The current rank of being the fourth most failed state in the world that South Sudan occupies on the state failure index does not come as a tremendous surprise and there is little reason to celebrate this second anniversary of South Sudan’s statehood. At best, it is an achievement that the situation has not deteriorated further into civil war or an all-out military confrontation with Sudan.
Civil War
Taliban talks are the centrepiece for a joined-up peace deal in Afghanistan
The announcement by the United States that it intends to enter into direct negotiations with the Afghan Taliban represents a significant opportunity to manage the Western ‘exit’ from the country by the end of 2014.
Making a difference? The US decision to supply military aid to Syrian rebels
The White House announced that the US would start providing military aid to some of the rebel groups, but it remains unclear whether arming rebel groups in Syria will contribute to achieving the stated aims of US and UK policy: to save lives, to pressure the Assad regime to negotiate seriously, and to prevent the growth of extremism and terrorism.
What should we expect from the Afghanistan Conference in Bonn?
The 2011 Bonn Conference needs to make clear that the Afghan government and people and their partners in the international community are united in their efforts to make tangible and sustainable progress towards a more stable Afghanistan in an equally more stable region.
Libya after Gadhafi: Challenges and Opportunities
In the same way in which toppling the old regime could only be accomplished with substantial international support, it is unlikely that Libya’s transition will succeed without continuing support from the country’s international partners.
A New Beginning for Libya
Libyans and their allies across the world are right to celebrate, but building a new and legitimate state in the country will be a difficult task.
Libya’s Draft Constitutional Charter for the Transitional Stage: Promise and Drawbacks
The Draft Constitutional Charter reflects, by its very existence and publication, a remarkable degree of forward-planning by the National Transitional Council. It is a bold break with the past, but there are also some drawbacks, both in what is included in the Draft Constitutional Charter and what is missing from it.
Building a democratic state for the new Libya
Sustainable peace, democracy and prosperity depend crucially on choosing the right institutions, but these institutions cannot flourish unless there is security.
Three questions on Libya and one on the region
Resistance by the old regime collapsed relatively quickly on the road to, and in, Tripoli and the rebels clearly have the upper hand now and momentum is on their side, but there is a danger of setbacks.