Recent Posts

China and Russia are proposing a new authoritarian playbook. MENA leaders are watching closely.

When President Donald Trump lost the 2020 US presidential election to democratic candidate Joe Biden, many leaders in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) saw an ominous warning that democracy may again take center stage in US foreign policy, with autocrats trying to consolidate power in their hands. However, …

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As Qatar becomes a non-NATO ally, greater responsibility conveys with the status

On January 31, US President Biden told the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, that the United States would nominate Qatar as a “Major Non-NATO Ally” (MNNA). This status recognizes the bilateral security cooperation between the United States and Qatar has matured to the level beyond the already …

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Analyzing the Russia-Ukraine Conflict from an African Standpoint

African countries’ reservations on condemning Russia’s invasion to Ukraine can be explored through growing Russian ties with African leaders. Those who did condemn also called out Western double standards on international law. How will African countries react to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and what diplomatic fissures are likely to …

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