
Latest Articles about Africa

The Triangle of Death: Central Africa’s New Hub of Regional Instability
As peacekeepers pull out of a notorious and remote corner of Africa known as the “Triangle of Death,” bands of gunmen are pouring in to fill the void in security. At the core of this problem is a former French colony that became a nation-state... MORE

From Guerilla Fighter to Independence Politician: The Story of South Sudan’s Salva Kiir Mayardit
With the January 9, 2011, referendum on South Sudanese independence only weeks away, a long-time rebel commander turned politician stands to become the first president of a new African nation with both abundant oil reserves and a highly uncertain future. Salva Kiir Mayardit, a Roman... MORE

Cameroon Rebels Threaten Security in Oil-Rich Gulf of Guinea
A hybrid criminal/separatist movement operating in the swampy peninsula of Bakassi is now targeting oil industry infrastructure in the Gulf of Guinea in its effort to shake off Cameroonian control of the region, which was administered by Nigeria until last year. Like neighboring Nigeria, Cameroon... MORE

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and the Africa-to-Europe Narco-Trafficking Connection
Of the various Salafi-Jihadi militant groups currently operating, few have been as aggressive in their pursuit of financing as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which has added narcotics trafficking to its staples of kidnapping for ransom as well as the smuggling of cigarettes and... MORE

Al-Shabaab Razes Somali Forests to Finance Jihad
Somalia’s al-Shabaab Islamist militant movement is in the midst of a financial crisis that hit after losing protection fees from three Somalia World Food Program (WFP) sub-contractors and diminished contributions from the Somali diaspora. The radical group has been in a financial squeeze since the... MORE

Mali Pays the Price of al-Qaeda’s Asymmetrical Threat
Over half the world’s kidnappings for ransom occur in Latin America, however, among these nations only Mexico and Colombia merit official U.S. travel advisories that mention the danger of kidnapping. Despite this, Mexico and Colombia continue to enjoy thriving tourist industries. Yet the African state... MORE

Puntland’s Shaykh Muhammad Atam: Clan Militia Leader or al-Qaeda Terrorist?
No roads penetrate the mountains of the Galgala district of Puntland’s Bari Region. Though it lies almost directly south of the bustling port of Bosasso, Puntland’s commercial capital, the moderate climate and cave-riddled hills of the relatively inaccessible Galgala region form a natural base for... MORE

French Counterterrorism Operations in the Sahara
On the morning of July 22 at approximately 5 A.M., Special Forces of the Mauritanian and French armies commenced operations against an alleged al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) base in northern Mali designed to free French hostage Michel Germaneau, 78-year old dependent on medicinal... MORE

Round Seven? The Houthi Rebellion in Northern Yemen
Houthi rebels operating in northern Yemen accepted the six conditions that were set by the government of Yemen for a cessation of hostilities on February 12. [1] In response to their acceptance of the six conditions, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh declared a ceasefire and... MORE

Al-Shabaab’s Unavoidable Clash with Somaliland Democracy
If the suicide bombings in Kampala during the World Cup finals were a sign of al-Shabaab’s plans to fight outside of southern Somalia, then Somaliland’s new ruling party must prepare for more attacks. Al-Shabaab leader Shaykh Ahmad Abdi Godane “Abu Zubayr” has made clear his... MORE