insert_link Africa Sudan is burning and foreign powers are benefiting – what’s in it for the UAE By May Darwich, University of Birmingham The United Nations has accused foreign players of prolonging the war in Sudan, making it harder for the country to find peace. The fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces started in April 2023. It was sparked by two generals competing for power after a failed political transition. Since then, the conflict has taken on a regional […] todaySeptember 12, 2024 34
insert_link Africa Russia-Ukraine war spills into west Africa: Mali attacks signal dangerous times ahead By Olayinka Ajala, Leeds Beckett University Russia suffered significant blows to its reputation in mid-2024. An attack on its territory by Ukraine came as a surprise. In west Africa, the Wagner mercenary group, supported by Russia, suffered one of its heaviest fatalities in Mali. An alliance of Tuareg rebel groups known as the Permanent Strategic Framework for the Defense of the People of Azawad joined forces in late […] todayAugust 19, 2024 25
insert_link Africa Mali is still unsafe under the military: why it hasn’t made progress against rebels and terrorists By Oluwole Ojewale, Institute for Security Studies; Freedom C. Onuoha, University of Nigeria, and Samuel Oyewole, University of Pretoria The scale of casualties suffered by the Wagner group and Malian forces during a recent assault in the Tinzaouaten region reveal vulnerability in Mali’s counterinsurgency posture. The attack was reported in the media as the biggest loss for Russian paramilitaries in several years of operating in Africa. Although there […] todayAugust 9, 2024 21
insert_link Opinion Pieces Wagner Group is now Africa Corps. What this means for Russia’s operations on the continent By Alessandro Arduino, King's College London In August 2023, Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin died after his private jet crashed about an hour after taking off in Moscow. He had been Russia’s pointman in Africa since the Wagner Group began operating on the continent in 2017. The group is known for deploying paramilitary forces, running disinformation campaigns and propping up influential political leaders. It has had a […] todayFebruary 16, 2024 8
insert_link Africa Niger and Russia are forming military ties: 3 ways this could upset old allies By Olayinka Ajala, Leeds Beckett University In July 2023, Niger’s military took over in a coup just two years after the country’s first transition to civilian power. The coup has brought into sharp focus the role of foreign countries in Niger’s politics. Before the coup, France and the US were the main security allies of Niger. But the coup leaders, led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani, were open about […] todayJanuary 30, 2024 17