Insights
Mozambique’s President Nyusi Accepts Portuguese Assistance for Cabo Delgado Insurgency
Mozambican resistance (including private military contractors) has been overwhelmed – over 2,000 deaths have been officially recorded, while violations of human rights continue to spiral. Hope for a solution therefore rests on the President’s willingness to accept the external aid that civilians desperately need.
Russia: How the Kremlin is Gradually Overtaking Africa
From private military companies supporting local governments to Russian state-linked corporations exploiting the resource-rich continent, Moscow has launched an active campaign to regain its sphere of influence in Africa. Russia’s use of greyzone military capabilities, and its position as a critical security provider for the conflict-ridden and politically unstable continent, strengthen the Kremlin’s leverage to contest Chinese and American interests in Africa.
The Murder of Giulio Regeni and the Egyptian-Italian Partnership
Four agents of the Egyptian secret services have been formally accused of the murder of the Italian student Giulio Regeni. Notwithstanding the widespread outrage among the Italian population, the government’s
The Eastern Partnership May Need Reform Given Change in US Foreign Policy
The crisis in Belarus and the outbreak of conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh are testing the European Union’s capability to act as a source of regional security. Political instability, violations of human rights and ethnic conflict within members of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) is calling into question Brussels’s foreign policy strategy to further integrate six former Soviet states with the EU.
Belarusian Protests: Russia’s Reluctance
Russia seems unlikely to intervene in anti-Lukashenko protests in Belarus, despite what most Western and Russian news sources report. Instead, they reluctantly stand on the sidelines, unwilling to oust the President, but unwilling to support him either.
Venezuela: The Risk to the Maduro Regime’s Stability
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro Moros and several top-level officials in Venezuela were indicted on charges of “narco-terrorism” by U.S. Attorney General William Barr on Thursday the 26th of March, 2020. This indictment follows a months-long escalation of tensions between Caracas and Washington D.C.
India: Impact of COVID-19 on adoption of BS-VI norms
On the 1st of April 2020, India adopted the BS-VI emission norms. The move places India in a select group of economies with Euro VI-compliant fuels. However, the move to low sulphur transport fuel is fraught with downside risk given the impact of COVID 19 on the Indian economy. The capital-intensive move by refineries and automobile manufacturers has now moved into a stage where the revival of demand and coordinated price adjustment is essential for cost recovery.
US: Inflationary pressures are highly unlikely
As a response to the Covid-19 outbreak, the United States unveiled a $2 trillion package in March – the largest of its kind. Aside from the expansion of debt, potential inflation has been a cause for concern. But several factors ensure that broad inflationary pressures will almost certainly be absent during the lockdown, and, likely, in the immediate period after.
South Sudan: Despite new peace deal, stability is a far-cry
South Sudan’s contemporary history suggests that conflict could erupt anytime due to the tense and uptight military balance in the capital. Hence, despite the new peace agreement, the country will not be experiencing stability anytime soon.
U.S.-EU Trade Talks: Under the Spectre of Coronavirus Pandemic
The article assess the impact of coronavirus (CoVid-19) on the global economy, in particular, on the United States and European Union.