Opinions & Insights

As the civil war in South Sudan enters its fifth year, the international community continues to struggle to establish a negotiated settlement to end the conflict.

Somali businesswomen fill important roles along the fisheries value chain. In this blog we hear about and from three different Somali female entrepreneurs.

Is the world becoming more peaceful? Recent decades have clearly been more peaceful than average. A number of people argue that this peaceful period is more than a temporary phenomenon and actually represents a consistent decline in war over the past two centuries. If so, we could reasonably expect ...

The world is benefiting from the logic of African actors who are shaping contemporary norms in international security.

Elections can serve a catalyst for coups and other forms of political violence. Take a look at OEF Research’s CoupCast for continued, in-depth analysis of the drivers of coup risk around the world.

The tiny silver dagaa is now the most caught fish in Lake Victoria. Our Sarah Glaser traveled around Lake Victoria to learn more about this little fish with a big profile.

In creating an international day for victims of terrorism, the UN emphasizes “the important role of victims in countering terrorism and preventing violent extremism.” But what if its emphasis on the word victim deepens conflict and makes peace less likely? The focus should be on agency and empowerme...

This is the fourth post in a five-part, weekly series on elections in dictatorships. Visit our CoupCast site for information about our REIGN database and previous commentary on coups d’état.

On July 9th, Ethiopia and Eritrea signed a settlement to their 20-year border war. The conflict emerged in 1998 and led to the deaths of 80,000 people before a peace agreement was drawn up in 2000.

This is the third post in a five-part, weekly series on elections in dictatorships. Visit our CoupCast site for information about our REIGN database and previous commentary on coups d’état.

Inspired by real interviews with ex-combatants and FARC guerillas, this graphic novel tells the story of a fictional young couple who attempt to build their lives in the shadow of the Colombian peace process in 2016.

If yellowfin tuna are unsustainably fished, which tunas are sustainably-fished in Somali waters and what makes them unique? What role do sharks play in the Somali coastal marine ecosystem? And why are anchovies, herrings, and sardines more sustainable alternatives? Find out more in our Story Map abo...

An exploration of the role of cell phones used by non-state groups to perpetrate organized political violence.

Ethiopian and Eritrean governments have finally agreed to settle their two decade old border dispute that has led to the deaths of over 80,000 people

This is the second post in a five-part, weekly series on elections in dictatorships. Visit our CoupCast site for information about our REIGN database and previous commentary on coups d’état.