Philippe M. Frowd

Le Niger crée une milice patriotique pour combattre les groupes djihadistes Sur le modèle burkinabé des Volontaires pour la défense de la patrie, Niamey a lancé le programme « Garkuwar Kassa », qui vise à recruter et former des jeunes pour prêter main-forte aux forces armées.

"Sur le modèle burkinabé des Volontaires pour la défense de la patrie, Niamey a lancé le programme « Garkuwar Kassa », qui vise à recruter et former des jeunes pour prêter main-forte aux forces armées." #Niger #VDP
www.lemonde.fr/afrique/arti...

Niger: avec «Garkouwar Kassa», le M62 veut former une milice civile pour appuyer les forces de sécurité Au Niger, le mouvement M62 a officiellement lancé en début de semaine, lundi 4 août, son initiative Garkouwar Kassa, ou « Boucliers de la Patrie ». C'était une recommandation du Conseil consultatif de…

Since the coup, Niger's security strategy hasn't been clear. Niger hasn't invited large numbers of foreign mercenaries (Mali) and hasn't opted for militarizing the whole society (Burkina). It now seems to be drifting toward the (disastrous) Burkinabè solution relying on militias

Non-state armed actors engage with states in ambiguous and highly differentiated ways. In a recent article, Mariam Bjarnesen and I reflect on the seemingly contrasting approaches taken by three West African states; Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Liberia: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

I don’t think anyone is prepared for what they just did w/ ICE.

This is not a simple budget increase. It is an explosion - making ICE bigger than the FBI, US Bureau of Prisons, DEA,& others combined.

It is setting up to make what’s happening now look like child’s play. And people are disappearing.

Just in: freedom is being told how to eat

Why Canada’s Strong Borders Act is as troublesome as Donald Trump’s travel bans Canada’s ‘Strong Border Act’ is a recent chapter in the history of co-operation and coercion by the United States, but for Canadians, it could be even more troubling than Donald Trump’s travel bans.

"In the fog of the ongoing trade war between the U.S. and Canada, the focus is on American tariffs and their economic impact. But little attention is being paid to Canada’s longstanding co-ordination and co-operation with the U.S. in terms of border management."

Seven Questions for Hassan Ould Moctar on the Politics of Migration in Mauritania "Cooperation with European migration control prerogatives is basically etched into the political settlement that has become consolidated in Mauritania since 2008."

"cooperation with European migration control prerogatives is basically etched into the political settlement that has become consolidated in Mauritania since 2008"

La polycrise au Sahel : observations, perspectives et actions La crise sécuritaire au Sahel aurait débuté à partir de 2012. Depuis, la région ne semble connaitre qu’une succession de crises, notamment au Burkina Faso, au Mali et au Niger. De nombreux universi...

Notre art « La polycrise au Sahel : observations, perspectives et actions » en accès libre jusqu'à la fin du mois d'août, dans le cadre d'un partenariat avec ECAS!!

N'hésitez pas à partager cet art co-écrit avec @charbonneaub.bsky.social, C. Jourde, N. Compaoré, @pmfrowd.bsky.social et G. Goyet!

Kendrick Lamar used every second of available airtime to diss a corny rapper from Toronto. When the US government sends in the army to crush protest and assist mass deportations in his home town, crickets!

JNIM today claimed an IED attack against Malian and Russian vehicles inside Bamako, apparently at a training field on the city's western edge. As far as I'm aware this is the first claim of an IED in the city, even as attacks have taken place several times over the years. The insurgency has arrived.

Sahel. Les djihads concurrents d'Al-Qaida et de l'État islamique Héritières du djihad à la fois local et global, les filiales sahéliennes d’Al-Qaida et de l’État islamique se disputent l’adhésion et la soumission des populations, au nom d’idéologies politiques (…)

I hope this piece will receive the acclaim it deserves. It's a unique and essential systematic comparison between JNIM and IS-Sahel, from a doctrinal and governance perspective, based on primary data. Read!

Here’s what the proposed Bill C-2 means for immigrants and asylum seekers in Canada Canada has announced new measures under the proposed Bill C-2 in response to what it called growing migration pressures. Here’s what the rules mean for immigrants and asylum seekers.

Asylum rights are under pressure everywhere – Canada's new rules make it no exception.

I will defer to those who have followed insurgency and political violence more closely... but it does seem that JNIM and others have enough material plus war fighting experience/capacity to scale up operations to a new level. The ease with which they have overpowered mil. bases elsewhere is a sign.

With some exceptions, jihadist insurgency in the Sahel has ruralized and grown in strength away from major cities & capitals. This is changing, with JNIM claiming an attack in the periphery of Bamako this afternoon. Follows major, high-casualty attacks across Mali and Burkina Faso this week.

We ask that your nominations for this year’s Distinguished Scholar award mention whether the nominee:

i) is willing to attend the conference in-person, or

ii) prefers an alternative format (such as, but not limited to, an eventual ISA virtual platform).

We look forward to your nominations!

DEADLINE EXTENDED to June 11th, 2025!

We understand that many people may not wish to travel to Columbus next March, for a range of valid reasons. Thus, the IPS Section is accepting alternative formats for the 2026 Distinguished Scholar Award Panel.

Beyond 'elbows up' talk, the United States has actually been successful at coercing Canada into giving more money and more powers to the RCMP, CBSA, and other agencies. www.canada.ca/en/public-sa...

IOM Spokesperson: Statement On Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) of Migrants in the United States 12 May 2025, Geneva - For decades, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has supported Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) programs in more than 100 countries—helping people without resources...

The IOM has accepted the US government's request to provide Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR). IOM says this happens "only after an individual gives informed consent to receive assistance" but the definition of 'consent' to be sent away is going to get stretched to its limits.

This past three to seven days, and continuing today, Sahelian military forces have suffered staggering defeats (Ekinewane; Falmey; Dioura; Boulikessi; Koumbri; and today an attack on the base in Timbuktu). JNIM perpetrated all these attacks except for Ekinewane. Really difficult times in the #Sahel.

The most relevant message today from @isanet.bsky.social was not the president's but the sentence above it, hinting at virtual options for #ISA2026.

The IPS Section is now welcoming nominations for the 2026 IPS Book Award! To nominate or self-nominate a book, please email the award panel chair Philippe M. Frowd (pfrowd@uottawa.ca). Books must be received by September 1st, 2025.

For further information, access: www.isanet.org/Programs/Awa...

Are you a graduate student who presented at the 2025 ISA in Chicago?

If you were part of a panel sponsored or co-sponsored by the IPS section, consider applying to the 2026 IPS Graduate Student Paper Award! Self-nominations are encouraged!

Our call for nominations for the 2026 IPS Distinguished Scholar Award is still open! Deadline for nominations is June 2nd, 2025

Biometrics-for-food: a dangerous shift from humanitarian relief to coercive surveillance Skyline International for Human Rights (SIHR) condemns a proposed system for humanitarian aid in Gaza that combines biometric surveillance, private military contractors, and Israeli oversight. This pr...

Palestinians face a double dehumanization: either get no aid, or receive it in exchange for coercive surveillance through facial recognition

I spent the last three days in eastern Chad at the Sudan border, my first visit since April 2024 - the humanitarian situation has gone from very bad to much worse with a new spike in refugee arrivals. Thanks much for @helpfromgermany for having me again. A few thoughts: #chad #sahel

Al Qaeda affiliate says 200 soldiers killed in attack on Burkina military base An attack on a Burkina Faso army base killed 200 soldiers, the SITE Intelligence Group quoted Al Qaeda affiliate JNIM as saying on Thursday.

JNIM claims to have killed at least 200 soldiers in Djibo, which is just one of several devastating attacks on Burkina Faso’s security forces recently. www.reuters.com/world/africa...

Burkina Faso: Army Directs Ethnic Massacres The Burkina Faso army led and participated in the massacre of more than 130, possibly many more, ethnic Fulani civilians by pro-government militias in the western Boucle du Mouhoun region in March 202...

One major continuity in the Sahel, regardless of which foreign powers are present, is recurring ethnic massacres committed by state (and state-adjacent) forces www.hrw.org/news/2025/05...

Burkina Faso is in an existential security crisis. At the same time, the information environment is saturated by propaganda from all sides.