Deteriorated Situations: Niger, Central African Republic, Chad, Somalia, Sudan, Benin, Liberia, Togo, Sri Lanka, Kosovo, Honduras, Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Libya.
Improved Situations: None – Resolution Opportunities None
Conflict Risk Alerts: Somalia, Sudan, Benin, Guinea-Bissau, Nicaragua, Yemen.
May saw an alarming rise in tensions between Iran and both the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, and an escalation in Yemen’s war, which could intensify further in June. Pro-government forces in Syria stepped up bombing in Idlib, and fighting worsened in and around Libya’s capital, Tripoli. Relations between Somalia’s federal government and regions deteriorated and Al-Shabaab upped attacks, boding ill for June. Sudan’s military council resisted demands to hand over power to civilians and is already stepping up repression of protesters. Militia violence rose in the north-western Central African Republic, intercommunal raids left dozens dead in eastern Chad, and in western Niger, suspected jihadists ramped up attacks. Benin’s security forces cracked down on opposition protesters, constitutional reforms that could give Togo’s president two more terms worsened tensions, and Guinea-Bissau’s political stalemate could trigger unrest in coming weeks. Anti-Muslim violence rose in Sri Lanka, and tensions spiked within Kosovo and between Kosovo and Serbia. In Honduras, violence broke out as the government faced large protests against planned reforms. In Nicaragua, talks between the government and opposition stalled fuelling concerns they could falter in June, further deepening the country’s political crisis.
Read more: International Crisis Group, https://is.gd/JVNDCr
