Kaduna’s train attacks add to Nigeria’s deep security problems

The brazen targeting of transport and state infrastructure reflects a security breakdown that threatens lives and economic prospects.

On 28 March, bandits attacked a Kaduna-bound train in central Nigeria carrying 970 passengers. At least eight people were killed, and 168 were kidnapped and are still missing. This unprecedented act of violence, attributed to the failure of authorities to act on intelligence reports, has heightened concerns about a breakdown of security in the country.

Dialogue with jihadists: Mauritania offers lessons for the Sahel

Mauritania’s strategy of preventing radicalisation drastically reduced youth recruitment by terrorists and helped prevent attacks since 2011.

If a decade of military operations hasn’t resolved the disastrous security crisis in the Sahel, could talking to the jihadists help bring peace? Dialogue isn’t a new idea, but Western partners have long opposed it, especially France. As their influence declines, the notion is becoming less taboo.

Hybrid warfare – Africa beware

The recent Mali case shows that countries undergoing transition or conflict mediation are susceptible to hybrid threats.

Africa is rapidly becoming a theatre for hybrid threats. Allegations of state-backed information campaigns designed to ramp up divisions in Mali and cyber attacks on humanitarian relief organisations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are examples. The use of drones as weapons in the Horn of Africa, Sahel and Mozambique by violent armed groups, state actors or their proxies also signals this emerging trend.

Exposed: The Russian Companies That Will Get Billions From New Iran Nuclear Deal

U.S.-government document shows Russia’s top state companies stand to cash in when sanctions drop

Several of Russia’s top state-controlled nuclear companies stand to gain billions of dollars in revenue as part of a new nuclear accord with Iran that will waive sanctions on these firms so that they can build up Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure, according to a U.S. government-authored document reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon.

Turkey: What Happens When You Have No Freedom of Speech

“In Turkey, human rights lawyers are particularly targeted for their work representing human rights defenders, victims of human rights violations, victims of police violence and torture, and many people who simply express dissenting opinions.” — Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, June 9, 2021.

Zelenskyy wants Ukraine to be ‘a big Israel.’ Here’s a road map.

Speaking to reporters this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the future he sees for his country in unusual terms: as “a big Israel.”

Gone, he said, are hopes for “an absolutely liberal” state—replaced by the likely reality of armed defense forces patrolling movie theaters and supermarkets. “I’m confident that our security will be the number-one issue over the next ten years,” Zelenskyy added.

Turkey, US launch new strategic mechanism amid Ukraine crisis

The long-awaited Turkish-US strategic mechanism aims to set up regular channels to help the two countries cooperate where they can and prevent outstanding issues from blowing up into crises.

Following months of diplomacy, Turkey and the United States have launched a strategic mechanism to boost cooperation in areas such as economy and defense.

Ukraine can be a model for helping those trapped in Afghanistan

From around the world, governments, NGOs and volunteers have poured support into Ukraine — from military assistance to medical supplies and humanitarian aid. Countries surrounding Ukraine have opened their borders to welcome the millions of Ukrainians seeking safety. These efforts to stand in unity with the people of Ukraine are admirable and laudable.

The US Navy had cybersecurity wrong. Expect change.

The U.S. Navy has framed cybersecurity incorrectly for years and is now chipping away at a new approach that better suits the contemporary environment, the service’s chief information officer said Tuesday.

“I have made the assertion now, publicly, multiple times. You may have heard me say it. But I believe that the way that we view cybersecurity in the Department of Navy is wrong,” Aaron Weis said at the Sea-Air-Space conference. “We view cybersecurity as a compliance problem, and it is most definitely not a compliance problem.”