Natural Security Series: Global Security and Illegal Fishing in Somalia
On March 13, desperate Somali fishermen hijacked the tanker Aris-13 off the coast of Puntland, in the northeast part of the country. This was the […] More
Africa
Security Concerns Complicate Investment Opportunities in Mozambique
The southeast African country Mozambique presents an investment opportunity for American energy companies. But with this opportunity comes security challenges, including domestic political disputes that […] More
Mozambique: A Strategic Partner for America
Focusing on threats and short-term planning often leads to missed opportunities by governments. Insight is expected to be provided for immediate decision needs, while foresight […] More
Energy Opportunities in Mozambique
Mozambique is a big investment opportunity for energy companies, but concerns over organized crime, corruption, and targeted kidnapping remain, along with a somewhat shaky political […] More
Eritrea: A Potential U.S. Counterterror Partner
Instability and terrorism in the Horn of Africa, along with a massive conflict on the other side of the Red Sea in Yemen, threaten U.S. […] More
Shift in U.S. Policy on Eritrea Unclear
International sanctions and poor relations with neighbors have left Eritrea largely isolated in East Africa. Relations between the U.S. and Eritrea are tense, partially due […] More
Is a Better Relationship with Eritrea Possible?
The U.S. and Eritrea do not have strong bilateral relations. Ever since UN sanctions were imposed in 2009 and again in 2013, doing business in […] More
Conditions in the Sahel Benefit Al Qaeda
The Cipher Brief sat down with Dalia Ghanem-Yazbeck, non-resident scholar at the Carnegie Middle East Center, to discuss the growing threat of al Qaeda and […] More
AQIM Ten Years On
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb’s (AQIM) emergence ten years ago this month was a Hail Mary. In 2004, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika had orchestrated […] More
Mali’s Instability: Advantage, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb’s (AQIM) propensity for kidnapping was back on display earlier this week, as al Qaeda’s North African branch released a […] More
Mali’s Persistent Jihadist Problem
Four years ago, French forces intervened in Mali, successfully averting an al Qaeda-backed thrust toward the capital of Bamako. The French operation went a long […] More
Jammeh to Cede Power, Leave The Gambia
Yahya Jammeh – who ruled The Gambia for more than 22 years – is stepping down and leaving the country the internationally recognized new President […] More
Military Intervention in The Gambia Now More Likely
The Gambia’s Supreme Court was supposed to hold a hearing on a petition to annul the December presidential election, brought by the country’s current President […] More
A Pariah State in West Africa
After more than two decades in power, Gambian President Yahya Jammeh lost the December election to his opponent, Adama Barrow. However, Jammeh now says he […] More
Boko Haram Frees 21 Chibok Schoolgirls
Boko Haram militants have released 21 missing schoolgirls, who were kidnapped from Chibok more than two years ago, to Nigerian authorities as part of a […] More
UN Official Warns of "Extremely Fragile" Situation in DRC
The UN’s top diplomat in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) warned of an “extremely fragile” political situation in the country. Maman Sidikou, head […] More
The DRC: Strong Grip on Power, Weak Handle on Governance
Late on Sunday, Bruno Tshibala, the Deputy Secretary and spokesman of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)’s largest opposition party, the Union for Democracy […] More
Changing the Political Calculus
African leaders have tried many different ways to evade term limits in recent years. Usually these take a form of reinterpreting when an incumbent’s first […] More