An unimaginable amount of people still confuses Taiwan, also known as Formosa, with mainland China, although their cultures seem very similar, they are in fact two very distinct countries. In order to understand the reasons for the growing hostility between the two of them we must go back to the origins, the first settlers on the island are thought to …

The collapse of the Afghan government and the Taliban’s military takeover jointly with the images of people at Kabul airport desperately trying to flee the country show the gravity of the problem that was mishandled by the international community including the EU. As evacuation efforts at Kabul International Airport wind down ahead of the Western troop withdrawal deadline of August …

The 54-year Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory, namely, Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem is a sign of the international community’s lack of accountability in front of grave and repeated breaches of international law, including serious human rights violations.  Since the occupation began in 1967, Israel has gradually developed a dual legal regime that favors Israelis and their …

This week, 1,500 Russian and Uzbek troops are engaging in military exercises at Termez, Uzbekistan, close to the border with Afghanistan. At the same time, Russian soldiers also are holding joint exercises with Tajik military forces with the Russian contingent increased from 1,000 to 1,800 units and the doubling of military hardware at Kharb-Maidon, also close to the Afghan border …

South Africa has witnessed unusual violence in its recent history since the end of the apartheid regime. The streets of Johannesburg facing widespread looting and social unrest. The protesters were marching with sticks, golf clubs and branches, breaking shops and stores (BBC, 2021 “ South Africa deploys military to tackle Zuma riots”).  The death toll from nearly a week of …

On 9 July 2011 the Republic of South Sudan achieved independence, concluding what had been Africa’s longest civil war. The process leading to independence was driven by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army/Movement, an insurgency force and political movement begun in South Sudan but intent on bringing about the reformed unity of the whole of Sudan through revolution. After the Comprehensive …

The Horn of Africa is currently being the stage of a high-stakes power struggle between a local faction in the Tigray region and the current Ethiopian government. The articulations in Ethiopian society are characterized by several ethnic groups who, throughout time, have engaged in cooperation and conflict with each other, and the people in the Tigray have been active members …

Since 2013, France has sent troops to Mali to help local forces repel jihadist groups, initially with the Serval Operationin response to the Malian president’s request. The 2013 Livre blanc sur la défense et la sécurité nationale describing France’s external strategic and military priorities in terms of defense illustrates the sensitivity of the Sahelian strip. This operation was envisaged by …