West African LNG After Paris: Relief, Dependency, or Diversification?
The Iran war served to focus Europe’s political attention on energy diversification. However, recent summits with African producers reveal that the continent remains unwilling to do what is necessary to achieve it.
The CFSP: Europe’s Sahel Strategy is Running Out of Time
If the European Union is serious about its role as a global security actor, it must confront an uncomfortable reality: its current approach is not delivering results in the Sahel.
Geopolitics Weekly (US-Israel Iran War, Food Prices, THAAD Redeployment)
Examining the latest developments in the US-Israel Iran war, the impact that the conflict is having on global food prices, what the redeployment of THAAD ‘parts’ from South Korea to the Middle East tells us about the war, and a wave of brutal attacks against military bases in northeast Nigeria.
Geopolitics Weekly (China Purge, Iran Armada, Niger Airport Attack)
This week we examine a suspicious Russian tanker under military escort in Libya, a brazen attack by Islamist insurgents in Niger, an Iran ‘armada’ that seems all for show, and the implications of a high-level leadership purge in China.
Ghost of the Caliphate: How Africa Became the Global Epicenter of the Islamic State
The physical "caliphate" of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria collapsed years ago, but its apparition failed to disappear, instead finding new life in local conflicts across Africa.
U.S. Must Adapt, Not Abandon the Sahel
An effective US presence remains key for regional stability in the Sahel, and this will be achieved not by doubling down on military might, but by judiciously balancing soft power with targeted support for security initiatives.
Sahel Coup Fallout Reverberates in Niger-Benin Oil Row
Post-coup relations remain fraught between Niger and Benin, evident in Porto Novo’s decision to shut down a key oil pipeline and economic lifeline for Niamey.
Wagner Group Post-Prigozhin: New Name, Business as Usual
From the covert to the overt, the Kremlin’s Expeditionary Corps is taking over Wagner’s global operations.
ECOWAS Buries Hatchet with Junta States amid Widening Regional Crisis
Amid a worsening security and economic outlook in the Sahel, ECOWAS leaders have decided that the only way forward is for Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso to be brought back into the fold.
West Africa: The New “Epicenter” of Global Terrorism?
UN Chief António Guterres recently declared Africa as the new “epicenter” of global terrorism. Recent developments across the Sahel and beyond are corroborating the view.
Niger Coup Harkens Return to Cold War Geopolitics in Africa
Africa is becoming a geopolitical battleground, and one where the United States’ and Europe’s interests are not always aligned.
Wagner Mercenaries: A Potential Lifeline for the Niger Junta
Wagner is stepping in to support to Niger junta just as regional support for a strategy of concerted pressure shows signs of fizzling out.
The Geopolitics of Russia’s Foray into West Africa
West Africa is emerging as a new front in Russia’s global campaign against the EU and United States.
French Retrenchment Sends the Sahel into a Spiral
The Sahel was a standout in volatility in 2020, and the security outlook is set to worsen amid signs of a French pullout.
African States Reel amid COVID-19 Debt Crunch
The question of a debt crisis in the developing world has shifted to ‘when,’ not ‘if.’
An African Powder Keg: Terrorism in the Sahel
Unless deep-rooted socioeconomic and security issues are addressed, Africa’s development miracle risks being derailed. Nowhere is this truer than with the G5 countries in the Sahel.
Islamic State and Al-Qaeda Clash in the Sahel
Background on the worsening clashes between Al Qaeda and Islamic State’s regional affiliates in the Sahel.
Peace in a Pandemic: Containing Africa’s Conflicts
COVID-19 is upending local security dynamics in some of the most vulnerable parts of Africa.
