The Unease amid Newfound Warmth in Pakistan–Bangladesh Relations Pakistan–Bangladesh bilateral relations may be witnessing some warmth due to Bangladesh's changed domestic political situation, but the ghost of 1971 still casts a shadow. Ashish Shukla | | IDSA Comments
US–China Tech Rivalry: The Geopolitics of Semiconductors The growing rivalry between the US and China over semiconductors has become one of the sharpest points of tension in their bilateral relationship. Ishanya Sharma | | Issue Brief
Sergio Gor and the Future Trajectory of India–US Relations Additional responsibilities related to South and Central Asian Affairs on the new US Ambassadorial nominee could lead to diminished attention on the India–US ‘Global and Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’. Ashok Sajjanhar | | IDSA Comments
Counter Drone Systems: A Primer A multi-layered counter-drone architecture integrates electronic warfare systems, kinetic hard kill systems, and emerging technologies such as Directed Energy Weapons. Brahmshakti | | IDSA Comments
Pakistan’s Nuclear Ploy Pakistan no longer gains a substantial strategic advantage from its nuclear posturing, even as it continues to view the display of a nuclear threat as a strategic tool in conflict scenarios. Rajiv Nayan | | IDSA Comments
Japan’s ‘Nuclear Taboo’ 80 Years after Hiroshima and Nagasaki While Japan is staunchly committed to maintaining its traditional opposition to nuclear weapons, rising shades of domestic opinion are challenging decades of consensus. Abhishek Verma , Arnab Dasgupta | | Issue Brief
Stealth Frigates and India–Russia Defence Cooperation India–Russia collaboration on stealth frigates reflects the promise of defence co-production and the challenges of defence indigenisation. Rahul Wankhede | | IDSA Comments
Africa’s Quest for Modernity: Lessons from Japan and China The volume under review draws from noted scholar Ali Mazrui’s definition of modernisation, which integrates epistemic advancements with capability-based arguments. It looks to East and Southeast Asia as models for Africa’s development. As he states in his introduction, Africa ‘has to be able to conscript both China and Japan’ in service of its developmental goals (p. 5). He argues that ‘Africa can partner with China and learn from Japan’ while being cognisant of the diversity of developmental paths in East and Southeast Asia. Arnab Dasgupta | January-June 2025 | Africa Trends
The Cycles of Violence That Have Fuelled Burkina Faso’s Insecurity Burkina Faso, once among Africa’s most peaceful states, has become the world’s most terrorism-impacted country, driven by cyclical violence between jihadists, state forces, and self-defense militias. This paper examines how indiscriminate and ethnically targeted violence, particularly against the Fulani, has fuelled al-Qaeda’s Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) expansion. Under Captain Ibrahim Traoré, the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP) have become central to counterterrorism efforts, yet their rapid expansion has coincided with escalating atrocities. The March 2025 “Solenzo massacre” triggered JNIM’s “revenge” campaign, showcasing the group’s capacity to attack and temporarily occupy urban centres. Traoré’s domestically focused but repressive strategy has deepened insecurity, enabling JNIM to advance its governance ambitions. By analysing the role of persecuted communities, militia centrality, and state violence, this study argues that Burkina Faso’s counterproductive tactics have entrenched insurgency and offer critical lessons for regional and international actors confronting extremism in the Sahel and Gulf of Guinea. Charlie Werb | January-June 2025 | Africa Trends
From Peacekeeping to Partnership: India’s Evolving Role in South Sudan India’s engagement with South Sudan began before its independence with signing of Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that supported by India in 2005. India remained committed in extending the support to South Sudan through investments in the region’s hydrocarbon sector since 2003 giving economic support to the new nation. India’s support to South Sudan remained primarily in the areas of security, bilateral trade and capacity building. However, it is pertinent that the strategic cooperation between India and South Sudan should be derived by the objectives of the India’s foreign policy towards Africa and South Sudan’s development priorities considering the regional challenges like South Sudan’s civil war from 2013 to 2018 and ongoing tribal skirmishes till today. After the civil war ended South Sudan adopted Revised – National Development Strategy (R-NDS) 2021 - 2024 with focus on stabilizing economy and sustainable development. To ascertain the level of cooperation achieved between the two nations an analyses of cooperation achieved from 2005 till 2024 has been drawn. Also, India’s interest, South Sudan’s development priorities and regional challenges have been ascertained for identifying the emerging opportunities to secure India’s interest in the region and realigning the strategic cooperation framework. Kunal Sharma | January-June 2025 | Africa Trends
