Middle East & Africa
Mecca Defence Pact: What It Means for China, the US and the Middle East
The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed on August 7, 2026, by Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan, marks an important development in the evolving security...
Why Chinese Analysts Are Linking Morocco’s Gaza Role to Spain’s Ceuta Crisis
At first glance, Morocco’s participation in the proposed international stabilization force in Gaza and the extraordinary migration crisis in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta...
Africa at Crossroads: Rethinking the Continent’s Position in World Politics
It is a crucial time for Africa in terms of how it interacts with the rest of the world. Africa is no longer viewed...
What stands in the way of Trump’s Gaza plan?
Trump’s latest Gaza roadmap hinges on two deeply contested conditions: Hamas must disarm, while Israel must withdraw from the territory. Hamas has endorsed the...
Can Nigeria’s Reforms Ease the Cost of Living Before Elections?
Grace Adama puts on her earrings in her two-room flat in Abuja before grabbing her handbag and heading to work.
The health NGO worker earns...
The Mecca Pact Is a Confession, Not a Deterrent
The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement is not really a well-organised military alliance. Instead, it looks more like a backup plan, in which three middle...
Kuwait caught in the crossfire: How the Iran War is Engulfing the Middle East
Kuwait has since the beginning of the Iran War in February been targeted by Iranian drones and missiles 1,400 times. Why has this state—smaller...
Saudi Arabia’s Strategic Squeeze
Authors: John A. Calabrese and Aaron Jon Pasha*
Saudi Arabia’s approach to the Iran war has been defined by a sustained effort to avoid direct...
Cairo’s Shadow War in Sudan: Drones, Borders and a Fading Army Ally
Egypt has moved from rhetorical backing of Sudan’s army to active enabler of its war effort, with a covert drone hub on Egyptian soil...
Ceuta and Melilla: Why the U.S. and China Are Watching Morocco-Spain Tensions
The interest of Chinese intelligence, military, political, and strategic circles in the current state of increasing American interest in the cities of Ceuta and...