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Africa Watch

Is France’s Modest Increase to Its Sahel Force Too Little, Too Late?

Andrew Green Friday, Jan. 17, 2020

At a security summit in southern France this week, French President Emmanuel Macron and the leaders of five countries in Africa’s Sahel region agreed to modest increases in their joint military efforts to combat Islamist extremists. Macron pledged to send an additional 220 French troops to the Sahel.

China Note

What Does the ‘Phase One’ U.S.-China Trade Deal Actually Accomplish?

Benjamin Wilhelm Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020

With the signing of a partial trade deal Wednesday, the United States and China have finally pressed pause on their protracted trade war. At a White House signing ceremony, President Donald Trump called the pact a “sea change in international trade.” But what does it actually accomplish?

Q&A

In Honduras, ‘Gangs Effectively Control the Prisons’

The Editors Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020

Dozens of inmates were killed in a wave of violence that swept across Honduran prisons in recent weeks, as rival gangs staged a series of bloody riots. In an interview, Eric L. Olson explains why years of government reform efforts have failed to address gang-driven violence in Honduras’ penal system.

Africa Watch

In Liberia, Weah Faces Growing Protests Over a Sinking Economy

Andrew Green Friday, Jan. 10, 2020

Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Liberia’s capital this week to demand the government salvage the country’s cratering economy. Police met them with water cannons and tear gas. The Liberian economy has suffered badly since President George Weah, a former soccer star, took office two years ago.

China Note

China Treads With Caution Amid a Brewing Conflict in the Middle East

Benjamin Wilhelm Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020

As tensions rise between the U.S. and Iran, China is urging both countries to exercise restraint while it carefully avoids words or actions that could be construed as taking sides. Beijing’s measured response is a sign of its delicate balancing act in a region where it has considerable economic interests.

Tsai’s Likely Reelection in Taiwan Will Lead to More Tensions With China

Elliot Waldman Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen is overwhelmingly favored to win reelection this weekend. But the prospect of a second term for Tsai doesn’t bode well for relations with China, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province. Tsai has taken a firm stance against Beijing, in response to its increasingly hard line.

WPR Is Hiring an Associate Editor

The Editors Monday, Jan. 6, 2020

World Politics Review is seeking an associate editor with deep knowledge of international affairs and top-notch editorial skills. The associate editor will oversee all aspects of WPR’s award-winning in-depth channel of longform reporting and analysis.

Africa Watch

All-Out Proxy War Looms in Libya as Turkey Mulls a Military Intervention

Andrew Green Friday, Jan. 3, 2020

With Turkey’s parliament approving a bill this week to greenlight a military deployment in Libya to support the government in Tripoli, the chaos that followed the 2011 ouster of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi threatens to deepen. More foreign soldiers will only add to the misery on the ground in Libya.

Our Most-Read Articles of 2019

The Editors Monday, Dec. 23, 2019

Trade wars, territorial disputes, Donald Trump—those are just a few of the topics that attracted the interests of WPR readers in 2019. Many other stories overshadowed by the biggest international news were also on our radar, as always, and they found a dedicated audience online.

Africa Watch

In Gambia, Barrow Backs Off His Promise to Step Down After Three Years

Andrew Green Friday, Dec. 20, 2019

When Adama Barrow challenged Gambia’s autocrat Yahya Jammeh in the 2016 presidential race, he pledged that, if he won, he would run a three-year provisional government before calling new elections. But backing off that promise, Barrow recently said he will serve a full five-year term, sparking protests.

China Note

Why the ‘Phase One’ Deal With China Could Be the Best the U.S. Will Get

Benjamin Wilhelm Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019

The U.S. and China agreed to a long-awaited “phase one” trade deal last Friday, pausing for now a trade war that has weighed down the global economy for more than a year. The deal offers relief to both sides, but solutions to the deeper grievances in the economic relationship seem as far off as ever.

Q&A

With Its Runoff Election, Guinea-Bissau Hopes to Move Past Years of Instability

The Editors Monday, Dec. 16, 2019

Guinea-Bissau will hold a runoff presidential election later this month, after a first round of voting failed to produce a clear winner. In an interview, Alex Vines of Chatham House explains why the runoff, coming amid a long-running political crisis, will be a pivotal moment for the country’s future.