’t plan long events as the risk of shelling increases the longer we stay in one place. During the pandemic, we learned to work in a hybrid format, and that experience has been invaluable.” ‘Hardest part was hearing their stories’ Anastasia Kalashnyk, another UN Women staff member, used to live in Zaporizhzhia. Two years ago, she relocated to Kyiv with her family. “After 24 February 2022, my children stopped attending daycare and school, and my husband lost his job – the foreign company he worked for immediately shut down operations and left the country,” she says. However, Ms. Kalashnyk’s workload increased significantly. Since 2017, she has been responsible for emergency aid provided by UN Women in Ukraine, focusing on women in Luhansk and Donetsk regions. After 2022, many of these women were forced to flee their homes. In a town in Mykolaivska Oblast, a reconstructed kindergarten shelter now provides 200 children with a safe, fully equipped space for learning during frequent air alerts. © DRC Ukraine/Svitlana Koval “Looking back, the hardest part was hearing their stories – women I had known for years – about how they escaped occupied territories and what happened to their husbands who had gone to fight,” she says. For these and other Ukrainian women in need, UN Women, in collaboration with local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), established so-called “safe spaces”. These centres provide essential support, allowing women to connect, share experiences and heal. “I watched as Olga, one of the women who came to the centre, quite literally come back to life after experiencing trauma,” a UN worker recalls. “She started smiling again. Now, Olga is one of the centre’s activists, helping others.” The cost of war According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs ( OCHA ), more than 12,600 civilians have been confirmed killed and over 29,000 injured over the last three years. At least 2,400 children are among the casualties. Millions live in constant fear, while those in occupied territories face severe restrictions and limited access to humanitarian aid. An entire generation of Ukrainians is growing up in wartime. Alina, 12, stands next to her damaged home in Kobzartsi, Mykolaiv region. © UNICEF/Oleksii Filippov Relentless attacks on infrastructure are deepening the crisis. Over 10 per cent of Ukraine’s housing stock has been damaged or destroyed, leaving at least two million families without adequate shelter. More than 3,600 schools and universities have been hit, forcing hundreds of thousands of children into remote learning. Repeated strikes on the energy system – three winters in a row – have left towns without electricity, heating and essential services in freezing conditions. A total of 12.7 million people require humanitarian aid. Hopes for the future “Of course, everything that has happened is exhausting,” Ms. Kalashnyk says. “But my children give me hope for a better future. What they are going through now is unfair. I have to be strong, not just for them but for all Ukrainian families.” She adds that she also finds hope in the solidarity shown by the UN and other organizations. “They didn’t abandon Ukraine,” she explains. “They stayed. They continue to help. They didn’t come just for a month or two. They’ve been here for years. And now, they’re talking about rebuilding. These discussions about the future give me confidence that we have one.” Ms. Datchenko from UNICEF also speaks of unity and solidarity. “At first, we were all united by anger,” she recalls. “We shared our burdens. We shared our pain. We were furious together. But anger is no longer the driving force. Now, we are united by the desire to rebuild what has been destroyed. We want to restore our communities, support families and rebuild our country, not as it was, but better, to leave behind the Soviet legacy and create a truly new nation, built on human rights.” Supplies are distributed by UNFPA at a centre for survivors of gender-based violence in Kherson, Ukraine. © UNFPA/Danil Pavlov She says her work gives her hope. “I have a unique opportunity to reassess old programmes, create new ones, listen to the voices of the most vulnerable, direct resources where they are truly needed and bridge different sectors to bring together the best for those in need. I believe that working for UNICEF has helped me survive—it’s still my survival strategy.” ‘We have to become stronger’ Ms. Datchenko also finds solace in culture. “I seek inspiration and motivation in the beauty that still exists in Ukraine. Our museums are open, concerts are happening, music is playing. For many, culture is a survival strategy.” Today, many Ukrainians are searching for their own survival strategies. “One of the biggest challenges we face in our work is the psychological toll, not only in supporting ourselves, but also our colleagues,” Ms. Kovalchuk says. “Recently, one of our colleague’s brothers went missing. Sometimes, it’s incredibly difficult to find the right words of comfort, yet we work with people – women and girls affected by war – who need our support.” “But, on the other hand, when you face one tragedy after another, one crisis after another, you start to feel stronger and more experienced. What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.” Then, with a sad smile, she adds that “maybe it’s true, but I always say I wish I didn’t have the experience I have now. But I have no choice. This experience is mine to bear.” © 2025 United Nations.

By Reuters Three Russian mercenaries in Northern Mali (Source: Al Jazeera) A Tuareg-dominated rebel alliance in northern Mali accused Malian soldiers, accompanied by Russian Wagner mercenaries, of killing 24 civilians travelling north to Algeria from the city of Gao, as the army reported clashes in the region. Mali, led by a military junta, has for more than a decade battled jihadist groups allied to Islamic State and al Qaeda while grappling with a much longer history of Tuareg-led rebellion in the north. In a statement on Monday evening, the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) said the civilians were travelling in two vehicles, one of which was set on fire while the other escaped with some survivors. Family members of three victims, as well as a spokesperson for the local human rights association Kal Akal, confirmed the incident to Reuters. One of the vehicles was transporting migrants, a family member of the driver said. Separately, the FLA said Malian soldiers and Wagner fighters had killed four people on Sunday in the village of Aslagh in the Kidal region. In a third incident, FLA fighters clashed with Malian soldiers and Wagner fighters between Anefis and Aguelhok in the Kidal region, leaving five FLA fighters dead, according to an FLA source. A spokesperson for Mali's armed forces did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In a statement on Monday the armed forces said that a series of clashes had taken place west of Aguelhok and northwest of Anefis, killing seven "terrorists", the term it uses for FLA rebels. The statement also said the armed forces had targeted "a group of terrorists" using drones early on Monday in the same zone. Reporting by Abdollah Ag Mohamed; Additional reporting by Portia Crowe; Editing by Alexandra Hudson © 2025 Reuters.

Villagers of Al-khadaris and Al-Khalwat in the Al-Qattina countryside in White Nile State flee their areas after RSF attacks on Feb 17, 2025 Photo: Sudan Tribune During the week of February 17th, 2024, Al-Qattina, a town in the White Nile region of Sudan, witnessed unprecedented and widespread violence that left the area in shock. As the Rapid Support Forces advanced on the Karadis and Khalwat areas of Al-Qattina, their attacks slaughtered and injured over 400 civilians. According to the Emergency Lawyer Group, this region contains no military presence and is solely populated by unarmed civilians. The group has accused the RSF of carrying out targeted slaughter, kidnappings, enforced disappearances, and looting. Horrifyingly, those attempting to flee across the Nile were attacked with live ammunition causing many to drown. According to the Foreign Ministry, 433 people were killed in one of the worst massacres committed since the start of the war. As reported by RadioDabanga, a resident of Al-Qattina painted an alarming picture of the heinous crimes committed against civilians there. “They killed citizens inside their homes. The houses are now piled up with corpses.” The mass killings, kidnappings, and disappearances being committed against civilians are not an isolated incident or unintended casualties of war. The Al-Qattina massacre is only the most recent to occur in a disturbing pattern of violence. In February alone, we have seen terrifying atrocities committed in El Fasher, killing innocent civilians at a grocery market and at a famine-stricken refugee camp. The RSF is committing deeply calculated and intentional attacks against civilians, constituting serious international crimes. These strategic and purposeful attacks amount to ethnic cleansing and genocide, crimes punishable under international law. We at Darfur Women Action Group are outraged by the level of death and destruction and the consequent inaction of the international community. These attacks continue to be carried out by the RSF, raising the alarm and re-affirming the need for international action to be taken to protect vulnerable Sudanese civilians from international crimes. We ask you to join us and tell our leaders that they can not turn their backs on the millions of vulnerable people facing genocide in Sudan. The suffering and violence has gone on for far too long. Through collective effort, we can ensure that Sudan is not ignored. © 2025 Darfur Women Action Group

Another Trump lie: Trump blames Ukraine for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine Here are the facts. The Washington Post February 20, 2025 By Justin Spike | AP President Donald Trump has blamed Ukraine for starting the war that has cost tens of thousands of Ukrainian lives. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky gives a press conference in Kyiv, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. (Tetiana Dzhafarova/Pool Photo via AP)   KYIV, Ukraine — President Donald Trump this week  falsely blamed Ukraine for starting the war  that has cost tens of thousands of Ukrainian lives, causing outrage and alarm in a country that has spent nearly three years fighting back a much larger Russian military. Trump called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “ a dictator  without elections” and claimed his support among voters was near rock-bottom. Zelenskyy said Wednesday that the disinformation is coming from Russia, and some of what Trump has said does echo Russia’s own narrative of the conflict. Here’s a look at some of Trump’s statements: Ukraine 'should have never started it' WHAT TRUMP SAID: “You’ve been there for three years. You should have ended it ... You should have never started it. You could have made a deal.” THE FACTS: Russia’s army crossed the border on Feb. 24, 2022, in an all-out invasion that Putin sought to justify  by falsely saying it was needed to protect Russian-speaking civilians in eastern Ukraine and prevent the country from joining NATO. But Russia’s aggression against Ukraine didn’t start then. In 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin saw signs that Ukraine was pulling away from Russia’s sphere of influence, seeking alliances with western European nations. Putin illegally annexed the Crimean Peninsula and started an armed aggression in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas that grew into a long-running conflict that left thousands dead. That conflict simmered until 2022, when Putin ordered what he called military exercises along Ukraine’s borders. He told the world that the roughly 150,000 soldiers that he had amassed would not be used to invade Ukraine. But in the early hours of Feb. 24, Russia launched widespread airstrikes and soldiers began pouring over the border  . Ukraine should hold elections WHAT TRUMP SAID:  “We have a situation where we haven’t had elections in Ukraine, where we have martial law,” Trump said in Mar-a-Lago, adding on Wednesday in a post on social media: “A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left.” THE FACTS:  Zelenskyy was elected to a five-year term in 2019, and the next presidential elections had been scheduled for spring 2024. But Ukrainian law prohibits parliamentary or presidential elections during a state of martial law, so Zelenskyy has remained in office. He has said he believes elections will be held in Ukraine after martial law is lifted. The country would need to amend the law if it decided to hold a vote. There are numerous factors that, according to Ukraine’s government,  “would render it literally impossible to ensure a fair electoral process in the circumstances of a total war.” According to the United Nations’ refugee agency, some 6.9 million Ukrainian refugees have been registered worldwide since February 2022. Of those, millions remain outside the country due to the war. It would be nearly impossible for all of those who have been displaced to participate in an election, potentially robbing millions of their right to vote. Furthermore, around 800,000 soldiers are currently serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces as they struggle to contain Russian advances. An election would necessitate pulling soldiers off the front lines to vote, weakening Ukraine’s military position. Additionally, those fighting would be unable to run for office, a right that is guaranteed to them by Ukrainian law. Many Ukrainians are living in areas under Russian occupation, essentially precluding their participation in any electoral process. And since Russia continues to regularly strike both military and civilian targets across the country, packing millions of citizens into crowded polling places could create additional danger. Zelenskyy's support at rock bottom? WHAT TRUMP SAID: “The leader in Ukraine, I mean, I hate to say it, but he’s down at 4% approval rating.” THE FACTS:  Zelenskyy “retains a fairly high level of public trust” — about 57 percent - according to a report released Wednesday by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology. Speaking in Kyiv on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said the number given by Trump, for which the president cited no sources, was “disinformation” that originated in Russia, and that the president “unfortunately lives in this disinformation space.” Zelenskyy said he will ask pollsters in the coming weeks to conduct surveys on the public’s trust in him and share the results with the Trump administration. Millions of deaths WHAT TRUMP SAID: “When you see what’s taken place in Ukraine with millions of people killed, including the soldiers, millions of people killed, a big percentage of their cities knocked down to the ground, I don’t know how anybody even lives there.” THE FACTS:  No estimates by any reputable analysis place deaths near the millions. While exact figures of the number of deaths are unknown, Zelenskyy said earlier this month that over 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed since the start of the full-scale war in February 2022. He has also said that “tens of thousands of civilians” had been killed in occupied areas of Ukraine, but that no exact figures would be available until the war was over. The most recent data from the Russian Defense Ministry, published in January 2023, pointed to just over 6,000 military deaths, although reports from U.S. and U.K. officials put that number significantly higher. Copyright 2025 The Washington Post

People displaced by the fighting between the M23 armed group and Congolese government forces leave their camp following an order from the M23 in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, February 11, 2025. © 2025 AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa By Grace Harris, Lea Gruber, and Ebonie Kibalya, Genocide Watch   M23 attacks in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have cost over 2900 lives . M23 is supported  by the government of Rwanda. Rwanda is tired of anti-Tutsi militias massacring Congolese Tutsis and driving them into Rwanda.  The DRC has endured constant warfare since 1996, resulting in six million deaths . The First and Second Congo Wars (1996–2003) directly followed the 1994 Rwandan Genocide against the Tutsis. The Congo wars were the deadliest international wars since World War II. The same anti-Tutsi exclusionary ideology that drove the genocide in Rwanda  persists . Mai mai, Lendu, Allied Democratic Forces, CODECO, FDLR and other anti-Tutsi militias have terrorized the Banyamulenge, Hema, and other Congolese Tutsis, driving them into refugee and IDP camps.  Eastern DRC is plagued by armed militias vying for control over coltan (tantalum), gold, and rare earths used to produce cellphones. Much of the Coltan from the DRC is exported through Rwanda.   The DRC has 21 million people who need humanitarian aid  with 2.7 million internally displaced in North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri provinces.   Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, and Western Tanzania. credit...Google Maps M23 has captured Goma and Bukavu, the capitals of North and South Kivu. The fighting in Goma has claimed at least 2,900 lives and left thousands wounded by bullets and shrapnel, pushing local hospitals beyond capacity .  During a jailbreak in Goma, more than 160 female prisoners  were raped and burned, while hundreds of inmates escaped. Rampant rape, mass murder, and other atrocities occur daily. Civilians have suffered executions  by M23, mass rapes by Congolese government troops and escaped prisoners , and forced labor and conscription  by M23, which has occupied hospitals and schools.   Internally displaced persons (IDP) camps have been targeted , with bombs striking at least two camps .  WFP, ICRC, MSF, UNHCR, WHO, Medair, Concern, Action Against Hunger, and Oxfam  warehouses were looted in late January.  The DRC-based grassroots organization, ARSF  (Actions for the Social Reintegration of Women), warned in an internal report to Genocide Watch that the Eastern Congolese are enduring “ a situation of ‘absolute’ precariousness” with grave threat of disease, starvation, lack of clean water, and no operating clinics or hospitals.   Kinshasa has repeatedly refused direct talks with M23, despite pressure to negotiate from Eastern African and Southern African leaders at a crisis summit on February 8 .  Genocide Watch considers eastern DRC to be at Stage 7: Preparation , Stage 8: Persecution,  and Stage 9: Extermination. Genocide Watch recommends:   The Rwandan government should honestly admit its support for M23 and defund and disband M23.  The African Union, UN, MONUSCO, DRC army, and M23 should negotiate a permanent ceasefire.   The Rwandan and DRC governments must negotiate a pact to defeat anti-Tutsi militias in eastern DRC.   Aid must be given by the EU, UN, NGOs, and businesses to rebuild Goma, Bukavu, and eastern DRC.   Perpetrators of atrocities must be arrested and tried in Congolese and Rwandan courts.

Prosecutors called for jail terms for Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik and the former acting director of the entity’s Official Gazette, Milos Lukic, saying they deliberately obstructed enforcement of the High Representative's decisions. Azem Kurtic, February 19, 2025 Milorad Dodik entering the court in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Photo: N1/F.Z.  During closing arguments at the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the trial of Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik and the former acting director of the Serb entity’s Official Gazette , Milos Lucic, prosecutors said on Wednesday that all allegations in the indictment against them had been proven and that the defendants deliberately obstructed the enforcement of decisions made by High Representative Christian Schmidt. Prosecutor Nedim Cosic sought a prison sentence for both defendants, along with a ten-year ban on holding public office. He said the jail term should be closer to the maximum penalty, which ranges from six months to five years. “The evidence is clear. The defendants acted with full awareness that they were obstructing the decisions of the High Representative, which is a criminal act,” Cosic said. “No one is above the law, especially not public officials.” Dodik and Lukic’s trial began in February last year. They were accused of knowingly defying decisions issued by international overseer of the continued implementation of the peace deal that ended the Bosnian war, Schmidt, in July 2023. Schmidt had blocked the implementation of two laws adopted by the Republika Srpska authorities – one preventing the enforcement of state-level Constitutional Court rulings in the entity, and another amending legislation on publishing official acts. Despite this, the defendants allegedly continued legislative procedures in defiance of Schmidt’s decisions. The prosecution stated that Lukic should have refrained from committing a criminal act. They also highlighted that during a programme on the entity’s public broadcaster, Radio Television of Republika Srpska, RTRS, Lukic described how the offence was committed, adding that no one, including the High Representative, could dissuade him. The prosecution noted that all the submitted evidence is public and so accessible to both the defendants and the public. They criticised the defence for attempting to undermine Schmidt’s legitimacy as High Representative, calling this argument a rhetorical trap. The prosecution dismissed the credibility of defence witnesses, asserting that they were biased and sought to downplay the gravity of the alleged crime. The prosecution said the acts were committed with intent and no mitigating circumstances exist, including the fact that neither defendant has prior convictions. They stressed the seriousness of the offence, noting that obstructing the High Representative’s decisions effectively prevented the citizens of Republika Srpska from seeking legal recourse before Bosnia’s Constitutional Court. They accused Dodik of persistently undermining the state judiciary and of showing disregard for the court throughout the proceedings. In his closing remarks, Dodik’s lawyer, Goran Bubic, argued for an acquittal, claiming that his client’s actions had no legal consequences. “My client was misled by legal experts who assured him that his actions were purely political, not criminal,” Bubic stated. “This case is nothing more than an attempt to remove Dodik from political life through legal means.” Bubic also criticised Schmidt’s decisions, claiming they were made without proper legal procedures and were intended to provoke a political reaction from Dodik. He described the case as an attempt to eliminate Dodik from political life, alleging that Schmidt’s actions did not align with the practices of previous High Representatives. Dodik’s allies have announced a “swift reaction” in the case of a sentencing verdict, saying they would call it a “verdict against Republika Srpska,” not its president. The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has 30 days to issue a verdict following Wednesday’s closing remarks.  The trial is ongoing. Copyright BIRN 2007

Millions of Ukrainians have fled their homeland as refugees since the beginning of Russia's invasion. © UNOCHA/Matteo Minasi 19 February 2025  I   Peace and Security         Three years of war in Ukraine have reversed decades of progress for women and girls, leaving millions in urgent need of support, according to UN Women.      Russia’s full-scale invasion has forced more than 1.8 million women  to flee their homes within Ukraine, while   nearly 6.7 million require humanitarian assistance. More than 3,799 women and 289 girls have been killed, though the real toll is believed to be significantly higher. “The full-scale war has pushed an entire generation of Ukrainian women backwards,” said Sabine Freizer Gunes, UN Women  Representative in the country. “They are facing heightened exposure to gender-based violence ; rising unemployment; decreased decision-making power; greater domestic burdens; and a severe mental health crisis,” she explained. Stressed out Gender-based violence has surged by 36 per cent since 2022 , driven in part by conflict-related stress, UN Women reported. In parallel, depression rates among women and girls have worsened. On the economic front, opportunities have shrunk. By 2024, less than half of displaced women had jobs whilst the gender pay gap doubled since the beginning of the war. Meanwhile, the burden of unpaid care, from cooking to caring for children, has intensified as childcare services centres have closed and services dwindled. Women spent an average of 56 hours a week  on childcare in 2024 , up from 49 hours before the war. Leaders of humanitarian recovery Despite these hardships, Ukrainian women are leading humanitarian responses and driving economic resilience. Women have assumed key roles as aid workers, community leaders and entrepreneurs. Today, one in every two businesses in Ukraine is founded by a woman. Women are also entering traditionally male-dominated sectors such as security, transportation and demining. “Donors’ support to Ukrainian women-led organizations and programmes is crucial so they can continue promoting gender equality, women’s rights and leadership ,” said Ms. Gunes. “Women’s full engagement will be essential to rebuild Ukraine as a gender-equal and gender-responsive society,” she added. Support and call for action In 2024 alone, UN Women supported more than 180,000 women and girls  affected by the war through initiatives under the Women Peace and Humanitarian Fund . The agency provides life-saving humanitarian aid, psychosocial and legal support, protection services and programmes to strengthen women’s economic independence. Four years on since the beginning of the war, UN Women is working to ensure that women are included in decision-making and recovery efforts , advocating for legal reforms to secure equal rights and representation. Overnight attack on Odesa The UN aid coordination office in Ukraine, OCHA , reported that an attack on Odesa City in the small hours of Wednesday morning had injured a number of civilians, including a child. Local authorities say the attack left a large residential area without electricity and heating, affecting at least 160,000 people – in the midst of winter . “Multiple apartment buildings were damaged, as well as a children’s hospital, and a kindergarten. For our part, we are providing emergency shelter materials, hot meals, psychosocial support, legal aid, and child protection services,” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.             Medical teams are conducting quick health checks and distributing medicines, while schools will remain closed until power and heating are restored.   In the southern city of Kherson aid workers are continuing to respond to an attack that took place on 17 February, and damaged a critical energy facility. 2,500 residents were left without electricity, heating, and water.   © 2025 United Nations.