Publications
Articles, publications, books, tools and multimedia features from the U.S. Institute of Peace provide the latest news, analysis, research findings, practitioner guides and reports, all related to the conflict zones and issues that are at the center of the Institute’s work to prevent and reduce violent conflict.
Robin Wright on Raisi’s Death and What It Means for Iran
With the death of President Ebrahim Raisi, the Iranian regime has reached “a critical turning point.” And with just two weeks until the vote to replace him, it’s important to pay attention to “not only who wins the new presidency, but how many Iranians actually participate in the process,” says USIP’s Robin Wright.
America’s Vital 21st-Century ‘Partnership With Africa’ — and Kenya’s Key Role
The state visit to Washington last week by Kenya’s President William Ruto provides a moment in which to assess not simply a major U.S. bilateral partnership in Africa, but the progress of the United States’ declared intent to build a strategic partnership with the continent overall. The U.S. government in 2022 declared that partnership vital to U.S. interests — a recognition of Africa’s rising economic potential and its inevitably central role in all efforts to build global stability and prosperity in this century. Former assistant secretary of state for Africa Johnnie Carson, now a senior advisor at USIP, assessed the visit and the progress in building that new, transatlantic partnership.
It’s Not Too Early to Talk about Plan Ecuador
Since his assumption of Ecuador’s presidency on November 23, 2023, Daniel Noboa has faced a surge in violence that culminated the week of January 8th with prison riots, the abduction of police officers, car bombings, looting and the dramatic kidnapping of TV presenters during a live broadcast. Noboa fought back by announcing a state of emergency, opening the way for the armed forces to confront 22 gangs classified as “terrorist organizations.” It is not too early to consider a surge in international support for Ecuador, such as a more modest and community-centered version of the highly successful Plan Colombia, given the strength of transnational and national criminal organizations.
No es demasiado pronto para hablar sobre un Plan Ecuador
Desde que asumió la presidencia del Ecuador el pasado 23 de noviembre de 2023, Daniel Noboa ha enfrentado una escalada de violencia que culminó la semana del 8 de enero con disturbios en cárceles, retención de policías, atentados con bombas, saqueos y el dramático secuestro de presentadores de televisión durante una transmisión en vivo. Noboa respondió imponiendo un estado de emergencia, abriendo así el camino para que las Fuerzas Armadas enfrenten a 22 pandillas clasificadas como "organizaciones terroristas". Dado el poder de estas organizaciones criminales transnacionales y nacionales, no es demasiado pronto para considerar un aumento en el apoyo internacional a Ecuador, mediante una versión más modesta del Plan Colombia orientada hacia las comunidades.
Cómo sacar a Venezuela de su ciclo de conflicto
Si la esperanza fuera una mercancía, estaría cotizándose alto en Venezuela actualmente. Desde que el enfoque internacional hacia la crisis venezolana se transformó de maximizar la presión sobre el régimen de Maduro mediante sanciones, amenazas y aislamiento diplomático hacia una solución negociada del conflicto, el pueblo venezolano ha permanecido firme en su determinación de llevar el proceso hasta una elección, ahora programada para el 28 de julio.
How to Get Venezuela Out of its Cycle of Conflict
If hope were a commodity, it would be trading high in Venezuela this season. Since the international approach to the Venezuelan crisis shifted from maximizing pressure on the Maduro regime through sanctions, threats and diplomatic isolation to a negotiated solution to the conflict, the Venezuelan people have remained firm in their determination to see the process through to an election, now set for July 28th.
What Does Further Expansion Mean for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization?
Last week, foreign ministers from member-states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) gathered in Astana, Kazakhstan. The nine-member SCO — made up of China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan — represents one of the largest regional organizations in the world. And with the SCO’s annual heads-of-state summit slated for early July, the ministers’ meeting offers an important glimpse into the group’s priorities going forward. USIP’s Bates Gill and Carla Freeman examine how regional security made its way to the top of the agenda, China’s evolving role in Central Asia and why SCO expansion has led to frustrations among member states.
Joseph Sany on the U.S. Withdrawal from Niger
The U.S. reached an agreement with Niger’s military junta to close two military bases in the country in what amounts to a “tactical setback” for counterterrorism efforts in the Sahel. But the closure also “forces the U.S. to review its military posture in the region,” says USIP’s Joseph Sany, adding “there may be other options.”
Argentina’s Milei Wants ‘Reconciliation’ with the Military
On March 24, Argentina’s presidency released a video aimed at providing what it called a “complete” vision of the country’s “National Day of Memory for Truth and Justice,” an annual holiday held on the anniversary of the 1976 coup d’etat that established the military regime that ruled the country until 1983.
In Myanmar’s Conflict, Don’t Mistake Complex for Intractable
Conversations about Myanmar these days tend to unfold predictably. They begin with agreement that the country’s military junta is a vile institution — illegitimate, hated by virtually the entire population, and responsible for widespread suffering and heinous crimes including genocide.