Prelude to the Attack In the early hours of Monday, May 12, 2025, fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) launched a coordinated assault on the Nigerian Army’s Forward Operating Base (FOB) of the 153 Task Force Battalion in Marte Local Government Area of Borno State. The attack began around 3:00 a.m., leading…
Introduction In May 2025, Libya’s capital, Tripoli, was engulfed in its most intense fighting in years. The violence, triggered by the assassination of a key militia leader, Nosignals not only a dangerous escalation of militia rivalries but also a critical turning point in the power dynamics of Libya’s fractured political landscape. Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah,…
A Strategy Spinning Out of Control The military junta, led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, rose to power in late 2022 promising to secure the country from jihadist groups. But nearly 40% of Burkina Faso remains outside of state control, plagued by violence from insurgent groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. In recent months,…
In a world becoming ever more characterized by multipolar rivalries and realignments of alliances, recent events between the United States, Russia, and China deserve critical analysis from a conflict and international relations perspective. While China and Russia forge a strategic counterbalance against Western primacy, the United States’ pivot in Gaza from UN-led relief mechanisms towards…
The recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, a tourist hotspot in Kashmir, has reignited India–Pakistan tensions, leading to a fresh diplomatic standoff with far-reaching regional implications. Several tourists were killed in the April 2025 ambush, which Indian intelligence links to militants with alleged Pakistani support. India’s Response: Expulsions and Treaty Suspensions In the immediate aftermath, India…
