Global Initiative

The two faces of Balochistan:Illicit economies thrive in the spectre of Taliban stability

...Sher Mohammed Gul (name changed), a mid-level Balochi Taliban commander based in south-west Afghanistan, needed money. He had weapons to sell: American-made assault rifles, which should have been in h...

Posted on 26 Nov 2025

Author(s): Paddy Ginn

Gold Watch

Illicit finance and Africa: A regional assessment

Illicit finance and Africa

...Illicit financial flows (IFFs) in Africa are increasing in scale, complexity and impact, affecting countries that act as sources, transit points or destinations. These flows erode economic stability, ...

Posted on 25 Nov 2025

Author(s): Marcena Hunter, Michael McLaggan, Henry Harbottle

APA-Obs

Who is policing the Pacific?

...In September 2025, the Solomon Islands government – China’s closest security ally in the Pacific region – announced the launch of the Solomon Islands–China Police Cooperation Model Communities...

Posted on 21 Nov 2025

Author(s): Virginia Comolli

Eco-Solve

Monitoring online illegal wildlife trade: Featuring rhino horn pills and wildlife substitutions

Monitoring online illegal wildlife trade

...Online illegal wildlife trade (IWT) continues to expand across social media and e-commerce platforms, with 13,254 wildlife advertisements detected between April 2024 and August 2025 across Africa, the...

Posted on 20 Nov 2025

ESA-Obs

The illicit transnational supply chains sustaining Sudan’s conflict

...In late October 2025, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary organization fighting for control of Sudan, captured the city of El Fasher, in Darfur, marking yet another step in the country’s ...

Posted on 20 Nov 2025

Author(s): Ruben De Koning

NAS-Obs

Human smuggling and trafficking in North Africa and the Sahel 2025

Human smuggling and trafficking in North Africa and the Sahel

...North Africa and the Sahel have long been central regions for migrant movement, human smuggling and trafficking, with their importance growing steadily since the late 1990s. Today, they remain critica...

Posted on 19 Nov 2025

Author(s): Rupert Horsley, Alice Fereday