Regions
  • ARTICLES

    New Russian interventionism: Fewer troops, more challenges

    Russia’s apparent reduced willingness to pursue military options in its neighbourhood suggests a shift in how it conducts its foreign policy. Cvete Koneska argues that this should not be read as a sign of Russia in retreat; instead, we can expect Russia to employ a more diverse toolbox to achieve its foreign policy objectives.

  • ARTICLES

    Trouble in Tigray: Prospects for a sustained conflict in Ethiopia’s northern region

    The conflict between the Ethiopian federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front centres on competing ideas on forms of governance. Darren Davids writes that although the conflict in the Tigray region is unlikely to cause a significant deterioration in the security environment of neighbouring countries, it will have considerable domestic… 

  • ARTICLES

    No simple solutions: Tackling Islamic terrorism in France

    A number of high-profile Islamist terror incidents rocked France in 2020. The response to the attacks demonstrated again the French government’s challenge of maintaining a secular state while seeking to avoid alienating groups with firmly held religious convictions. At the same time, responses internationally point to a growing divide between Europe… 

  • ARTICLES

    Trumped: US foreign policy in the Middle East under the Biden administration

    Much of the world waited in anticipation for the outcome of the November 2020 US presidential election and, when the results were announced, a Biden victory prompted much debate on what this will mean for US foreign policy in the Middle East. Gabrielle Reid explores what is likely to be on the new administration’s to-do list in the region.

  • ARTICLES

    Winds of change: An end to US isolationism under Biden?

    President Joe Biden’s administration will yield a more predictable foreign policy approach than the erratic decisions made under former president Donald Trump. However, Trump has left a complicated legacy, and Biden will need to make amends with former US allies.

  • ARTICLES

    Kidnap and extortion in Russia-CIS: New and old tricks

    Many organised crime groups in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) continued their kidnapping and extortion activities largely unaffected by the Covid-19 pandemic, writes Darren Davids. However, opportunistic criminals have capitalised on newly implemented Covid-19 restrictions and will seek to extort travellers.

  • ARTICLES

    Disappearing act: Virtual kidnappings in North America

    Virtual kidnappings increased in North America during the Covid-19 pandemic, as people spent more time online and increased their exposure to such scams. However, even as lockdowns lift, the profitable and low-risk nature of such crimes will continue to drive incidents in the coming year, writes Erin Drake.

  • ARTICLES

    Disaster risks during Covid-19

    Many government agencies around the world are now better prepared to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic than they were early in 2020, but the virus is far from contained, and the strain on resources and supply chains is easily exacerbated when natural disaster strikes. Cvete Koneska explains how the confluence of the pandemic and the onset of natural disasters… 

  • ARTICLES

    Covid-19 fallout: Civil unrest in the wake of the pandemic

    While, initially, lockdowns in countries around the world had a notable dampening effect on the frequency of civil unrest, as the Covid-19 pandemic has persisted this effect has subsided. Markus Korhonen writes that the negative economic and social impacts of the pandemic have garnered increasing antipathy among citizens, prompting renewed anti-government… 

  • ARTICLES

    Snatched in the Sahel: Militant kidnappings in Mali

    Kidnapped foreign nationals are perceived as a lucrative resource for the Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin militant group. Darren Davids writes that the Malian government’s recent decision to release imprisoned militants in exchange for hostages will likely embolden the group.