In November 2021, a French military convoy was making its way to Mali while passing through Burkina Faso and Niger. It did not get very far. It was stopped in Téra, Niger, and before that at several points in Burkina Faso (in Bobo-Dioulasso and Kaya as well as in Ouagadougou, …

The moment that Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba was ousted by his own former military colleague, Captain Ibrahim Traore, pro-coup crowds filled the streets. Some burned French flags, others carried Russian flags. This scene alone represents the current tussle underway throughout the African continent. A few years ago, the discussion regarding …

Since the death of Mahsa Amini on September 16, unrest in Iranian cities has continued. So far, more than 100 people have been killed in the riots, and many political activists, journalists, and college students have been arrested. On October 3, after over two weeks of silence, the Supreme Leader, …

The Return of Beijing’s Dubious Economic Growth Targets For most of the past four decades, economic development has been the Chinese government’s lodestar. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has implicitly justified its rule by pointing to expansive growth. Indeed, since the Chinese leadership first unveiled an annual growth target, in …

Iranians Have Had Enough of Theocracy The current protests in Iran sound the death knell of the Islamic Republic. The killing in police custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who was arrested for wearing the hijab incorrectly, has unleashed a wave of angry and bloody demonstrations, boycotts, work stoppages, …

Algeria seeks to breathe new life into its investment landscape with a new investment law. Published at the end of July, the updated legislation aims at boosting investment flows in a bid to enhance the country’s economic performance and, more importantly, break with its hydrocarbons dependence. Following years of social …

Iraq’s new president commenced his duties, and the designated prime minister will form his Cabinet next week. Latif Rashid, a veteran political leader in the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) who was elected Oct. 13 as Iraq’s new president, commenced his duties in Al-Salam Palace in Baghdad on Monday. Rashid …

EU sanctions over Iran’s clampdown on dissent unsettled Iranian authorities, which are grappling with one of the biggest domestic challenges they have faced since the 1979 revolution. The spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Nasser Kanani, condemned sanctions slapped by the Council of the European Union on a number of Iranian …

Amid Ankara’s overtures to Damascus, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham — the radical group controlling Idlib — has seized Afrin and is seeking a deal to expand its control further into territories held by factions allied with Turkey. A dramatic shift of control has been underway in Afrin and other areas held …

The following are major takeaways from Xi Jinping’s report to the ongoing 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). — Our Party has dedicated itself to achieving lasting greatness for the Chinese nation and committed itself to the noble cause of peace and development for humanity. Our …