Search results

Syria’s weakened al-Qaida remnants may act as spoilers

Location:

SYRIA

Ansar al-Islam is part of ‘Be Steadfast’ (Fathbutu), a coalition of al-Qaida-linked groups formed in June. Meanwhile, the dominant rebel force in the north, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham…

Afghan elite wavers in face of Taliban onslaught

Location:

AFGHANISTAN

The reported offer, made to Taliban negotiators in Qatar, looked like an act of desperation as Ghazni, 130 kilometres south of Kabul, fell to the Taliban, who subsequently took…

Russia will employ new military unit across Africa

Location:

RUSSIA

Unlike the Wagner private military company (PMC), it is subordinated to the Russian state. The first confirmed deployment of African Corps forces is to Burkina Faso, where it will…

Central African Republic peace deal needs executing

Location:

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

The accord, the full contents of which are still not public, differs from previous deals in that it follows the first direct talks between the parties and because the government…

Russia has the edge in managed competition with Turkey

Location:

RUSSIA/TURKEY

They have backed opposing sides in the Syrian and Libyan conflicts and pursued different objectives there and in Nagorno-Karabakh, in the hope that conflict trends would benefit…

Obama will likely wait out Russia's Syria gambit

Location:

US/RUSSIA

The Russian air campaign has mostly targeted rebels fighting against the Syrian regime rather than Islamic State group (ISG), a significant setback for President Barack Obama's…

Palermo failure will delay Libya’s transition process

Location:

LIBYA

The summit reaffirmed the 2015 Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) and the UN’s Action Plan, with a revised timeline. It also affirmed efforts to unify public finances. However, few…

Turkey-US relationship will become more transactional

Location:

TURKEY/US

The Turkish government's crackdown on internal dissent, and its opposition to Kurdish groups at home and abroad have placed its NATO ally, the United States, in an awkward…

Erdogan may get little on Syria from Moscow trip

Location:

TURKEY/SYRIA

The atmosphere is certain to be tense. With the Turkish army unable to enter Manbij, the two sides will find it difficult to reach agreement. Yet unless they do so, Turkish…

Islamic State threat is a priority for Afghan Taliban

Location:

AFGHANISTAN

The promise is in line with the Taliban's commitment to act against foreign terrorists in Afghanistan, or at least stop them harming the outside world. The current Taliban…