Why Congo’s Vast Army Is Struggling to Fight M23

Why Congo’s Vast Army Is Struggling to Fight M23

Its soldiers are underpaid and underarmed. Its ranks are riddled with factions pursing their own interests. And successive presidents are said to have kept it weak for fear of a coup. The Democratic Republic of Congo’s army has appeared too weak and dysfunctional to stop a militia that has swept …

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Ahmed al-Shara: The Evolution of Syria’s New Leader

Ahmed al-Shara: The Evolution of Syria’s New Leader

As the commander of a rebel group allied with Al Qaeda during Syria’s long civil war, the man known by his nom du guerre, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, welcomed foreign jihadists, dispatched suicide bombers to blow up military posts and vowed to create an Islamic state. A decade ago, he told …

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Sudan’s Military Has Used Chemical Weapons Twice, U.S. Officials Say

Sudan’s Military Has Used Chemical Weapons Twice, U.S. Officials Say

Sudan’s military has used chemical weapons on at least two occasions against the paramilitary group it is battling for control of the country, four senior United States officials said on Thursday. The weapons were deployed recently in remote areas of Sudan, and targeted members of the Rapid Support Forces paramilitaries …

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