African artists sing for peace at Congo festival

Sudan's neighbors are working to prevent an escalation of fighting in the region. Ethiopia is mediating through the African bloc, but experts say the neighbor in the Horn of Africa should take a stronger leadership role.

For a long time, the island of Jolo, one of the southernmost points of the Philippines archipelago, was off limits. It was the stronghold of one of the most violent terrorist movements in the world, Abu Sayyaf. In 2000, a group of 20 tourists were kidnapped in Malaysia and taken to Jolo. Journalists who covered the kidnapping were then also captured. Negotiations for their release took several months.

Foreign ministers from both Caucasus countries met for peace talks in the United States. Russia said any new agreement must build upon the peace deal it negotiated in 2020, which failed to stop further clashes.

Germany's top diplomat Annalena Barbock says the United Nations must be an integral part of securing long-term peace in war-torn Yemen. An improvement in regional ties meant there was now a spark of optimism, she said.

Back in 2018, the signing of a peace deal between South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and his longtime rival Riek Machar created hope and optimism. The people of South Sudan, an independent nation since 2011, were emerging from a brutal civil war. However, five years later, this peace agreement is mostly respected only in Juba, the young nation's capital.

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Peace experts believe Russia's war on Ukraine will drag on for years, possibly decades. They recommend that the German government prepares its citizens for the tough battles ahead.

After talks in Kyiv, the African delegation has met Russian President Vladimir Putin to urge an end to the conflict. Meanwhile, Ukraine says its counteroffensive is advancing in the south.

President Zelenskyy has rejected calls for peace talks with Russia while meeting with a delegation of African leaders. Meanwhile, Russian President Putin said nuclear warheads are now in Belarus. DW has the latest.

The celebrated British-Indian author of "Midnight's Children" and "The Satanic Verses" has been recognized with the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade.

Mali's relations with the West have deteriorated sharply since a 2020 military coup in the country. The junta has rallied behind Russia and brought in the paramilitary Wagner Group to meet its security needs.

Sudan's government on Monday refused to join a regional meeting aimed at ending nearly three months of brutal fighting, accusing Kenya, which chaired the talks, of favouring the rival paramilitaries.