Month: May 2016

The ‘Sovereign’ according to Ola Tunander

On Friday 27 May 2016, PRIO celebrated Ola Tunander’s 30-year academic career with a seminar on ‘Sovereignty, Subs and PSYOPS’, and a reception. The celebration was, of course, focused on Ola and his work, spanning topics from the geopolitics and organic state theory of Rudolf Kjellén to the 27 October 1981 ‘Whiskey on the Rocks’… Read more »

This Week in South Sudan – Week 20

Wednesday 18 May About 3000 Ethiopian troops left South Sudanese territory on 15 May. They entered South Sudan following the Murle attacks on Gambella in April. Thursday 19 May The SPLM (IO) claimed it will register as an independent party if the Arusha Reunification Agreement of May 2015 is not respected. The two directors of… Read more »

The Humanitarian Quest for Accountability: Examining the role of UNHCR

The European refugee crisis has been a difficult experience for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). On the one hand, UNHCR has been criticized by civil society and the humanitarian community for not being present on Greek islands. On the other hand, the organization has experienced difficulties in negotiating this access with Greek… Read more »

This Week in South Sudan – Week 19

Monday 9 May According to UN World Food Program, South Sudan is heading for the worst lean season since its independence in 2011, with almost half its population facing severe hunger. Radio Tamazuj: “Malakal attack: What UN knew vs what it said. Insights from a leaked report.” Tuesday 10 May Tensions remain high in Moangala… Read more »

Brought Up to Be a War Criminal

Dominic Ongwen has been charged with committing the same crimes that were committed against him as a child soldier in the Lord’s Resistance Army. To what extent is Ongwen responsible for his actions as an adult, given that he himself was abducted as a 10-year-old child? The International Criminal Court in The Hague is to… Read more »

This Week in South Sudan – Week 18

Monday 2 May Rebel general Peter Gadet said he would continue to fight because the August 2015 peace agreement between President Salva Kiir and First Vice-President Riek Machar does not address the root cause of the conflict. At least three SPLA soldiers were killed and a general wounded after a group of soldiers opened fire… Read more »

Insecurity in the Humanitarian Cyberspace: A Call for Innovation

Humanitarian practitioners and scholars are currently struggling with how to analyse the opportunities and challenges of technological innovation. This includes not only what technological innovation can do for humanitarianism but also what it does to humanitarian action. Over the last two decades, innovations have fueled the creation of a humanitarian cyberspace. It is now time… Read more »

Why the Veto Powers All Support Protection of Civilians (And Why They Often Fail to Agree on It)

The Protection of Civilians (PoC) expands the responsibility of the UN Security Council (UNSC) for international peace and security to the internal affairs of conflict-ridden countries. As such, it bolsters the authority of the five permanent members (the P5) in world politics and presents them with a flexible tool for exercising this authority. In reply… Read more »

Assisted Return Not a Permanent Solution for All Asylum Seekers

Many asylum seekers who choose assisted return are from a country destroyed by war and conflict. More than half of those who return to countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq plan to migrate again. Assisted return is a viable type of support to assist with the return, but is not sufficient to prevent large numbers… Read more »

This Week in South Sudan – Week 17

Tuesday 26 April Media reports on Riek Machar’s return to Juba and inauguration as First Vice-President: The New York Times: “Riek Machar, South Sudan Opposition Leader, Returns as Part of Peace Deal” The Wall Street Journal: “South Sudan’s Rebel Leader Returns to Join Government” Voice of America “South Sudan Rebel Chief Sworn In as Vice… Read more »