Ideas

Expect More Self-Destruction from Egypt's Sisi

The new Egypt, with its over-reliance on violence, coercion, and lies, looks strikingly similar to the old one.

Business

US Air Force Might Delay Retiring A-10 Attack Plane

Afghanistan, Africa, Iraq and Syria—all three conflicts might lead the U.S. Air Force to delay retirement of the A-10 'Warthog,' a top general said.

Threats

How Al-Shabab Could Get Their Hands on a Nuclear Core

Kenya is facing a terrible dilemma: Run out of energy for its citizens, or risk terrorists seizing a nuclear power plant.

Threats

What the Syrian Train-and-Equip Effort Could Learn from US Ops in Africa

The commander of U.S. special operators in Africa also says African warlord Joseph Kony is on the run — but he needs more authority from Congress to broaden the U.S. military’s mission in Africa.

Ideas

Don’t Call Warlord Territory an ‘Ungoverned Space'

If we are to restore the rule of law to areas held by non-government groups, we must consider the sort of order they provide.

Science & Tech

African States Hop on the Network Surveillance Bandwagon

Governments in Sudan, Nigeria, South Africa and Ethiopia are the latest to deploy sophisticated network eavesdropping tools against their citizens.

Ideas

The Boko Haram War Machine Is Far from Defeated

Pushed back by government troops, the extremist group has shown its flexibility by returning to more asymmetric tactics.

Threats

Burkina Faso's Elite Troops Just Took Control of the Country

The West African nation is no stranger to military coups. And the latest caps months of tension between the transitional government and a unit of shadowy presidential security guards.

Ideas

The Allure of ISIS Has Reached Long-Stable Ghana

So far, recruits number a tiny handful of people in a nation of 26 million. But Ghanaians should hear alarm bells ringing.

Ideas

The Nigerian Military's Inconvenient Truth

By emphasizing his desire for weapons above military reforms, Nigeria's new president squandered a valuable opportunity to raise an important issue in U.S. policy circles.

Ideas

Obama Must Address Kenya’s Alarmingly Weak Counterterrorism Plan

Kenya is under immediate terrorism threat, yet its leaders block civil organizations, target Muslims and extort bribes.

Policy

After Obama Snub, Nigerian President Brings Security Wish List to Washington

Some critics questioned President Obama’s omission of Nigeria on his upcoming trip to Africa. President Buhari's visit to Washington this week may help bridge that gap.

Threats

What International Law Says When Boko Haram's Captive Nigerian Girls Commit Atrocities

The world must determine who's at fault after Nigeria's terrorist organization forced many kidnapped Chibok girls to do horrible things.

Threats

Can Tunisia Stop Terrorism With a Wall?

History suggests that building a wall on the Libyan border might not be all that effective.

Threats

To Beat Boko Haram, Nigeria Must Craft a Future for Its Child Soldiers

Boko Haram has anywhere between 7,000 and 10,000 regular fighters, and no military campaign against them can—or should—envisage killing them all.

Ideas

Forget Ivory, Africa's al-Shabaab Terrorists Are Getting Rich on Coal in Somalia

False portrayals of the terrorist group's role in the ivory trade could leave us with both more terrorists and fewer elephants in Africa.

Threats

Boko Haram and Nigeria's Army Are in a Human Rights Abuse Feedback Loop

Just as the White House wants to escalate its role in Nigeria's war with Boko Haram, Amnesty International says Abuja's army has a disturbing abundance of human rights abuses all its own.

Threats

How Kenya’s Counterterrorism Effort Turned Counterproductive

Even the staunchest anti-Shabaab Somali community feels alienated by the security forces’ brutal tactics.

Threats

New Nigerian President Buhari Has a New Plan for Taking on Boko Haram

Muhammadu Buhari's op-ed in the New York Times signals a change in approach to taking on the terrorist group.