Conflict Supply Chains across Lebanon and Syria

Blog

17th October 2024

Lebanon: assassinating sectarian leaders has always led to i...

The killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is the latest in a history of political-sectarian assassinations in Lebanon, and will likely intensif...

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Middle East and North Africa Lebanon Violent and Peaceful Behaviour Conflict Dynamics

Blog

15th October 2024

Illicit gold is exacerbating Ethiopia’s conflicts

Ahmed Soliman, Dr Abel Abate Demissie

The contestation over gold – and its connection to transnational networks – is becoming a major driver of Ethiopia’s complex conflicts.

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Middle East and North Africa Middle East Horn of Africa and the Sahel Transnational Flows Organised Crime Conflict Economies

Podcast

9th April 2024

Peripheral Vision: Trade Disruptions and Instability in Frag...

Kheder Khaddour, Azeema Cheema, Ahmed Musa, Tabea Campbell Pauli

Global trade and the transnational flow of people and goods can be negatively impacted by surging tensions or violence in fragile border regions. In t...

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South Asia and Southeast Asia Middle East and North Africa Transnational Flows Conflict Economies Conflict Dynamics

Blog

26th March 2024

A flashpoint looms in southern Syria

Armenak Tokmajyan

As the influence of the Assad regime and Russia declines, Iran is emerging as the main actor, which could provoke a major Israeli intervention.

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Syria Middle East and North Africa Jordan Iran Governance Conflict Economies Conflict Dynamics Borderlands

Blog

22nd March 2024

Borders have undermined Syrian sovereignty

Kheder Khaddour

A forthcoming Carnegie paper will argue that to understand Syria’s future, we will have to focus on the country’s peripheries.

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Syria Middle East and North Africa Lebanon Jordan Iraq Iran Governance Conflict Economies Conflict Dynamics Borderlands

Blog

20th December 2023

How a transnational approach can better manage the conflict ...

Dr Renad Mansour, Dr Ahmed Soliman

Approaching conflict as a national issue sidelines a complex web of transnational influences and threatens prospects for sustainable peace.

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Horn of Africa and the Sahel Transnational Flows

Podcast

21st November 2023

Podcast: How terrorism, political interests, and economic re...

Peer Schouten, Abdirahman Edle, Jamal Mohamed

This podcast from XCEPT partner the Rift Valley Institute unpicks the intricate ties that bind roadblocks, checkpoints, and the political economy of c...

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Blog

17th October 2023

Four years on from Lebanon’s 17 October revolution

Mohamad El Kari

Visiting Lebanon today, it is difficult to escape the feeling that a collective sense of hopelessness has settled across the country, haunting and tor...

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Middle East and North Africa Lebanon Violent and Peaceful Behaviour

Podcast

1st September 2023

Peripheral Vision: Localising Conflict Responses in Conteste...

Nathan Shea, Tasnia Khandaker, Armenak Tokmajyan, Abdirahman Edle Ali

How does the global push for aid localisation apply to the research sector? In this podcast, The Asia Foundation, the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle ...

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Syria South Asia and Southeast Asia Somalia Middle East and North Africa Horn of Africa and the Sahel Bangladesh Conflict Dynamics Borderlands

Blog

1st August 2023

Why We Continue to Misunderstand Conflict Economies

David Mansfield

By monitoring corrupt cross-border trading, international organizations can begin to understand the performance of Afghanistan’s economy.

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South Asia and Southeast Asia Afghanistan Transnational Flows Conflict Economies

Blog

10th May 2023

Martyrdom in Lebanon: An Evolution of Memory-Making

Bronte Philips

This article explores how martyrdom memorialisation is used by all parties in Lebanon to shape narratives of the past and mobilise support in the pres...

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Middle East and North Africa Lebanon Violent and Peaceful Behaviour

Blog

19th April 2023

Fighting Over ‘White Gold’: Sesame in Ethiopia and Sudan

Ahmed Soliman

The supply chain of a seemingly innocuous cash crop – sesame – has intersected with transnational conflict dynamics, exacerbating tensions between Eth...

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Horn of Africa and the Sahel Conflict Response Conflict Economies Conflict Dynamics

Blog

5th April 2023

Wheat and War: How Sanctions are Driving Russia-Syria Cooper...

Haid Haid

The conflict supply chain of wheat from Ukraine and Russia to Syria highlights interlinkages between the conflicts and the role of sanctions in drivin...

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Middle East and North Africa Transnational Flows Governance Conflict Response

Podcast

3rd April 2023

Human Smuggling and Trafficking in Niger

Peter Tinti

This episode examines the violence and harm caused by these illicit practices, and the international responses to them as part of an XCEPT project min...

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Middle East and North Africa Transnational Flows Conflict Economies

Podcast

31st March 2023

Human Smuggling and Trafficking to Libya

Tim Eaton, Leah de Haan

In this Twitter Space, join Senior Research Fellow, Tim Eaton and Project Manager, Leah de Haan for a deep dive into the interaction of conflict dynam...

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Middle East and North Africa Libya Transnational Flows Conflict Economies

Podcast

30th March 2023

Commodities, land contestation and conflict in Ethiopia and ...

Ahmed Soliman, Abel Demissie

This episode examines relations between Ethiopia and Sudan as part of an XCEPT project mini-series.

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Sudan Middle East and North Africa Horn of Africa and the Sahel Ethiopia Transnational Flows Conflict Economies Borderlands

Blog

29th March 2023

Forgotten Refugees – the Experiences of Syrian Military Defe...

Alison Brettle

In this blog Dr Alison Brettle talks about her research into a group of ‘forgotten refugees’ – ex-military officers, who deserted the Syrian Army – an...

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Middle East and North Africa Violent and Peaceful Behaviour Transnational Flows Conflict Dynamics

Blog

10th February 2023

Stability at What Cost? Smuggling-driven Development in the ...

Tim Eaton

The case of Kufra raises difficult questions for policymakers over what interventions to support in places that have come to thrive on illicit cross-b...

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North Africa Middle East and North Africa Libya Transnational Flows Borderlands

Podcast

23rd January 2023

Peripheral Vision: Views from the Borderlands – Fall 2022 Po...

Khine Win, Mustafe M. Abdi, Hamza Meddeb

In this podcast The Asia Foundation, the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center, the Rift Valley Institute, and their local research partners dis...

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South Asia and Southeast Asia Middle East and North Africa Horn of Africa and the Sahel Conflict Economies Borderlands

Blog

1st December 2022

The Motives and Methods of People Smuggling Between Syria an...

Mazen Ezzi

On the Syria-Lebanon border, the reason why someone requires the help of people smugglers will determine the route – and the price.

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Blog

23rd November 2022

Is Pastoralism Under Threat in Nigeria’s Borderlands?

Abdullahi Umar Eggi

Abdullahi Umar Eggi grew up in a nomadic family in Taraba State, Nigeria, and has undertaken extensive research to understand how and why pastoralism ...

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Horn of Africa and the Sahel Violent Extremism Transnational Flows Governance Conflict Economies Conflict Dynamics

Blog

23rd November 2022

“We Cook Just Once a Week”: Conflict and Its Costs Along Afr...

Paul Clewett, Miralyne Zeghnoune, Shireen Issa

Across parts of Africa, conflict – both local and global – is compounding the negative economic effects of COVID-19, with price increases causing hard...

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Middle East and North Africa Horn of Africa and the Sahel Governance Coronavirus Conflict Response Conflict Economies

Podcast

4th October 2022

Amid Commerce and Conflict, Some Border Towns Endure

Nathan Shea

Over decades of conflict and instability, the border town of Torkham, one of the main crossing points between Afghanistan and Pakistan, has found a wa...

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South Asia and Southeast Asia Transnational Flows Governance Conflict Economies Borderlands

Blog

15th September 2022

Saudi Arabia’s Split-Image Approach to Salafism

Ahmed Nagi

The case of the Salafi groups underscores the complex evolution of cross-border exchange of religious ideas, with external powers able to grow influen...

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Middle East and North Africa Transnational Flows Governance Borderlands

Blog

30th August 2022

Frontier Farming: Along the War-Torn Ethiopia-Sudan Border, ...

The capture of fertile agricultural land in Western Tigray and the eastern Sudanese Al Fashaga region sheds light on how profits from cash crops help ...

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Horn of Africa and the Sahel Horn of Africa Conflict Economies Borderlands

Blog

25th August 2022

The Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis and Responses in Cox’s Baza...

Azizul Hoque, Tasnia Khandaker, Tasnia Khandaker

In August 2022 it will be five years since the start of one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, yet the political and security dynamics su...

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South Asia and Southeast Asia Transnational Flows Migration Governance Conflict Response Borderlands

Blog

10th August 2022

How the Captagon Trade Impacts Border Communities in Lebanon...

Lina Khatib

Any policy designed to counter the growing Captagon trade must take into account its impact on local border communities.

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Middle East and North Africa Transnational Flows Governance Conflict Economies

Blog

30th June 2022

Are Cross-Border Herders Driving Conflict in Nigeria’s Rural...

Adam Higazi

Nigeria is in the midst of a deep security crisis, with armed conflicts and violent crime now a problem in most parts of the country. In rural Nigeria...

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Horn of Africa and the Sahel Violent Extremism Transnational Flows

Blog

8th June 2022

Moving Medicine in Iraq: the Political Economy of the Pharma...

Renad Mansour, Omar Sirri

Poor infrastructure and even poorer governance is a critical part of the story of healthcare in Iraq, but so too is the complex issue of the movement ...

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Middle East and North Africa Transnational Flows Organised Crime Governance Conflict Economies

Photo Essay

29th April 2022

Rohingya Stories: Family, Mobility and Livelihoods at the Ma...

What is it like to be a refugee? This rich collection of multigenerational oral histories sheds light on the unique and personal circumstances of diff...

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South Asia and Southeast Asia Transnational Flows Migration Borderlands

Newsletter

15th December 2021

Peripheral Vision: Views from the Borderlands – Fall 2021

Joint bulletin from The Asia Foundation, Rift Valley Institute, and Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center about recent research and activities.

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South Asia and Southeast Asia Middle East and North Africa Horn of Africa and the Sahel Violent and Peaceful Behaviour Transnational Flows Conflict Dynamics Borderlands

Blog

20th October 2021

Iran’s Fuel Shipment to Lebanon Requires Regional Policy Shi...

Lina Khatib

The Iran fuel shipment to Lebanon was significant not because of its size but because of what it signals about regional conflict.

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South Asia and Southeast Asia Middle East and North Africa Conflict Economies Conflict Dynamics Borderlands

Podcast

21st July 2021

Political Unrest Unsettles Myanmar’s Borderlands

Tabea Campbell Pauli

When the Myanmar military reclaimed power in February after a decade of democratic government, it disrupted the delicate peace process with Myanmar’s ...

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South Asia and Southeast Asia Conflict Economies Conflict Dynamics Borderlands

Newsletter

23rd June 2021

Peripheral Vision: Views from the Borderlands – Spring 2021...

Joint bulletin from the X-Border Local Research Network about recent research and activities from The Asia Foundation, Rift Valley Institute, and Malc...

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South Asia and Southeast Asia Middle East and North Africa Horn of Africa and the Sahel Violent and Peaceful Behaviour Transnational Flows Governance Conflict Dynamics Borderlands

Blog

30th April 2021

How the Ever Given Gave Us a Lesson in Chokepoint Politics

Jatin Dua,

After six days stationary in the Suez Canal, the Ever Given was finally unstuck. While its name will soon become a piece of trivia about blocking one ...

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Middle East and North Africa Transnational Flows

Blog

26th April 2021

Sailors Without a Sea

Armenak Tokmajyan, Laith Qerbaa

Jordan’s bahhara have suffered from a closed border with Syria, but efforts to resume informal trade ties continue.

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Middle East and North Africa Conflict Economies Borderlands

Blog

23rd July 2020

Temporary Refuge, Stopover or New Home? Meeting Yemeni Migra...

Ahmed Shire, Abdideeq Warsame

As part of RVI’s ongoing project on the cross-border connections between Yemen and Somalia, the Institute’s partners at Puntland State University in G...

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Middle East and North Africa Transnational Flows Migration

Blog

18th June 2020

The War Comes Home

Ahmed Nagi

The Yemen conflict has affected Saudi border areas and is changing the public’s thinking in the kingdom.

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Middle East and North Africa Governance Conflict Economies Conflict Dynamics Borderlands

Blog

29th April 2020

Living Off the Books

Hamza Meddeb

Economies in the Middle East and North Africa are suffering from supply chain problems due to the coronavirus.

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Middle East and North Africa Migration Coronavirus Conflict Economies

Photo Essay

20th February 2020

Mahra, Yemen: A Shadow Conflict Worth Watching

Ahmed Nagi

A Yemeni scholar shares glimpses of his journey through remote eastern Yemen, where the war-torn country’s wealthy neighbors are jostling for influenc...

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Middle East and North Africa Transnational Flows Conflict Economies

Blog

27th January 2020

An Art Unto Itself

Armenak Tokmajyan

In conducting research in the Middle East, don’t ignore the importance of the personal.

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Middle East and North Africa Transnational Flows

Blog

7th December 2019

How to Survive South Sudan’s Monetized Economy

Joseph Diing Majok

South Sudan’s borderland region with Sudan, in Northern Bahr el-Ghazal, is a hard place to make a living. Jobs are scarce, livelihoods insecure and mo...

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Horn of Africa and the Sahel Conflict Economies Conflict Dynamics Borderlands

Blog

4th December 2019

Braving the Waves: Gray-Market Trade and Maritime Security i...

Starjoan Villanueva

It’s business as usual for cross-border trade in the Sulu Archipelago, off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, where enterprising men and wome...

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South Asia and Southeast Asia Transnational Flows Conflict Economies

Newsletter

18th November 2019

Peripheral Vision: Views from the Borderlands – Fall 2019

Joint bulletin from the X-Border Local research Network about recent research and activities from The Asia Foundation, Rift Valley Institute, and Carn...

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South Asia and Southeast Asia Middle East and North Africa Horn of Africa and the Sahel Transnational Flows Conflict Response Conflict Economies Conflict Dynamics Borderlands

Blog

6th August 2019