America’s blind spot: Sahel instability threatens future of U.S.–Africa ties
Over the course of 2025, Cornell University has recalibrated business diplomacy that is the core institutionalized American foreign interaction with African countries by the Trump administration which has led to commercial interaction as opposed to conventional aid. In a July summit in Washington, D.C. where leaders of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania and Senegal were present, […]
Sahel’s Exploding Terror Deaths: Can Regional Alliances Reverse the Trend?
The Sahel is now considered the most dangerous terrorism area in the world as more than half of the terror attacks deaths in the world in 2024 and first half of 2025 were recorded in the region. The 2025 Global Terrorism Index indicated that the number of deaths in the Sahel had reached 3,885 out […]
Famine as a Weapon: ICC Allegations, Humanitarian Collapse, and Sudan’s Future
The humanitarian meltdown in those parts of Sudan referred to as Darfur is quickly emerging as a legal and ethical point of departure by the international community. With millions of people being acutely food insecure and numerous zones having been officially declared in famine with more than 25m people, there is now formal investigation by […]
Terrorism Redefined: Kenya’s State Violence and the Criminalization of Protest
In 2025, the mass protests led by young people became a historic event in Kenya and became an identity test of the democracy of this nation. Inspired by long-standing frustrations with corruption, mismanagement of the economy and inequality, the protests have been met by a state reaction that has become more and more militarized and […]
Somalia’s Ongoing Struggle: Security Gains Amid Persistent Terror Threats
At the end of 2025, Somalia has not yet left the complicated security situation field, where the al-Shabaab insurgency has been reborn. Following a rather successful pivot to focusing on land control in the periphery in 2022-2023, the militant organization has now surged back to capturing vital ground in the South and the Center of […]
Algeria’s EU Blacklisting: Security Imperative Or Political Pressure?
In July 2025, the European Parliament placed Algeria under the EU list of high-risk countries in money laundering and terrorism financing. This is the category of classified listings that require the application of enhanced due diligence to be used by EU banks and institutions when interacting with Algerian entities, in adherence to recommendations developed by […]
HTS’s Rebranding: Can Lifting the Terrorist Label Bring Lasting Stability?
On 3 July 2025, the United States removed Hay Tahrir AL Sham (HTS) from its list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations. The reasoning behind this decision will be following a series of events that started with the collapse of the regime of Bashar al-Assad late in 2024 and the establishment of a transitional coalition and the […]
Proxy War or State Terrorism? The UAE’s Role in Sudan’s Crisis
The civil war in Sudan which erupted in April 2023 has become one of the disruptive and most lethal conflicts in the world. The clash between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) under the command of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), of Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti) has literally divided the country. […]
Trump’s Africa Policy Aid Cuts Fueling Terrorism Risks in 2025?
Since entering office in January 2025, President Trump has issued more than 70 executive orders reshaping U.S. foreign aid. In one sweeping move, the “Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid” directive ordered immediate suspension of thousands of USAID projects across Africa. Staff were told to cease operations and refrain from incurring new costs. Only […]
Why Weak Governance Enables Extremist Financing in West Africa
The prevalence of violent extremism in West Africa is a result of the demand of radical terrorist groups which are prepared to take advantage of the institutional weakness in the region. Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) and Islamic State in the West African Province (ISWAP) are some […]