UN Peacekeepers on the way out as Terrorists gain ground in Mali
CIPHER BRIEF REPORTING — As the Mali government grapples with political turmoil, a splinter faction of the militant group ISIS, known as ISIS-GS or ISIS in the […] More
Africa
Africa’s ‘Coup Belt’ is a Problem for the West
EXCLUSIVE SUBSCRIBER+ INTERVIEW – The former head of Gabon’s presidential guard has been sworn in as the country’s new president, just days after a military-led […] More
What’s Happening in Niger Should be on Everyone’s Radar
OPINION — In late July 2023, the democratically elected President of the West African nation of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum, was overthrown by members of the […] More
The Problem with The Sahel
OPINION — With little public notice, the two-decades-long U.S. war on terrorism continues in the Sahel, the semi-arid region of western and north-central Africa. According […] More
The Latest
Rethinking US – Africa Engagement
ACADEMIC INCUBATOR — There have been many articles and studies written recently about the continent of Africa. The focus of these articles is on Great […] More
Amid Normalization with Israel, Sudan’s Future Hangs in the Balance
Gary Grappo is a former U.S. ambassador who held senior positions including Minister Counselor for Political Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad; U.S. Ambassador […] More
Northeast Nigeria’s Growing Insecurity Threatens Humanitarian Aid Workers and Civilians
Bottom Line Up Front In the last 12 months alone, a total of 24 aid workers have been killed by non-state armed groups operating […] More
What Turning a Blind Eye to the World Will Cost Us
John McLaughlin served as the Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 2000-2004 and Acting Director of the CIA in 2004. He is a […] More
Spreading Violence and Growing Instability Plague Northern Mozambique
Bottom line upfront The northern Cabo Delgado region of Mozambique is experiencing a significant increase in terrorist attacks, which in turn is driving growing […] More
The OSINT Global Trendline Report
The Cipher Brief’s Open Source Trend Line Report utilizes open source data to track trends around the world that impact national and global security. We break the world […] More
OSINT Global Trendline Report: The Middle East and Africa
The Cipher Brief’s Open Source Trend Line Report utilizes open source data on a quarterly basis to track trends around the world that impact national and global […] More
OSINT Global Trendline Report: COVID and the Americas
The Cipher Brief’s Open Source Trend Line Report utilizes open source data on a quarterly basis to track trends around the world that impact national and global […] More
Coronavirus Exacerbates Growing Conflict and Insecurity in Africa
Bottom Line Up Front Cases of coronavirus are now reported in most African countries. Several African countries have seen a steadily growing number of […] More
Combatting Terrorism in West Africa and the Sahel
Cipher Brief Expert Emile Nakhleh is a retired CIA Senior Intelligence Service Officer and founding director of the CIA’s Political Islam Strategic Analysis Program Office. […] More
France Reconsiders Force Posture in the Sahel Amid Surging Violence
Bottom Line Up Front Islamic State in Greater Sahara (ISGS) is now seen by France and Sahelian countries as the greatest security threat in […] More
OSINT Global Trendline Report
The Cipher Brief’s Open Source Trend Line Report utilizes open source data on a quarterly basis to track trends around the world that impact national […] More
OSINT Trendline Report – The Middle East and North Africa
The Cipher Brief’s Open Source Trendline Report utilizes open source data to track trends around the world that impact national and global security. We break […] More
Al-Shabaab is Resurging in Somalia
Bottom Line Up Front Al-Shabaab, the al-Qaeda-linked jihadist group in Somalia, is resurging again and demonstrating the ability to launch attacks with impunity. Since […] More
The Cipher Brief’s OSINT Trend Line Report
The Cipher Brief’s NEW Open Source Collection Report (OSINT) uses open source data to track trends around the world that impact national and global security. […] More