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Syria: The return of Bashar al-Assad to the Arab fold

Date first published: 01/06/2023 Key sectors: all Key risks: internal conflict; political stability; political violence   Risk development On 19 May Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) warmly embraced President Bashar al-Assad on his arrival in the Saudi city of Jeddah to attend the Arab League summit for the first time in 11 […]

Russia: (In)significant incursion

Date first published: 30/05/2023 Key sectors: all Key risks: war on land Risk development On 21 May members of the Russian anti-Kremlin partisan groups that have contributed to the fight against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK) and the Freedom of Russia Legion – crossed the border from Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast into Kozinka […]

Thailand: Moving forward

Date first published: 18/05/2023 Key sectors: all Key risks: political instability; policy uncertainty; civil unrest; coup d’état   Risk development Pita Limjaroenrat – the leader of the progressive Move Forward Party (MFP) – has claimed the right to form the next government following the party’s unprecedented victory in the 14 May general election. On 18 […]

Pakistan: What happens next?

Date first published: 16/05/2023 Key sectors: all Key risks: civil unrest, political violence, economic crisis Risk development Pakistan is facing the greatest threat to its internal stability since 1971 – with the military-dominated system of government challenged. The arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan outside an Islamabad court on 9 May triggered a wave […]

Armenia-Azerbaijan: Baku’s checkpoint and difficult talks

Date first published: 04/05/2023 Key sectors: all Key risks: war on land; civil unrest Risk description On 23 April Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry announced that it would set up a checkpoint on the Lachin Corridor – the only transit route that connects Armenia and the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh (NK). Baku claimed that Yerevan had “abused […]

Turkey: Erdogan’s power struggle

Date first published: 02/05/2023 Key sectors: all Key risks: political stability; economic policy; civil unrest   Risk development The 14 May presidential and parliamentary elections are expected to be the most contested in Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s 20-year rule – initially as prime minister and now as President. Turkey is grappling with a protracted economic crisis, […]

United States: Trump and DeSantis

Date first published: 25/04/2023 Key sectors: all Key risks: political polarisation; civil unrest   Risk development In January 2016 Donald Trump, then running for the Republican nomination for president, claimed that he could “shoot somebody” and not lose votes. Trump has not shot anyone, but criminal charges, a civil suit for sexual assault, allegations that […]

Mexico: Trouble in paradise?

Date first published: 13/04/2023 Key sectors: tourism; all Key risks: organised crime; violent crime; kidnapping; extortion; business disruption   Risk development Organised and violent crime is on the rise in Mexico’s seemingly paradisiacal Caribbean beach resorts and their surrounding areas. On 16 March the United States (US) issued a travel alert warning travellers to “exercise […]

Saudi Arabia – Worldwide: ‘Saudi First’ policy shakes up oil markets

Date first published: 11/04/2023 Key sectors: oil and gas Key risks: inflation; supply deficit; political tensions   Risk development: On 2 April Saudi-led OPEC+ stunned global markets by announcing voluntary cuts totalling 1.2m bpd. Cuts will be effective from May and will last through end-2023, depending on global economic conditions. Oil markets responded to the […]

Israel: Ben-Gvir’s private paramilitary force

Date first published: 04/04/2023 Key sectors: all Key risks: political violence; internal conflict    Risk development On 27 March after 12 consecutive weeks of protests, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a pause in the legislative process of the judicial reforms launched by his government. At the same time, to prevent the government’s immediate collapse, the […]

Central African Republic: Pointing the trigger finger

Date first published: 28/03/2023  Key sectors: all; mining  Key risks: terrorism   Risk development On 19 March nine Chinese workers were killed and two others were injured by unidentified armed assailants during an attack at the Chimbolo gold mine, near Bambari, Ouaka prefecture. The assailants stormed the facility’s premises around 05:00 local time and quickly […]

Argentina: Drug violence (finally) in the spotlight

Date first published: 21/03/2023 Key sectors: all Key risks: drug trafficking; targeted killings; arson attacks; extortion; crime-related violence   Risk development Drug trafficking and associated violence have finally made it to the national public and security agenda. On 7 March President Alberto Fernandez announced the deployment of additional federal security forces – including 300 gendarmerie […]

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