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Women sit under U.N.-branded cardboard boxes in Semera, Ethiopia, on Feb. 14, 2022, as they wait to be registered by the authorities at a hotel compound hosting civilians fleeing violence. 

Economics

Military & Security

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Social Issues

GBV is often primarily seen as a women’s and human rights issue. But in sub-Saharan Africa, it is also a key constraint to stable (and democratic) governance, economic growth, and lasting peace.

The Geopolitics of Gender-Based Violence in Africa

Assessments

Rwanda

Uganda

The president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, speaks during the African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Feb. 5, 2022.

East African Integration

Congo's ports will grant the East African Community access to the Atlantic Ocean, but the country's overall poor infrastructure and security will limit the volume of trade with other bloc members. 

How Congo's EAC Membership Will Alter Trade in East Africa

Security

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.

<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>

2020 Annual Forecast

2019 Fourth-Quarter Forecast

2019 Third-Quarter Forecast

2019 Second-Quarter Forecast

Global Perspectives

Contributor Perspectives

Protests against Sudanese President Omar al Bashir have intensified in recent weeks, including some that erupted during a pair of African Champions League soccer matches last month.

In a twist on the athlete-led political statements seen at some sporting events, spectators in Sudan have turned recent soccer matches into a venue of protest.

When Stadiums Become Venues for Dissent

Media

North Korea

Syria

Videos

The unexpected announcement of a U.S. pullout left Syria's Kurds scrambling to find a new ally, fearing that the loss of Western support will leave them exposed in the event of a long-threatened Turkish assault. 

Coping With a Nuclear North Korea

In this short video, Stratfor Global Security Analyst Analyst Thomas Abi-Hanna discusses three events to watch for this week.

Three Geopolitical Events in the Week Ahead • December 31, 2018

The Syrian Civil War

2019 Annual Forecast

2018 Fourth-Quarter Forecast

2018 Second-Quarter Forecast

Somalia

United States

Yemen

Environment, Science & Technology

The U.S. government is using emergency funding powers to give $670 million in food aid to six countries in or near the Horn of Africa that are heavily affected by food shortages resulting from the Russia-Ukraine war, Bloomberg reported April 28.

Sub-Saharan Africa, U.S.: Biden Administration to Send Emergency Food Aid to Horn of Africa

Agriculture

Supply Chains

Energy

The government of South Sudan wants to negotiate a new oil production quota with OPEC and non-OPEC allies (OPEC+), as some of its oil fields have restarted since it agreed to join the group’s market stabilization efforts, Argus Media reported Oct. 8. 

South Sudan: Government Hopes to Negotiate New Oil Production Quota With OPEC+

COVID-19

United Arab Emirates

The Suitors of Sub-Saharan Africa

South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit has traveled to the United Arab Emirates to meet Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and discuss improving bilateral relations, The National reported April 23.

South Sudan, U.A.E.: Leaders Discuss Improving Bilateral Relations

Eritrea

Regional and U.S. leaders have met at various locations in the Horn of Africa region for bilateral and multilateral meetings in recent days, underscoring a significant increase in diplomatic activity in the area, RFI reported March 4.

Sub-Saharan Africa: Horn of Africa Countries Engage in Shuttle Diplomacy

South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit and rebel leader Riek Machar, a former vice president, reached a power-sharing agreement in an attempt to end the country's five-year civil war, the Sudan Tribune reported July 25.

South Sudan: Leaders Reach Peace Deal

Asia-Pacific: Among Great Powers

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un promised in May to invite foreign journalists and experts to witness the Punggye-ri nuclear test site being dismantled, according to South Korea's presidential office, The Guardian reported April 29.

North Korea: Pyongyang to Dismantle Nuclear Test Site, Invite Observers

South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit declared a state of emergency in three states and ordered an immediate disarmament exercise late Dec. 11, BBC reported Dec. 12.

South Sudan: President Declares State Of Emergency In 3 States

Several units of the Sudan People's Liberation Army have defected following a failed attempt to forcefully free former army chief Gen. Paul Malong Awan from house arrest, Sudan Tribune reported Oct. 29. 

South Sudan: Troops Defect After Failed Attempt To Free Former Army Chief

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A view of the Register in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

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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.

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Mir Castle in the Minsk region of Belarus.

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South Sudan is a landlocked state in East-Central Africa whose capital is Juba. The country is bordered by Sudan to the north, Ethiopia to the east, Kenya, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the south, as well as the Central African Republic to the west.    South Sudan is also the youngest country in the world. Since gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, it has experienced ongoing instability, including civil war and famine. Amid the nascent country's many problems, South Sudan's main challenge is the management of its various ethnic groups. Indeed, much of the nation's civil war has stemmed from battles for power between its major ethnic groups.    The country's lack of sea access has also restricted its economic prospects because of the associated high cost of imports and exports. As it is, transport links throughout Central and East Africa are poor, but South Sudan's logistical problems are naturally exacerbated by its instability and violence.    Still, South Sudan does boast proven oil reserves – something that has driven foreign interest in the area for decades. Nevertheless, the unlikelihood that hostilities will end anytime soon, coupled with the further erosion of Juba's control over territory, has greatly complicated investment in the oil industry. Accordingly, there appears little chance that South Sudan will rectify its deep structural deficiencies and end the fighting among its major ethnic groups anytime soon.

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SITUATION REPORTS

Sub-Saharan Africa, U.S.: Biden Administration to Send Emergency Food Aid to Horn of Africa

South Sudan: Government Hopes to Negotiate New Oil Production Quota With OPEC+

South Sudan, U.A.E.: Leaders Discuss Improving Bilateral Relations

Sub-Saharan Africa: Horn of Africa Countries Engage in Shuttle Diplomacy

South Sudan: Leaders Reach Peace Deal

North Korea: Pyongyang to Dismantle Nuclear Test Site, Invite Observers

South Sudan: President Declares State Of Emergency In 3 States

South Sudan: Troops Defect After Failed Attempt To Free Former Army Chief

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