In August 2024, a popular uprising in Bangladesh ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her political party, the Awami League, from power. The abrupt shift has raised concerns about heightened political instability and the potential for mass atrocities. This piece addresses concerning trends to monitor regarding the risk of large-scale, systematic, group-targeted, identity-based violence against civilians in the country.
We interviewed leading peacekeeping practitioners about how peace operations can most effectively prevent genocide and mass atrocities. Explore key findings from our report, the latest addition to our "Lessons Learned in Preventing and Responding to Mass Atrocities" project.
This piece will explore the aftermath of Burma’s devastating earthquake and its potential impact on mass atrocity risks to civilians.
Thirty years after the genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the country is in the grips of an escalating political crisis. In an interview with the Simon-Skjodt Center, Velma Šarić, founder and president of the Post-Conflict Research Center in Sarajevo, warns that without urgent international action, the risk of renewed violence and fragmentation of the state is growing.
South Sudan has a history of mass atrocities. Despite a peace agreement in 2018 ending a brutal civil war, risk factors for mass atrocities remain. A return to fighting in January 2025 between the Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement and the SPLM In Opposition—along with a political breakdown at the highest levels of government—has created a very dangerous situation that is ripe for a return to large-scale, systematic attacks on civilians on the basis of their identity. This blog post outlines the recent crisis, what policy makers should monitor, and what can be done to help save lives.
Syrian civil society organizations are working tirelessly to advance justice and accountability, document the Assad regime’s crimes, search for missing Syrians, and advocate for an inclusive transition process.
An interview with Tun Khin, president of Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK.
The US Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide seeks applicants for a fellowship to assess risks of mass atrocities in Mozambique.
With the fall of the Assad regime, Syrians are working to rebuild their country and define their future. Throughout this transition, justice and accountability efforts should focus on four key areas: reuniting detainees and families, determining the fate of the missing and disappeared, documenting mass atrocity crimes, and establishing meaningful and inclusive justice processes.
For nearly 14 years, the Syrian people have suffered mass atrocity crimes as the Syrian regime attempted to silence their demands for a free, and democratic and peaceful Syria. Courageous Syrians, at great risk to themselves, documented mass atrocities and shared the truth with the world. While much about Syria’s future remains unknown, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's rapid fall from power this week has provided a glimmer of hope for Syrians that their dreams for the country may be within reach.
Find information on historical cases of genocide and other atrocities.
