Radio France Internationale

August 26, 2024 | Caleb Weiss |

Al Qaeda kills hundreds in Burkina Faso attack

On Saturday, the Group for Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), Al Qaeda’s branch for West Africa, killed at least 200 people in a massive assault in central Burkina Faso. The strike took place in the...

January 23, 2023 | Caleb Weiss |

Northern Mali clans swear allegiance to JNIM

Over the weekend, the Group for Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), al Qaeda’s branch in the Sahel and much of West Africa, published photos showing several notables from various local clans in northern...

December 14, 2015 |

A Backlash Builds Against Saudi Salafism

The recent terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino have once again put Saudi Arabia's brand of Salafi Islam, known as Wahhabism, under the microscope. In both Europe and the United Sta...

March 11, 2013 | The Long War Journal

Confusion Reigns in Confirming Deaths of Senior AQIM Leaders in Mali

By LWJ Staff The fate of fugitive al Qaeda affiliate Mokhtar Belmokhtar, the mastermind of the deadly terrorist assault against an Algerian gas plant in January, remains uncerta...

September 23, 2010 | World Defense Review

When Crime Does Pay

In my annual survey of African "hot spots" back in January, I noted that "al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) seems to be stirring again as well as getting more involved in illicit trafficking...

December 10, 2009 | Dr. J. Peter Pham World Defense Review

Guinea: In Search of a Soft Landing

Guinea cannot seem to catch a break. In 1958, it was the only French colony to opt for an immediate break with France rather than continued association with Paris leading to gradual inde...

November 12, 2009 | World Defense Review

Return of the Somali Pirates

By Dr. Peter Pham After maintaining a relatively low profile since the end of the monsoon season two months ago, Somali pirates literally shot their way back into the headlines...

November 3, 2009 | World Defense review

Climate Change and Security in Africa

By Dr. J. Peter Pham For much of Africa's post-independence history, "African unity" was more an aspiration than a reality. Consequently, even when, as I...

October 22, 2009 | Dr. J. Peter Pham World Defense review

The New U.S. Sudan Policy: A Preliminary Review

By Dr. J. Peter Pham After a weekend marked by leaks to the Washi...

October 15, 2009 | World Defense Review

Eritrea: Spoiler Exacerbates Crisis in the Horn of Africa and Beyond

By Dr. J. Peter Pham One of the frustrations with which Africa's friends have had to repeatedly cope over the years has been the seemingly utter incapacity of the African l...

October 1, 2009 | World Defense Review

Guinea: At the Edge of the Precipice

By Dr. Walid Phares When Captain Moussa Dadis Camara seized power the day before Christmas Eve last year following the death of longtime ruler General Lansana Conté, I wa...

September 24, 2009 | World Defense Review

Putting Puntland’s Potential into Play

By Dr. J. Peter Pham In last week's column, I noted that the United States military and intelligence communitie...

September 17, 2009 | World Defense Review

Somali Instability Still Poses Threat Even After Successful Strike on Nabhan

By Dr. J. Walid Phares The United States struck an important blow against Islamist terrorism in the Horn of Africa earlier this week when, in the middle of the day on Monday, Sp...