Publications

This alert discusses two of the most pressing security problems now facing President Buhari in Nigeria – 1) the threat posed by a new generation of militants in the Niger Delta known as the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), and 2) Boko Haram, which despite being largely confined to the country's northeast, still remains an active menace.chevron_right

Certain Balkan countries are among Europe’s top exporters of foreign fighters to Daesh, Jabhat al-Nusra and other violent Islamist groups. This Alert focuses its attention on this overlooked problem within the region, along with the rise of Islamic extremism in general.chevron_right

This brief contends that while the 2016 restoration of a democratically-elected political authority in the Central African Republic (CAR) is a positive breakthrough, it is no panacea for the country's ills. The text’s author further discusses 1) the human and economic costs of the CAR's recent civil war...chevron_right

This brief discusses the role digital data is playing in the large-scale migration still underway in Europe. More specifically, the text’s author discusses 1) the data processing difficulties which the EU is experiencing as a result of the influx of people trying to cross its borders...chevron_right

This text analyzes the rekindling of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in April 2016. With the prospects of a lasting settlement now more remote than ever, the author examines 1) how do both sides see the situation on the ground, and 2) what might be done to avoid further hostilities.chevron_right

This report focuses on the territorial disputes that currently put peace and stability in the Asia-pacific region at risk. More specifically, it 1) assesses the possible implications and consequences of the upcoming ruling from the ICJ’s Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) on the rival claims in the South China Sea...chevron_right

This publication focuses on the growing militarism in Central Asia, which is particularly significant for China. After all, with Chinese companies pursuing ambitious investment projects in this dicey region...chevron_right

This brief takes stock of the damage which South Sudan’s 2013-2016 civil war inflicted on the country. In particular, the author discusses the number of casualties which resulted from the war, the economic and political costs of the conflict, and some of the difficulties which will need to be overcome if there is to be a lasting peace.chevron_right

This brief focuses on the chronic political instability that afflicts many of the countries located in the Great Lakes Region of Africa. More specifically, the text’s authors 1) explore how democratic consolidation can be hindered (or undone) when presidents and their parties use political patronage to keep civil society and opposition groups at bay; and 2) contemplate the mixed results of the African and European Unions’ attempts to address the Great Lakes Region’s persistent instability.chevron_right

This brief looks at the emergence of ‘minilateralism’ – i.e., the ad hoc diplomatic process where a small group of interested parties work together to complement the work of international organizations – and then examines the benefits of this particular mechanism.chevron_right

This Alert discusses the ongoing competition between Daesh and al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) to secure supporters, fighters and money. In the last case, both organizations have established kidnapping-for-ransom ‘industries’ that could work against them in the long-term.chevron_right

This brief examines the state of current social and political dynamics within the United States and analyzes how these conditions have contributed to the so called ‘Trump Phenomenon.’ The author attri...chevron_right

This paper analyzes recent developments in Italy’s long-standing relationship with Russia in the midst of both an ongoing crisis in EU-Russia relations and Russia’s economic recession. Despite an exte...chevron_right

This paper examines the concerns that exist over the EU’s democratic legitimacy, along with the European project as a whole. More specifically, the text’s authors 1) review how the legitimacy debate fits within the broader institutional crises that now exist at the national and global levels...chevron_right

The authors of this text explore the historical antecedents of Da'ish and the group’s complicated relationship with the rulers of Saudi Arabia. They particularly consider the impact of the Ikhwan in the formation of the third – and current – Saudi state, and the aftereffects of the Grand Mosque incident in 1979.chevron_right