International


Colombia: Illegal Gold Mining Contaminated This Land. Trees and Plants Are Healing It

Feb 3, 2025 | Andrea Jaramillo, Bloomberg

Mercury left behind by wildcat miners polluted areas of northern Colombia. Restoring them to health depends on a surprisingly low-tech solution.


South Sudan: Attack on South Sudan Cattle Camps Kills 35, Community Leader Says

Feb 2, 2025 | Reuters

Unidentified attackers raided cattle camps in a southeastern area of South Sudan last week, killing at least 35 people and wounding 46, a community leader…


Afghanistan: Displaced by Climate, Sheltered by Nature

Feb 2, 2025 | UNDP

In Afghanistan's conflict-ravaged Nangarhar province, where poverty, displacement, and the forces of nature converge, an unlikely hero is emerging: the jujube tree. Nestled along the…


DRC/Rwanda: Pressure Grows on EU to Freeze Minerals Deal with Rwanda over DRC Fighting

Feb 2, 2025 | Jennifer Rankin, Guardian

The EU is under mounting pressure to suspend a controversial minerals deal with Rwanda that has been blamed for fuelling the conflict in the east…


DRC: Escalation in Eastern DRC Linked to Competition for $24 Trillion in Resources

Feb 2, 2025 | Azernews

The ongoing escalation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is driven by competition for the country's vast natural resources, estimated at $24 trillion,…


Water: How Water Shortage Is Triggering Further Conflicts in Already-Volatile West Asia

Feb 2, 2025 | Anu Sharma, The Week

Water scarcity in West Asia is an escalating crisis that threatens economic stability, food security, and geopolitical stability in an already volatile region. As one…


Iraq/Kurdistan: Iraq Parliament Approves Compensation Plan to Resolve Kurdistan Oil Dispute, Say Lawmakers

Feb 2, 2025 | Reuters

Iraq’s parliament on Sunday approved a budget amendment to subsidise production costs for international oil companies operating in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region in a move…


Myanmar: Myanmar Implements 11 Solar Power Plant Projects

Feb 2, 2025 | Global New Light of Myanmar

A total of 11 solar power plant projects are currently under construction and development across Myanmar, with an installed capacity of 1,026 megawatts, according to…


DRC: The Impact of Conflict Minerals on Technology: A Closer Look at Tantalum from DR Congo

Feb 1, 2025 | Global Herald

Currently, the DRC is experiencing ongoing conflict, with significant implications for tantalum extraction. Recent military actions by the M23 rebel group have drawn international attention,…


Afghanistan: Cash-Keen Taliban Betting on Afghanistan's Mines

Feb 1, 2025 | Claire Gounon, Barron's

Touting the return of security, the Taliban government is rushing to court local and foreign investors to exploit the country's underground wealth and secure a…


Afghanistan: OCHA: 39% of Families in Afghanistan Facing Water Shortages

Jan 31, 2025 | Fidel Rahmati, Khaama Press

The organization stated on Friday, January 31 on its X platform that, in addition to the water scarcity in Afghanistan, 23% of households rely on…


DRC/Rwanda: The War for Congo’s Wealth: How Organized Crime Fuels the M23 Crisis in Eastern DRC

Jan 30, 2025 | Zobel Behalal, Global Initiative

Conflict in eastern DRC is by no means a recent phenomenon. For over 20 years, the national and international actors fueling the violence have been…


Afghanistan: FAO: War, Poverty, and Over-Exploitation Destroy Pistachio Forest in Afghanistan

Jan 30, 2025 | Fidel Rahmati, Khaama Press

In a statement released on Thursday, January 30, the FAO added that Afghanistan once had more than 450,000 hectares of pistachio forests. According to the…


How Can Agriculture Contribute to Peace?

Jan 30, 2025 | Pablo Molina Asensi, Peace News Network

Agricultural development and food security play a key role in strengthening peace in fragile societies. According to Ambassador George Moose, Acting President and CEO of…


Iraq/Kurdistan: KRG Says Iraqi Court Deems Its Contacts with Oil Companies Valid

Jan 30, 2025 | Rudaw

The Kurdistan Region’s natural resources ministry said on Thursday that it had won a case against the federal oil ministry over its contracts with several…


DRC/Rwanda: DR Congo Conflict: Why Is the EU under Pressure to Reconsider Its Minerals Partnership with Rwanda?

Jan 30, 2025 | Mared Gwyn Jones, euronews

The conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has prompted calls on Brussels to review an agreement with the Rwandan government intended to secure…


Liberia: Boakai Decries Crowded Court Dockets of Unresolved Land Cases

Jan 30, 2025 | Abednego Davis, Liberian Observer

President Joseph Nyuma Boakai expressed concern during his State of the Nation Address regarding the congestion of court dockets with unresolved land cases–a situation that…


Afghanistan: Consultative Meeting Held in Kabul to Prevent Natural Disasters

Jan 30, 2025 | TOLOnews

The National Disaster Management Authority held a consultative meeting in Kabul with the participation of district representatives and tribal elders to discuss measures for preventing…


DRC: What Role Do Minerals Play in the Conflict? [Video]

Jan 29, 2025 | Eunice Wanjiru, Deutsche Welle

The Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the world’s most resource-rich nations, yet its people remain among the poorest. Fueled by competition over precious…


Water: Latest Water, Peace and Security Analysis Calls for Action to Reduce Global Water-Related Tensions

Jan 29, 2025 | Smart Water Magazine

In mid-October, The New York Times reported water shortages are threatening the world’s food supply, as one-quarter of the world’s crops are grown in areas where the…


India/Tibet: Seminar on “Environment and Security” Unites Tibet and India in Itanagar

Jan 29, 2025 | Central Tibetan Administration

On 24 January 2025, a significant seminar on “Environment and Security” was successfully organised by the Himalaya Suraksha Manch, Arunachal Pradesh, at the Dorjee Khandu…


Myanmar: Myanmar on the Brink as Conflict Fuels Hunger

Jan 29, 2025 | World Food Programme

Hunger has reached alarming levels in Myanmar with the situation set to worsen in 2025, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned today. A…


Liberia: FDA Okays Export of over 250 Illegal Logs

Jan 29, 2025 | Esau J. Farr, The Daylight

The Forestry Development Authority (FDA) permitted a company to export round logs mid-last year. However, the regulator ignored its computerized system—known as LiberTrace—red-flagged over 60 percent…


DRC/Rwanda: M23 Rebels in Goma: Gains to Boost Illicit Mineral Trade through Rwanda, Analysts Say

Jan 28, 2025 | Sonia Rolley and Felix Njini, Reuters

A lightning advance in Congo's mineral-rich eastern borderlands is set to boost the M23 rebellion's illegal mining revenues, with analysts predicting a further surge in…


Climate Change: Climate Change Has Direct Impact on Military Power and Operations, MPs Warned

Jan 28, 2025 | Forces News

MPs have been warned that climate change has a direct impact on the UK and its European allies' ability to project power. Armida Van Rij,…


Afghanistan: Deforestation in Afghanistan Remains a Challenge: FAO

Jan 28, 2025 | Abdullah Azizi, Pajhwok Afghan News

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) says deforestation continues to be a significant challenge in Afghanistan, causing considerable environmental damage.


South Sudan: World Bank Report Highlights South Sudan’s Natural Resource Potential for Sustainable Development

Jan 28, 2025 | Devdiscourse

A new report by the World Bank, the South Sudan Natural Resource Review (NRR), reveals that South Sudan has immense natural resource potential in fisheries,…


DRC/Rwanda: The African War Brewing over ‘Blood Minerals’ in Phones

Jan 27, 2025 | Jane Flanagan, The Times

As Rwandan-backed rebels seize some of the continent’s most valuable mines, experts fear DR Congo’s perpetual chaos will spread beyond its borders.


South Sudan: Ezra Group Powers ahead with Renewable Energy in South Sudan

Jan 27, 2025 | Zawya

South Sudan celebrates its first major renewable energy project, marking a milestone in the country’s transition to sustainable power.


Afghanistan/Iran: Araghchi: Iran’s Water Rights Will Be Provided Based on Helmand Treaty

Jan 27, 2025 | TOLOnews

Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister, described his visit to Kabul as crucial for safeguarding Iran's interests and addressing its concerns. Araghchi also mentioned that…