Since the first suicide bombing incident that killed the Tsar of Russia in 1881, the world has witnessed an increased number of suicide attacks, most significantly in recent years. In 1976 there were no reported suicide bombings, but in 2016 there were 469 attacks across 28 countries.  To put it another way, in the last […]

Janina Dill is the John G. Winant Associate Professor of U.S. Foreign Policy at the Department of Politics and International Relations of the University of Oxford and a Professorial Fellow at Nuffield College and Co-Director of the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law, and Armed Conflict. Janina Dill’s research focuses on ethics and law in modern warfare with a particular focus on […]

Justin Bronk is a Research Fellow at The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) where he specialises in combat airpower and technology in the Military Science team. Bronk writes on air power issues for the RUSI Journal, RUSI Defence Systems, RUSI Newsbrief, the Journal of Strategic Studies and the RAF Airpower Journal, and also serves as […]

Charlie Winter is a Senior Research Fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation specialising in terrorism and insurgency. Meanwhile, he is also pursuing a PhD in war studies at King’s College London, where he examines how militant groups cultivate creative approaches to governance and war. Previously, Charlie Winter has written for the BBC, […]

Harrison Akins is a PhD candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, conducting research within the fields of intra-state conflict, terrorism, Islamic culture and politics and US foreign policy with a particular focus on tribal groups in Pakistan. As part of his research, he is analysing how US counterterrorism policy influences […]

Afghanistan: Country overview The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, located in South Asia, borders Pakistan, Iran, Uzbekistan and China; and has a population of around 34 million. Afghanistan is a presidential republic, with a recent constitution created in 2004. In 2014, Ashraf Ghani was directly elected as president in the country’s first democratic elections. From 1996, […]

Bangladesh: Country overview Bangladesh, with a population of over 162 million, is one of the world’s most densely populated countries. Located in south-eastern Asia, bordering India and Myanmar and boasting a capital called Dhaka, it is a secular, pluralistic, parliamentary democracy, ruled by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and President Abdul Hamid. The state religion is […]

Burundi: Country overview The land-locked, east African country of Burundi has a population of approximately 10 million and is bordered by Rwanda, Tanzania and the DRC. Burundi is a presidential representative democratic republic and the country’s president, Pierre Nkurunziza, has been incumbent since 2005. Burundi signed the Arms Trade Treaty in June 2013, but has yet […]

Central African Republic: Country overview The Central African Republic (CAR) is a landlocked nation in Central Africa, bordering Chad, South Sudan, Cameroon and Congo, with an estimated population of 4.5 million. The CAR’s political framework is that of a semi-presidential republic, where the president is head of state and the prime minister is the head of […]

China: Country overview The People’s Republic of China is the world’s most populated country with a population of 1.4 billion. Located in Central Asia, China shares its borders with no less than 14 neighbouring countries. Although still governed by the centralized Communist Party of China (CPC) since the revolution in 1949, the country has undergone […]

Colombia: Country overview Colombia is located in northern South America and has a total population of around 50 million; Bogota serves as the capital. Colombia is a presidential democratic republic, and the president is both the head of state and government. Iván Duque was elected the country’s president in August 2018. Colombia has a history […]

Democratic Republic of Congo: Country overview With an estimated population of 81 million, the DRC is the second largest country in Africa. Despite its vast amounts of natural resources, the majority of the population lives in extreme poverty, faced with constant political instability.  In essence, armed clashes and human rights violations have characterised the DRC for […]