Photo of Kigali Memorial Centre in Rwanda (taken by Fanny Schertzer, Wikimedia Commons) By Jacob Goldstein, Columnist In the eyes of most people around the globe, the Rwandan genocide ended in 1994. Yet, to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and its neighbors, the tensions underlying the Rwandan genocide are still present and once … Continue reading The Still-Present Ghosts of Rwanda
Category: Sub-Saharan Africa
AQIM: A History
AQIM Fighters in the Algerian Desert, Wikimedia Commons By Sudakshina Chattopadhyay, Columnist Through a sort of jihadist-evolution al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is the most recent reincarnation of a Salafi-jihadist militant group operating in the Sahara and Sahel. AQIM’s roots can be traced back to the early 1990s Armed Islamic Group, or in … Continue reading AQIM: A History
Will Cheap Oil Hamper Nigeria’s Fight against Boko Haram?
Boko Haram's Logo, Wikimedia Commons By Jacob Goldstein, Columnist The global community generally regards falling crude oil prices as a positive development. Cheap oil means less expensive gas and lower heating bills. Yet it also indicates future struggles for countries reliant on oil production to raise revenue. Analysts often focus on how low oil … Continue reading Will Cheap Oil Hamper Nigeria’s Fight against Boko Haram?
Not So “Beautiful Blaise”
Blaise Compaoré, Wikimedia Commons By Sudakshina Chattopadhyay, Columnist After 27 years in power, Burkina Faso’s former President Blaise Compaoré relinquished his office on October 31st, 2014 amidst chaotic protests in the capital city of Ouagadougou. The protests were triggered by the president’s attempt to change the nation’s constitution and extend his presidential term. Though Mali, Niger, … Continue reading Not So “Beautiful Blaise”
Is Egypt repeating Iraq’s mistakes?
Wikimedia Commons By John Rodriguez Much of the blame for the recent crisis in Iraq, with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) seizing large swaths of territory, has been laid at the feet of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and his sectarian policies. Aaron David Miller, Vice President for New Initiatives at the … Continue reading Is Egypt repeating Iraq’s mistakes?
Countering al-Shabaab’s Virtual Western Recruitment
By Jamie Geller | Seeking to geographically expand its jihad, al-Qaeda-core established relations with Somali Islamic militants in the mid-1990s. Those same militants later comprised the al-Qaeda Somali affiliate, Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahedeen, or al-Shabaab.[1] Over the years, the group has become better organized and more sophisticated. Al-Shabaab’s September 21, 2013 attack at Westgate shopping … Continue reading Countering al-Shabaab’s Virtual Western Recruitment
Unsustainable Peace in Mali
Photo by Magharebia/Flickr | By Whit Miller | During the spring of 2012, Mali witnessed brief, but fierce, fighting between al-Qa’ida-affiliated Islamists, Tuareg nomads, and Malian government troops, which were eventually assisted by French forces in January 2013.[1] In Mali, as in everything regarding African politics and security, the situation is extremely complex. June 2013 saw … Continue reading Unsustainable Peace in Mali
Intervention in Somalia: A Misguided Model for Success in Mali
Photo by UNAMID/Flickr | This article was featured in GSSR Vol. 1 Issue 1 | By Kate Mrkvicka |In March 2012, the government of Mali was overthrown in a military coup. Seizing on the instability and power vacuum, insurgent groups, including al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), took over control of vast swaths of territory in the … Continue reading Intervention in Somalia: A Misguided Model for Success in Mali
Libya and the United States: More than Benghazi
Photo by Brandon Aitchison This op-ed was featured in GSSR Vol. 1 Issue 1. By Andrew Engel The September 11, 2012 attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya renewed our national focus on a country we helped to liberate a year ago – and then soon forgot. But rather than debate the components of a … Continue reading Libya and the United States: More than Benghazi