Regular readers of these articles will recall the intention of Pierre Nkurunziza, outgoing president of Burundi, to become a ‘supreme leader’-style figure within his own country and remaining the power behind the throne. These plans were hit for six with Nkurunziza’s untimely passing this week, understood to be from coronavirus. Not only does this illustrate […]
Covid-19: The power play’s the thing… Read More »
Whatever the opposite of a political earthquake is, Burundi has likely just experienced it. After 15 years, the president Pierre Nkurunziza is stepping down and a new leader is incoming – albeit from the same party. However, Nkurunziza will remain as a ‘supreme guide to patriotism’ and all decisions on security and ‘unity’ (a delightfully
Burundi: Elective Surgery? Read More »
With all the tedious inevitability of an unloved season – as one Hugo Drax might have put it – here we are again. A new Unexplained Wealth Order has been issued in the UK, against a property on London’s ‘Billionaire’s Row’ suspected to have been purchased with money embezzled by the Kazakhstan elite. Given that
Unidentified Wealthifying Object Read More »
Regrettably, the coronavirus crisis has proven a fertile breeding ground for fake news and scams. It originated from America… it originated from China… it can be cured by a specific type of metal. While governments and health authorities have been quick to dispel these fabrications, it is symptomatic of the ease and breadth with which
Fake news: World tour Read More »
Aside from phishing, hacking, vishing, ransomware, malware, social engineering, insider threats and state-sponsored espionage, a new threat is fast rising: smishing. This is where texts, instant messages and communication apps are used to scam the unwary users, through asking them to click or link or make a payment when the message purportedly comes from a
The virtual world is the latest frontier in the fight against money-laundering. The vastly popular video game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has been identified as a means by which cyber-criminals can launder and liquidate money. This is done through ‘loot boxes’ (containing gameplay items) which require keys to open – it is these keys, whose prices
Money laundering: not just a game Read More »
For those of us in lockdown and looking to binge on the latest boxsets, Netflix’s ‘Narcos’ is likely to be a popular choice. Detailing as it does the rise and fall of the drug lord Escobar and his cartel, such fare has been fertile ground for dramatisations, both real and imagined. But, as always, one
Stranger Than Fiction Read More »
Sudanese President Abdullah Hamdok has survived an attempt on his life. An assault through guns and explosives against his motorcade in Khartoum failed, and Hamdok spoke afterwards of the incident being a ‘push to the wheels of change’. But there is concern that these words are just words, and that the wheels of change are
Attempted Death on The Nile Read More »
Promoting herself as a ‘self-made’ billionaire, Isabel dos Santos (IDS) is now a target of the Angolan government since the damaging Luanda Leaks were released by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). The leaks show that IDS, using her ties to the government to place herself in directorial positions of the country’s most profitable
Isabel dos Santos: Lessons Learned? Read More »
When news broke out that President Trump had signed off on the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani, followed by Iran’s retaliation, the prospect of a ‘second Iraq War’ or more concerningly a World War III almost became a harsh reality. However, the “unintentional” downing of the Ukraine International Airlines jet has seemed to quieten the
An Iranian Spring on the horizon? Read More »