Thijs Van Laer
@thijsvanlaer.bsky.social
Human rights, conflict and displacement | Great Lakes region, but increasingly beyond | Still a researcher at heart | director international department @11.be
As the world (rightly) focuses on the predictable return of Israeli atrocities in Gaza and the massacres in Sudan, there’s also very worrying news from Tanzania: dozens of deaths after opposition protest against rigged elections: aje.io/8uyoyl
Opposition says ‘hundreds’ killed in Tanzania post-election protests
Tanzania's FM says 'no excessive force' has been used and government has 'no figures' on any protesters killed.
aje.io
November 1, 2025 at 2:47 AM
As the world (rightly) focuses on the predictable return of Israeli atrocities in Gaza and the massacres in Sudan, there’s also very worrying news from Tanzania: dozens of deaths after opposition protest against rigged elections: aje.io/8uyoyl
Reposted by Thijs Van Laer
Human rights & accountability for atrocities on civilians should be key for #Gaza ceasefire process.
A reminder of why @kajakallas.bsky.social & @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu should stand firm on proposals for #EU action in response to atrocities & against perpetrators.
www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...
A reminder of why @kajakallas.bsky.social & @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu should stand firm on proposals for #EU action in response to atrocities & against perpetrators.
www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...
‘Day after’ in Gaza: Türk urges all actors to ensure human rights are central
GENEVA – UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk today called on all actors to ensure that human rights are central to recovery and peacebuilding processes, in order that the ceasefire in Gaza transforms in...
www.ohchr.org
October 17, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Human rights & accountability for atrocities on civilians should be key for #Gaza ceasefire process.
A reminder of why @kajakallas.bsky.social & @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu should stand firm on proposals for #EU action in response to atrocities & against perpetrators.
www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...
A reminder of why @kajakallas.bsky.social & @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu should stand firm on proposals for #EU action in response to atrocities & against perpetrators.
www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...
Reposted by Thijs Van Laer
🌿 Big win for Indigenous rights in Indonesia!
Constitutional Court gives Indigenous communities in forest areas the right to grow their own crops without permit
✅ Traditional land use recognized
🌍 A pushback vs commercial plantations
#Indonesia #IndigenousRights
shorturl.at/pTMje
Constitutional Court gives Indigenous communities in forest areas the right to grow their own crops without permit
✅ Traditional land use recognized
🌍 A pushback vs commercial plantations
#Indonesia #IndigenousRights
shorturl.at/pTMje
Indigenous Communities' Plantations Require No Business Permits, Indonesian Top Court Rules
The indigenous communities can conduct plantation activities without a permit as long as it's not commercialized.
en.tempo.co
October 17, 2025 at 9:56 AM
🌿 Big win for Indigenous rights in Indonesia!
Constitutional Court gives Indigenous communities in forest areas the right to grow their own crops without permit
✅ Traditional land use recognized
🌍 A pushback vs commercial plantations
#Indonesia #IndigenousRights
shorturl.at/pTMje
Constitutional Court gives Indigenous communities in forest areas the right to grow their own crops without permit
✅ Traditional land use recognized
🌍 A pushback vs commercial plantations
#Indonesia #IndigenousRights
shorturl.at/pTMje
Reposted by Thijs Van Laer
Raila Odinga — the towering figure of Kenyan politics who helped usher in multiparty democracy and a new constitution — has died in India at 80. n.pr/4nc6v0h
Raila Odinga, Kenya's former Prime Minister, dies at 80
Raila Odinga — the towering figure of Kenyan politics who helped usher in multiparty democracy and a new constitution — has died in India at 80.
n.pr
October 15, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Raila Odinga — the towering figure of Kenyan politics who helped usher in multiparty democracy and a new constitution — has died in India at 80. n.pr/4nc6v0h
Reposted by Thijs Van Laer
Minder ontwikkelingssamenwerking betekent niet dat de wereld stopt met branden. Alleen dat wij wegkijken terwijl ze brandt.
De prijs van besparen is duidelijk: instabiliteit, onveiligheid, verloren geloofwaardigheid, gebroken mensenlevens.
De prijs van besparen is duidelijk: instabiliteit, onveiligheid, verloren geloofwaardigheid, gebroken mensenlevens.
Solidariteit is geen luxe: wereldwijde aanval op ontwikkelingssamenwerking is een strategische fout
Kortzichtigheid heeft een prijs, stellen de directeurs van zeven Belgische ngo’s, waaronder 11.11.11, Memisa, Dokters van de Wereld en Damiaanactie. Els Hertogen en anderen waarschuwen voor het uitbli...
www.demorgen.be
October 15, 2025 at 10:58 AM
Minder ontwikkelingssamenwerking betekent niet dat de wereld stopt met branden. Alleen dat wij wegkijken terwijl ze brandt.
De prijs van besparen is duidelijk: instabiliteit, onveiligheid, verloren geloofwaardigheid, gebroken mensenlevens.
De prijs van besparen is duidelijk: instabiliteit, onveiligheid, verloren geloofwaardigheid, gebroken mensenlevens.
Reposted by Thijs Van Laer
J’ai co-signé cette carte blanche alors que l’Arizona envisage de nouvelles coupes dans l’aide belge, déjà amputée d’un quart. La solidarité internationale n’est pas un luxe: l’attaque mondiale contre la coopération internationale est une erreur morale et stratégique. www.lesoir.be/704958/artic...
La solidarité n’est pas un luxe : l’attaque mondiale contre la coopération internationale est une erreur morale et stratégique
Le gouvernement fédéral négocie actuellement son budget. Alors que la Coopération belge a déjà été amputée d’un quart de son budget, certains partis de l’Arizona voudraient aller encore plus loin. Or ...
www.lesoir.be
October 15, 2025 at 8:03 AM
J’ai co-signé cette carte blanche alors que l’Arizona envisage de nouvelles coupes dans l’aide belge, déjà amputée d’un quart. La solidarité internationale n’est pas un luxe: l’attaque mondiale contre la coopération internationale est une erreur morale et stratégique. www.lesoir.be/704958/artic...
"Onze rechtsstaat staat onder druk": Federaam mensenrechteninstituut waarschuwt politici in nieuw rapport. Dwangsommen die niet worden betaald, een gebrek aan opvangplaatsen, inperkingen op recht om te betogen, en lokale overheden met te veel beslissingsmacht www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/20...
October 15, 2025 at 8:24 AM
"Onze rechtsstaat staat onder druk": Federaam mensenrechteninstituut waarschuwt politici in nieuw rapport. Dwangsommen die niet worden betaald, een gebrek aan opvangplaatsen, inperkingen op recht om te betogen, en lokale overheden met te veel beslissingsmacht www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/20...
Reposted by Thijs Van Laer
🤔 Why does #Syria need a truth commission?
Yasmen al Mashan shares reasons for this, including:
🌍 It is more inclusive and public.
🔍 It contributes to the criminal prosecution of perpetrators.
📜 It can put forward practical recommendations.
Learn more 👇
cic.nyu.edu/resources/wh...
#NYUCIC
Yasmen al Mashan shares reasons for this, including:
🌍 It is more inclusive and public.
🔍 It contributes to the criminal prosecution of perpetrators.
📜 It can put forward practical recommendations.
Learn more 👇
cic.nyu.edu/resources/wh...
#NYUCIC
October 12, 2025 at 4:06 PM
🤔 Why does #Syria need a truth commission?
Yasmen al Mashan shares reasons for this, including:
🌍 It is more inclusive and public.
🔍 It contributes to the criminal prosecution of perpetrators.
📜 It can put forward practical recommendations.
Learn more 👇
cic.nyu.edu/resources/wh...
#NYUCIC
Yasmen al Mashan shares reasons for this, including:
🌍 It is more inclusive and public.
🔍 It contributes to the criminal prosecution of perpetrators.
📜 It can put forward practical recommendations.
Learn more 👇
cic.nyu.edu/resources/wh...
#NYUCIC
Reposted by Thijs Van Laer
Today it has been 500 days since researcher/humanitarian Joseph Figuera Martin has been unjustly imprisoned in the Centr. Afr. Republic. We call for his immediate release: www.demorgen.be/meningen/hum...
And we must talk about researcher safety!
@kristoftiteca.bsky.social @abi-freiburg.bsky.social
And we must talk about researcher safety!
@kristoftiteca.bsky.social @abi-freiburg.bsky.social
Humanitaire hulpverleners zoals Joseph verdienen bescherming, geen gevangenis
500 dagen is het dat de Belgisch-Portugese hulpverlener Joseph Figueira Martin willekeurig wordt vastgehouden in de Centraal-Afrikaanse Republiek. ‘Mobilisatie doet ertoe’, argumenteren Olivier Vandec...
www.demorgen.be
October 8, 2025 at 9:22 AM
Today it has been 500 days since researcher/humanitarian Joseph Figuera Martin has been unjustly imprisoned in the Centr. Afr. Republic. We call for his immediate release: www.demorgen.be/meningen/hum...
And we must talk about researcher safety!
@kristoftiteca.bsky.social @abi-freiburg.bsky.social
And we must talk about researcher safety!
@kristoftiteca.bsky.social @abi-freiburg.bsky.social
Reposted by Thijs Van Laer
BREAKING: Israeli forces have killed at least 55 Palestinians across Gaza since dawn, despite US President Trump’s calls for attacks to cease to secure a ceasefire deal, medical sources told our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic.
🔴 LIVE updates: aje.io/9te3dv
🔴 LIVE updates: aje.io/9te3dv
October 4, 2025 at 6:19 PM
BREAKING: Israeli forces have killed at least 55 Palestinians across Gaza since dawn, despite US President Trump’s calls for attacks to cease to secure a ceasefire deal, medical sources told our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic.
🔴 LIVE updates: aje.io/9te3dv
🔴 LIVE updates: aje.io/9te3dv
Reposted by Thijs Van Laer
#Sudan: UN human rights experts send wake up call on severity of crimes committed by RSF & SAF.
@eudiplomacy.bsky.social: "There can be no justification for standing idle while atrocities continue"
Urgent steps needed to
⛑️Protect civilians
⚖️Press for accountability
www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...
@eudiplomacy.bsky.social: "There can be no justification for standing idle while atrocities continue"
Urgent steps needed to
⛑️Protect civilians
⚖️Press for accountability
www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...
October 3, 2025 at 1:15 PM
#Sudan: UN human rights experts send wake up call on severity of crimes committed by RSF & SAF.
@eudiplomacy.bsky.social: "There can be no justification for standing idle while atrocities continue"
Urgent steps needed to
⛑️Protect civilians
⚖️Press for accountability
www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...
@eudiplomacy.bsky.social: "There can be no justification for standing idle while atrocities continue"
Urgent steps needed to
⛑️Protect civilians
⚖️Press for accountability
www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...
Reposted by Thijs Van Laer
This is the second deadly prison riot in Ecuador this week.
Prison riot in Ecuador kills at least 17 people
This is the second deadly prison riot in Ecuador this week.
bit.ly
September 25, 2025 at 6:30 PM
This is the second deadly prison riot in Ecuador this week.
Reposted by Thijs Van Laer
The Flemish government’s unexpected decision not to renew IOB’s agreement puts €2.64M funding, 32 jobs, key programmes and global partnerships at risk. Support us! https://bit.ly/saveIOB
#saveIOB #developmentpolicy #developmentpolicy #iobcommunity
#saveIOB #developmentpolicy #developmentpolicy #iobcommunity
September 24, 2025 at 6:33 AM
The Flemish government’s unexpected decision not to renew IOB’s agreement puts €2.64M funding, 32 jobs, key programmes and global partnerships at risk. Support us! https://bit.ly/saveIOB
#saveIOB #developmentpolicy #developmentpolicy #iobcommunity
#saveIOB #developmentpolicy #developmentpolicy #iobcommunity
Reposted by Thijs Van Laer
Vlaanderen bespaart op #ontwikkelingssamenwerking. Maar wie bespaart op ontwikkeling, investeert ongewild in oorlog. Lees mijn opiniestuk voor @paxchristivl.bsky.social in @knack.be: www.knack.be/nieuws/belgi...
#vredesbouwers
#vredesbouwers
‘Besparen op ontwikkelingssamenwerking is investeren in instabiliteit’
Ontwikkelingssamenwerking wordt sterk afgebouwd. De Vlaamse Regering kondigde in haar Septemberverklaring aan fors erop te besparen.
www.knack.be
September 23, 2025 at 10:02 AM
Vlaanderen bespaart op #ontwikkelingssamenwerking. Maar wie bespaart op ontwikkeling, investeert ongewild in oorlog. Lees mijn opiniestuk voor @paxchristivl.bsky.social in @knack.be: www.knack.be/nieuws/belgi...
#vredesbouwers
#vredesbouwers
Reposted by Thijs Van Laer
📢Faisons plus de bruit que les grands pollueurs!
RDV avec le bloc Amnesty le 05/10 dès 12h au 1 Boulevard Albert II pour exiger plus de droits humains et de #justiceclimatique.
Nous avons tout·es à y gagner !
🔗Découvrez le programme sur marcheclimat.be
RDV avec le bloc Amnesty le 05/10 dès 12h au 1 Boulevard Albert II pour exiger plus de droits humains et de #justiceclimatique.
Nous avons tout·es à y gagner !
🔗Découvrez le programme sur marcheclimat.be
September 22, 2025 at 3:39 PM
📢Faisons plus de bruit que les grands pollueurs!
RDV avec le bloc Amnesty le 05/10 dès 12h au 1 Boulevard Albert II pour exiger plus de droits humains et de #justiceclimatique.
Nous avons tout·es à y gagner !
🔗Découvrez le programme sur marcheclimat.be
RDV avec le bloc Amnesty le 05/10 dès 12h au 1 Boulevard Albert II pour exiger plus de droits humains et de #justiceclimatique.
Nous avons tout·es à y gagner !
🔗Découvrez le programme sur marcheclimat.be
Reposted by Thijs Van Laer
🚴♂️ #Rwanda hosts the 2025 #UCIRoadWorldChampionships.
But with its army’s role in the Congo war & ongoing rights abuses — should Belgium boycott?
@kristoftiteca.bsky.social explains on De Universiteit van Vlaanderen (NL podcast).
🎧 https://loom.ly/r9uMUaI
But with its army’s role in the Congo war & ongoing rights abuses — should Belgium boycott?
@kristoftiteca.bsky.social explains on De Universiteit van Vlaanderen (NL podcast).
🎧 https://loom.ly/r9uMUaI
September 17, 2025 at 1:56 PM
🚴♂️ #Rwanda hosts the 2025 #UCIRoadWorldChampionships.
But with its army’s role in the Congo war & ongoing rights abuses — should Belgium boycott?
@kristoftiteca.bsky.social explains on De Universiteit van Vlaanderen (NL podcast).
🎧 https://loom.ly/r9uMUaI
But with its army’s role in the Congo war & ongoing rights abuses — should Belgium boycott?
@kristoftiteca.bsky.social explains on De Universiteit van Vlaanderen (NL podcast).
🎧 https://loom.ly/r9uMUaI
Reposted by Thijs Van Laer
De premier kon kiezen voor fel verzet tegen genocide, tegen het nieuwe offensief, tegen het verhongeren van kinderen, tegen gewelddadige kolonisten, tegen Europese inactie.
De premier koos voor
verdelen in eigen land en de uitholling van termen als antisemitisme & racisme. Een premier onwaardig.
De premier koos voor
verdelen in eigen land en de uitholling van termen als antisemitisme & racisme. Een premier onwaardig.
September 16, 2025 at 7:22 AM
De premier kon kiezen voor fel verzet tegen genocide, tegen het nieuwe offensief, tegen het verhongeren van kinderen, tegen gewelddadige kolonisten, tegen Europese inactie.
De premier koos voor
verdelen in eigen land en de uitholling van termen als antisemitisme & racisme. Een premier onwaardig.
De premier koos voor
verdelen in eigen land en de uitholling van termen als antisemitisme & racisme. Een premier onwaardig.
Reposted by Thijs Van Laer
BREAKING Brazil’s supreme court finds former President Jair Bolsonaro guilty of attempting a military coup, with plans to assassinate Lula, to stay in power after his 2022 election loss. Trump, a Bolsonaro friend, had pressured the court to drop the case
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
Bolsonaro found guilty in attempted coup, assassination plot
Brazil’s Supreme Court ruled the former president tried to reverse his 2022 election loss with a plot that included plans to assassinate President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
www.washingtonpost.com
September 11, 2025 at 7:12 PM
BREAKING Brazil’s supreme court finds former President Jair Bolsonaro guilty of attempting a military coup, with plans to assassinate Lula, to stay in power after his 2022 election loss. Trump, a Bolsonaro friend, had pressured the court to drop the case
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
Reposted by Thijs Van Laer
“Lebanon is being treated like a country that lost a war...However, embarking on a civil conflict to satisfy voices in Washington & Tel Aviv is suicide. There is absolutely no reason for the Lebanese to destroy themselves in order to purportedly save themselves” carnegieendowment.org/middle-east/...
Ignore Siren Songs from Washington
The United States is pushing toward a military solution for Hezbollah’s weapons, the worst option of all.
carnegieendowment.org
September 10, 2025 at 1:28 PM
“Lebanon is being treated like a country that lost a war...However, embarking on a civil conflict to satisfy voices in Washington & Tel Aviv is suicide. There is absolutely no reason for the Lebanese to destroy themselves in order to purportedly save themselves” carnegieendowment.org/middle-east/...
Burundi zet vertegenwoordiger van Belgische agentschap Enabel het land uit (met onze reactie @11.be) www.nieuwsblad.be/buitenland/b...
Burundi zet vertegenwoordiger van Belgische agentschap Enabel het land uit
Het regime in het Centraal-Afrikaanse Burundi heeft de vertegenwoordiger van Enabel, het Belgische agentschap voor internationale samenwerking, donderdag 48 uur de tijd gegeven om het land te verlaten. Dat bevestigen Buitenlandse Zaken en Enabel-directeur Jean Van Wetter vrijdag aan Belga. Van Wetter noemt het nieuws een “schok”. De Burundese ambassadeur in Brussel werd geconvoceerd en kreeg te horen dat de maatregel als disproportioneel wordt beschouwd.
www.nieuwsblad.be
September 6, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Burundi zet vertegenwoordiger van Belgische agentschap Enabel het land uit (met onze reactie @11.be) www.nieuwsblad.be/buitenland/b...
Reposted by Thijs Van Laer
Na het ICC (aanklager, rechters) en de Speciale VN-rapporteur, gaat de VS nu ook achter de 3 grootste Palestijnse mensenrechtenorganisaties.
@11.be staat in volle solidariteit met Palestijnse partners en roept @belgiummfa.bsky.social op tot concrete actie 👇
www.alhaq.org/advocacy/266...
@11.be staat in volle solidariteit met Palestijnse partners en roept @belgiummfa.bsky.social op tot concrete actie 👇
www.alhaq.org/advocacy/266...
Al-Haq, PCHR, and Al-Mezan Condemn US Sanctions and Call for Global Solidarity to End the Genocide in Gaza and the Oppression of Palestinians
Gaza/Ramallah, 5 September 2025 — While the ongoing Israeli, US - backed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza is entering its third year, the United States (US), rather than end its complic...
www.alhaq.org
September 5, 2025 at 11:49 AM
Na het ICC (aanklager, rechters) en de Speciale VN-rapporteur, gaat de VS nu ook achter de 3 grootste Palestijnse mensenrechtenorganisaties.
@11.be staat in volle solidariteit met Palestijnse partners en roept @belgiummfa.bsky.social op tot concrete actie 👇
www.alhaq.org/advocacy/266...
@11.be staat in volle solidariteit met Palestijnse partners en roept @belgiummfa.bsky.social op tot concrete actie 👇
www.alhaq.org/advocacy/266...
Reposted by Thijs Van Laer
🇧🇪 🇵🇸 Agreement of the Belgian federal government on the situation in the Middle East ⤵️
🔗Read the full text : diplomatie.belgium.be/en/news/midd...
🔗Read the full text : diplomatie.belgium.be/en/news/midd...
September 5, 2025 at 7:21 AM
🇧🇪 🇵🇸 Agreement of the Belgian federal government on the situation in the Middle East ⤵️
🔗Read the full text : diplomatie.belgium.be/en/news/midd...
🔗Read the full text : diplomatie.belgium.be/en/news/midd...
Reposted by Thijs Van Laer
📢 New analysis: #NYUCIC Senior Fellows Fred Bauma & Jason Stearns, with Ebuteli’s Ithiel Batumike, argue the #DRC is best described as an “electoral oligarchy.”
Elections occur, but accountability to citizens remains weak—power circulates within a narrow elite.
👉 www.brookings.edu/articles/the...
Elections occur, but accountability to citizens remains weak—power circulates within a narrow elite.
👉 www.brookings.edu/articles/the...
The Democratic Republic of the Congo: A competitive electoral oligarchy | Brookings
Ithiel Batumike, Fred Bauma, and Jason Stearns discuss the paradoxical political system of the DRC—an "electoral oligarchy."
www.brookings.edu
September 3, 2025 at 4:03 PM
📢 New analysis: #NYUCIC Senior Fellows Fred Bauma & Jason Stearns, with Ebuteli’s Ithiel Batumike, argue the #DRC is best described as an “electoral oligarchy.”
Elections occur, but accountability to citizens remains weak—power circulates within a narrow elite.
👉 www.brookings.edu/articles/the...
Elections occur, but accountability to citizens remains weak—power circulates within a narrow elite.
👉 www.brookings.edu/articles/the...
Reposted by Thijs Van Laer
Clashes in Indonesia between protesters and security forces have killed at least seven people and injured dozens.
The Indonesian government’s announcement of new allowances and benefits to members of parliament resulted in peaceful protests, and police responded with tear gas and water cannons.
The Indonesian government’s announcement of new allowances and benefits to members of parliament resulted in peaceful protests, and police responded with tear gas and water cannons.
September 2, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Clashes in Indonesia between protesters and security forces have killed at least seven people and injured dozens.
The Indonesian government’s announcement of new allowances and benefits to members of parliament resulted in peaceful protests, and police responded with tear gas and water cannons.
The Indonesian government’s announcement of new allowances and benefits to members of parliament resulted in peaceful protests, and police responded with tear gas and water cannons.
Finally, Belgium imposes sanctions on Israel. Reaction @11.be to agreements on federal and Flemish level: far too late, a step in the right direction, but still below the treshold of what is required to stop the genocide. 11.be/en/verhalen/...
“After almost two years of genocide, sanctions are finally starting. Finally.” | 11.11.11
Thanks to pressure from countless citizens and civil society organizations, sanctions against Israel are finally coming. Finally. But let's be clear: this agreement is far too late.
11.be
September 2, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Finally, Belgium imposes sanctions on Israel. Reaction @11.be to agreements on federal and Flemish level: far too late, a step in the right direction, but still below the treshold of what is required to stop the genocide. 11.be/en/verhalen/...