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Security Sector Reform Resource Centre
DDR in Darfur: Progress, challenges and outlook
Zurab Elzarov argues that, after a long delay, the DDR process in Darfur has seen some progress over the past several months with disarmament and demobilization of ex-combatants from former rebel movements who decided to join the peace process, surrender their weapons and return to civilian life.
News
Over 50 Thai police punished over links to human trafficking
Following the discovery of trafficking camps near the Malaysian border, Thai authorities transferred over 50 police officers suspected of ties with human trafficking networks. – The Nation
Central African Republic militias agree to free child soldiers
Armed factions have agreed to free all child soldiers – an estimated 6,000 to 10,000 according to UNICEF – and end the recruitment of children. - Reuters
The Canadian Conservative government says that it found no grounds to charge Canadian military police over interrogation techniques of 40 prisoners in Afghanistan in 2010 and 2011. – Alex Boutilier, Toronto Star
EU draws up plans for military attacks on Libya targets to stop migrant boats
The European Union will try to secure a UN mandate this week for armed action in Libya’s territorial waters. – Ian Traynor, The Guardian
Mexican Authorities Implicated In Violence, But U.S. Security Aid Still Flows
The authors analyze state-sponsored violence in Mexico and its potential impact on U.S. security assistance. – Cora Currier and Jesse Franzblau, The Intercept
Macedonia blames Kosovans for deadly clash
A deadly raid on state institutions killed eight police officers in the northern town of Kumanovo in Macedonia. – Al Jazeera
Syria | The Defenders of Yarmouk
Palestinian fighters allied with the Assad regime are fighting against the Islamic State in the Yarmouk refugee camp. – Nour Samaha, Foreign Policy
Central African Republic militias poised to sign disarmament agreement
An agreement on disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) could be signed this week by the country’s main armed groups. – Clár Ní Chonghaile, The Guardian
Analysis
Charles Lister discusses the impact of rebels’ important victories in the north of Syria and the consequences for Bashar al-Assad’s regime. – Charles Lister, Foreign Policy
Will Erdogan’s backtracking torpedo PKK disarmament?
The peace process with the Kurds has stalled in Turkey following controversial actions and statements by the President Recep Tayyip Erdogan –Fehim Taştekin, Al-Monitor
Iraq’s Sunni fighting force still months away
Plans for the formation of a national Iraq guard that would include local Sunni fighters are being developed, but it will take at least 6 months to train and develop. – Mona Alami, Al-Monitor
Indonesia | Police Should Be Placed Under Ministerial Control
Aleksius Jemadu argues that the reorganization of the National Police is an essential element of Indonesia’s security sector reform plans. - Aleksius Jemadu, Jakarta Globe
A seat at the table in Afghanistan
Heather Barr argues that Afghan women must be included in the next round of peace talks between the government and the Taliban. – Heather Barr, The Washington Post
Peace in Colombia Falters in Critical Area: Public Opinion
New polls in Colombia show that public support for a peace deal have dropped significantly in the past few months. – Virginie M. Bouvier, IPI Global Observatory
Afghanistan | The First Battle of the 21st Century
In the context of Afghanistan’s latest fighting season, Charles Sennott revisits the Qala-i-Jangi fortress which was the site of a battle in November 2001 to see what happened in the last decade there. – Charles M. Sennott, The Atlantic
Indonesia | Editorial: Policing the military
Indonesia’s military recently merged the military police of the different military branches into a single institution in order to better enforce military law and justice. – The Jakarta Post
Thailand | Police reform cannot be put off any longer
This editorial argues that the Thai police must let go of its bureaucratic mentality and deal with the issues of political interference, incompetence, corruption and accountability immediately. – The Nation
Why Islamist insurgents are so difficult to coerce
Based on research on the South Caucasus and Syria, the authors argue that a different kind of counterinsurgency strategy is necessary to deal with Islamist insurgents, including efforts to counter external support provided to Islamists insurgents. – Monica Duffy Toft and Yuri Zhukov, The Washington Post
Corruption Scandal Renews Fight Against Impunity in Guatemala
The article discusses recent efforts in the fight against impunity following a corruption scandal around a criminal network known as La Línea. – Adam Lupel and Jimena Leiva Roesch, IPI Global Observatory
Canada | Omar Khadr’s ordeal: When a war crime isn’t a war crime
Jo Becker analyzes the consequences of Omar Khadr’s case and the possibilities of reintegration following his release from prison. – Jo Becker, Human Rights Watch
What happens when Arab foreign fighters in Iraq and Syria go home?
Daniel Byman provides key insight – and complementary analysis to research focused on Western foreign fighters - to the important question of what happens when Arab foreign fighters return home. – Daniel L. Byman, Brookings
Publications
This article analyzes Ethiopia’s experiment with ICT and justice delivery through the TeleCourt system which uses videoconferencing for justice support in remote areas. - Zenebe Beyene, Abdissa Zerai and Iginio Gagliardone, Stability: International Journal of Security & Development
Elites, power and security: How the organization of security in Lebanon serves elite interests
Erwin Van Veen discusses the organization of Lebanon’s state security and argues that security organizing practices are mainly developed to protect elite interests. – Erwin Van Veen, Clingendael
Women’s role in Yemen’s Police Force
This background paper provides key information on the current situation of women’s limited role in Yemen’s police force. - SaferWorld
The current state of peacebuilding programming and evidence
This scoping paper shows that there is a high demand and low supply of evidence and impact evaluation of security sector reform interventions. - Annette N Brown, Faith McCollister, Drew B Cameron, and Jennifer Ludwig, International Initiative for Impact Evaluation
Amnesty’s latest report on Syria highlights the atrocities, devastation and impact caused by barrel bombs during the civil war. – Amnesty International
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