Executive Summary Due to their wealth of critical natural resources (primarily rare earth minerals), rapidly growing populations (labor and consumer markets) and strategic geographic location, many Francophone and Lusophone countries in Africa occupy strategic roles for China and its large businesses operating in, among others,... MORE

Executive Summary China`s strategic interests in Sub-Saharan Africa are diverse and, while still being primarily guided by the need to maintain access to locally extracted raw materials, now go beyond this goal. In fact, growing investments in infrastructure, manufacturing and green energy are likely to... MORE

JNIM Kidnappings Continue Across West Africa With the world’s attention focused on issues like the insecurity arising from Russia’s war on Ukraine and the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, al-Qaeda’s affiliate in West Africa, Group for Supporters of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), is quietly keeping up... MORE

Islamic State Congo Steps up Attacks in Bid to Become its own Province Jacob Zenn The Congo branch of the Islamic State in Central Africa Province (ISCAP) is increasingly following the footsteps of the most prolific Islamic State (IS) affiliate, Islamic State in West Africa... MORE

ISCAP's Congo Branch Changes Tactics to Targeting Civilians Jacob Zenn Although the nature of ties between the Islamic State’s (IS) centralized leadership and the Islamic State in Central Africa Province’s (ISCAP) Congo branch have been intensely debated among analysts, the Congo branch’s changing tactics reveal... MORE

Uzbekistan and Tajikistan Calibrate Approaches to the Taliban On September 11, the grand mufti of Tajikistan, Saidmukarrim Abdulqoddirzoda, issued an edict calling the Taliban a “terrorist group” and declared that the Taliban’s behavior was “far from Islam.” In particular, the grand mufti focused on the... MORE

Suicide Bombing in Congo Indicates Growing Influence of Islamic State Affiliate Jacob Zenn On June 29, Islamic State in Central Africa Province (ISCAP) claimed its first ever suicide bombing at a bar in Beni, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (France24, June 30). This represented... MORE

On April 21, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) signed agreements on security and defense amid growing threats from Islamic State in Central African Province (ISCAP), which is active in the eastern DRC. The security and defense pacts provide mechanisms for cooperation... MORE

Media Mystery Surrounds Islamic State Conquests in Mozambique Jacob Zenn On March 25, the Islamic State in Central African Province (ISCAP)’s Mozambique branch raided the town of Palma in northeastern Mozambique and was reported to have slaughtered civilians and killed several dozen soldiers. The attack... MORE

Colombia Faces Mixed Futures in Negotiations with FARC and ELN  Jacob Zenn In 2016, Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) concluded a peace deal that has led to a reduction of violence in the last five years. However, one FARC faction consisting... MORE