"Officials from African countries including #Angola, #DRC #Gabon, #Guinea, & #Nigeria attended a critical #minerals summit in Washington...African engagement is necessary to its efforts to dismantle #Beijing’s chokehold on the list of #CRM that Washington imports" foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/04/u...

"A 9-day #BRICS + #naval exercise..underscored #China’s growing use of #military power in #Africa..#Iran ’s first-ever participation marks a significant departure...The #PLA has conducted three #military exercises in Africa in the past 18 months" #Russia africacenter.org/spotlight/ch...

"Both #JNIM and #ISSP launched #kidnapping campaigns targeting foreigners, which drove record-high instances of kidnapping in #Mali and #Niger" ⭐ A special mention goes to the #UAE for paying a record ransom of 50$ million to JNIM...😑 #Sahel #ISIS #jihad #terror acleddata.com/report/econo...

“My father..did everything he could to make sure that the children got an education. This was before #gender discourses & all that, but he was already gendered.” ▶️ The importance of support from #men for #girls to get an education in unequal societies. www.egmontinstitute.be/how-do-women...

"#Russia offered personal protection to the Malagasy leader..#Putin intends to add #Madagascar to the growing list of African countries...following the same pattern of protection and #military cooperation in exchange for access to #resources" #Africa #coup english.elpais.com/internationa...

“Until the last few days, when I told them about #Iceland, they loved me. They called me ‘Daddy" Yes, this is for real. This is a president confusing which country he wants to annex & referring to himself as 'daddy' (thanks Rutte..) #NATO #US #Ice.. #Greenland www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...

Wow. What a speech. Mark Carney just reminded us that in spite of a deeply disturbing global situation, there are world leaders who can inspire us to go towards a brighter future (and he did this while speaking in full, grammatically correct sentences): www.youtube.com/watch?v=btqH...

📣 New publication! ❓How do #women in #Niger crush the glassceiling? We find w #NinaSoudan: 3 adaptive strategies navigate patriarchal structures: ➡️ Male support ➡️ Balancing private& professional lives ➡️ Academic Excellency 🌐 www.egmontinstitute.be/how-do-women... #equality #gender #strategy

📄𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗣𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 by @ninawilen.bsky.social & Nina Soudan @egmontinstitute.bsky.social “How Do Women in Niger Crush the Glass Ceiling?” #Niger #WestAfrica #GenderEquality ##GlassCeiling #GenderRelations #EgmontInstitute 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 👉 tinyurl.com/mt9shk7j

Wow, 2026, we are barely 3 weeks in & some #NATO countries are deploying to defend an ally from #annexation (yes, because that’s now a buzz word again) from yet another NATO member whose president wants the peace prize… (erhm) & GETS IT 😑 #Venezuela #Greenland #sovereignty #intervention #surrealism

"11 countries planning to hold #elections in 2026... In 4 of 11 countries (#Uganda..#Congo, #Djibouti, & South #Sudan), presidents have been in power for at least 15 years... ... #Somalia & #Ethiopia will be holding elections amid ongoing armed #conflict" #Africa africacenter.org/spotlight/en...

"#US has descended into competitive #authoritarianism...What makes self-censorship so insidious is that it is..impossible to ascertain its full impact..the public..never know how many editors have softened headlines..or opted not to run certain news items" www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...

"Democrats are playing by the rules of a game that no longer exists. They are relying on cautious diplomacy while their opponents have become more ruthless...& better networked" #Democracy #authoritarianism #elections #disinformation #HumanRights www.foreignaffairs.com/china/illibe...

"One emerging trend might be dubbed the “Russification of the #US,” at the heart of which lies #ideology... ..today, the Republican electorate— & #MAGA..is far more aligned with #Russia than its traditional conservative counterparts in #Europe" shs.cairn.info/journal-poli...

I was happy interviewed about my book "Securitizing the Sahel: Analysing External Interventions and their Consequences" by #alexthurston for his Weekly Newsletter! You can read the whole interview here: alexthurston.substack.com/p/seven-ques... Book: global.oup.com/academic/pro...

"Although he had initially pledged not to run for president after seizing power four years ago, #Doumbouya ultimately stood for #election in a race in which all main opposition leaders were barred" #Guinea #coup #impunity #Africa #regime www.barrons.com/news/guinea-...

Here we go again: #China 's foreign minister 1st tour abroad always go to #Africa: "strategic #trade access across eastern & southern Africa as #Beijing seeks to secure key #shipping routes & #resource #supply lines" Leaders in #Europe should take note #strategy #trade www.msn.com/en-us/news/w...

✨A nice start of the year with this great review of my book: ✨ "Securitizing the #Sahel" by Lawrence Kline 🌐 www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... #Niger #Mali #Burkina #Chad #France #MINUSMA #EUTM #Belgium #security #military #US

“ #Russia ‘s draft budget for 2026 shows #Putin is budgeting $1.77 billion for state #media and #propaganda, an increase of 7 percent over 2025, and 28 percent over pre-#Ukraine invasion levels in 2021… …That’s $34 million a week” #Europe #EU alexzfinley.substack.com/p/trump-russ... #Europe #EU

Excellent and deeply frightening interactive map of #Russia’s #sabotage campaign in #Europe since the full scale invasion of #Ukraine Should make sure we remember who our #enemy is among disinformation and disturbing narratives from (former) allies… apnews.com/projects/rus...

“The new National #Security #Strategy.. is..the biggest self-own in foreign policy… The NSS looks to end the Western security architecture…led by the US since the end of WWII& that is largely responsible for the US’s unprecedented wealth and prosperity.” alexzfinley.substack.com/p/trump-the-...

❓ Why are 1200 Belgian troops, 180 vehicles & 2 A400M deployed to #Gabon for over a month? ✍ I am arguing that such a major deployment in the current #security environment is a welcome sign of renewed focus by Belgian #Defence on #Africa in my latest @egmontinstitute.bsky.social brief #Belgium

📄𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗣𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 by @ninawilen.bsky.social @egmontinstitute.bsky.social "Belgian Defense Going Tropical: A Return in Focus to Africa" #BelgianDefense #AfricaPolicy #SecurityAndDefense #EUForeignPolicy #AfricaSecurity #PeaceAndSecurity #TropicalStormExercise 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 👉 tinyurl.com/d43jau24

📢 What will happen to the thousands of militaries involved in the #war between #Russia & #Ukraine ? 🧵 We highlight 2 scenarios: 1️⃣ Integrating +/- 500,000 #battle-hardened soldiers with #trauma & #PTSD => #security risks & risks for #peace building 1) www.egmontinstitute.be/when-the-war...

Russian soldiers returning from the war in Ukraine have killed or injured over 1,000 people, investigation finds At least 551 people have been killed by returning veterans, more than half by former convicts, according to independent outlet Verstka.

📄𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗣𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 by @ninawilen.bsky.social & Sofie Rose @egmontinstitute.bsky.social "From the Donbas to Africa: How Returning Fighters Could Fuel a New Mercenary Wave" #RussiaUkraineWar #DDR #SecurityPolicy #Mercenaries #PMC #WagnerGroup #AfricaSecurity 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 👉 tinyurl.com/4u26f84k

📖| Au Mali, la junte militaire est-elle en panne ? Retrouvez l’analyse de Nina Wilén (@ninawilen.bsky.social), directrice du programme Afrique à l’Institut royal des relations internationales Egmont et professeure associée à l’université de Lund, sur #LeRubicon. lerubicon.org/au-mali-la-j...

❗️#Coup attempt in #Benin this morning by elements from the Garde Nationale ➡️ For more on Benin’s security collaborations with foreign partners, my @EgmontInstitute brief from last year ⚠️Note that the #security situation has deteriorated since then.. www.egmontinstitute.be/whats-brewin...

🎧 New Podcast ! 👉🏼You can now listen to a discussion about my book: “Securitizing the #Sahel: Analysing External #Interventions and their Consequences” On the @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social Thanks to @mirandamelcher.bsky.social for the discussion! 🙏🏼 newbooksnetwork.com/securitizing...

Great to see @ninawilen.bsky.social's book is now out

Great start to the week with an insightful discussion on the political and security realities in the Sahel, hosted by 🇩🇰 Presidency. Professor Nina Wilén presented some of the key ideas in her new book on Securitising the Sahel, excellent background for a good debate ahead of this week’s FAC.

📢We have kicked off todays online book talk with our Peacekeeping, Peacebuilding and Human Rights Working Group! 📚We are joined by @ninawilen.bsky.social to discuss her newly published book 'Securing the Sahel' 👉Take a look at the book: global.oup.com/academic/pro...

🚨 Upcoming event 🚨 Peacekeeping, Peacebuilding and Human Rights WG Book talk on the fantastic book Securing the Sahel 📚 'A 'security traffic jam' or networking missions in Mali?' with Nina Wilen 🎉 Held on 19 November sign up now 👉 https://ow.ly/IRhp50Xp9bs Oxford University Press

"We knew in 2011 when #Libya was collapsing that we needed to hurry up…they came with huge amounts of #arms: convoys of arms … It was like a huge supermarket of arms for free … The Secretary-General requested a draft #strategy" #Sahel @oxunipress.bsky.social @egmontinstitute.bsky.social

❓ Is the #military regime in #Mali running out of gas? ✍ I'm analysing the current crisis in my latest for @egmontinstitute.bsky.social - Fall of Bamako seems unlikely - Negotiated settlement possible - Social unrest likely #Sahel #JNIM #jihadist www.egmontinstitute.be/is-malis-mil...

📄𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗣𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 by @ninawilen.bsky.social‬ @egmontinstitute.bsky.social "Is Mali’s military regime running out of gas?" #Mali #Sahel #Security #Africa #Governance #JNIM #Geopolitics #EgmontInstitute 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 👉 tinyurl.com/yhc7rkm2

The..ideologies which #Russia..harness, like #Pan-Africanism, #sovereigntism & anti-neocolonialism, are not illegitimate...But..can be used against the..Russians, who, in the 21st century..seek personal enrichment from the plunder of..African nations" #Africa #Sahel #Europe ecfr.eu/publication/...

📄𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗣𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 by @ninawilen.bsky.social‬ @egmontinstitute.bsky.social @oxfordacademic.bsky.social "Securitizing the Sahel: Analysing External Interventions and their Consequences" #SecurityForceAssistance #Securitization #PeaceOperations #CivilMilitary 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 👉 tinyurl.com/bdfpf7cc

➡️Want to read my book "Securitizing the #Sahel"? @oupacademic.bsky.social has made the introductory chapter available here until 10 November! It outlines the main argument & structure of the book! #Niger #Burkina #Mali #military #security #Barkhane #EUCAP #EUTM academic.oup.com/book/61385/c...

"The #military never wins the #war. We were incapable to do it with 6,000, but even if we had had 60,000 we could never have won the war, and we repeated it, repeated it, repeated it." Interview #Barkhane officer #Sahel #Mali #Niger #Burkina #France global.oup.com/academic/pro...

INSO endure une situation épouvantable au Burkina depuis juillet, qui empire encore aujourd'hui. Soutien et courage à leurs équipes

This is a fantastic achievement. Congrats, Nina, for producing the most comprehensive book to date on the foreign intervention in the Sahel. What makes this work so precious, among other things, is the unique body of evidence it relies on, collected year after year in multiple Sahelian countries

"Our commander told us to lie about the results…We had to make it a success…On paper we trained 800 soldiers during 6 months. But you don’t have 800 soldiers trained if you have 15 Kalashnikovs, no equipment & they all turned up in sandals" #EUTM #Mali global.oup.com/academic/pro...

"#Military juntas in #Mali, #Niger & #Burkina Faso..are now experiencing “buyer’s remorse” after ousting #US & French troops...Pentagon strategists..hope to sideline the Russians & get back into the West #African security business." #Russia #Sahel #France #jihadist www.wsj.com/world/africa...

👉 Look at that! 😊 Today the electronic version of my book: ⭐ "Securitizing the #Sahel. Analysing External #Interventions and their Consequences"⭐ is published on-line with @oxunipress.bsky.social! #security #defense #military #Niger #Mali #Burkina #Chad #France #UN #EU #US

📄𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗣𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 by @ninawilen.bsky.social @egmontinstitute.bsky.social “The Cost of Forgetting Africa in Security Strategy” #Africa #Security #Geopolitics #EUdefence 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 👉 tinyurl.com/mr226je2

✍️ Dans @lalibre.be aujourd’hui, j’alerte: #Europe & #Belgique ne doivent pas oublier #Afrique dans les débats sur la #sécurité & #défense -Expansion #djihadiste 300% -Influence #Russie #Chine -Croissance démographique → impact inévitable sur l’Europe #foresight www.lalibre.be/debats/opini...

#UN rights chief..slammed the indefinite suspension of #elections in #Mali and the #junta-run country's "deepening crackdown" on civil society...since April alone, there had been hundreds of extrajudicial executions, arbitrary arrests & detentions" www.barrons.com/news/un-slam...

"For centuries, the maps used to understand the world have distorted Africa’s size compared to most northerly nations... ".#Africa is about 3 times larger than #Canada & more than 1,5 the size of #Russia" www.reuters.com/graphics/AFR...

Least #Europe forgets... #Africa is currently witnessing the fastest growing jihadist expansion in the world: "Nearly half of the fatalities (10,685) in the past year have been in the #Sahel." africacenter.org/spotlight/en...