by Michael Shurkin, Raphael S. Cohen, Arthur ChanRelated Topics: France, Military Communication

Aguila, John P. Godges, Michael Shurkin, Michael D. RichRelated Topics: Affordable Care Act, Health

Gian Gentile, Michael Shurkin, Alexandra T. Evans, Michelle Grisé, Mark Hvizda, Rebecca

by Michael ShurkinDevelopments in the Sahel are cause for real alarm.... The upswing in terrorist attacks suggests that the region's main al Qaeda-affiliated terrorist groups, four of which unified in March under the name Group to Support Islam and Muslims( GSIM), are thriving.... He previously worked in the Intelligence Community, where he served as a political analyst with a focus on West Africa and Afghanistan. This commentary originally appeared on The Cipher Brief on September 13, 2017...

by Michael ShurkinThe unfortunately politicized debate prompted by the death two weeks ago of four U.S. soldiers in Niger has revealed a great deal of ignorance about what, precisely, the U.S.is doing in Niger and why.... Some of these groups are affiliated with al-Qaida, some with the Islamic State. Regardless of which flag the terror groups fly, they threaten to tear Niger apart, or at the very least stymie the country's efforts to develop economically and politically and otherwise improve th

Cameroon also benefits from French security assistance( in 2013, Cameroon played a key role in France's military intervention in the Central African Republic as a logistical hub and port of entry).... This summer, videos emerged of Cameroonian forces killing civilians, including particularly shocking footage of an execution of women and children.... History, however, suggests that Cameroonian forces are only sowing the seeds of future conflict....

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso — Burkina Faso’s President Roch Marc Christian Kabore is being held by mutinous soldiers, two of the rebellious soldiers told The Associated Press by phone early Monday.... Civilians drove into town in a show of support for the rebellion but were broken up by security forces firing tear gas.... He denied, however, that the president had been detained by the mutineers, even though Kabore’s whereabouts was unknown.“ Well, it’s a few barracks....

The UK government's decision to deploy an additional 250 soldiers to join the United Nations mission in Mali( known as MINUSMA) might be in Britain's security interests.... Such deployments display the UK's commitment to international security and may well form a critical part of its post-BREXIT diplomacy. There is no denying that the security situation in Mali is getting worse.... The rise of al Qaida and Islamic State affiliates should be a direct concern for UK security interests....

Two men repair chairs in Niamey, the capital of Niger, where mutinous soldiers ousted the nation’s democratically elected president three weeks ago.... Politics U.S. turns up pressure in critical ally Niger as region faces threat from Russia-loyal Wagner Group Niger is the West’s last, best ally in Africa’s Sahel.... A coup there may be a victory for Russia. Aug....