Explore insightful analysis and diverse perspectives on critical global issues from leading academics, policymakers, and practitioners. Our expert commentary provides in-depth insights to challenge conventional thinking and inform informed decision-making.
As the U.S.–China economic decoupling redefines global trade, Africa faces a critical inflection point. The continent must either seize emerging supply chain opportunities or risk deeper marginalisation. This dispatch lays out a strategic readiness agenda—from industrial zoning to smart trade defence—aimed at positioning Africa within the evolving global trade order.
On 16 July, Ursula von der Leyen unveiled a bold EUR 2 trillion budget proposal for the EU’s 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework. Aiming to shift priorities toward competitiveness, defence, and strategic investment, the plan marks a significant departure from traditional focuses like agriculture and cohesion. While it reflects her vision of a stronger, more centralised EU, the proposal has triggered internal dissent and sparked backlash from member states. The battle over Europe’s future direction is now firmly underway.
Europe’s trade model is undergoing a seismic shift—from liberal idealism to strategic geo-economics. As global power rivalries reshape economic flows, the EU must reforge trade policy as an instrument of statecraft, aligning it with security, resilience, and influence. The age of values-driven trade is ending; purpose-driven trade must begin.
Ukraine’s Delta system is reshaping how NATO views battlefield command and control. Built for flexibility and battlefield conditions, it may rival expensive Western systems and reshape future defence procurement. As NATO allies consider its adoption, Delta emerges not just as a technological tool—but a political and strategic force multiplier.
As governments falter under the weight of debt, disruption, and declining legitimacy, corporations are quietly stepping in—not just to influence the global order, but to construct a new one altogether. From private satellite constellations to platform-enforced speech, a corporate architecture of power is emerging with little democratic oversight. This dispatch traces the end of traditional sovereignty and the rise of algorithmic governance—and asks whether the public still governs the public sphere.
Signed on 27 June 2025 in Washington, the DRC-Rwanda peace agreement marks a high-stakes attempt to end decades of violence in the Great Lakes. Brokered by the U.S. and Qatar, the accord intertwines territorial assurances, militia disarmament, and a minerals-for-security agenda. Yet, deep-rooted mistrust, the M23’s absence, and fragile state institutions raise urgent questions about the deal’s durability.
Taking a visionary approach to warfare, the United States Department of Defence (DoD) is developing a Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2), a strategy that would synchronise and streamline warfighting capabilities across all domains.
The Pentagon’s $200 million contract with OpenAI is the latest in the series of initiatives by the Department of Defence focussed on engaging cutting-edge technology firms to enhance military capabilities and introduce automation and efficiency in modern warfare.
The Democratic Party has lost its strategic compass, trading purpose for performance. Once a force for working-class advancement and global leadership, it now drifts in cultural theatrics and reactive politics. While Republicans rally around power and production, Democrats offer moral outrage and identity slogans. To reclaim relevance, the party must refocus on national interest, economic strength, and institutional reform—or risk becoming politically decorative in a world demanding decisive leadership.
Africa is no longer absent from global governance—it’s increasingly present, from BRICS to the G20. But visibility without influence is a hollow victory. Despite symbolic gains, real power remains elusive, scattered by internal disunity and institutional limits. To shape the world order, Africa must build leverage, not just presence—through coherence, strategic diplomacy, and reform from within. The seat at the table is not the prize; what Africa does with it is.