Region and Topics
Gulf Economies Under Pressure from the Iran War: The Strait of Hormuz and the Limits of Fiscal Resilience
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states entered the Iran-related conflict from a stronger financial position than many observers expected. Prior to the escalation, International Monetary Fund projections indicated that…
The Vote of 123: America Alone at the UN, China and Russia Gain Ground in Africa
On March 25th, on the very same day Iranian missiles were falling on Kuwait International Airport, the UN General Assembly convened and voted 123 to 3 to adopt a resolution condemning the transatlantic slave trade as…
Somalia and the Somaliland Card — The Recognition Struggle Penetrates Domestic Politics
The deeper story in the Somalia file does not begin this week. It begins on December 25th, when Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel had become the first country in the world to formally recognize the Republic of…
Uganda: The African General and the Logic of “Crisis Brotherhood”
General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, commander of Uganda’s defense forces and son of President Yoweri Museveni, published a series of posts on X in rapid succession that elevated Uganda’s position on the Middle East war to a…
Trump Gives Iran More Time — While the War Gets Worse
What happened: Trump posted on Truth Social today that he is giving Iran a 10-day extension until April 6 before resuming strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure, saying “talks are ongoing and going very well.” At the…
Syria: The Quiet Battle for Influence Through Energy
Strategic Summary Syria’s energy sector is not just an economic story — it is the arena where regional and global powers are quietly competing to shape post-war Syria. Understanding this file means understanding who will…
North Africa in Motion: Three Pressure Points Reshaping the Maghreb
The Strategic Frame The Maghreb rarely makes global headlines as a unified story. It tends to appear in fragments — a tourism statistic here, a parliamentary vote there. But read together, this week’s developments across…
China’s Geely Bets on Both Sides of the Maghreb Divide
What’s Happening Zhejiang Geely Holding Group — the Chinese automotive and technology conglomerate — is quietly building a dual-track presence in North Africa’s emerging space sector. Through its space arm, Time Space…
NORTH AFRICA & THE RED SEA: REDRAWING THE MAP OF INFLUENCE
What happened? Geopolitical competition over North Africa and the Red Sea is intensifying as traditional maritime corridors face disruption, with multiple regional and international powers racing to consolidate positions…
The Sahel: Where State Authority Erodes and Chaos Expands
What happened? Armed extremist groups continue to expand their geographic foothold across the Sahel — stretching from Mauritania to Sudan — exploiting the retreat of Western military presence and the failure of…
OIL MARKETS & THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ: WHEN THE WORLD’S ECONOMIC ARTERY BECOMES A HOSTAGE
What happened? Serious threats now hover over the Strait of Hormuz amid a partial freeze in tanker movement, while OPEC+ has approved only a limited production increase to absorb the shock. Oil prices are trending upward…
SOUTH SUDAN: A STATE AT THE EDGE OF COLLAPSE — AGAIN
What happened? Armed clashes and mass displacement have intensified in South Sudan as the political process stalls and international attention wanes, amid mounting pressure from the neighboring Sudanese war that has…