Blurred Frontlines: Why Overlooked African Conflicts Matter to Global Security
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Episode description
Conflicts across Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea rarely dominate international headlines, yet their strategic importance, humanitarian consequences, and implications for global security are considerable.
In this episode of World of Intelligence, host Cristina Varriale is joined by Sean Corbett, Chair of the Janes Advisory Board, along with Janes analysts Maria Lampoudi and Chris Hawkins, to examine the complex dynamics driving instability across the region.
Together, they explore the realities on the ground, including the evolution of Sudan’s civil war, ongoing Ethiopia–Eritrea tensions, shifting alliances, competing armed groups, and the influence of international actors.
They assess critical indicators such as military movements, political transitions, armed group capabilities, and the reliability of available information, illustrating how Janes experts anticipate future trajectories in environments where data is fragmented and misinformation is widespread.
Maria Lampoudi
Maria Lampoudi is a principal analyst and manager of the Sub-Saharan Africa desk and covers Sudan for Janes Country Intelligence. She was previously the Africa analyst for Janes Military Capabilities team and, prior to that, worked at the European External Action Service.
Cristina Varriale
Cristina Varriale is a Principal Analyst and Manager on the APAC Country Intelligence team at Janes. Before joining Janes in April 2022, Cristina spent six years in the Proliferation and the Nuclear Policy Team at the RUSI think tank, culminating in a short period as acting director. Prior to RUSI, she worked with the International Center for Security Analysis at the Policy Institute, Kings College, London. Her work primarily focuses on researching and analysing North Korea's domestic security and stability, the country's WMD programs, foreign relationships and the implications for security.
Chris Hawkins
Chris is a lead analyst covering the Horn of Africa for Janes Country Intelligence. He was previously a terrorism and insurgency analyst and deputy editor of Janes Intelligence Review.
Conflicts across Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea rarely dominate international headlines, yet their strategic importance, humanitarian consequences, and implications for global security are considerable.
In this episode of World of Intelligence, host Cristina Varriale is joined by Sean Corbett, Chair of the Janes Advisory Board, along with Janes analysts Maria Lampoudi and Chris Hawkins, to examine the complex dynamics driving instability across the region.
Together, they explore the realities on the ground, including the evolution of Sudan’s civil war, ongoing Ethiopia–Eritrea tensions, shifting alliances, competing armed groups, and the influence of international actors.
They assess critical indicators such as military movements, political transitions, armed group capabilities, and the reliability of available information, illustrating how Janes experts anticipate future trajectories in environments where data is fragmented and misinformation is widespread.