John Sawers, former Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), shares his insights on how security threats have evolved with the rise of digital technologies and social media. In this interview, he offers a compelling exploration of the shift from traditional methods to contemporary security challenges. Sawers examines how intelligence approaches have adapted to address new threats, including the influence of social media on democratic processes and the evolving global geopolitical landscape. The discussion provides An insightful analysis of the current dynamics in intelligence work and highlights the critical issues facing intelligence services in an increasingly interconnected and digital world.
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March 2, 2022The purpose of this second paper is to highlight the involvement of mercenaries in decolonization processes in Africa on one hand, and the emergence of Private Military and Security Companies since the 1990s on another hand. The main argument is that despite the change in the structure of private contractors operating in Africa, their essence remains the same: security in exchange of mining concessions. Hence, the paper analyses to what extent mining companies have contributed to th ... -
March 1, 2022Dag Hammarskjöld, ancien secrétaire général de l’Organisation des Nations unies (ONU) avait, mieux que quiconque, résumé le rôle et les limites de l’organisation onusienne en proclamant que « L'ONU n'a pas été créée pour emmener l'humanité au paradis, mais pour la sauver de l'enfer ». Cette vision minimaliste et, au demeurant, réaliste, de la capacité de l’ONU à réguler les rapports internationaux, cadre parfaitement avec la maturation inachevée du processus d’évolution du droit int ... -
March 1, 2022Dans un contexte de gouvernance complexe, où autorités traditionnelles et modernes se côtoient même si leur pouvoir décroît, le Mali connait depuis de nombreuses années une situation sécuritaire alarmante, notamment dans le centre du pays. La montée des tensions entre communautés agricoles et pastorales est aggravée par la présence de groupes extrémistes. La population du Cercle de Niono, dans la région de Ségou, a été victime de violences inouïes pendant plusieurs mois avant que de ... -
February 28, 2022This article was initially published on usip.org The presence of CBAGs raises issues that force a rethink of local implementation of peacebuilding processes. The RESOLVE Network’s multiyear research on Community-Based Armed Groups (CBAGs) has established critical findings for the international community on how to engage, manage and transform violent actors in conflict-affected states. While mitigation efforts tend to target anti-state extremist organizations, understanding the ... -
February 22, 2022“Once upon a time a classic first line in fairy tales, used by Charles Dickens, for example in his “A Christmas card” in 1843, or Charles Perrault, the French poet, writer of “Cinderella” and “Sleeping Beauty”, both published in 1697 in “histoires ou contes du temp passé” Once upon a time suggests a nostalgic touch, the good old, romantic days glamourized because negative memories are annihilated and deposed in the dustbin of the human mind. Once upon a time, Beirut, the capital ci ... -
February 22, 2022Le sommet afro-européen des 17 et 18 février 2022 à Bruxelles marque la sixième édition de la rencontre de haut niveau entre les deux continents. Ce sommet, organisé traditionnellement en alternance entre l’Afrique et l’Europe, intervient dans un contexte régional et international marqué par la perspective de sortie de la pandémie de la Covid-19, l’épreuve de force entre l’Occident et la Russie et les turbulences que connaissent certaines régions africaines. Face à une E ... -
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February 14, 2022“Hiring outsiders to fight your battles is as old as war itself”. Peter W. Singer (2011) Mercenaries, private contractors, soldiers of fortune, dogs of war, guns for hire, war lords ... These are some of the names given to individuals working for private companies that provide military and security services. The debate around the use of these companies is deeply polarized, with some authors portraying such military contractors as ‘messiahs’, praising their efficiency in modern conf ... -
February 11, 2022Violence is increasingly endangering the lives of populations throughout the Sahel. Amid this problematic situation, coup d’etats are multiplying. On January 23, a military coup d’etat wa ...
