2024 in Review: A Roundup of all Ongoing Conflicts

In April 2023 civil war broke out between Sudan’s national army and the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group. The conflict has caused a catastrophic humanitarian crisis: so far almost 30% of the country’s pre-war population of 50 million has been displaced. As 2024 began the RSF appeared to have upper hand. It had taken over much of Khartoum, the capital. Meanwhile almost all of Darfur, in the west, was under its control, though the army clung on to el-Fasher, the regional capital. The RSF’s leader, Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo even embarked on a triumphant tour of African capitals.

Strengthening ASEAN’s Response: Reassessing the Five Point Consensus on Myanmar

On 24 April 2021 the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting was convened at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, with the view to reach a consensus on the situation in Myanmar apart from other issues such as community building efforts, recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and other pressing issues of common interest to all ASEAN Member States. On the situation in Myanmar, the leaders agreed on the Five Point consensus (FPC). As the FPC marks the three-year anniversary on 24 April 2024, it is pertinent to reflect on the developments of each of these provisions. Over the period of three years, these provisions have often been criticised as mere diplomatic efforts which provide an ideal solution on paper but aren’t able to respond to the situation on the ground.

Christ Good Shepherd Church Attack is another example of Religious Extremism

The suburbs of Wakeley in Sydney faced a state of mayhem and disarray on Monday due to the protests caused by the attack on The Assyrian Christ Good Shepherd Church. The bishop and the priest were attacked by a 16-year-old boy during a mass that was being live-streamed. At least four people have been reported to have suffered “non-life threatening” injuries and the attacker was also hurt. This comes just two days after the mass attack in a shopping mall in Sydney. The police there is labelling this case as “Religious extremism” and thus a terrorist attack. As of now, the boy (attacker) has been hospitalised for finger injuries. The New South Wales Police took the decision of treating and investigating this case as a Terrorist attack on Tuesday.