By: Daniel R. Mahanty and Eric Eikenberry The debate over U.S. complicity in Yemen’s humanitarian catastrophe is coming to a head in the Senate, with a series of votes on the Sanders-Lee-Murphy war powers resolution. But beyond this immediate measure, other members of Congress are planning to increase their long-term leverage over weapons sales to problematic…
By: Daniel R. Mahanty and Rita Siemion For all the time and attention that the Defense Department has rightly spent addressing civilian casualties, no single official at the Pentagon has ever been formally charged with overseeing the many challenges involved with proactively preventing civilian casualties and assessing and responding to reports of harm. And while many…
What do you picture when you think of a conflict zone? Many imagine buildings reduced to rubble, displaced families, and armed actors carrying out operations. On this International Day of Non-Violence, I would like to add another image – one that does not solely portray civilians as victims. Think of civilians and armed actors sitting…
Violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo took a turn for the worse in 2017 and the New Year is unlikely to bring much relief to Congolese civilians.
Overall civilian casualties in Afghanistan decreased by 6 percent in the first nine months of 2017 compared to the same time period the previous year, with the number of civilians injured falling by 9 percent but the number of those killed increasing by 1 percent, according to a new report from the United Nations Assistance…
The Foreign Policy article penned by Lt. Gen. Stephen J. Townsend in rebuttal to one by Airwars’ Samuel Oakford is the latest shot fired in the ongoing public quarrel between NGOs and the US military over civilian casualties. When talking about civilian casualties in conflict, the Center for Civilians in Conflict believes that constructive dialogue and…
In the coming year, CIVIC’s US program will be focused on seeking answers to a number of questions in an effort to understand and, where possible, help to shape the future for civilians affected by US actions in war.
Three years after surrendering it to the Islamic State (ISIS), Iraqi Security Forces have reclaimed Mosul. But wresting the city from ISIS came at a high cost to civilians there. Airwars reports 3,800 civilian deaths from airstrikes alone. The city lies in ruins. Yet, gaining control over Mosul is only the first step in taking on…
By Sarah Rosangela and Kevin George, Center for Civilians in Conflict WASHINGTON—Three years ago today, Boko Haram abducted up to 276 girls from a school in Chibok, in Northeast Nigeria. Since then, 81 girls have been released or escaped, recounting horror stories of sexual slavery and forced marriages to Boko Haram fighters. On this dreadful…