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Author: Hilary Matfess

  • Cameroon’s Worsening Anglophone Crisis Highlights Need for Dialogue and Inclusion

    July 5, 2018by Hilary Matfess

    The events of the past few years highlight the importance of inclusive governance measures and the ramifications of heavy-handed security responses.

    Analysisafrica
  • Bringing Back Chibok Girls Only Start of Nigeria’s Challenge

    April 25, 2016by Hilary Matfess

    The crisis has placed a clear strain on the limited resources of the Nigerian government and international humanitarian system.

    Analysisafrica, refugees
  • Amid Oil Crash, Could Farming Offer Nigeria a Lifeline?

    February 11, 2016by Hilary Matfess

    Historically low oil prices present a challenge to a country that derives more than 70% of revenue from oil, but there could also be an opportunity for Nigeria to achieve its long-sought and much-needed economic diversification.

    Analysisafrica, resources
  • Refugees and Regional Tensions: Notes from Northeast Nigeria’s Crisis

    January 19, 2016by Hilary Matfess

    Forced return of Nigerian refugees from Cameroon is a major violation of international law. Yet the practice appears to be growing, and threatens to reignite tensions between the two countries.

    Analysis
  • Is Burundi Inching Toward War?

    October 21, 2015by Hilary Matfess

    The normalization of brutal tactics by the state’s security forces suggests the possibility for systemic violence by state actors against perceived threats to Nkurunziza’s regime.

    Analysisafrica, conflict, rebel-groups
  • Tanzania’s Election Run-Up Suggests Backsliding Away From Democracy

    September 30, 2015by Hilary Matfess

    While much of the CCM is now mobilizing behind Magufuli, Lowassa has decamped to the opposition. The four main opposition parties in the country, Chadema, the NCCR-Mageuzi Party, the united Democratic Party, and the Tanzania Labour Party, have formed a coalition and have agreed to support him.

    Analysisafrica, elections
  • As Nigeria Seeks Security, Are More Weapons Really the Answer?

    August 27, 2015by Hilary Matfess

    Compared to neighboring Chad, whose military is regarded to be the most effective in the region at present, the Nigerian military looks flush with equipment.

    Analysisafrica, peace-and-security
  • Nigeria’s Justice System Needs Reform, Not Expansion

    July 22, 2015by Hilary Matfess

    Buhari must implement the domestic reforms necessary to reduce the appeal of anti-government movements and prevent the development of additional insurgencies in Boko Haram’s mold.

    Analysisafrica, terrorism
  • After Peace Agreement, Development Remains Key to Mali Progress

    June 30, 2015by Hilary Matfess

    A 2013 review by RAND Corporation of the Malian government’s development initiatives in the north found that much of the aid earmarked for the region had never reached its destination because of “corruption or plain bad faith.”

    Analysisdevelopment, mali
  • Responses Fall Short as Violence Displaces More Nigerians

    June 11, 2015by Hilary Matfess

    The Minawao camp is not far from the border with Nigeria and has swollen in recent weeks. Officially, there are 42,000 refugees living there, but residents estimate there are likely an additional 10,000 in the camp who are undocumented.

    Analysisafrica, humanitarian
  • Next →

This week

  • Climate Change in the Security Council: What New Council Members Can Achieve in 2023

    January 30, 2023by Adam Day, Janani Vivekananda, and Grazia Pacillo

    2023 could be a good year for advancing climate-related issues in the United Nations Security Council.

    Analysisclimate-change, peace-and-security, security-council
  • How Negotiations on Contingent-Owned Equipment Can Help “Green” UN Peacekeeping

    January 20, 2023by Emmanuelle Cousin and Daniel Forti 

    The UN General Assembly’s COE Working Group has a fork-in-the-road opportunity to advance UN Peacekeeping’s environmental goals.

    Analysisclimate-change, peacekeeping

Trending

  • How Useful Are the UN’s Broad Protection of Civilian Mandates?

    January 18, 2023by Alexander Gilder

    The UN should consider both the successes of the whole-of-mission approach and the pitfalls of its ever-burgeoning understanding of PoC.

    Analysispeacekeeping, protection-of-civilians
  • Investing in People and Enhancing Resilience for Sustaining Peace with Adaptive Peacebuilding

    January 17, 2023by Cedric de Coning, Rui Saraiva and Ako Muto

    Context-specific approaches to peacebuilding that empower local agency are key to the self-sustainability of peace processes.

    Analysispeacebuilding, sustaining-peace
  • The Multilateralism Index: Measuring Transformation in a Time of Crisis and Uncertainty

    January 9, 2023by Adam Lupel

    A better understanding is needed of where the multilateral system is working, where it is not, and where it is headed.

    Analysismultilateralism
  • Does the UN Need a More Coherent Approach Toward “De Facto” Authorities?

    January 6, 2023by Damian Lilly

    As a result of shifting dynamics in certain conflicts, as well as recent coups, the UN is having to engage with de facto authorities in a growing number of country contexts.

    Analysisunited-nations
  • The Nitty Gritty of Climate Policy: Taking Stock of COP27, Looking Ahead to COP28

    January 5, 2023by Olivia Fielding, Michael Franczak, Masooma Rahmaty, Aparajita Rao, Jimena Leiva Roesch, Michael Weisberg

    The agreement to establish a fund for loss and damage was a historic win for developing countries, but progress on mitigation stalled at COP27.

    Analysisclimate2022, climate-change
  • Milestone in the Security Council: What the New Humanitarian “Carve-out” Means for UN Sanctions Regimes

    December 16, 2022by Naureen Chowdhury Fink and Agathe Sarfati 

    Last week,  the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted Resolution 2664, a cross-cutting humanitarian carve-out for all UN sanctions regimes–including the 1267 ISIL/al-Qaida regime–to safeguard the timely and effective conduct of humanitarian activities.

    Analysishumanitarian, security-council, terrorism
  • 2022 Editor’s Choice: Global Observatory Must Reads

    December 15, 2022by the Global Observatory

    The editors of the Global Observatory have compiled some of 2022’s notable and most-read articles that speak to both global events and new thinking on peace and security, United Nations (UN) peacekeeping, gender and security, and the climate crisis.

    Further Reading
  • Year in Review: Top International Peace Institute Reports of 2022

    December 15, 2022by the Global Observatory

    The International Peace Institute’s 10 most-read reports of 2022.

    Further Reading
  • Disinformation Is a Growing Threat for UN Peacekeepers

    December 14, 2022by Albert Trithart

    UN missions will need to address the root causes of misinformation and disinformation by proactively reshaping narratives about the UN.

    Analysispeacekeeping
  • The East African Community Steps into the Crisis in the DRC. Will It Help?

    December 12, 2022by Jenna Russo

    While the current crisis is unlikely to be resolved without military force, any hope for success requires that operations remain closely tied to a political process, and that neighboring countries remain accountable to support the security and sovereignty of the DRC.

    Analysisafrica, conflict
  • New Avenues for Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict: Addressing Weapons

    December 9, 2022by Hana Salama

    Thus far, few UN frameworks, policies, or guidance documents on conflict-related sexual violence mention arms control and disarmament measures in the context of prevention.

    Analysisconflict, sexual-violence, women-peace-and-security
  • The Benefits, Challenges, and Limitations of Criminalizing Ecocide

    March 30, 2022by Rachel Killean

    The campaign to introduce a new international crime of “ecocide” at the International Criminal Court is long-standing but has received increased support over the last couple of years.

    Analysisenvironment
  • ECOWAS Sanctions Against Mali Necessary, but May Be Counter-Productive

    February 2, 2022by Festus Kofi Aubyn

    The new sanctions were triggered by months of growing tensions between ECOWAS and the military-dominated transitional government over the timetable for Mali’s return to civilian rule after two successful coups d’état.

    Analysisafrica, sanctions
  • New Name, but Little Sign of Change: The Revised Agreement on the African Union Mission in Somalia

    January 27, 2022by Colin Robinson

    The AU mission’s success relies on the handover of military responsibilities to an effective Somali replacement. But the Somali National Army remains as politicized and clan-divided as it has ever been.

    Analysisafrica, african-union, peacekeeping
  • New Climate Data Visualizations, 2021

    December 15, 2021by Noemi Florea

    Noemi Florea has compiled some key data visualizations from 2021 for the Global Observatory that highlight progress on climate change, from expanded research on the global environment to emerging developments for climate adaptation.

    Further Readingclimate-change, climate2021
  • Is the Global Climate Governance System Working?

    November 23, 2021by Jimena Leiva Roesch, Julia Almeida Nobre, and Eimer Curtin

    In the wake of COP26, there is a need to examine the current structures and dynamics of global climate governance.

    Analysisclimate-change, climate2021
  • How Permafrost Thaw Puts the Russian Arctic at Risk

    November 22, 2021by Katarina Kertysova and Akash Ramnath

    Permafrost thaw presents a major challenge to Arctic communities and ecosystems and has enormous potential to accelerate climate change and its global impacts.

    Analysisclimate-change, climate2021
  • The Pitfalls of UN Peacekeeping in Afghanistan

    September 1, 2021by Paul D. Williams

    Neither local nor international politics are currently right for a UN peacekeeping deployment in Afghanistan.

    Analysisafghanistan, peacekeeping
  • Preventing Violence or Harming Peace and Rights? What the UN Can Learn from Counterterrorism in the Philippines

    June 10, 2021by Aries Arugay, Marc Batac, and Jordan Street

    The roll-out of counterterrorism and P/CVE policies, plans, and projects in the Philippines is having a significant negative impact on peace, security, and the fulfillment of human rights in the country.

    Analysisctat20, terrorism
  • Regional Special Forces Pose Threat to Peace and Security in Ethiopia

    February 22, 2021by Bereket Tsegay

    The peace and security arrangement between federal and regional states has allowed special forces to instigate conflicts in unique ways.

    Analysisafrica, peace-and-security

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The Global Observatory provides timely analysis on peace and security issues by experts, journalists, and policymakers. It is published by the International Peace Institute. The views expressed here represent those of the contributors and not IPI.

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