The European Union has recently ramped up efforts to tackle organised crime in the region. Zaynab Hoosen explores notable characteristics of the bloc’s most threatening organised criminal networks and their transnational links.
The strong links between criminal groups in South Africa and Mozambique have led to the development of sophisticated kidnapping syndicates in both countries. Richard Gardiner explores the factors that have facilitated these ties and why the current situation is unlikely to change anytime soon.
Tamsin Hunt examines the immediate security implications for foreign and local nationals in Lebanon and Israel should the increasing aggression between Israel and Hezbollah devolve into open conflict.
Ahead of her inauguration in October 2024, Claudia Sheinbaum has echoed outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s security policies. But widespread organised crime, entrenched corruption, and an ineffective reliance on the military to combat cartels pose challenges to realising sustainable security improvements, writes Shannon Lorimer.
As a Kenyan-led multinational mission enters Haiti to support local police in combatting gang violence, Erin Drake considers what such a mission can realistically achieve amid a host of challenges, including seemingly poor planning, funding uncertainty, and a legacy of failed intervention – not to mention the potential fallout of clashes in densely-populated…
Russia has increased its use of grey-zone tactics against European countries in recent months, from sabotage and jamming GPS signals of planes and ships, to running largescale propaganda and disinformation campaigns. Tamsin Hunt investigates Russia’s motives behind its asymmetric tactics, and the challenges facing European governments in combatting…
Despite high hopes for Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s Total Peace plan, it has so far failed to reduce fighting between armed groups or limit their territorial expansion. With around a year left in office, Petro seems unlikely to secure a lasting military or financial victory over the country’s insurgent groups, writes Shannon Lorimer.
Slowly but surely, Ukraine is weakening Russia’s hold on Crimea, bolstered by the recent deployment of advanced long-range Western weapons systems. Richard Gardiner argues that while this will not secure a decisive victory for Ukraine in the war, it will still have significant implications for Russia, which has always viewed Crimea as a critical linchpin…
More than seven months into Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip, Tamsin Hunt examines Israel’s progress in achieving its stated objectives of dismantling Hamas’s leadership and combat capabilities.
In recent years, South African politics have been characterised by corruption scandals, poor service delivery, and a population disillusioned by the socioeconomic benefits democracy has offered thus far. With the country facing a pressing need to pivot from its trajectory, Zaynab Hoosen explores key actions necessary for the new administration to strengthen…
On 18 April, a police crackdown on student protests at Columbia University in New York kickstarted a wave of demonstrations on campuses across the world calling on universities to sever their ties with Israel amid the Israel-Palestine conflict. The demonstrations have drawn comparisons to protest campaigns in the previous century, which may offer some…
Organised criminal groups seeking political influence have long driven an increase in political violence during Mexico’s elections. With violent incidents already surpassing those recorded in the 2018 general election and with a month still remaining before the polls, 2024 is likely to be the most violent election year yet, writes Shannon Lorimer.