Mali

Despite years of U.S. and international efforts to fight terrorism in the area, extremist groups are gaining ground.

The country is home to one of the largest deployments of U.S. military personnel in Africa and is a linchpin of regional stability—but the coming year could throw all that into turmoil.

Long considered domestic issues, the continent’s battles are really international contests for influence and power.

March’s deadly massacre exposed the lack of progress since the country’s peace accords—and the many political and security reforms that are needed.

What’s at stake in Turkey’s local elections, and how the United States drives out Chinese talent.

Local grievances are behind the recent violence in the country. Jihadis are hoping to exploit them to build a caliphate.

Burkina Faso managed to avoid the violence that plagued its neighbors, but a combination of poverty, unstable neighbors, and weak security forces has opened the door for extremists.

U.N. member states must renew their commitment to the vital peacekeeping operations that end wars, protect civilians, and save lives.

From North Korea to Venezuela, here are the conflicts to watch in 2018.

Is it that secret units that live on the edge always have such trouble on occasion?

Europe is expelling thousands of Africans. To one Malian deportee, that looks like a recipe for revolution.

Europe is spending billions of dollars to jump-start Africa’s poorest economies. But that may just accelerate the exodus.

Europe has been helping fight the country’s jihadis for years. Now it’s turning its sights on human smugglers.

The U.N. mission in Mali is Turtle Bay’s most controversial. But will its counterterrorism remit be just what saves it from the chopping block?

As China steps up its commitment to U.N. peacekeeping, Beijing is said to be eyeing a leadership role — with potentially troubling human rights implications.

The international tribunal is about to convict a Malian jihadi for destruction of cultural heritage. It’s staying silent about his alleged responsibility for horrific sexual violence.

Tobias Zielony and Anna Badkhen on the displaced, the Global South, and what Africans misunderstand about their peers who’ve made it to Germany.

2015 Global Thinkers Matthew Heineman and Johanna Schwartz discuss the challenges of making a film—and earning a subject’s trust—amidst guns, violence, and suspicion.

Al Qaeda's attack on Burkina Faso proves that "decapitating" a terror group doesn't always change it for the better.