An unequal world: Are we facing more conflict?

An unequal world: Are we facing more conflict?

By Paul Rogers Rising inequality provides ripe pickings for militant Islamist groups plotting insurgencies – and ensures the ‘war on terror’ is far from over. My most recent column warned of the escalating threat of worsening conflicts driven by al-Qaida, Isis and...
What has prevented an end to the Syrian war?

What has prevented an end to the Syrian war?

By Hanlie Booysen Ten years on from the Syrian uprising, what has prevented an end to the tragedy? Ten years ago this month, Syrians took to the streets to call for political reform and social dignity. The success with which earlier protest movements in Tunisia and...
Can peace come to Yemen? 🔊

Can peace come to Yemen? 🔊

Since 2014, Yemen has been embroiled in an ongoing civil war. In the process, it has become the salient battleground for the ongoing rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran and has been described as the world’s worst humanitarian disaster by the UN. What are the...
Is Taiwan a geopolitical flashpoint?

Is Taiwan a geopolitical flashpoint?

By Steve Hoadley It is hoped that moderation in Beijing, Washington, and Taipei will prevent the Taiwan flashpoint from igniting, says Steve Hoadley. Taiwan is more than an offshore island of China. It is also an armed flashpoint at the edge of a geopolitical frontier...
Can peace come to the Western Sahara? 🔊

Can peace come to the Western Sahara? 🔊

In November last year, a near three-decade-old ceasefire in the disputed region of Western Sahara was broken, and war resumed. This territory has been a tinderbox of conflict since Spain decolonised in 1975. What are the roots of this conflict? Why has conflict...
What lies behind the war in Tigray?

What lies behind the war in Tigray?

By Asafa Jalata At the core of the current war between the Ethiopian central government and the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front is the realignment of politics and the contest for political hegemony. In my view, it is about Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed allying with the...
Has peace come to Nagorno-Karabakh? 🔊

Has peace come to Nagorno-Karabakh? 🔊

On September 27, 2020, fighting along the so-called line of control between Azerbaijan and the region of Nagorno-Karabakh broke out. Azerbaijani forces advanced throughout the month, and Armenian resistance struggled to hold territory. On November 10, the two sides...
What is the ongoing Nagorno-Karabakh war about? 🔊

What is the ongoing Nagorno-Karabakh war about? 🔊

On September 27, fighting along the so-called line of control between Azerbaijan and the region of Nagorno-Karabakh erupted. This area of Azerbaijan is majority Armenian and has been de facto-controlled by the local Armenian population since the end of the war between...