Assessments

Burkina Faso

Chad

Mali

Mauritania

Niger

France

French soldiers patrol the streets of Gao, Mali, on Dec. 4, 2021. 

Military & Security

France’s updated military posture in the African region focuses on supporting national armies, especially Niger’s. But this is unlikely to offset the impact of Paris’ withdrawal from Mali. 

France’s New Approach to the Sahel: Preparing for Sustained Regional Instability

Columns

On Geopolitics

Guinea

Guinea Bissau

Demonstrators in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, hold up photos of Malian coup leader Assimi Goita (who seized power in Mali for the second time in a May 2021 coup) and Burkina Faso coup leader Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba on Jan. 25, 2022.

Politics

The Suitors of Sub-Saharan Africa

Niger may soon join the wave of military takeovers, but that risk has more to do with what’s happening within the country's borders.

Putting West Africa’s ‘Coup Contagion’ in Context

Security

Old Leaders in a New Africa

Media

Podcasts

After a wave of coups, both successful and failed, in West African nations, is it safe to say democracy is under attack?

Essential Geopolitics: Why So Many Coups in West Africa?

Zambia

United States

China

Japan

Germany

United Kingdom

Russia

People wait outside the entrance to the annual meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) outside the IMF headquarters in Washington D.C. on Oct. 11, 2021. 

Economics

Environment, Science & Technology

Pressing internal issues facing both institutions’ leaders and main shareholders will limit room for substantive reforms, further slowing the global economy’s recovery.

This Year’s World Bank-IMF Meetings Are Unlikely to Yield Progress

COVID-19

Reflections

Police clash with opposition demonstrators in N'Djamena, Chad, on April 27, 2021. 

The Jihadist Wars

A rebel offensive is inching toward the country's capital, which has also seen a surge in violent protests.

The Threats Facing Chad’s New Military Leaders 

Tanzania

In this episode of the Stratfor Essential Geopolitics podcast from RANE, Stratfor senior global analyst at RANE Matthew Bey provides guidance about the impact of the deaths of Chad's and Tanzania's presidents. 

Essential Geopolitics: Two Sub-Saharan Nations Face New Leadership

Four Star General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno (center), son of late Chadian President Idriss Deby Itno, is seen at a polling station in N'djamena on April 11, 2021. 

The unexpected loss of Chad’s longtime president will exacerbate security crises along its borders and undermine France’s Sahel strategy.

In Chad, Deby's Death Leaves a Void in the Heart of Africa

Snapshots

By complicating French-led military operations, the overthrow of Mali's president risks creating more space jihadist activity in the country and the wider Sahel region of sub-Saharan Africa. 

In Mali, a Coup at the Core of the Sahel's Counterterrorism Fight

2020 Second-Quarter Forecast

Covering an area that spans the entire width of the continent beginning at the Sahara Desert and ending at the southernmost tip of South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to countless cultures, languages, religions, plants, animals and natural resources.

Sub-Saharan Africa

<p>Sub-Saharan Africa is a study in diversity. Covering an area that spans the entire width of the continent beginning at the Sahara Desert and ending at the southernmost tip of South Africa, the region is home to countless cultures, languages, religions, plants, animals and natural resources. It&rsquo;s no surprise that it captured the imagination of Europe&rsquo;s earliest explorers &mdash; and that it continues to capture the imagination of current world powers eager to exploit it. And yet despite the region&rsquo;s diversity, Sub-Saharan African countries have common challenges &mdash; transnational terrorism, rapid population growth, endemic poverty and corruption &mdash; that prevent them from capitalizing on their economic potential. The coming years will be critical for the region, especially as its political institutions mature in a rapidly globalizing world.</p>

On Security

Cameroon

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Kenya

Mozambique

Nigeria

Somalia

Indonesia

Malaysia

Philippines

Austria

Algeria

Iraq

Jordan

Saudi Arabia

Syria

Turkey

Egypt

Libya

Tunisia

Afghanistan

Pakistan

Sri Lanka

U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Kenneth McKenzie speaks as a picture of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is seen during a press briefing Oct. 30, 2019, at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia.

Stratfor Threat Lens

The Islamic State has lost its territory and leader, and the jihadist struggle has entered its post-"caliphate" phase.

The Global Jihadist Movement in 2020: The Threat Lens Forecast

2020 Annual Forecast

Europe

French soldiers patrol the Tofa Gala forest in the Sahel region of Africa.

Escalating violence risks forcing France and its allies to rethink their counterterrorism efforts in the vast African warzone, as the question of whether foreign involvement can even improve the crumbling situation looms ever larger.

The West Offers Little Reprieve to the Sahel's Jihadist Battle

The Difficulties of North African Reform

The Chadian junta announced on Jan. 4 that it foiled a "destabilization" attempt involving a group of officers, Reuters reported Jan. 5.

Chad: Government Foils Alleged Destabilization Plot

Central African Republic

The Central African Republic (CAR) government threatened to seek reprisals after claiming an aircraft flew across the northern border from a neighboring country the night of Nov. 27-28 and bombed CAR troops and Russian paramilitary partners in the town of Bossangoa, Agence France-Presse reported Nov. 28.

Central African Republic: Government Claims Unnamed Border Nation Bombed Troops, Russian Partners

Chad's private creditors committee reached an agreement with the government on restructuring external debt, according to Chadian Finance Minister Tahir Hamid Nguilin, Reuters reported Nov. 11.

Chad: Creditors Reach Agreement on Debt Restructuring

About 50 people died and 300 more were injured during protests against Chad's military junta, Africanews reported Oct. 20.

Chad: 50 People Killed in Anti-Junta Protests

The Chadian transitional government adopted resolutions that will push back democratic elections for two years, enabling interim leader Gen. Mahamat Idriss Deby to stay in power and run for president when elections occur, Reuters reported Oct. 2.

Chad: Election Timeline Delayed Two Years

Energy

Chad's national oil union PETROSYNAT warned that its members working for China National Petroleum Corp.'s Chadian subsidiary (CNPCIC) would go on strike next week should the company disregard its demands, Radio France Internationale reported Aug. 16.

Chad, China: Oil Union Threatens Strike Action as Discontent Against CNPC Grows

Over 30 of the 52 rebel groups participating in peace talks signed a deal with the Chadian government committing to a comprehensive cease-fire and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR), Reuters reported Aug. 8.

Chad: Key Rebel Group Abstains From Peace Deal

Chad's transitional military council announced that its national dialogue would begin on Aug. 20, Reuters reported July 15.

Chad: National Dialogue Moves Forward Despite Stalled Peace Talks

Antigua and Barbuda

Luxembourg

South Sudan

A view of the Register in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Angola

Argentina

Armenia

Australia

Bahrain

Lithuania

Barbados

Benin

Maldives

Malta

Ukraine

Belize

Botswana

Brunei Darussalam

India

Iran

North Macedonia

Tajikistan

Bhutan

Bolivia

Cambodia

The President palace in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

The administrative center of the Gakh region of Azerbaijan, located at the foot of the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus, on the river Kurhumchai.

Brazil

Burundi

Finland

Israel

Nepal

Canada

Georgia

Mir Castle in the Minsk region of Belarus.

Cabo Verde

Chile

Federated States of Micronesia

Kuwait

Liechtenstein

Colombia

Fiji

Latvia

Lebanon

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Costa Rica

Comoros

Cuba

Czech Republic

A horse grazes in front of Kara-Kul lake in the Chon-Ak-Suu valley, 300 kilometers southeast of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.

Morocco

Cote d'Ivoire

Denmark

Dominica

Kiribati

Moldova

Oman

Dominican Republic

Laos

Palestinian Territories

Djibouti

Ecuador

Holy See (Vatican City)

Qatar

El Salvador

Equatorial Guinea

Greece

Marshall Islands

Eritrea

Grenada

Mongolia

Chad is a landlocked country in Central Africa which is considered one of the cradles of humanity. In its early history, its position straddling the transition between the Sahara and the Sahel placed it in a prime position for trans-Saharan trade, and its territory has comprised several African empires over the centuries. However, French imperial conquests in the 19th and early 20th centuries fastened Chad into the space it inhabits today.     While its political power is centered around the capital, N'Djamena, Chad has struggled to deal with its ethnic and regional divides since independence. Sedentary, often Christian populations in the south have historically clashed with nomadic, often Muslim groups in the north for political supremacy. The imposition of colonial borders in Chad's east separated ethnic and tribal groups in Sudan and Chad, driving political instability as the two countries have sought to control the space and its population.     Chad's position at a crossroads in Central Africa has often driven its involvement in regional security issues over the years. Chad is a significant contributor to combatting terrorism in the region, closely aligning itself with powers from the West such as France and the United States. These relationships are key for Chadian leaders seeking to augment weak internal resources and the country's landlocked status. However, Chad has emerged as a Central African oil producer in the past two decades, which has helped attract the interest of foreign investors. 

Female

Male

Chad's interim government declared a "food emergency" on June 2, Voice of America reported June 3.

Chad: Country Declares Food Emergency as Much of Africa Enters 'Lean' Agricultural Season

Agriculture

SITUATION REPORTS

Chad: Government Foils Alleged Destabilization Plot

Central African Republic: Government Claims Unnamed Border Nation Bombed Troops, Russian Partners

Chad: Creditors Reach Agreement on Debt Restructuring

Chad: 50 People Killed in Anti-Junta Protests

Chad: Election Timeline Delayed Two Years

Chad, China: Oil Union Threatens Strike Action as Discontent Against CNPC Grows

Chad: Key Rebel Group Abstains From Peace Deal

Chad: National Dialogue Moves Forward Despite Stalled Peace Talks

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