The 28 States System in South Sudan
The recent violence in Juba between the forces of President Salva Kiir and former First Vice President Riek Machar demonstrated the fragility of South Sudan’s peace and the critical role that the international community is playing in holding the country back from the brink of renewed civil war. But the simultaneous surge in violence in Wau highlighted the daunting […]
Aditi Gorur and Madeline Velturo op-ed on Peacekeepers That Won’tAct to Keep Peace
The latest outbreak of political violence in South Sudan has left an estimated forty-two thousand people homeless and claimed the lives of two UN peacekeepers. The violence between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar is a reminder of the important role UN peacekeepers play in protecting civilians in conflict—and how […]
Rachel Stohl and Shannon Dick op-ed in The Hill on Child Soldiers in South Sudan
This month marks the fifth anniversary of South Sudan’s independence and the country appears to be on the verge civil war — again. July has been marred by renewed violence and numerous reports of human rights abuses committed by both government and rebel forces, which has resulted in the deaths of more than 300 people; […]
Two Options for South Sudan
By Aditi Gorur and Rachel Stohl: South Sudan’s fragile peace is falling apart. Five years after the country gained independence, it is on the brink of a return to civil war. The international community, which has already invested a great deal in supporting the nascent state, is running out of options to respond, but is […]
Aditi Gorur and Rachel Stohl op-ed in Foreign Affairs on Protecting Civilians in South Sudan
South Sudan’s fragile peace is falling apart. Five years after the country gained independence, it is on the brink of a return to civil war. The international community, which has already invested a great deal in supporting the nascent state, is running out of options to respond, but is considering two possible steps: deploying troops […]
Challenges and the Path Forward for MONUSCO
This report summarizes the findings of a research team from the Stimson Center and the Better World Campaign, which traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in April-May 2016 to review the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO). The peacekeeping mission has made progress in areas such as countering select armed groups and monitoring human rights […]
Aditi Gorur quoted in UN Dispatch on peacekeeping in Mali
In Mali, it is UN peacekeepers — and not the civilians they are meant to protect — who have become the primary targets of a growing insurgency. -snip- This is upending the traditional UN playbook. For example, protection of civilians is at the heart of the mandate of MINUSMA. Normally, peacekeepers would carry out that […]
Challenges and Opportunities for the U.S. Government to Improve the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict
To mark the Washington, D.C. launch of Protection of Civilians, a comprehensive volume published by Oxford University Press, the Stimson Center hosted a discussion examining how the U.S. government can advance the protection of civilians agenda. Panelists from inside and outside the U.S. government explored how the government has engaged through bilateral diplomatic channels and […]