“Warlord” is a term commonly used in the 1990s in relation to the civil wars in Liberia, Afghanistan and Somalia. During that time, it was used to describe leaders who waged war to advance their own interests, regardless of the countries’ downfall. 2026 peace report Four major German peace and conflict research institutes focus on the return of such actors in the 21st century.
“The new warlords have weakened the international order,” said Conrad Schechter. Bonn International Center for Conflict Studies They launched the report along with three other institutions in Berlin on Monday. Conflict researchers listed several names, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Shechter accused them and others of essentially the same thing: “Using military violence is their preferred way of pursuing their interests. In doing so, they do not care about international law.” Schechter’s colleague, Ursula Schröder Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy The University of Hamburg (IFSH) said: “We don’t want to equate anything, but we see patterns,” the University of Hamburg (IFSH) said, referring to Putin, Trump, Netanyahu and others in power.
Violence ‘a common instrument of politics’
The authors of the Peace Report said they recognize a pattern in the renewed and preferred application of violent force as a “common instrument of politics” by some actors. In doing so, these actors also attempt to “undermine the political sovereignty of other countries” in the interest of expanding profit and power.
According to the study, this also applies to several Gulf states: Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. “They are involved in many civil wars, from Libya to Somalia,” said conflict researcher Shetter. For them, it is also about advancing their geopolitical, strategic or economic interests.
Less development cooperation and humanitarian aid
Nicole Deitelhoff of the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF) explains that this is why the theme of warlords is prevalent throughout the study, including in its title: because they accelerate the collapse of the international order. He pointed to the United Nations as an example.
He said he expected greater commitment from Germany and Europe to stop this trend: “We urge them to find partners to maintain the system of rules.” He and other experts consider financial cuts to development cooperation and humanitarian assistance the wrong path to this end. “Such a withdrawal reinforces the dynamics of the crisis,” they said in a joint statement.
More hunger, more disease, more crime
According to the Peace report, the real-world consequences are multidimensional: greater food crises and famine, or the spread of potentially deadly infections such as what is currently happening with the Ebola virus. Also: “Taking away aid leads to massive increases in criminality and armed conflicts, for example, in Haiti, the Democratic Republic of the Congo or South Sudan.”
Conflict researchers suggest that Germany should therefore reverse its cuts in development cooperation. This may present a contrast to the arbitrariness of modern chieftains. However, his appeal comes with a caveat: “Where development cooperation serves only to prevent migration or secure sources of raw materials, it loses its meaning as a peace policy.”
Has Germany lost confidence?
The four institutions recommended in their report another development cooperation path in which the main focus should be on inclusivity, human rights and peacebuilding – in short: cooperative policy. “The bonus is that it strengthens partnerships and trust in the international system,” a joint statement said.
According to the Peace Report, Germany has largely destroyed this trust. Deitelhoff regards Berlin’s unsuccessful bid for a two-year term on the UN Security Council as a symptom of this. “This is certainly also why Germany has often avoided defending international law in recent years,” he said.
What is Friedrich Merz’s stance on international law?
To illustrate his point, Deitelhoff cited the fact that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz certainly avoided calling the kidnapping of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro by US forces a violation of international law, as other countries did. Instead, Merz said: “The legal classification with respect to US intervention is complex.”
He also avoided an explicit commitment to international law following the US and Israeli attacks on Iran. Now is not the time to “lecturize our allies and partners,” the Christian Democratic (CDU) politician said. When both countries were bombing Iranian nuclear sites in 2025, Merz called it “Israel doing the dirty work for all of us”.
New push for more gun control?
Peace researcher Deitelhoff was clear about the lesson Germany should take from its defeat in the UN Security Council vote: “It’s about thinking about how Germany can boost its profile again.”
The peace report offers suggestions for how Berlin can achieve this: At a time of a growing arms race, the foundation for credible arms control must be built. “As confidence-building measures, these are essential requirements for peacebuilding,” the report said.
This article was translated from German.