Title: 

Colombia: Keep talking

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Americas
The latest in Global Justice news: Civil society calls for continued negotiations to end Colombia’s decades-long conflict; ICC to hold first public hearings into war crimes reparations; former Congolese vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba lays out grounds for appeal against ICC conviction; UN envoy calls for pause in fighting near Benghazi as situation worsens; Burundi expresses plans to leave ICC; UN rights chief urges security council veto limit over Syria and much more.

Colombia: Keep talking

Civil society is calling for continued negotiations to end Colombia’s decades-long conflict following the rejection by referendum of President Santos’ peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Justice for perpetrators of atrocities during the civil war remains one of the main sticking points in the negotiations – an issue at the center of the International Criminal Court prosecutor’s continuing preliminary examination in the country.

Last week’s referendum narrowly rejected the peace deal between, falling short by fewer than 54,000 votes. With a voter turnout of less than 38%, the referendum outcome came as a surprise to many.

The peace accord was the product of four years of negotiations in Havana between the Colombian government and FARC rebels. In recognition of these efforts, President Santos was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to bring an end to the decades-long conflict.

Civil society welcomed the award as a recognition of all those working towards peace, while urging both the government and the FARC to continue negotiations towards a new deal that can resolve concerns raised by the referendum’s outcome.

Read civil society reactions the rejected peace/justice deal.

International Criminal Court investigations

Democratic Republic of Congo: ICC to hold first public reparations hearings against convicted war criminal Thomas Lubanga while defense in ICC trial of  former Congolese general Bosco Ntaganda questions UPC insider about atrocities committed by rival militia

Kenya: Impact and implications of referring Kenya to the ICC Assembly of State Parties

Uganda: Landmark ruling on victims’ participation in the case of former LRA commander Thomas Kwoyelo at Ugandan International Crimes Division

Central African Republic: Former Congolese vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba lays outgrounds for appeal against ICC conviction

Sudan: UN peacekeeping chief urges follow-up action to consolidate peace in Darfur

Côte d’Ivoire: Witness in trial  of former President Laurent Gbagbo and political leader Charles Blé Goudé says elite paramilitary police fired on unarmed demonstrators.

Libya: UN envoy calls for pause in fighting near Benghazi as situation worsens

ICC preliminary examinations

Burundi: Burundian government organizes protest due to UN launching human rights investigation and expresses plans to leave the ICC

Palestine: Security concerns among factors keeping ICC delegation out of Gaza during their visit to Israel and Palestine

Campaign for Global Justice

Human Rights Council takes responsible action to prevent the worst in Burundi

Around the world

Chile and The Netherlands ratify Amendments to the Rome Statute on the crime of aggression

Security Council strongly condemns attack on vessel by Houthi forces in Yemen

United Kingdom to derogate from European Convention on Human Rights in armed conflict

UN human rights chief urges security council veto limit over Syria

Exchange of fire continues on Pakistan and India border

Former Portuguese prime minister Antonio Guterres to become next UN secretary general

Lawsuit seeks to widen Dutch responsibility for Srebrenica deaths

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