Key issues for discussion include the repositioning of troops from both sides to reduce the chance of clashes, a monitoring mechanism, and a meaningful political dialogue.

The Syrian crisis continues to draw in its neighbours, threatening to set off a wider regional conflict. Israel launched its first major strike inside Syria, sending jets reportedly to target Iranian missiles bound for Hizbollah. The Syrian regime threatened to retaliate immediately and harshly to any further attack, and to turn the Golan Heights into a new front against Israel. The EU lifted its arms embargo on Syria but said there were no immediate plans to arm the rebels.

Middle East Report N°142
29 May 2013

Jerusalem/Ramallah/Brussels, 29 May 2013: The West Bank is experiencing rising instability and insecurity that palliative measures can help contain but can neither reverse nor end in the absence of a broad political settlement.

Guatemala City/Brussels | 13 May 2013

It urges the government and international partners to tackle the refugee crisis in Lebanon, lest it ignite domestic conflict that a weak state and volatile region can ill afford.

Asia Briefing N°139
7 May 2013

OVERVIEW

The decision of the Aceh provincial government to adopt the banner of the former rebel Free Aceh Movement (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka, GAM) as its official provincial flag is testing the limits of autonomy, irritating Jakarta, heightening ethnic and political tensions, reviving a campaign for the division of Aceh and raising fears of violence as a national election approaches in 2014.

April 2013 Trends

Deteriorated Situations

Afghanistan (p.5) Bangladesh (p.5) Central African Republic (p.2) Iraq (p.10) Lebanon (p.9) Pakistan (p.6) Venezuela (p.9)

Improved Situations

Kosovo (p.7) Serbia (p.7)

Unchanged Situations

The months-long standoff in Iraq between Sunni Arab protesters and the central government has begun a perilous, downward slide toward confrontation. The emergence of an arc of instability and conflict linking Lebanon, Syria and Iraq, fuelled by sectarianism and involving porous borders as well as cross-border alliances, represents a huge risk. Failure to integrate Sunni Arabs into a genuinely representative political system in Baghdad risks turning Iraq's domestic crisis into a broader regional struggle.

15 April 2013 by Marc-Andre Lagrange

The unexpected occupation of Lubumbashi, the second largest city in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), by 440 Mai-Mai fighters last month is another sign of the central government’s lack of capacity to govern, ensure security or pursue reform. The occupation, which resulted in 35 dead and 53 wounded, serves as a reminder that the country’s crisis is not limited to North Kivu, in eastern Congo, or to warlords.