News


Syria: ISIS is Using Oil as a Weapon against Syrians

Jun 18, 2015 | Jeremy Bender, Business Insider

ISIS, which controls all of the oil-producing regions in eastern Syria, has started blockading oil sales to rival Syrian rebel groups in the north of…


Iraq/Kurdistan: Iraqi Regional Government Threatens 'Legal Measures' if Baghdad Does Not Cover Its Budget

Jun 18, 2015 | Middle East Monitor

The regional government in Erbil, Northern Iraq, has announced that it will take "legal measures" if the federal authorities in Baghdad do not cover its…


Rwanda, Kenya, Burundi: Africa Government Officer

Jun 17, 2015 | One Acre Fund

One Acre Fund is increasingly exploring opportunities to work together with the Ministries of Agriculture in the countries where we work. There exist very powerful…


Liberia: As Southeastern Land Conflict Intensifies, River Gee Hunter Reported Kidnapped

Jun 17, 2015 | Cholo Brooks, Global News Network Liberia

A 35-year old man in Watuaken, River Gee went on a hunting expedition and has been missing for nearly a week. According to the report,…


Kurdistan/Iraq: KRG PM: Kurdistan Can Sell Oil without Baghdad Approval

Jun 17, 2015 | Rudaw

The Kurdistan Regional Government can directly export its oil to world markets without going through Baghdad, Kurdistan region Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani claimed following a…


Liberia: House Probes US$4.6 Million Land Rental Fee

Jun 17, 2015 | Legislature of Liberia

The Honorable House of Representatives has set up a Joint Committee to investigate a US$4.6m Land Rental Fee for affected communities in which forest related…


Challenges After Conflict: Regional Consultation on Resolution 1325

Jun 16, 2015 | Aizhamal Bakashova

Resolution 1325 is not just a tool which can be used to protect women and sustain peace. It is also a testament to strong women…


China/South China Sea: China's Artificial Islands Will Be 'Completed within Days' in the Disputed South China Sea

Jun 16, 2015 | Lizzie Dearden, The Independent

China has said it will finish its man-made islands in disputed areas of the South China Sea within days, heightening tensions with neighbouring countries. Taiwan,…


Afghanistan Should Leave Its Copper in the Ground to Avoid Further Strife

Jun 15, 2015 | Antony Loewenstein

Afghanistan faces an existential crisis over its untapped natural resources. After decades of war and insecurity, the Afghan government and foreign investors are pushing to…


Liberia: Who is Responsible for the Meltdown at NOCAL?

Jun 15, 2015 | Rodney D. Sieh, Front Page Africa

Several communications and confidential documents in possession of FrontPageAfrica, is outlining what many industry observers and insiders at the National Oil Company of Liberia already…


Iraq: U.S. Top Court Rejects Iraq Bid to Revive 'Oil-for-Food' Lawsuit

Jun 15, 2015 | Lawrence Hurley, Reuters

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an effort by Iraq to revive a lawsuit against dozens of companies for allegedly conspiring with former leader…


DRC: Brandeis Addresses Use of ‘Conflict Minerals’ in Electronics

Jun 15, 2015 | Bill Schaller

Underscoring its longstanding commitment to social justice, Brandeis University has approved a policy that addresses the use of conflict minerals in the university’s most commonly…


Liberia: EU-Liberia Meet over Forest Management Agreement

Jun 15, 2015 | The New Dawn

EU Ambassador Tina Intelmann says good forest governance and law enforcement are critical to the success of efforts to halt deforestation and forest degradation. Speaking…


Oil, Arms, and Corruption: A Poisonous Nexus?

Jun 14, 2015 | Sam Perlo-Freeman

While world military spending has fallen slightly in recent years, some regions, notably Africa and the Middle East, have seen continuing rapid increases. When SIPRI…


China/Vietnam/South China Sea: Vietnam, Chinese Boats Clash Near Disputed South China Sea Isles

Jun 14, 2015 | John Boudreau, Bloomberg

Vietnamese fishing craft clashed with Chinese boats near the disputed Paracel Islands last week, underscoring simmering tensions between the two communist countries even as their…


Switzerland: Project Officer

Jun 13, 2015 | UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Safe and reliable access to energy for cooking, lighting, and power is a basic need for everyone. While we use energy every day; to make…


Judging the Civilian and Environmental Risks of Cyber Warfare

Jun 12, 2015 | Doug Weir

How much of a threat do cyber attacks on industrial infrastructure pose to civilians and the environment? More to the point, how do we judge…


Liberia: Liberian Forest Occupied by 200 Ivorians: Security Source

Jun 12, 2015 | Agence France-Presse

More than 200 heavily-armed Ivorian farmers have seized a forest in Liberia, scattering terrified inhabitants in an incursion described in parliament as a "national threat",…


Timor-Leste: East Timor Drops Australia Spying Case at United Nations Court

Jun 12, 2015 | ABC News

East Timor has officially dropped its case against Australia before the UN's International Court of Justice (ICJ), after the Government returned sensitive documents relating to…


South Sudan: Why George Clooney is Supporting Coffee Farming in South Sudan

Jun 12, 2015 | Aryn Baker, Time

When it comes to celebrities and their causes, there is perhaps no more indelible pairing than George Clooney and the nation of South Sudan. After…


Middle East Conflicts Jeopardize Water for Millions

Jun 11, 2015 | Codi Yeager-Kozacek

Water is both a weapon and a casualty of violence in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen.


Middle East Conflicts Jeopardize Water for Millions

Jun 11, 2015 | Codi Yeager-Kozacek

Millions of people across the Middle East face drought, scarce drinking water supplies, and poor sanitation due to civil wars and conflict. Meanwhile, resource constraints…


Pakistan: Funds Collected through Illicit Means Being Used for Terror, Criminal Activities: Rangers

Jun 11, 2015 | The Express Tribune

Billions of rupees gathered through illicit means including extortion, land grabbing, illegal hydrants, smuggling are funneled by political parties, influential men, religious organisations, militants and…


Liberia: US$120m Investment for Sinoe

Jun 11, 2015 | The New Dawn

The people of Sinoe County, southeast Liberia are expected to benefit from a US$120 million mining investment by Hamburg International, a foreign company.Briefing reporters Tuesday,…


Syria: ISIS Militants Blow Up Gas Pipeline to Syrian Capital

Jun 11, 2015 | Eben Blake, International Business Times

Islamic State group jihadists blew up a natural gas pipeline that runs from eastern Syria to the suburbs of Damascus late Wednesday night, according to Agence…


Conflict, Forced Migration and Property Claims

Jun 10, 2015 | Sandra Joireman and Jon Unruh

Amidst widespread fighting in Iraq and Syria, millions of distressed civilians have fled their homes. In Yemen as well, war has led to mass displacement…


Is Wildlife Trafficking a National Security Threat?

Jun 10, 2015 | Cameron Lagrone and Josh Busby

Trafficking of illegal wildlife goods is quickly becoming one of the most lucrative illicit businesses in the world. With growing demand in Asia, an industry…


Liberia: How Bribery, Interests Killed Liberia’s Rice Farm Project

Jun 10, 2015 | Samwar S. Fallah, Front Page Africa

Liberians across the divide are still wondering why a US$30 million mechanized rice production project which was dubbed a rescue for a country heavily reliant…


Colombia: Crudo Derramado por las Farc en Putumayo Afectó 9 Humedales (Oil Spilled by the FARC in Putumayo in September Affected Wetlands)

Jun 10, 2015 | El Tiempo

Si el costo ambiental inmediato del derrame de 3.120 barriles de crudo en el Putumayo en la madrugada del lunes por presión de las Farc…


Iraq: Wheat-Importing Iraq Plans to Be Net Grain Exporter by 2017

Jun 10, 2015 | Khalid Al Ansary, Bloomberg

Iraq, a wheat-importing nation where flat bread is a staple, plans to become a net exporter of the grain within two years, government officials said.…