Al Hassan blog symposium – Complicity in Torture and the ICC

Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz was charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity before the ICC in 2018 for his alleged role in mass torture, rape, sexual slavery, and other atrocities, while the leader of Ansar Eddine and its short-lived Sharia state in Mali in 2012. After four years of trial proceedings, the prosecution, …

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Threats Unseen: Why violent extremism must not be forgotten in the New Agenda for Peace

In March 2023, ISIS (also known at ISIL and daesh) was listed as the world’s most deadly terror group for an eighth consecutive year. This is something we all should be concerned about; but equally worrying — and perhaps even the larger threat — is how quickly and completely the group has fallen off the …

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News Roundup 4 – 10 September

East Africa leaders extend regional troop mandate in DR Congo Central Africa ex-rebel leader charged with crimes against humanity The rebel’s ride: how motorbike trafficking fuels conflict in West Africa Rivalry among Boko Haram factions compounds violence in northern Nigeria Colombia restarts peace talks with ex-FARC mafia, but violence persists Lebanon: Calls for armed groups …

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News Roundups 28 August – 3 September

Venezuela’s armed non-state actors bolster Maduro in election lead-up Colombia, armed faction agree to ceasefire, future peace talks 4,000 children associated with armed conflict in north-east Nigeria set free Mali: blockade in Timbuktu region – flash report no. 1 Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham steps up anti-government operations Iran warns Iraq to disarm Kurdish …

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A Match Made in Hell? The Rise of Autonomous Weapons Use in Non-State Armed Groups

“Hasta la vista, baby” Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) The Terminator was maybe the true visionary of our time, as the fear of ‘killer robots’, a recurring theme in fictional pop culture, actually came to life. Known as autonomous weapons systems (AWS) in the legal sphere, their rapid development and spread, especially with the recent increasing popularity …

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The power of religion: religious leaders as a tool for, or against, IHL-compliance by non-state armed groups

The respect of international humanitarian law (IHL) by non-state armed groups (NSAGs) is a recurrent concern of the international community. In some cases, NSAGs may not deem themselves bound by IHL since they have not taken part in the creation of these same rules. This is why other means or strategies must be taken into …

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News Roundup 21 – 27 August

The secret to Colombia’s drop in deforestation? Armed groups Armed groups take over all schools in Ain Al Hilwel refugee camp Putin issues decree requiring armed groups to swear oath Attacks by jihadist groups in Niger intensify in climate of instability following coup Libya’s LNA launches operations against Chad rebels along border Charismatic leader is …

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Non-State Armed Groups, Territorial State and Weaponisation of Humanitarian Aid: Is State Consent Necessary?

Non-State armed groups (NSAGs) are commonly viewed in a negative light due to the legal ambiguities they bring in various areas. Particularly in non-international armed conflicts, these groups are often depicted as obstructive forces capable of impeding humanitarian operations. Nevertheless, it has been shown that States, too, have utilised the blockage of humanitarian assistance intended for territories …

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