Regional Overview – Middle East 30 April 2018

Analysis, Civilians At Risk, Conflict Monitoring, Current Hotspots, Middle East, Remote Violence, Rioting And Protests, Violence Against Civilians
The number of political violence events recorded in Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, and Palestine dropped this week, while the number of events in Bahrain and Turkey rose considerably. Meanwhile Syria is seeing a renewed focus by various forces on fighting the Islamic State, while fighting remains roughly static in Yemen.…

Regional Overview – Africa 30 April 2018

Africa, Analysis, Boko Haram, Civilians At Risk, Conflict Monitoring, Current Hotspots, Remote Violence, Rioting And Protests, Violence Against Civilians
Key trends in Africa on the week of April 22nd include the growing Ambazonian insurgency in Cameroon, the continued use of pro-government militias to counter rebellion in Sudan’s Darfur, and the repression against citizens’ resistance against bad governance practices across a number of contexts in Eastern and Southern Africa.…

The Russian Involvement in Syria, Whom Do They target?

Analysis, Civilians At Risk, Conflict Monitoring, Islamic State, Islamist Violence, Middle East, Violence Against Civilians
There is considerable debate over Russia’s ulterior motives in Syria. While motives may be hard to disentangle, ACLED data can shed light on Russia’s choice of targets. The Russian Defense ministry insists being in Syria to fight terrorist organizations (the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda affiliates).…