grey dynamics

Nicaragua: Increasing Isolation or a Turning Point for Daniel Ortega?

June 18, 2019

Dylan Ramshaw

    It has been 14 tumultuous and violent months in Nicaragua. In April 2018, protests spread like wildfire across the country following an attempt to reform social security by reducing pension benefits. The uprising began in Managua and León but quickly spread to as many as 10 other cities across the country. Though the proposal was later dropped, it triggered further protests and calls for President Daniel Ortega to step down, both over his crackdown and over general dissatisfaction…

Tug-of-War in Africa
: The Muslim Brotherhood and the Egyptian-Saudi-UAE Bloc

June 17, 2019

Fredrik Hellem

    This series of articles will explore the competition over influence between the Egypt-Saudi-UAE bloc on one side and the Turkey-Qatar bloc on the other, with an analysis on the role of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) in that competition. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE all pursue greater influence in Africa and in order to do so it must create allies and weaken competition. The bloc is share a common enemy, namely the Muslim Brotherhood (AR: الإخوان المسلمون al-Ikhwān…

The Unpredictable Future of Sudan

June 14, 2019

Fredrik Hellem

  The ‘journey’ of the Sudanese revolution began 19 December 2018. Poor and declining economic conditions led people to take to the streets to demand the resignation of then-president Omar al-Bashir. After months of mounting pressure al-Bashir was removed from his position 11 April 2019 by the armed forces. At that moment, the armed forces joined the revolution and proved to be decisive in its first stage, the removal of al-Bashir. Stage two of the revolution is the implementation of…

Ethiopia: The Promise of Democracy is Marred by Ethnic Conflict

June 12, 2019

Dylan Ramshaw

        In 2018, more people were displaced in Ethiopia than any other country in the world. According to the United nations, by December last year, approximately 2.9 million people were forced to leave their homes, more than in Syria, Yemen, Somalia and Afghanistan combined. Much of the displacement can be attributed to the rise in ethnic conflict that has engulfed most of the country and was incited following the appointment of Abiy Ahmed as Prime Minister. The…

Monkeypox: The Re-emergence and Spread of a Forgotten Disease

June 7, 2019

Dylan Ramshaw

    The largest documented outbreak of the rare monkeypox viral disease has afflicted Nigeria since 2017. As of April, more than 300 cases and multiple deaths have been reported. The majority of cases are males between 21 and 40 years old. Since 1970, prior to the Nigeria outbreak, only around 10 cases in West Africa had been reported. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), before 2017 the most recent case of human monkeypox recorded in Nigeria…

Elections in Comoros: Between Coups and Appeasement

June 4, 2019

Dylan Ramshaw

    On the 26thof May, Azali Assoumani assumed the presidency of Comoros. The oath of office came two months after a controversial election on 24 March where many allege the process of being fraudulent. Violence erupted post-election and Assoumani vowed to take “appeasement measures” to respond to the accusations of fraud.   As an army officer, Assoumani first took the presidency in a military coup in 1999. He then won an election three years later but stepped down in…