Latest Articles about Africa
France and the Prospects for Military Intervention in Mali
France has watched warily as Mali has descended into chaos after the March 22 coup d’état overthrew Amadou Toumani Touré’s government and the Islamist rebellion took control of northern Mali. [1] France threw the weight of its diplomacy behind regional efforts to restore the constitutional... MORE
The Return of War to Africa’s Great Lakes Region: Can the Revolutionary Army of the Congo Be Contained?
The seizure last week by mutinous Congolese soldiers of the city of Goma in the midst of the mineral rich Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has brought the deaths of hundreds of people and displaced hundreds of thousands of others.... MORE
Behind the Reign of Terror in Somalia: A Snapshot of al-Shabaab leader Ahmad Abdi Godane
The failed state of Somalia is home to numerous clan-based and Islamist insurgent groups. However, none of these groups compare to Harakat al-Shabaab al-mujahideen—widely known as al-Shabaab—in size, sophistication or operational capability. Despite numerous attempts to eradicate the group, al-Shabaab continues to control large swaths... MORE
November 2012 Briefs
DRONE STRIKE KILLS 2008 EMBASSY ATTACKER ADNAN AL-QADHI NEAR SANAA A drone strike on a car in a village less than 40 kilometers from the Yemeni capital, Sanaa on November 6, killed Adnan al-Qadhi and injured or killed two other men with him, Rabee Laheb... MORE
Senior Fellow Andrew McGregor interviewed on Radio France Internationale
Jamestown Senior Fellow Andrew McGregor was interviewed on Mali for Radio France Internationale.
Strategic and Tactical Shift Keeps al-Qaeda Insurgency Alive in Southern Yemen
Over the past months, a series of high-profile assassinations in Aden and the capital of Sana’a signaled a strategic shift by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and its local affiliate, Ansar al-Shari’a. Over 60 security officials were murdered, with the latest assassination occurring in... MORE
Election Issue: Militants in Libyan Politics: A Militant Leadership Monitor Special Report
In the aftermath of the revolution and the overthrow of Moammar Gaddafi, Libya is undergoing tremendous changes. On July 7, the oil-rich North African country held its first national election in over four decades, however the emergence of regionally based militias continue to pose a... MORE
Kenya’s Coast Province and the Mombasa Republican Council: Islamists, Separatists or Political Pawns?
Kenya’s decision to launch a military intervention in Somalia to eliminate the threat posed by the Islamist al-Shabaab movement has resulted in battlefield successes but has also led to terrorist attacks and riots in the cities of Nairobi and Mombasa and even the formation of... MORE
Boko Haram’s Growing Presence in Niger
The recent arrests of Boko Haram members in the Niger town of Zinder come at a time when the Islamist movement’s fighters are taking advantage of the porosity of the Nigeria-Niger border region to avoid security crackdowns in Yobe, Borno and other states of northeastern... MORE
Ethnic Warfare in Burundi: A Profile of Hutu Warlord Agathon Rwasa
The Central African nation of Burundi has reached a political crossroads. In the last decade Burundi has managed, with international assistance, to bring an end to a vicious civil war and install a government that reflects demographic and tribal realities in Burundi. However, since the... MORE