The government and the Segunda Marquetalia, a dissident group of the FARC guerrilla army that disbanded in 2017, will hold talks in Havana, they said in a joint statement, without providing a date.

The Segunda Marquetalia had agreed to a unilateral ceasefire in June, but talks broke down the following month.

Earlier this month, the rebel group’s chief negotiator, Walter Mendoza, told AFP he blamed the talks’ collapse on the government’s failure to cancel warrants for the arrest of the faction’s leaders.

In Monday’s statement, the parties jointly condemned reports of an incident over the weekend in which an Indigenous person was killed and six wounded in an army operation in a coca-growing region of the southwestern Narino department, where the Segunda Marquetalia is active.

Coca is the main ingredient in cocaine.

The 2016 peace deal that saw the FARC disarm was hailed as a turning point in the six-decade-long conflict between Colombian security forces, guerrillas, right-wing paramilitaries, and drug gangs.

Dissident factions of the FARC — including the Central General Staff (EMC), a rival of Segunda Marquetalia — continue to hold sway in several parts of the country.

Colombia’s first-ever leftist president, Gustavo Petro, vowed on his election in 2022 to end the violence through dialogue.

On his watch, the state has entered into talks with at least eight armed groups.

The post Colombian Government, Rebel Group to Resume Peace Talks appeared first on The Defense Post.

Putin was in Azerbaijan on a two-day visit — his first to the oil-rich country since Moscow invaded Ukraine in 2022, and since Baku retook the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave in a September 2023 offensive.

Russia has for decades been a traditional mediator between the Caucasus foes but has in the last two years been bogged down by its Ukraine campaign, with Western powers playing an increasing role in arbitrating the conflict.

“It is widely known that Russia is also facing crises, first of all on the Ukrainian track,” Putin said in Baku in joint remarks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

“However, Russia’s historical involvement in the events in the South Caucasus, even during the recent years, makes it necessary for us to participate where needed by the sides, without a doubt.”

Baku’s campaign ended three decades of Armenian separatist rule and soured relations between Yerevan and its traditional ally Moscow, with Armenia accusing Russia of inaction and strengthening its ties with Western countries since.

“If we can do something to sign a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia… we will be very happy to,” Putin said.

The Russian leader said that after his Baku visit he will contact Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to “tell him about the results of our negotiations.”

Aliyev said the security of the region largely depended on the close cooperation between Azerbaijan and Russia.

“The new situation (since September last year) opens up new opportunities for establishing a lasting peace in the South Caucasus,” he said.

When Baku recaptured Karabakh in a swift offensive last September, it led to the exodus of the mountainous enclave’s entire ethnic Armenian population — more than 100,000 people.

The post Putin in Baku Offers to Mediate Azerbaijan-Armenia Peace Deal appeared first on The Defense Post.

War has raged since April 2023 between the Sudanese army under the country’s de facto ruler Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

The brutal conflict has unleashed one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

Tom Perriello, the US special envoy for Sudan, said the talks’ leadership group was speaking to both sides, bashing the phones to reach the Sudanese armed forces (SAF), while the RSF’s delegation is on the ground in Switzerland.

The talks are co-hosted by the United States, Saudi Arabia, and the Swiss, with the African Union, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Nations acting as a steering group.

The negotiations, which began on Monday and could last around 10 days, are being held behind closed doors in an undisclosed location.

“We’re working the phones. The fact is, in this day and age, everyone in this diplomatic coalition can speak to SAF leadership and RSF leadership,” Perriello told AFP.

“We, every day, are in communication with RSF and SAF leadership, the two sides of this war.”

The talks, which also involve experts and civil society representatives, are aimed at achieving a cessation of hostilities, ensuring humanitarian access, and implementing understandings accepted by both sides.

As for monitoring mechanisms to ensure agreements are implemented, Perriello insisted there were “many proposals.”

“We are seeing a tremendous amount of momentum and energy to try to get those mechanisms agreed upon, and in place.”

Proximity Format

Despite the Sudanese army’s no-show so far, the special envoy said the talks were having some success, simply by casting international focus on Sudan at a time “when the world was turning its attention away”.

The meeting is proceeding using a proximity talks format — where the brokers speak to each side separately, rather than the two sides talking directly.

“The really exciting thing is that we’re having what you call virtual proximity talks, which is that we are already actively engaged every day with both the RSF and SAF,” said Perriello.

He said the Egyptians, Saudis, Emiratis, the UN, and the AU were “helping out to lead so much on the mediation”.

The envoy admitted progress on a ceasefire and humanitarian access would be “easier… in person. But with the magic of telephones and other things, we are not being held back by that refusal to show up.”

Opening the Gates

The fighting has forced one in five people to flee their homes, while tens of thousands have died.

More than 25 million people across the country — more than half its population — face acute hunger. Famine has been declared in a Darfur displacement camp.

Burhan’s authorities have announced that Sudan’s western Adre border crossing with Chad was set to reopen for three months for humanitarian deliveries.

The closure of the crossing has been a longstanding concern for aid groups struggling to get food and supplies into Sudan’s Darfur region.

“We are really continuing to see progress on the humanitarian side,” said Perriello.

Opening the crossing “has been an essential demand for months now, to move humanitarian aid into some of the parts of Darfur that have had the most acute starvation and hunger.

“We’re hoping to get commitments from the RSF to respond accordingly with things like making sure they have unhindered safe access going in.

“We’re seeing results each day on progress that’s going to mean more food and medicine for more people,” the envoy said.

“But we have so much more to do — and it would be easier if the army showed up.”

The post Sudan Negotiators Working Phones to Engage Both Sides: US Envoy appeared first on The Defense Post.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan mediated talks between his counterparts from two rival neighbors in Africa as Turkey is pushing for diplomatic and economic influence on the continent.

Turkey has been carrying out shuttle diplomacy between Ethiopian and Somalian foreign ministers since Monday when both parties refused to meet.

“I am pleased to announce that the number and extent of issues we discussed, has increased significantly, compared to the first round,” Fidan said in English, speaking to the press alongside his two counterparts.

Turkey mediated the first round of talks in July.

“There are important convergences on some major principles and specific modalities. This constitutes notable progress,” Fidan added.

The two neighbors have a history of stormy relations and territorial feuds. They fought two wars in the late 20th century.

These tensions were exacerbated earlier this year when Addis Ababa signed a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland that gives Ethiopia — one of the largest landlocked countries in the world — long-sought-after sea access.

In return, Somaliland — which unilaterally declared independence from Somalia in 1991, a move not recognized by Mogadishu — has said Ethiopia would give it formal recognition, although these assertions have not been confirmed by Addis Ababa.

Under the January 1 pact, Somaliland agreed to lease 20 kilometers (12 miles) of its coast for 50 years to Ethiopia, which wants to set up a naval base and a commercial port.

Ethiopian Foreign Minister Taye Atske Selassie told the press Addis Ababa sought to “secure dependable access” to the sea.

“In these discussions and we will remain ready to work closely to find solutions for regional tensions,” he said.

“We look forward to have continued engagement that will ultimately help us resolve current differences.”

Somalia’s Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi said “progress was made” in Tuesday’s talks.

“Somalia remains committed to protecting its sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity,” he said.

“As we prepare for the third round of talks we are hopeful that the momentum that we have built will lead to a final solution.”

The next round of talks is scheduled for September 17 in Ankara, Fidan said.

The post Turkey Says ‘Notable Progress’ in Somalia, Ethiopia Talks appeared first on The Defense Post.

The deal was reached at a meeting hosted by Angola in its capital, Luanda.

“The EU welcomes the ceasefire agreed yesterday in Luanda as a result of the trilateral meeting between Angola, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC),” said the statement from Brussels.

“It commends the tireless work of Angola’s presidency as the African Union’s mediator for the peace process in the DRC and the commitment of both Rwanda and the DRC to secure this important result,” it added.

“We call for the swift and comprehensive implementation of all the decisions taken at the trilateral meeting and urge all parties to the conflict to rigorously respect this ceasefire.”

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Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington had invited Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to start US-mediated negotiations beginning on August 14.

“The United States remains committed to working with partners to end this devastating war,” Blinken said in a statement.

The commander of the RSF, at war with the army for over a year, said he “welcomed” Blinken’s invitation and that his side would join the negotiations.

“I declare our participation in the upcoming ceasefire talks on August 14, 2024, in Switzerland,” Mohamed Hamdan Daglo wrote on social media site X.

Previous negotiations in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, have failed to put an end to fighting that has displaced millions, sparked warnings of famine, and left swaths of the capital Khartoum in ruins.

Subsequent mediation attempts, including by the African Union, have failed to get the warring parties in the same room, as experts said both forces vied for the tactical advantage on the ground.

For more than a year, the brutal war has raged in the northeast African country between the regular military under army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the RSF led by his former deputy Daglo.

The conflict has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and uprooted more than 10 million people, including two million who have fled across borders, according to the United Nations.

“The talks in Switzerland aim to reach a nationwide cessation of violence, enabling humanitarian access to all those in need, and develop a robust monitoring and verification mechanism to ensure implementation of any agreement,” Blinken said.

The US-mediated talks will be co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and will include the African Union, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Nations as observers, the State Department said.

‘No Military Solution’

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters that “there is no military solution to the conflict in Sudan.”

“Convening these national ceasefire talks and making clear that they are backed by key international stakeholders is the only way to prove to end the conflict,” he said.

Asked about the chances of the talks succeeding, however, Miller acknowledged that “we just want to get the parties back to the table,” calling it “the best shot that we have right now at getting a nationwide cessation of violence.”

Both sides have been accused of war crimes including deliberately targeting civilians, indiscriminate shelling of residential areas, and blocking humanitarian aid, while the fighting has caused many humanitarian organizations to cease operations in the country.

A recent UN-backed report said nearly 26 million people, or slightly more than half of the population, were facing high levels of “acute food insecurity.”

Indirect talks between the RSF and Sudanese military, held this month in Geneva by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres‘ personal envoy for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, were called an “encouraging” first step by the UN.

The talks focused on humanitarian aid and protecting civilians, though neither side met directly with the other.

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The ceasefire, which was extended to July 31, comes after clashes saw its fighters seize territory from the military along a strategic highway to China.

The area has been rocked by fighting since late last month when the so-called Three Brotherhood Alliance renewed an offensive against junta troops along the road to China’s Yunnan province.

The alliance of ethnic minority armed groups — made up of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) — initially agreed to a four-day ceasefire from July 14-18.

A third member of the alliance, the Arakan Army, did not agree to the ceasefire.

“China put a lot of pressure on us to have a ceasefire immediately,” the leader from the TNLA, who asked not to be named, told AFP.

“Therefore, we have to do it as we can’t avoid it.”

But the leader warned that if junta troops launched offensives on the alliance’s troops or if they continued to bomb civilians during the ceasefire, they would “attack back.”

Fighting broke out in Myanmar after the military’s ouster of Aung San Suu Kyi‘s government in a coup in 2021.

The putsch sparked renewed fighting with ethnic minority armed groups, as well as with pro-democracy “People’s Defence Forces.”

The clashes in the Shan state since last month shredded a previous Beijing-brokered truce that in January halted an earlier push by the three groups.

The new agreement, however, does not cover the neighboring Mandalay region, where members of the alliance and other opponents of the military have been battling junta troops in recent weeks.

China is a major ally and arms supplier to the junta, but analysts say it also maintains ties with armed ethnic groups in Myanmar that hold territory near its border.

Myanmar’s borderlands are home to myriad ethnic armed groups who have battled the military since independence from Britain in 1948 for autonomy and control of lucrative resources.

Some have given shelter and training to newer “People’s Defence Forces” that have sprung up to battle the military after the coup in 2021.

AFP was unable to reach a junta spokesman for comment.

The post Myanmar Alliance Agrees to Extend Ceasefire With Junta in Shan State appeared first on The Defense Post.

The sitdown was supposed to happen nearly a year after the bitter rivals last met, following repeated rounds of unsuccessful negotiations.

Both Serbia President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti had separate meetings with EU representatives, but according to EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell, “no progress in implementation of the agreement could be achieved.”

“This time, it has not been a trilateral meeting,” Borell said.

Talks between Serbia and Kosovo aimed at hammering out a landmark deal to pave the way for a semblance of normalized ties all but crumbled last year.

During a high-stakes summit in North Macedonia in March 2023, Vucic refused to sign the EU- and US-backed Ohrid agreement — citing a pain in his right hand that would likely last “years.”

Diplomats have continued to call for the implementation of the agreement, but the unsigned deal remains unenforced by either side.

Borrell said the EU would “continue putting all our efforts and capacity at the service of the normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia.”

These efforts will continue next week, Borrel said, when he will host the two negotiators in Brussels.

Vucic blamed Kurti for the talks failing to materialize, saying his Kosovan counterpart “did not dare to meet.”

Kurti countered by saying that he had put down conditions for the meeting with Vucic to take place, including the handing over of Milan Radoicic — the former vice president of Kosovo’s leading Serb party, which admitted to leading a commando squad that ambushed a Kosovo police patrol in September last year.

As last year’s talks collapsed, bouts of unrest erupted in Serb-majority areas across northern Kosovo.

Tensions continued to flare after the Pristina government made the euro its only legal currency recognised in its territory in February — effectively outlawing the use of the Serbian dinar currency.

That put pressure on Serbia’s ability to continue financing parallel health, education, and social security systems for Kosovo Serbs.

Kurti has defended the move as a means to crack down on the large amounts of cash pouring into Kosovo from Serbia and to bring organized crime groups to heel.

Animosity between Kosovo and Serbia has raged since the war between Serbian forces and ethnic Albanian insurgents in the late 1990s that drew a NATO intervention against Belgrade, which views Kosovo as a breakaway region.

Pristina declared independence in 2008, a move Serbia has refused to acknowledge as it views Kosovo as the nation’s historic homeland.

The post Serbia and Kosovo Talks Collapse Despite EU Efforts appeared first on The Defense Post.

The talks are the third launched under leftist president Gustavo Petro, who has faced multiple obstacles in his efforts to end six decades of conflict between security forces, guerrillas, right-wing paramilitaries, and drug gangs.

In the latest effort, Bogota is seeking peace with a FARC breakaway faction known as Segunda Marquetalia, which, according to military intelligence, has around 1,600 members.

The group’s leader, known under the alias Ivan Marquez, was the chief FARC negotiator for the 2016 deal, returned to civilian life and was elected a senator, before launching a new rebellion in 2019.

Thought to be dead, he reappeared in a video in May expressing his support for Petro, after his group agreed to resume talks.

Marquez — whose real name is Luciano Marin — said at the opening of talks in Venezuela’s capital that he was “fully willing to contribute to the common achievement of peace for Colombia.”

This first round of discussions, which will see seven delegates from either side establishing the protocols for the negotiation process, will take place until Saturday.

The Colombian government has since 2022 been involved in stop-start talks with the Marxist National Liberation Army (ELN) — responsible for the kidnapping last October of the father of Liverpool footballer Luis Diaz.

In October 2023, talks began with the main FARC dissident group, the EMC, which have been plagued by ceasefire violations and a major split in the group in April, which saw half of its fighters abandon peace negotiations.

Rights groups accuse guerrillas in Colombia of taking advantage of various ceasefires to expand their influence by seizing more territory and recruiting new members.

“We have to look at the conflicts that exist now in a transparent way, without the pretense that we know something about peace,” said Otty Patino, Colombia’s High Commissioner for Peace.

According to a report by the International Committee of the Red Cross published in April, clashes between armed groups have intensified and civilians are “paying the price.”

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Defence Intelligence of Ukraine public relations head Andriy Yusov shared the news in a live telecast highlighting the impact of the government-led hotline.

Yusov also took note of the uptick of mostly active-duty Russian troops volunteering to support Ukraine’s defense force.

“The number of people willing to surrender has increased. Some of them immediately expressed their desire not to be exchanged or even to join the security and defence forces,” he said.

I Want to Live is a joint program launched with the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War to ensure the safe surrender of Moscow’s servicemen to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Help in Defecting

Ukraine has offered rewards to soldiers willing to defect from Russia in an effort to counter the country’s advances in the ongoing war.

Last year, a Russian soldier piloting an Mi-8 helicopter was rewarded $500,000 after changing sides and handing over a helicopter loaded with spare parts for Russian fighter jets.

Yusov describes the reward as a move to encourage those who do not want to become war criminals to “defend [their] own honor and conscience.”

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