Grassroots and governance: the voices of people

For the past couple of years, Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has been arguing that Ethiopia, the world's most populous landlocked country, needs better port access and that he's willing to go to war for it. Having tried and failed to secure better access to the Kenyan port of Lamu and then the Somaliland port of Berbera, Abiy has now turned his attention to the Eritrean port of Assab, with both Abiy and other senior Ethiopian officials talking up the prospect of annexation in recent months. The story really kicked off in early September when Abiy essentially floated the idea of invading Eritrea, warning in a public speech that Ethiopia's "mistake" of losing access to the Red Sea as a result of Eritrean secession would be "corrected." For context, Eritrea was a federal part of Ethiopia until 1993, when it peacefully seceded following a UN-supervised referendum. Relations between Ethiopia and the newly formed Eritrea were originally pretty friend...

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have entered into a mutual defense pact. The agreement declares that aggression against one is aggression against the other. When asked if this places Saudi Arabia under Pakistan's nuclear umbrella, a senior Saudi official avoided specifics, saying only that the pact covers all defensive and military means deemed necessary. Pakistani forces could now in theory deploy to Saudi Arabia with missile systems and a joint air defense network tied to satellites and interceptors. All of this would come on top of the nuclear umbrella that by strategic ambiguity now extends over the kingdom. The details however remain unclear as the pact is not yet public. What is clear is that the talks had been underway for at least two years and the pact comes amid growing anxiety over America’s reluctance to restrain Israel, with the Qatar attack serving as the breaking point. Saudi Arabia was in many ways the poster child of a non-NATO ally. Its loss of trust in US security gua...

  The nuclear arsenals of India and Pakistan have fundamentally transformed the nature of conflict in South Asia, creating a paradoxical security environment where the very weapons designed to prevent war have inadvertently enabled a different form of warfare. Rather than leading to complete peace, nuclear deterrence between these two rival nations has facilitated persistent proxy conflicts, particularly evident in Pakistan's sustained support for militant groups operating in Indian-administered Kashmir. This phenomenon illustrates the "stability-instability paradox," where nuclear weapons simultaneously reduce the likelihood of major conventional wars while increasing the probability of low-intensity conflicts and proxy warfare . The Foundation of Nuclear Deterrence in South Asia India's Nuclear Doctrine: Restraint and Retaliation India's nuclear doctrine, formally established in 2003, represents one of the most conservative approaches to nuclear weapons polic...

  A few years ago, both Israel and the United States were optimistic about achieving peace in the Middle East through the Abraham Accords—a series of agreements aimed at normalizing relations between Israel and its Arab neighbours, most notably Saudi Arabia. The Accords were largely motivated by a shared opposition to Iran, and early progress raised hopes that a broader regional realignment was within reach. There was even cautious optimism that negotiations might withstand the shock of the October 7th attacks. However, Israel’s decision to resume its military campaign in Gaza following a brief ceasefire appears to have derailed these prospects. For Saudi Arabia, this was a decisive moment. Rather than continuing down the path toward normalization with Israel, the kingdom has pivoted toward closer ties with regional players such as Iran and Turkey. Under President Donald Trump, U.S. Middle East policy focused heavily on the Abraham Accords. The idea was to bring peace by forgin...

For over half a century, India been battling an armed rebellion that's caused tens of thousands of deaths, disrupted entire regions, and challenged state authority. Indeed, the Naxalite insurgency has been one of the most prolonged and deadly uprisings in the world. However, at long last, the Indian government believes it's gained the upper hand and has set a deadline of March 2026 to finally defeat the rebels. Unlike conventional wars, insurgencies can be incredibly persistent. While some are resolved quickly, either by military action or through political negotiations, others can last for decades, sometimes spanning generations of fighters and outlasting numerous national governments. This longevity can be shaped by many different factors. Often fed by deeply rooted social, political, and economic grievances, they can also be prolonged by a sympathetic local population and the ability of insurgents to blend in with the communities around them. In addition, geography usual...

The history of Japan-China relations is a turbulent story, with periods of relative friendliness being replaced by periods of hostility in a repeating cycle that has gone on for decades. In recent years, this relationship has deteriorated as China more aggressively asserts its disputed territorial claims, Japan increases its defense spending, and issues ranging from visas to seafood inflame tensions. However, in the past few months, there has been a noticeable effort to rebuild the relationship. The recent downturn in Japan-China relations has several reasons. One of these was Russia's invasion of Ukraine and China's ongoing support for Vladimir Putin's regime in 2022. Alluding to potential future Chinese military action, Japan’s then-prime minister, Fumio Kishida, warned that "Ukraine today might be the East Asia of tomorrow," and his government initiated a major military buildup, strengthened Japan’s partnership with the United States and other U.S. allies in ...