Mali’s government is struggling to assert its authority as more communities fall to various Islamist groups. After a decade of faltering counterinsurgency efforts, it might be time to take a closer look at the biggest obstacle to stability —the Malian state’s chronic inability to counteract shadow governance structures.
The recent protests that erupted across Israel in opposition to a proposed “judicial reform” put the spotlight on an increasingly prominent issue: the politicization of the judiciary. More and more, democratically elected governments around the world have been dismantling checks and balances to undermine judicial independence.
A recent report from the U.N. Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan documented terrible human rights violations taking place in the country, named individual perpetrators and called for prosecutions. But certain obstacles could prevent the International Criminal Court from being the venue for such a trial.
One hundred days into his new term in office, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is returning to familiar policy approaches in an effort to restore Brazil’s regional and global leadership. But a difficult domestic political and economic environment may constrain his foreign policy ambitions.
The unprecedented case of an activist being sentenced for providing another woman with abortion pills has put Poland’s near-total ban on abortion back in the spotlight. It could also make abortion a major topic ahead of parliamentary elections due this fall, highlighting the country’s split between liberals and social conservatives.
Few Ugandans alive today have memories of any other leader besides President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled the country for 40 years. But for now, there is no certainty that Museveni plans to step down, nor is there a succession plan to facilitate an orderly transition that would preserve peace and stability in the event he does.
South Korea is emblematic of East Asia’s well-documented coming demographic crisis. Yet while the issue has preoccupied successive governments, including that of current President Yoon Suk Yeol, their proposed policy responses have failed to address the root of the problem: the country’s still-pervasive traditional gender roles.
A year after mass protests forced the resignation of the government, Sri Lanka is making some progress on its economic and debt crises. But the country is not out of danger. Its humanitarian crisis is far from over, and some of the forces that helped create the catastrophe are still embedded in the country’s centers of power.
The sharp divides that emerged in the Scottish National Party’s recent leadership election reflected the extent to which factional tensions were long held in check through hopes that Scottish independence could be achieved soon. Yet in the past 18 months, this sense of political self-confidence within the SNP has gradually dissipated.
In the past year, Laos has witnessed more popular unrest than it has in decades. Under normal circumstances, the regime would typically respond to any public displays of dissent by cracking down on protesters and circling its wagons. But amid severe economic distress, many citizens are increasingly undaunted by the fear of repression.
Former President Donald Trump’s indictment last week may have left the U.S. in uncharted waters. But the rest of the Western Hemisphere provides plenty of lessons for what happens when a former president is indicted. While a successful trial and conviction is possible, not all cases end the political careers of former leaders.