Sudan: Sudan At War - the Art of Peace Talks and Why They Often Fail

High-level peace talks took place in August 2024 to negotiate a much-needed ceasefire in Sudan. Unfortunately, nothing tangible came out of the talks held in Switzerland and… Read more »

Ethiopia: Lasting Peace in Ethiopia? More Needs to Be Done to Stop Tigray Conflict From Flaring Up Again

It has been nearly two years since the African Union brokered a peace deal that put an end to the war between the Ethiopian state and the Tigray regional government. The signing of… Read more »

Congo-Kinshasa: War Affects Girls and Boys Differently - What We Found in Our Study of Children in the DRC

War has become a regular part of life for many children. Millions are victims and witnesses to the horrors of war. Recent estimates by researchers at the Peace Research Institute… Read more »

Africa: UN Security Council - African Countries Face Hurdles and Dangers in Getting Permanent Seats

There is growing global consensus among the members of the United Nations that the UN security council, responsible for maintaining international peace and security, requires… Read more »

Africa: UN Peacekeeping in Africa - Essential Reads On What's Gone Wrong and What Can Be Done

The United Nations security council - the most powerful body of the UN - is the institution that is primarily responsible for maintaining international peace and security. But it's… Read more »

Sudan: Sudan's Civilians Urgently Need Protection - the Options for International Peacekeeping

In September 2024, the United Nations' independent fact-finding mission to Sudan issued its first report. Citing grave human rights violations amounting to war crimes and crimes… Read more »

Africa: The Sierra Leonian Gangster Who Gave up Violence and Drugs for Poetry

For the past five years, the GANGS project, a European Research Council-funded project led by Dennis Rodgers, has been studying global gang dynamics in a comparative perspective.… Read more »

Kenya: Violence At the Kenya-Ethiopia Border - What's Driving Insecurity in the Region

Communal conflict is endemic in the vast arid region on both sides of the Kenya-Ethiopia border. Fresh alarm has been sparked in both countries following a kidnapping and armed… Read more »

Sudan: Sudan Is Burning and Foreign Powers Are Benefiting - What's in It for the UAE

The United Nations has accused foreign players of prolonging the war in Sudan, making it harder for the country to find peace. The fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and… Read more »

South Sudan: South Sudan Floods - the First Example of a Mass Population Permanently Displaced By Climate Change?

Enormous floods have once again engulfed much of South Sudan, as record water-levels in Lake Victoria flow downstream through the Nile. More than 700,000 people have been affected.… Read more »

Sudan: Sudan Is the World's Worst Modern War - What Has Happened and What It'll Take to Rebuild

Sudan's war has been raging since April 2023. The country was on a bumpy road to democracy after mass uprisings in 2019 ousted long-time dictator Omar al-Bashir. This all came to a… Read more »

Congo-Kinshasa: Fighting With Rebels in the Country's East Has Intensified, Sparking Fears of a Wider War

Security forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been battling the M23 rebel group in the east of the country since 2012. However, there has been a major upsurge… Read more »

Somalia: Al-Shabaab Is 18 Years Old - Six Factors Behind the Somali Militant Group's Resilience

The United Nations security council unanimously voted on 15 August 2024 to extend the mandate of the 12,626 men and women of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia… Read more »

Nigeria: Nigeria Has Seen a Lot of Conflict Over the Years - Resistance From Minority Groups Is a Strong Driver

Conflict and tension in Nigeria are not new. Ever since independence in 1960, there have been conflicts over natural resources and political agitations. The country has also… Read more »

Nigeria: Russian Flags Waved During Nigeria Protests - Why It's a Cause for Concern

The #EndBadGovernance protest in Nigeria from 1 August to 10 August took a rather unexpected dimension when some protesters in Kano and Kaduna states, both in the country's… Read more »

Congo-Kinshasa: Uganda and the DRC Conflict - the Interests Driving Kampala's Involvement

The ambiguous and often tumultuous relations between Uganda and neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have made headlines in recent months. In a July 2024 report, the UN… Read more »

West Africa: Russia-Ukraine War Spills Into West Africa - Mali Attacks Signal Dangerous Times Ahead

Russia suffered significant blows to its reputation in mid-2024. An attack on its territory by Ukraine came as a surprise. In west Africa, the Wagner mercenary group, supported by… Read more »

Sudan: Sudan's Catastrophe - Farmers Could Offer Quick Post-War Recovery, If Peace Is Found

More than a year of conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces has weakened the country's fragile economy. This is in addition to triggering a… Read more »

Sudan: Sudan's Army Has Been Battling to Keep Darfur's El Fasher From Paramilitary Forces - Why the City's So Important

The ongoing conflict in Sudan between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces is complex. It's rooted in weak state institutions, ethnic diversity and historical… Read more »

Africa: 'Killer Robots' Are Becoming a Real Threat in Africa

The use of drones in the Sahel, a region of Africa that has been plagued by violence driven by jihadist insurgency for much of the past decade, has become a real problem. In April,… Read more »

Mali: Mali Is Still Unsafe Under the Military - Why It Hasn't Made Progress Against Rebels and Terrorists

The scale of casualties suffered by the Wagner group and Malian forces during a recent assault in the Tinzaouaten region reveal vulnerability in Mali's counterinsurgency posture. Read more »

Niger: U.S. Military Is Leaving Niger Even Less Secure - Why It Didn't Succeed in Combating Terrorism

The United States is winding down its military operations in Niger ahead of a mid-September deadline agreed with the country's ruling military junta. Read more »

Africa: Rich Countries Are Paying Poorer Ones to Manage Their Refugee Crises - 3 Reasons This Is Dangerous

In recent years, western nations have been sending asylum seekers who arrive at their borders to other countries. This is a practice known as offshoring. The UK has become the… Read more »

Congo-Kinshasa: Ceasefire for Humanitarian Aid A Small Step Forward - What Must Happen Next for Peace

The United States has negotiated a truce so humanitarian assistance can be given to more than seven million people, including children, caught in the grip of the conflict in the… Read more »

West Africa: Amid Humanitarian Crisis and Ongoing Fighting, Africa's War-Scarred Sahel Region Faces New Threat - Ethno-Mercenaries

Sudan's ongoing humanitarian crisis after more than a year of civil war shows few signs of abating. And amid the fighting, a significant and troubling development looks set to… Read more »