grey dynamics

The Destabilising effects of Droughts in the Sahel

August 5, 2019

Jacob O'Hare

    Water stress and water scarcity is a real issue in Africa. In the Sahel, the land and people suffer from the plague of drought, poverty and underdevelopment. Accessing water from the Senegal River is critical for energy production, irrigation for the land and palatable water.   The Sahel region will see drier years, and the Senegal River could provide necessary water to countries that need it and where basic needs will be harder to come by. Crises have…

Interview with Major Camilo Mejía Chief of Military Education of the Faculty of Military Science

July 23, 2019

Ahmed Hassan

      A couple of months ago, Grey Dynamics published an article about the Columbian governments’ struggle with non-state actors such FARC and ELN and its quest for peace. The article, however, was challenged by a commenter on LinkedIn (Major Mejía). As an expert on Columbian security affairs, I asked the Major what his position was and to my delight he agreed to an interview!     Can you tell me a little about yourself?   Well… what can…

The Crisis of Containment
: Ebola threatens Uganda and South Sudan

July 12, 2019

Dylan Ramshaw

    For almost a year, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been ravaged by an Ebola outbreak. It is now considered the second worst after the West Africa outbreak of 2014-15. However, the DRC outbreak is the first known case in an active war zone.   Conflict has plagued the country for decades and the outbreak is prolonged due to the escalating violence between rebel groups, militias, and state security forces in Ituri and North Kivu provinces.…

Coup Attempt in Ethiopia
: Another Threat to Abiy’s Reforms

July 5, 2019

Dylan Ramshaw

  The coup attempt on 22 June against the President Abiy of Ethiopia was yet another threat to his government and reformist agenda. Since his election in 2018, Abiy has signaled that he wishes to end the decades of repressive regimes by releasing political prisoners, removing bans on political parties, and prosecute officials accused of abuses.   The coup attempt represents the strong opposition of the military and the security apparatus to these reforms and rising ethnic divisions in the…

A Middle Eastern Tug-of-War in Africa
: The Turkey-Qatar Bloc

July 3, 2019

Fredrik Hellem

    Turkey, Qatar, and the Brotherhood   As the other Gulf States increasingly began opposing the MB and political Islam groups after the Arab Spring in fear of the future of their own regimes’ stability, Qatar chose a different course and backed them. While the Saudi bloc viewed the MB as a threat, Qatar had hosted the prominent MB intellectual Yusuf al-Qaradawi since 1961 and given him a platform in the 90’s on Al-Jazeera where he hosted his very…

The Return of Ecuador to the United States’ Backyard

July 2, 2019

Dylan Ramshaw

    In 2017, when President of Ecuador Lenin Moreno took office, much fear was spread by the media and the opposition. Many thought he would continue the legacy of his predecessor and mentor Rafael Correa. Correa was a key regional player and shrewd politician during the rise of the left-leaning governments in South America. After governing Ecuador for 10 years, he continues to be a polarizing figure in Ecuador, but currently resides in Belgium eluding charges that he ordered…