On March 23, the Suez Canal, one of the world’s busiest transport arteries, became blocked in both directions when the ultra-large Golden-class container ship Ever Given (operated by the firm Evergreen), en route from Malaysia to the Netherlands, ran aground cross-ways. For nearly a week,... 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

The Somali and Kenyan governments fear a resurgence by al-Shabaab as a result of the U.S. withdrawing its forces from Somalia. The exit was completed on January 15 in line with the deadline ordered by former President Donald Trump and involved about 600-800 U.S. soldiers... MORE

With Islamic State (IS) increasingly turning to social media to spread its propaganda amid its territorial defeat, the group has utilized apps like Tik Tok, Telegram, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube to recruit and radicalize youth. With social media often heralded as platforms for inspiration,... MORE

Since Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the Kankara kidnapping in northwestern Nigeria’s Katsina State in December 2020, concern about banditry in the country has gained increasing national and international attention (see Terrorism Monitor, January 15). In the Kankara incident, the more than 300 schoolboys kidnapped... MORE

Russia’s involvement in Africa over the last decade has attracted attention particularly when it has involved Moscow’s use of private military companies to support one or another side of civil conflicts there (see Jamestown.org, January 10, 2020; see EDM, January 20, 2021) or when it... MORE

Indonesian Jemaah Islamiya Founder Abubakar Baasyir’s Quiet Release From Prison  Jacob Zenn In 2019, the Indonesian government decided it would release Jemaah Islamiya founder Abubakar Baasyir from prison earlier than initially scheduled. He had been tried in 2011 and sentenced to 15 years in prison... MORE

A Kenyan-U.S. military camp in Manda Bay, Lamu County in the coastal region came under heavy attack from armed militants on January 5, 2020. Three Americans were killed in the raid, for which al-Shabaab – the Somali-based al-Qaeda affiliate in East Africa – claimed responsibility.... MORE

Proud Boys and Antifa Face Uncertain Futures After Capitol Siege  Jacob Zenn  After the January 6 Capitol storming, the Proud Boys are reassessing tactics. The group formed in 2017 to be an “anti-Antifa” organization and promote “traditional” masculinity and Western-centrism, as opposed to feminism and... MORE

In late 2020, Turkey finally secured a lucrative arms sale package to Tunisia after a long period of negotiations. The $150 million portfolio, which attracted key players of the Turkish defense technological and industrial base, such as Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS) and British Motor Corporation... MORE