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By 2050, Africa’s population is projected to reach 2.5 billion, with nine of the world’s fastest-growing economies located on the continent. As Africa’s global significance rises, I argue in this Op-Ed that the U.S. must move beyond its restrictive, rules-based approach to foreign policy and foster partnerships that respect Africa’s autonomy. This is increasingly urgent as China and Russia expand their influence through pragmatic, business-driven investments and military-backed alliances, offering alternatives that resonate with African nations.
This report is the second installment in a joint series of publications by ACLED and GITOC. It explores the dynamics of armed banditry in North West Nigeria, aiming to unravel their evolution, structure and the illicit economies that bandit groups engage in for financing and resourcing, as well as their interactions with local communities and other non-state armed groups. Focusing on Nigeria’s North West region, this report explores the internal dynamics of armed bandit groups, as well as the ecosystem and landscapes within which they operate, identifying potential entry points for interventions. As concerns grow regarding potential alliances between some bandit groups and violent extremist organizations – namely Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Ansaru and Jama’atu AhlusSunnah Lidda’Awati Wal Jihad (JAS) – operating in North West, this report explores not only to what extent these alliances exist but what shapes their formation.
Ten years after the Chibok girls kidnapping, Boko Haram continues to be a threat to civilians in Borno state — where 1.8 million civilians have been exposed to the insurgent group’s violence since 2020 — and spread to neighboring Cameroon, Chad, and Niger in the Lake Chad region. This report discusses Boko Haram’s trajectory and the results of Nigeria’s regional response.
This article underscores the urgent need for robust electoral systems to counter democratic backsliding and ensure that African leaders govern with the legitimacy required to meet their citizens' aspirations. Photo credit: Pexels
Drawing on a human security-based approach in framing pandemic responses, this paper with Dr. Yvan Ilunga addresses questions related to public health security and its impact on economic governance, civil and political rights, and institutional stability in the African region.
This policy report assesses the effectiveness of the first 24 months of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) in implementing its mandated tasks, with a particular focus on the Mission’s support for Sudan’s political transition process and its partnership with the AU and IGAD.
In this infographic with Curtis Goos, we unpack the data on Nigeria’s kidnapping crisis, mapping the key players, targets, and trends.
How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected democratic processes? This paper seeks to examine the dilemma of public health crises during elections. We investigate how the pandemic and government-adopted measures to curb the spread of the virus have given room for abuse of democratic processes, especially in Burundi.
In this paper, I examine current regional strategies employed to counter extremism in the Lake Chad Basin region using the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) as a case study. I highlight the importance of non-military actors in shaping African regional military strategies by assessing current LCBC collaborative mechanisms with non-military actors under the Regional Stabilisation Strategy created in 2018.
What lessons can be drawn from the #EndSARS movement in Nigeria? In this analysis, I identify three lessons from the #EndSARS movement and highlight what the government’s response means for Nigeria’s fragile political stability and security.
This commentary examines the tightrope of feminist politics and the need for more women leaders in Nigeria using the Feminist Coalition and the #EndSARS protests as a case study. Photo credit: Kaizenify / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
In this piece for the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, I examine the escalating violence in Nigeria's North West region using Kaduna as a case study. I argue that Nigeria’s North West region requires applying lessons from the fight against Boko Haram, including the need for community outreach and adapting the use of the Joint Military Task Force to unique local threats.
Following the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls in 2014, Boko Haram gained notoriety as the deadliest terrorist group in the world. Where is Nigeria today in the war against terrorism?
This commentary explains Nigeria's Operation Safe Corridor program, which is aimed at deradicalizing, rehabilitating, and reintegrating ex-Boko Haram combatants. Photo credit: IMMANUEL AFOLABI
This article discusses Africa and Militant Jihadism. It highlights why definitions are important in evaluating "Transnational Jihadi Groups" and the role that ideology can play in counterterrorism efforts.