Central America and COVID-19: The Pandemic’s Impact on Gang Violence
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the socio-economic and political landscape in Central America – again revealing the degree to which criminal actors are intertwined with local, national, regional, and even global economies.…
Cabo Ligado Weekly: 18-24 May 2020
Situation Summary: 18-24 May Last week saw a lull in insurgent attacks, with only three attacks reported, none resulting in any civilian fatalities. Insurgents burned homes and a fuel station in Mussomero and Namirumo, both in Quissanga district, on 20 May.…
State Atrocities in the Sahel: The Impetus for Counterinsurgency Results is Fueling Government Attacks on Civilians
After eight years of conflict in the Sahel, the international community remains primarily focused on the two main jihadi militant groups driving the sub-regional insurgency in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger: the Al Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS).…
Cabo Ligado Weekly: 10-17 May 2020
Overview of Insurgency The Cabo Delgado insurgency combines extremist religious influences with local political grievances to create a potent threat to Mozambican state control over much of the province. Cabo Delgado is characterized by widespread socio-economic deprivation, but poverty was even more acute in neighboring provinces Nampula and Niassa just before the start of the conflict in 2017, according to the most recent official data.…
Widespread Violence Rises Ahead of Burundi’s 2020 Election
Amid the global coronavirus pandemic, Burundi intends to hold local and national elections on 20 May 2020. The reporting of coronavirus cases in the country remains low ahead of the election, but the Burundian Foreign Ministry expelled the top WHO official and three other WHO experts coordinating the coronavirus response (Al Jazeera, 14 May 2020).…