The Niger Delta region of Nigeria is one of the most polluted areas in the world. In the 1950s, important oil reserves were discovered in the area and since then the region has been a battle ground of environmental conflicts between international oil companies (Shell, Chevron, ENI and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation) and the…

The coronavirus pandemic has taught us how vulnerable and interdependent we are. The pandemic is global; so, must be the solution! Scientists have responded to this challenge by developing in record time vaccines that can help us overcome the pandemic. They were able to achieve this result thanks to the billions of dollars of public…

There are different contending stories about the 2020 US Presidential election. The comforting one is that Joseph Biden, with his black running mate Kamala Harris, won a popular mandate by seven million votes. The disturbing one is that Donald Trump increased his popular vote by over eleven million. It is estimated that 93% of those…

In recent years, the region has become a base for violent extremists. Several extremist groups make their home in the Sahel. Many of those have morphed and merged with others, aligning themselves with larger, global terrorist groups. The most prominent — past and present — are listed below. Jama’at Nusrat Al-Islam Wal-Muslimin (JNIM) – Formed…

Crossroads of the world crude oil market, the Persian Gulf has a central role in the international energy market. China, India and Japan are the new drivers of demand while USA dependency diminishes, with important results for regional equilibrium. According to the estimates of the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), in 2019 27% of global…

New international challenges may significantly change the geopolitics of Western intelligence. The alliance between the intelligence agencies of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand (the so-called ‘Five Eyes’) doubtless represents the fulcrum of Western espionage and its greatest expression in terms of geopolitical power. Created in 1946, at first it…

The country invests its capital also to diversify its oil-based economy. To contain Turkey, Qatar and Iran may cause an increase in the instability of the continent. For some years now, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been seen as a relevant geopolitical actor on the African scene. Many believe this to be a good…

What has become of Libya? Nine years ago, NATO launched a military offensive that destroyed the country. A country now without a state. Before 2011, Libya was the most prosperous country in Africa. Today basic supplies are in short supply and water and electricity are lacking. In the past eight months, oil production, a primary…

The United Nations Environmental Assembly has opened a consultation period on the governance of mineral resources in June 2020. This consultation is an opportunity to develop an international treaty requiring all countries to better manage mineral resources in a way that respects human rights and the environment. The development of telecommunications, technology, transport, industry and…