Month: March 2016

India’s Nuclear Behavior

India’s Nuclear Policy has been the subject of debate for many decades now. A non-signatory to the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty, the country has pursued an atomic bomb amid regional tensions and precarious relations with its neighbors. India has also used its nuclear weapon to bolster its national identity tied to the concept of ‘security’. Despite… Read more »

This Week in South Sudan – Week 12

Tuesday 22 March Officials in Morobo County, Central Equatoria State claimed unknown gunmen kidnapped three SPLA wildlife officers on duty and stole dozens of machine guns. Foreign Affairs Minister, Barnaba Marial Benjamin, denied reports that he had conceded the disputed Abyei region to Sudan by referring to the area’s residents as non-South Sudanese. President Salva… Read more »

This Week in South Sudan – Week 11

Monday 14 March The South Sudanese government is allegedly planning to “temporarily” close down many of its embassies abroad due to lack of funding. The government later dismissed these claims, stating they are only reducing the number of embassy staff. Wednesday 16 March The SPLM (IO) announced 23 of their top generals are expected to… Read more »

Is The War on Drugs a Humanitarian Crisis?

Humanitarian actors increasingly look to frame the failure of the War on Drugs as an imperative for renewed engagement in Latin America. When leaders meet at UNGASS 2016 in April, legalization will be central in discussions, but issues of humanitarian encroachment should also be on the table. In Latin America, the four-decade long War on… Read more »

Futureproofing Humanitarianism for Permanent Emergencies: Unpacking the Promise of Cooperation

Despite the strong growth of the humanitarian sector, there is an increasing operational and financial deficit in the capacity of governments and humanitarian organizations to respond. This has led to calls for changes in the way such crises are understood and managed. As humanitarians grapple with what is increasingly imagined as a future of permanent… Read more »

This Week in South Sudan – Week 10

Tuesday 8 March The SPLA (IO) accused government force of attacking their position in Koch County in Unity State. NPR interview: “’Both Sides Are At Fault’: Susan Rice On South Sudan’s Civil War” Wednesday 9 March SPLA (IO) and government forces reportedly clashed in Ulang and Nasser county, Upper Nile State, and in Koch county,… Read more »

From the House of Cards to House of Data?

The fourth season of the Netflix series House of Cards was released worldwide on the 4th March. Which is to say, the week-end when many International Relations (IR) researchers are still rushing to finalize their conference paper for the annual convention of the International Studies Association (ISA). And, if you are reading this post, you… Read more »

This Week in South Sudan – Week 9

Tuesday 1 March 16 South Sudanese, including 10 aides to President Salva Kiir, have been charged with forgery and the theft of US$15 million from the presidential office. The SPLA has left a limited force in Juba in accordance with the August 2015 peace deal until a joint force with the SPLA (IO) is deployed…. Read more »

South Sudan – Uganda Relations: The Cost of Peace

The excerpt below is from a recently published article by PRIO Senior Researcher, Øystein H. Rolandsen and Doctoral Researcher, Tove Heggli Sagmo with the assistance from Fanny Nicolaisen. The article was published in ACCORD’s “Conflict Trends” magazine, Issue 4, 2015. This work was supported by Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, section for Peace and Reconciliation…. Read more »