Latest Articles about Military/Security

Brief: Nigerian Bandits and Former Shekau Faction Likely Behind Recent Abductions
Executive Summary Nigeria struggles to provide security to its population, though efforts like the use of artificial intelligence to track militant movement patterns may aid the government in the future. On March 7, bandits in Nigeria's Kaduna State abducted an estimated 280 students from a... MORE

Jabhat Ansar al-Mahdi Khorasan Emerges as Prominent Faction of Hafiz Gul Bahadur in Pakistan
Executive Summary The militant landscape of Pakistan is becoming more complex due to the emergence of several new, small, and highly capable militant groups. They are largely connected to two umbrella organizations, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Hafiz Gul Bahadur (HGB). While HGB includes many... MORE

Terror Financing Tricks in Bangladesh: Self-Donations, Expatriate Remittances, and Robbery
Executive Summary: The issue of terror financing has become a front and center challenge in Bangladesh. Militants use "self-donations," remittances through the hundi system, robbery, and front businesses to finance their operations. This is particularly important due to the revelation of connections between Jama’atul Ansar... MORE

Indian and Manipuri Governments Reach Fraught Peace Agreement with UNLF’s Pambei Group
Executive Summary: The Indian government and the government of the restive northeastern state of Manipur signed a “peace agreement” with the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), a banned ethnic Meitei organization, on November 29, 2023. While signing the peace agreement is a breakthrough for the... MORE

Shoigu Has Promised Combined Armies, Divisions, and Brigades
Executive Summary: Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced the creations of a new army corps, motor rifle division, and Dnipro River flotilla, along with the establishment of 30 large unspecified units. Moscow’s manpower resources and the size of the officer corps remain limited, and these... MORE

Moscow Will Only Consider Absorbing South Ossetia Amid a Georgian Rapprochement With NATO
Executive Summary: South Ossetia wants to join Russia for at least the fourth time now but will not hold a referendum until Moscow agrees. The Kremlin’s decision rests less on the situation in South Ossetia than on how such an action would affect its relations... MORE

Española: Russia’s Premier Soccer Paramilitary Group
Executive Summary: The Russian private military company (PMC) Española grew out of a subculture of soccer hooliganism in Russia. Española’s connection to soccer has important implications for using sports to recruit private soldiers for Russia’s war against Ukraine—a trend that has shown signs of spreading... MORE

Latin America’s Varying Responses to Putin’s War Against Ukraine
Executive Summary: The United States is looking to Latin America to send Soviet-era and Russian weapons to Ukraine in exchange for modern American-made analogs. Many Latin American countries are hesitant to agree to this request because they do not want to break their treaties with... MORE

Moscow Expands Military Influence in Africa
Executive Summary: Russia’s advances in Africa are moving to a new political-strategic level by establishing further military and economic ties across the continent. Moscow has long worked to gain influence across the Sahel and is now aiming to establish footholds throughout Sub-Saharan Africa and the... MORE

‘From Chancay to Shanghai’: Peru’s Strategic Role in PRC Maritime Strategy
Executive Summary: Majority ownership by state-owned Cosco Shipping, and involvement of companies like ZPMC which is closely linked to China's Military-Civil Fusion strategy, raises concerns about the dual-use nature of infrastructure projects and potential military implications. The PRC has become Peru's main trading partner and... MORE