One year ago, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called for the cessation of violence both on battlefields and in homes amidst global COVID-19 lockdowns. Yet, despite countless organizations supporting and promoting the Secretary-General’s plea, the U.N., and its partners continue to report acts of rape, sexual slavery, forced sterilization, and other
More than a century after the crimes were committed, Germany formally recognized on Friday, 28 March, that it committed genocide against the Herero and Nama people during its colonial rule in present day Namibia. It is the first time the German government has officially acknowledged these atrocities, with the declaration
On Monday, April 26th, the United States (U.S.) imposed sanctions on current and former Guatemalan officials over alleged corruption activity within the country. The sanctions specifically target Felipe Alejos Lorenzana, an elected delegate in Guatemala’s Congress, and Gustavo Adolfo Alejos Cambara, the former Chief of Staff for the Alvaro Colom
On Thursday, March 25, Brazil registered a daily record of over 100,000 new coronavirus cases, highlighting the immense scale of a rapidly spreading outbreak that is becoming a major political crisis for President Jair Bolsonaro. According to the Health Ministry, the record caseload – along with approximately 3,000 additional COVID-19
On late Thursday, March 11th, approximately 30 students were reportedly abducted by gunmen from a forestry college in northwest Nigeria’s Kaduna state. The incident marks at least the fourth mass kidnapping in the country since December. According to Samuel Aruwan, the Commissioner for Kaduna State Ministry of Internal Security and
On Friday 26 February, 317 schoolgirls were abducted by unidentified gunmen from a boarding school in northwest Nigeria’s Zamfara state. A police statement said that police and military forces have begun joint operations to trace the kidnappers and rescue the girls and that authorities were looking into witness information that
On 16 February, Mexico’s Senate approved an amendment to the country’s General Law for Women’s Access to Life Free from Violence by including disability as one of the elements prosecutors and courts must assess when deciding to grant protection to women victimized by violence. The new revision to the law
The South Sudanese government announced on Friday 29 January that it will proceed with the process of establishing a war crimes court in partnership with the African Union (AU), along with other long-awaited transitional justice mechanisms to address violations committed during the country’s conflict. In fulfilment of outstanding obligations under
On Thursday 28 January, the Honduran legislature passed a constitutional reform that will make it nearly impossible to reverse existing hard-line bans on abortion and same-sex marriage. Previously, all constitutional amendments needed a two-thirds vote of the legislature in order to take effect. However, the new decree will now require
On Monday 18 January, Guatemalan security forces dispersed thousands of mostly Honduran migrants who were making their way across the nation, seeking eventual asylum in the United States. In the south-eastern village of Vado Hondo, police and military personnel used varying degrees of force against members of the first major
On Tuesday 5 January 2021, Egypt, alongside Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), and Bahrain, signed a reconciliation agreement with Qatar, aimed at resolving a three-and-a-half year boycott imposed on Doha. The signing occurred during the 41st Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit, which was held in the city of
