Somalia’s parliamentary and presidential elections are set to take place amidst a general climate of political tensions and violence. A constitutional crisis stoked by months of political deadlock between President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed ‘Farmaajo’ and the opposition threatens to escalate into a violent conflict pitting federal forces against state-based militias, as well as armed clans…
Last week in Africa, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front suffered numerous territorial losses in Ethiopia; the detention of presidential candidate Bobi Wine prompted violent confrontations in Uganda; and Nigerian state forces launched operations against Ansaru militants, amid ongoing violence in the country’s northwest. Ethiopian federal forces made significant gains against Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF)…
Last week in Africa, fighting between Ethiopian federal forces and Tigrayan forces prompted fears of a civil war in Ethiopia; Al Shabaab launched a series of assassination attempts targeting government figures in Somalia; and opposition parties launched an alternate administration in response to the re-election of President Alassane Ouattara in the Ivory Coast. In Ethiopia,…
Last week in Africa, anti-French demonstrations were reported in several countries; electoral violence proliferated in the Ivory Coast and the Zanzibar autonomous region of Tanzania; and Allied Democratic Forces militants launched deadly attacks on civilian populations in North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Anti-French demonstrations were held in the Muslim majority countries…
Last week in Africa, demonstrations against police brutality continued to gain traction in Nigeria; ongoing election-related demonstrations and violence were reported in Guinea and the Ivory Coast; and an Al Shabaab ambush resulted in Somalia’s deadliest clash of the year. In Nigeria, #EndSARS demonstrations against police brutality have continued to grow across the country. Several…
Last week in Africa, anti-government demonstrations restarted in Guinea during the lead up to presidential elections; Al Shabaab increased operations targeting African Union forces in Somalia; and a peace accord collapsed in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Anti-government demonstrations restarted in Guinea, against Alpha Condé’s candidacy for a third presidential term. The National Front for…
Last week in Africa, Kenyan and Somali forces clashed following a Kenyan military incursion into Somalia; secessionist violence was reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, and Ghana; and anti-government demonstrations were reported in Egypt and Cameroon. The killing of three civilians by Kenyan state forces in Somalia’s Gedo region prompted large anti-Kenya demonstrations…
Last week in Africa, the Libyan National Army targeted Islamic State militants in Sabha; Al Shabaab militants killed a minister with the Hirshabelle regional government in Somalia; and election-related violence was reported in Uganda, Nigeria, Liberia, and the Ivory Coast. In Libya, Libyan National Army (LNA) forces killed multiple Islamic State (IS) militants, including foreign…
In our special report on 10 conflicts to worry about at the start of 2020, ACLED identified a range of flashpoints and emerging crises where violent political disorder was likely to evolve and worsen over the course of the year: the Sahel, Mexico, Yemen, India, Somalia, Iran, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Lebanon, and the United States. Our…
Last week in Africa, Puntland forces launched operations against Islamic State forces in Somalia, the Islamic State staged significant attacks in Egypt’s North Sinai, and heavy intercommunal violence erupted in Ethiopia, Sudan, and South Sudan. In Egypt, Islamic State launched a complex attack on military forces in the Bir Al-Abd area of North Sinai, centred…