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Latin America is a dangerous place to defend the cause of peace, particularly in the case of women activists, who face sexist hostility and threats. Despite the dangers, many women tenaciously lead the struggle for justice and human rights in the region.

Coca crops have set record yields in Colombia since the 2016 peace accord with FARC guerrillas, persuading the government to expand its forced eradication campaign with the backing of U.S. authorities. Bogotá claims that eliminating the plant will reduce rural violence.

In the Sahel, heavy-handed military operations have fuelled animosity among ethnic communities which non-state armed groups, including jihadists, turn to their advantage. It’s time to prioritise governance and dialogue.

New financial structures will soon allow the EU to fund African military operations – including the supply of lethal weaponry – directly, instead of through the African Union. To avoid aggravating conflicts, Brussels should undertake robust risk assessments, constantly monitor its assistance, insist that recipient countries subordinate military efforts to political strategies and preserve African Union oversight.

In 2021, the world will be dealing with unhappy legacies from 2020: a devastating pandemic, an economic crisis unmatched since World War II, Donald Trump’s deeply divisive presidency and new wars that test the idea that crises have no military solutions.