Whatever Happened to Russia’s Wagner Group?
DEEP DIVE — More than a year after the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the infamous leader of the shadowy Russian mercenary outfit known as the Wagner […] More
Africa
Russia v. Ukraine – in an African Desert
EXCLUSIVE REPORTING — The column of Malian government soldiers and Russian mercenaries from the former Wagner Group was advancing through a shallow valley in the […] More
South Africa Reminder: Freedom Fighters Don’t Always Make Good Rulers
OPINION — In Cold War Angola in the early 1980s, all the liberation movements were located in the Rua da Liberdade on the eastern outskirts […] More
After Saying “Never Again,” Will the World Respond to Genocide in Darfur?
SUBSCRIBER+ EXCLUSIVE REPORTING – Afraid to show his face and wedged into an overstuffed refugee camp on Sudan’s border with Chad, a middle-aged man named […] More
The Latest
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’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
Fighting in Sudan has Far-Reaching Implications
SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW – Hundreds of Americans fled Sudan over the weekend in two convoys headed for port cities. The U.S. government led evacuations some two […] More
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
Ambitions Driving Ankara’s Actions
A considerable amount of quiet, intense diplomacy is underway regarding conflict between Greece and Turkey over energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean. US Secretary of […] More
The Wagner Group: A Russian Symphony of Profit and Politics
Bottom Line Up Front Created in 2014, the Wagner Group is a Russian private military company that maintains close ties to the Kremlin and […] 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
Russian Disinformation in an African Context
Bottom Line Up Front Russia has extended its global disinformation campaign to Africa, where it seeks to promote pro-Russian and anti-Western attitudes through propaganda. […] More
A Political Breakthrough in Sudan?
Bottom Line Up Front Following months of fighting, Sudan’s current ruling military government and the political opposition have forged a power-sharing agreement. What happens […] More
Terror in Tunis
Bottom Line Up Front On June 27, the Tunisian capital of Tunis was rocked by twin suicide blasts that killed one police officer and […] More
Unraveling the Rawi Terrorist Financing Network
Bottom Line Up Front The U.S. Treasury Department recently imposed sanctions on the Rawi terrorist financing network, which helped move funds for the so-called […] More
The New Africa Strategy: Countering Chinese Influence on the Continent
Bottom Line Up Front On December 13, 2018, U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton detailed the Trump administration’s New Africa Strategy. The strategy seeks […] More
The United States at War in Somalia
Bottom Line Up Front On December 17, the U.S. reported that it had conducted six airstrikes in Somalia, killing 62 militants from the al-Qaeda-linked […] More
Boko Haram Evolves but Remains a Substantial Threat in Nigeria
Bottom Line Up Front Boko Haram has evolved from a group focused on economic and social development in Nigeria into a transnational terrorist organization, […] More