U.S. Mercenaries Face Lawsuit for War Crimes in Yemen.

The article focuses on recent legal actions related to alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity involving private military contractors and former diplomats. It details a 2025 lawsuit filed in the U.S. against former executives of Spear Operations Group, a private military company accused of conducting an assassination program in Yemen on behalf of the United Arab Emirates, including an attempted killing of Yemeni politician Anssaf Ali Mayo. The case invokes U.S. laws such as the War Crimes Act and the Conspiracy to Kill, Kidnap, Maim, or Injure in a Foreign Country Act, though the U.S. government has declined to prosecute. Additionally, the article covers the 2026 trial order for Étienne Davignon, a former Belgian diplomat charged with war crimes for his role in the 1961 assassination of Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, highlighting alleged collaboration between Belgian officials and the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency in Lumumba's removal and death. Both cases illustrate ongoing challenges in enforcing international humanitarian law and prosecuting historical and contemporary war crimes.