According to various reports, members of Russia’s notorious Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) have been transported to Mali to render assistance to the local interim government (Rosbalt.ru, September 27). Given the presence of Russian mercenaries in other parts of Sub-Saharan Africa (Ifri.org, September 11, 2020),... MORE

In late September, while President Joseph Biden struggled with a multitude of domestic issues and President Vladimir Putin sought opportunities to score points on the international arena, the United States and Russia accomplished a series of potentially consequential diplomatic exchanges and probes at the medium–high... MORE

The series of attacks on schools, commuters, and communities in northwestern Nigeria has left families with traumatic experiences, displaced thousands of people from their homes and caused a deterioration of socio-economic activities, particularly in hinterland areas. For a region with a high rate of out-of-school... MORE

On June 25, Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) released a video through Islamic State (IS) media channels. It was the first formal video the group had released in more than a year, indicating that this rare release featured important content. The video showed... MORE

Myanmar Insurgency Matures as Fighting Against the Tatmadaw Intensifies  Jacob Zenn The roughly half-year long low-level insurgency against Myanmar’s ruling Tatmadaw, as the armed forces is called, continues to brew, with the COVID-19 Delta variant’s spread throughout Southeast Asia adding a new layer of complexity... 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

Since 2015, only three terrorist attacks have been carried out in Nigeria’s northwestern state of Gombe by the major insurgent groups in the country, which are Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), the al-Qaeda-linked Ansaru, and the Boko Haram faction led by the now... MORE

For half a decade, northwestern Nigeria has been facing serious insecurity, ranging from armed group violence to kidnappings and banditry, which has affected most of the population living in Zamafara, Katsina and Sokoto states. According to the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) Maradi, Niger... MORE

Militants Target Chinese Nationals in the Sahel and Nigeria Jacob Zenn China is increasing its influence in West Africa. Most recently, on June 11, China’s State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated that Beijing plans to extend the Belt and Road Initiative to Burkina... MORE

Russia and China are typically lumped together as the two new challengers to the role of Western countries in Africa. They are certainly that, but they are pursuing rather differing strategies and, thus, are virtually certain to find themselves at odds in the future. Moscow... MORE