On 23 March, the UN Secretary General called for a global ceasefire. The aim was to create a break in violence to allow vulnerable populations living in conflict-affected countries to prepare for and manage the threat posed by the pandemic. Regrettably, the best available data shows that this call has failed to produce any significant shift in global levels of violence. In most cases, unilateral ceasefires have not been reciprocated, and ceasefire initiatives are diminishing. Notably, the UN Security Council has been unable to agree on a resolution, and an attempt drafted by France and Tunisia was shut down by the US on 8 May. Thus, the UN is not able to provide any significant support to help preserve or extend the short-term lulls in violence that have emerged. In this paper, we take a look at developments in Colombia, Yemen and Sudan.
Read the PRIO Conflict Trends Policy Brief 'Are the Coronavirus Ceasefires Working?' here.
