After almost two years of war, Sudan is in the grip of a humanitarian and political catastrophe. A conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues to devastate the country. In recent months, the RSF has lost ground, and its efforts to create a government seem likely to come to naught. But what is the RSF, and what can learning about the paramilitary organization tell us about the future of Sudan?

'In 2023, one in five femicides in Argentina were committed with a firearm; the vast majority by current or former intimate partners, as well as other family members.

At the Fourth Review Conference of the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons in 2024, member states expressed concern that the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons impedes the achievement of gender equality. This has long been understood by women’s civil society organizations, as well as several states that have both experienced and documented the gender-differentiated impacts of small arms and light weapons and their broader impacts on human rights.

At the Fourth Review Conference of the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons in 2024, member states expressed concern that the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons impedes the achievement of gender equality. This has long been understood by women’s civil society organizations, as well as several states that have both experienced and documented the gender-differentiated impacts of small arms and light weapons and their broader impacts on human rights.

Situation Update: Ukraine

The Ukrainian population’s perception towards firearms is evolving. While civilian possession remains limited, the ongoing war since the Russian invasion increases the risk of illicit proliferation, potential misuse, and broader safety concerns. As of July 2024, 5% of surveyed households report possessing firearms—down from pre-invasion levels and the lowest since monitoring began. Of these firearm-owning households, 63% reported having (some of) their weapons recorded in the Unified Register of Weapons (URW), up from 46% in December 2023.

'In the world of 3D-printed guns, one figure looms large: ‘JStark1809’. It is difficult to overstate his influence. He designed the FGC-9, one of the most popular 3D-printed guns in circulation. He also created Deterrence Dispensed, an influential network of gun designers. Since his death in 2021 he has been revered as a quasi-martyr for the right to bear arms, resulting in a cult-like following within the 3D-printed gun movement.'

Situation Update: Eastern Equatoria

Louis Lobong Lojore has been the governor of Eastern Equatoria since 2010. He has entrenched his control of the state by building an elite coalition across ethnic lines and disbursing revenues related to the state’s gold-mining sector. Yet, Lobong’s reign in Eastern Equatoria is built on shaky foundations.

Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have become a key tool in asymmetric warfare, employed in the pursuit of many objectives, including destabilization of the state and governing authorities, exertion of control and influence, and creation of fear in a population. More than 80 per cent of civilian IED casualties occur in civilian spaces, and civilians are deliberately targeted, including vulnerable groups such as children.

Libya’s troubled and divided political landscape, riddled with political uncertainty and the risk of violent escalation, renders the region one of the most volatile in the world and vulnerable to outside actors. Türkiye has been one of these actors, seeking influence through various interventions. 

Situation Update: Tunisia

Migrants have been a regular presence in Tunisia since around 2011, when they arrived in the country after fleeing instability in Libya. It is only in recent years, however, that they have become a political issue. With Tunisia’s economy in shambles and the rise of political repression, migrants within and transiting through the country have been demonized in an attempt to shift the focus and cast President Saïed as a populist hero.