Infighting Threatens Mali Peace, Creating Space for Al Qaida
Bottom Line: A 2015 peace accord between the Mali government and ethnic Tuaregs in the north of the country has failed to produce economic or […] More
Africa
Diminished at Home, Durable Boko Haram May Go Global
Bottom Line: Terrorist group Boko Haram has lost most of the territory it claimed as a “caliphate” within Nigeria back in 2015. But the group […] More
Africa in 2018: China Flexes Muscles & Leaders Shuffle Decks
For this last week of 2017, we asked our experts to look ahead at key national security issues. CIA veteran and Africa hand Frank Archibald […] More
Too Many Generals, Not Enough Troops or Cash to Catch Terrorists in Sahel
A crisscrossing patchwork of African joint security forces have marshalled in North Africa to stamp out terrorism on the continent, with particular focus on the […] More
African Migration: Scourge or Solution?
Marrakech, MOROCCO — Most African migration is taking place inside the continent, despite the headlines that give the impression that Africans trying to flee their […] More
Making a Killing: The Nexus of Terrorism and Wildlife Trafficking
The role of wildlife trafficking in funding militancy and terrorism has received intense attention from conservationists globally as well as from members of the U.S. […] More
AMISOM: A Decade into the Fight Against Al Shabaab
The multinational peacekeeping force known as AMISOM has been losing the momentum in its battle against al Shabaab in Somalia, as evidenced by the massive […] More
ISIS Eyes Sahel As Next Safe Haven
ISIS has lost approximately 95 percent of the territory it once controlled across Syria and Iraq. The group may now set its sights on establishing […] More
Terrorist Safe Haven? Bloodshed Spikes in Central African Republic
Rising violence in the Central African Republic is stoking fears of a return to intense fighting between Christian and Muslim armed groups not seen since […] More
The Central African Republic Is “Getting Worse, Not Better”
Seven people were killed and around 20 others injured over the weekend in a grenade attack on a peace concert in the Central African Republic […] More
Consequences of Conflict in the Central African Republic
Violence is increasing in the Central African Republic, along with reports of potential terrorist connections to the country, making the central African nation a U.S. […] More
African Joint Force to “Bring the Fight & Terror” to Militants
Five African nations who formed a new counterterrorism force conducted their first joint operation this week in the tri-border area between Mali, Niger and Burkina […] More
Decoding the U.S. Mission in Niger
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford said in a news conference on Tuesday he wants to wait for the results of […] More
McCain Pushes for Answers on Deadly Niger Ambush
As questions swirl around what happened during the ambush in southwestern Niger earlier this month that left four American service men dead and two wounded, […] More
The Widespread Disdain for Somalia’s Government
Despite international efforts to combat the terrorist group, al Shabaab remains a dangerous adversary capable of inflicting mass casualties, as demonstrated by Saturday’s truck bomb […] More
Nation Building or Targeted Killings: Tough Choices for U.S. in Somalia
The truck bomb that devastated the Somali capital of Mogadishu and killed more than 320 people on Saturday was the deadliest terrorist attack in Somalia’s […] More
Long-Term Solutions vs. Short-Term Revenge
On Saturday, a truck bomb struck the Somali capital of Mogadishu killing more than 320 people and injuring more than 500 others. While no group […] More
Hundreds Dead in Mogadishu Blast — What Does it Mean for U.S.?
One of Somalia’s worst-ever terrorist attacks may have been spurred in part by a stepped up U.S. counterterrorism campaign against al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab, which […] More