Current News

1) The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces captured Wad Madani city in its first major offensive in the east, raising fears the group could try and conquer all of Sudan by force, with destabilising effects for the region (see this month’s Conflict in Focus).

2) Israel’s relentless attacks on Gaza – which have killed more than 23,000 people in three months – continue in the territory’s south, leaving the vast majority of the 2.3 million inhabitants struggling to survive amid food insecurity and diseases. Meanwhile, hostilities between Israel and Hizbollah continued to expand, underscoring the risk of a wider conflagration engulfing Lebanon and the region.

3) Following a months-long government crackdown on the opposition, initial election results indicated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina won her fifth term in Bangladesh; disputed polls could fuel further protests and violence in the coming weeks.

4) Political volatility remained high in Guatemala amid relentless attempts to discredit election winner Bernardo Arévalo, who is due to take office on 14 January. The president-elect’s ability to assume office will be a test case for the country’s stability.

5) Tensions escalated in the Red Sea as the U.S. took its first military action in response to threats by Yemen’s Houthis against commercial shipping, killing ten Houthi militants attempting to board a vessel.

6) Security forces in Jordan resisted cross-border armed raids by smugglers and militants from Syria, as the military reportedly launched retaliatory airstrikes.

7) Opposition candidates in DR Congo rejected presidential election results giving victory to President Tshisekedi. The former election commission chief launched a political-military alliance with M23 rebels, vowing to oust Tshisekedi.

8) In Guinea-Bissau, fighting broke out between security forces units aligned with rival political factions. President Embaló described the incident as an attempted coup.

9) Cross-strait tensions heightened ahead of Taiwan’s tight January election planned for 13 January, as China maintained its military activity around the island and described reunification as an “inevitability”.

CrisisWatch is our global conflict tracker, an early warning tool designed to help prevent deadly violence. It keeps decision-makers up-to-date with developments in over 70 conflicts and crises every month, identifying trends and alerting them to risks of escalation and opportunities to advance peace. In addition, CrisisWatch monitors over 50 situations (“standby monitoring”) to offer timely information if developments indicate a drift toward violence or instability. Entries dating back to 2003 provide easily searchable conflict histories.

Source: https://shorturl.at/alFU0