Latest Articles about Africa
Africa: China’s Laboratory for Third World Security Cooperation
China’s interests and exposure in Africa have grown exponentially over the past two decades. China became Africa’s largest trading partner in 2009 and continues to hold the lead by a wide margin. China is the largest bilateral funding source for infrastructure projects, nearly all of... MORE
The Pursuit of a “New Sudan” in Blue Nile State: A Profile of the SPLA-N’s Yasir Arman
Andrew McGregor Despite the 2011 separation of South Sudan, Sudan’s civil war continues in Darfur and what has become known as Sudan’s “new South,” Blue Nile State and South Kordofan. Though the fighting has often been intense, government forces in Blue Nile have been unable... MORE
June 2016 Briefs (Free)
Mustafa Sejari: A Rising Star in Northwest Syria’s Militant Opposition Nicholas A. Heras The United States military and its coalition allies are working to expand the number of local Arab Sunni armed opposition groups that are participating in the anti-Islamic State campaign in Syria. One of... MORE
Political Stalemate Heightens Appeal of Religious Extremism for Western Sahara Youth
The death from illness on May 31 of the Polisario Front’s long-time leader Mohamed Abdelaziz has brought the exiled Sahrawi independence movement of the Western Sahara to an ideological crossroads. The Polisario nation, known as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), is effectively a state... MORE
The Niger Delta Avengers: A New Threat to Oil Producers in Nigeria
Since the start of 2016, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), a hitherto unknown group, has claimed responsibility for increasingly frequent attacks on oil infrastructure in the Niger Delta. According to Nigerian Oil Minister Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, the attacks have resulted in oil production dropping by... MORE
BRIEFS
LIBYA: CLOSING IN ON ISLAMIC STATE’S STRONGHOLD Libyan forces have had a run of luck against Islamic State (IS) fighters in recent weeks, with two separate militias capturing several towns and closing in on the extremists’ stronghold of Sirte. The Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG), the... MORE
Back to the Creeks: A Profile of Niger Delta Militant Government Ekpemupolo (a.k.a. Tompolo)
Andrew McGregor Just as the global oil industry begins to show slight signs of recovery, Nigeria, one of its biggest producers (as well as one of its most oil-dependent nations) has been struck yet again by a wave of crippling attacks on its oil infrastructure.... MORE
Libya’s Economic Crisis: Bringing the Oil Sector Back on Track
Getting Libya’s economy back on track is fundamental to the country’s future. With the Government of National Accord (GNA) finally working from inside Libya and Fajez Sarraj in place as the new prime minister, many foreign powers hope the situation is finally improving (al-Jazeera, May... MORE
The Zainabiyoun Brigade: A Pakistani Shiite Militia Amid the Syrian Conflict
Since the outbreak of Syrian Civil War in 2011, a plethora of violent Islamist groups have surfaced in various parts of the country, some fighting for the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, and many fighting against it. According to an estimate from the Soufan Group,... MORE