Council on Foreign Relations
Thursday, April 28, 2016 - 06:27
In 2009, following Boko Haram’s apparent revolt, the details of which remain murky and contentious, the Nigerian security services, mostly the army, destroyed the group’s Maiduguri compound.
Thursday, March 24, 2016 - 06:19
In essence the United States is back where we began, supporting a repressive regime in the supposed interest of stability.The only differences are that Sisi is more repressive than Mubarak, and that because of ISIS the stakes are higher today.
Monday, January 4, 2016 - 08:57
The Cameroonian military is facing accusations of misconduct. On December 8, the Associated Press (AP) reported that Cameroonian troops crossed into Nigeria and killed about 150 villagers, looting and burning the village. On December 23, AP reported that Cameroonian troops killed at least seventy residents in Nigeria’s Borno state. Meanwhile, Amnesty International on December 27, called on the Cameroonian authorities to “come clean over the fate of 130 people rounded up and detained by Cameroonian forces a year ago following security operations against Boko Haram.”
Friday, October 16, 2015 - 06:48
Far from defeated, Boko Haram has yet again shown its flexibility and sophistication by shifting tactics and returning to the more asymmetric fighting strategy it had been using for years.
Friday, May 29, 2015 - 06:33
Buhari’s successful campaign was largely based on the need to restore security and to counter corruption. Now, as he takes office, the radical Islamist insurrection labeled Boko Haram is the country’s most immediate security threat.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015 - 08:09
The number of UN peacekeepers is at a record high, with nearly 110,000 uniformed deployed "blue helmets" worldwide, most of them in Africa. But the status quo is "untenable."
Wednesday, November 19, 2014 - 22:27
Julia Sweig reflects in her column this week on the challenges in U.S.-Latin American relations, and the failure of Washington to create basic guideposts based on a realistic assessment of the political, economic, security and demographic dimensions of our interdependence, our fault-lines and the opportunities therein.
Tuesday, November 11, 2014 - 07:51
The Russian military suffered years of neglect after the Soviet collapse and no longer casts the shadow of a global superpower. However, the Russian armed forces are in the midst of a historic overhaul with significant consequences for Eurasian politics and security.
Friday, November 7, 2014 - 12:11
Despite the fact that Thai junta leader–turned prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha recently let slip that the current Thai regime might not hold elections until 2016 or later, U.S. policy toward the kingdom remains largely the same as before the coup. Some in the State Department and other parts of the administration have urged the U.S. government to take a tougher line against Thailand, noting that there should be a clear U.S. response to the overthrow of an elected government.
Wednesday, October 8, 2014 - 13:15
During the frenzy of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, thirty-one countries met on September 26 for a summit on “Strengthening International Peace Operations,” during which the importance of expanding the participation of women in peacekeeping operations was the theme. To reverse the imbalance, the UN launched an initiative to recruit more female police officers in August 2009, with the goal of women comprising 20 percent of police by 2014. However, between 2009 and today, women involvement in police increased by a mere 2.5 percent—from 7.3 to 9.8 percent. And shockingly, recruitment for involvement of women in military forces has been even less successful as women comprise a mere 3.2 percent of military forces, down from 4.9 percent in 2009.