Africa
Are African nations putting policing over public health?
In the health and epidemiological challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, countries have had little choice but to introduce strict measures to contain its spread, banning…
Mauritius, Diego Garcia and the small matter of nukes
Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia is a key part of the US global military network. The dispute over sovereignty of Diego Garcia is heating up, with the UK coming under…
To act, or not? Al-Shabaab’s response to a Covid-19 crisis in Somalia
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, regional security agencies have flagged the potential for a new wave of violent extremism to emerge within Somalia. World Health Organisation…
As Africa prepares to fight Covid-19, China steps up
As China slowly begins to recover from Covid-19 and re-start its economy, it is seeking to position itself at the head of the global virus response and fill the void in…
Coronavirus in conflict: The fight has hardly begun
The War on Covid-19
In the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, the mobilising language of war is being used by leaders from UN Secretary-General António Guterres and World Health…
Middle East dispatch: MBS purge, dam dispute, refugees in jeopardy
Vulnerable cases
Early efforts to contain Covid-19 focused on quarantining those travelling by air, leaving the impression of coronavirus as a disease mostly affecting stable and…
The tiny African country making a big case against Myanmar
Last month, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague announced a decision ordering that Myanmar’s Rohingya people be protected from further atrocities. Myanmar…
In Africa, the US plays catch-up with China
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has announced his first trip to Africa, 15–19 February, with stops in Senegal, Ethiopia, and Angola. The choice of these three countries…
Diego Garcia: Unnerving neighbours and raising ghosts
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a non-binding decision in February 2019 supporting Mauritius’s claim to the UK-administered Chagos Archipelago, which includes…
Australia’s stance on Diego Garcia dispute is increasingly untenable
The US base on the island of Diego Garcia, in the middle of the Indian Ocean, is among the most important US military facilities in the world, and is the foundation stone of the…