Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Centre on Armed Groups @armedgroups.bsky.social · Jul 23

From the heartlands to the hills, #Myanmar’s PDFs are changing the face of armed resistance.

Read our latest report analysing 8 key groups and the emerging insurgent architecture: www.armedgroupscentre.org/reports-and-...

Centre on Armed Groups — Towards a deeper understanding of Myanmar’s People’s Defence Forces

This report explores how Myanmar’s armed resistance has evolved since the 2021 coup, focusing on eight People’s Defence Forces (PDFs) across the country. These include Autonomous Battalions like the M...

www.armedgroupscentre.org

Centre on Armed Groups @armedgroups.bsky.social · Jul 16

How are civilians in Ukraine navigating & shaping the digital space during conflict?

In @beyond-comp-cons.bsky.social's latest podcast, the Centre's @weigand.bsky.social & Fellow @katharinefortin.bsky.social explore this evolving dimension w/ @oonahathaway.bsky.social & @peasantpedant.bsky.social 👇

Beyond Compliance Consortium @beyond-comp-cons.bsky.social · Jul 14

📢 Ep12 of #BeyondComplianceInConversation podcast out now - "Civilian Agency in the Digital Realm" #Ukraine #DigitalRealm #ConflictDynamics #IHL

With hosts
@katharinefortin.bsky.social

&
@weigand.bsky.social

🎧 Listen on our website: bit.ly/4eQZ6RF
Also on Spotify and ApplePodcasts.

Text: Beyond Compliance: In Conversation, Armed Groups and International Law Podcast. Two round pictures of the guests and text S1 Ep12: Civilian Agency in the Digital Realm

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Centre on Armed Groups @armedgroups.bsky.social · Jul 10

From makeshift drones to high-tech fleets, Myanmar’s drone war is evolving rapidly.

In our latest briefing note, Fellow Khaing Aye Nyein shows how this shift is not only transforming military strategy, but also opening new roles for youth and women.

www.armedgroupscentre.org/reports-and-...

Centre on Armed Groups — Drone warfare and technological change in Myanmar

This briefing note shows that the widespread use of drones in Myanmar illustrates a technical and tactical shift for both the military (SAC) and resistance movements, reshaping how each side engages o...

www.armedgroupscentre.org

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Centre on Armed Groups @armedgroups.bsky.social · Jun 15

People's Defence Forces in #Myanmar are relying on creative and sometimes risky methods to raise funds.

Our recent research looks at the strategies in use and what could come next.

Read more: www.armedgroupscentre.org/reports-and-...

Centre on Armed Groups — Funding the People's Defence Forces in Myanmar

This  report examines how Myanmar’s anti-coup resistance movement is being financed, offering a comprehensive analysis of how the People’s Defence Forces (PDFs) sustain themselves economically. D...

www.armedgroupscentre.org

Centre on Armed Groups @armedgroups.bsky.social · Jun 9

Al Shabab is back on the offensive.

Writing for @warontherocks.bsky.social our co-director @ashleyajackson.bsky.social explores how a broken uprising, weak governance, and donor fatigue are fueling their resurgence: warontherocks.com/2025/06/flai...

Flailing State: The Resurgence of al-Shabaab in Somalia – War on the Rocks

warontherocks.com

Centre on Armed Groups @armedgroups.bsky.social · Jun 5

For #WorldEnvironmentDay, Centre Expert Anjan Sundaram shares what he’s uncovered in #Mexico where Indigenous communities face rising violence for defending their land.

📖 Check out our latest Q&A: www.armedgroupscentre.org/reports-and-...

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Reposted by Centre on Armed Groups

Small Arms Survey @smallarmssurvey.bsky.social · Jun 4

#Urbicide —the deliberate destruction of urban environments—is rife throughout #Khartoum, and a tactic in the #Sudan war. Co-published with @armedgroups.bsky.social, our new publication examines this weaponisation of civilian spaces in modern warfare
www.smallarmssurvey.org/resource/urb...

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Centre on Armed Groups @armedgroups.bsky.social · Jun 4

New research ⬇️
Urbicide in Khartoum, co-published with @smallarmssurvey.bsky.social

➡️ Examines how the war is reshaping Sudan’s capital through deliberate destruction, spatial control and targeting of civilian infrastructure

www.armedgroupscentre.org/reports-and-...
‪
@deensharp.bsky.social

Centre on Armed Groups — Urbicide in Khartoum: An Analysis of the Al-Amarat and Mayo Neighbourhoods, 2023-24

This report investigates how the war in Sudan is transforming Khartoum through acts of urbicide, the deliberate destruction of urban environments. It draws on satellite imagery, eyewitness testimony, ...

www.armedgroupscentre.org

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Centre on Armed Groups @armedgroups.bsky.social · May 28

For those working on border governance:

Centre Experts @maxgallien.bsky.social, Shalaka Thakur & Co-Director @weigand.bsky.social offer a valuable analysis in @foreignpolicy.com on what border walls actually achieve - and what they don’t 👇

Max Gallien @maxgallien.bsky.social · May 27

Since the end of the Cold War, the number of border walls and fences around the world has sextupled. But do they actually work?
In this piece for @foreignpolicy.com, Shalaka Thakur, @weigand.bsky.social and I draw on our research and share some scepticism
foreignpolicy.com/2025/05/23/b...

Do Good Fences Actually Make Good Neighbors?

The number of border walls worldwide has surged since the end of the Cold War.

foreignpolicy.com

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Centre on Armed Groups @armedgroups.bsky.social · May 22

Myanmar’s People’s Defence Forces rely on much more than donations.

Our latest report offers a rare and detailed look at how #PDFs are raising funds through taxes, resource sales and more. Find out what is working and what challenges lie ahead:

www.armedgroupscentre.org/reports-and-...

Centre on Armed Groups — Funding the People's Defense Forces in Myanmar

This  report examines how Myanmar’s anti-coup resistance movement is being financed, offering a comprehensive analysis of how the People’s Defence Forces (PDFs) sustain themselves economically. D...

www.armedgroupscentre.org

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Centre on Armed Groups @armedgroups.bsky.social · May 20

We work where few can. Now it’s easier to see how.

Explore our newly updated site for real-world research, practical tools, and global insight on armed groups.

www.armedgroupscentre.org

Centre on Armed Groups

The Centre on Armed Groups supports efforts to reduce violence and end armed conflict. We do this through conducting innovative research, creating safe spaces for dialogue, and providing advice.

www.armedgroupscentre.org

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Centre on Armed Groups @armedgroups.bsky.social · May 15

What’s the cost of a ceasefire without a plan?
Nadwa Al-Dawsari - Centre Expert and longtime Yemen analyst - explains how current US policy could backfire if it continues to sideline governance and local peace efforts 👇

📖 www.mei.edu/publications...

Trump travels to a Middle East in transition

This week, US President Donald Trump makes his inaugural visit to the Middle East since the start of his second term, traveling to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates on May 13-16. Amid ...

www.mei.edu

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Centre on Armed Groups @armedgroups.bsky.social · Apr 28

Cultural heritage is a human security issue. But engaging armed groups to protect it requires specialised expertise. Our latest with Aleph Strategies examines how to do it: www.armedgroupscentre.org/reports-and-articles/capacity-building-for-engagement-cultural-heritage-dfa-nsag

Centre on Armed Groups — Capacity building for engagement with non-state armed groups and de facto authorities

This briefing outlines barriers and solutions to building capacity for engaging armed groups and de facto authorities in protecting cultural heritage. It calls for better tools, partnerships, and reco...

www.armedgroupscentre.org

Centre on Armed Groups @armedgroups.bsky.social · Apr 22

Why do some armed groups protect heritage and others destroy it?

Our full report with Aleph Strategies and the British Council explores motivations, strategies for engagement, and what cultural heritage can teach us about peacebuilding.

Read more: www.armedgroupscentre.org/reports-and-...

Centre on Armed Groups — Unlikely Allies: Engaging armed groups for the protection of cultural heritage

This findings report explores why and how armed groups engage with cultural heritage, offering new tools and insights for cultural protection in conflict zones.

www.armedgroupscentre.org

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Reposted by Centre on Armed Groups

James Barnett @james-barnett.bsky.social · Feb 16

Very privileged to be joining the @armedgroups.bsky.social network as a fellow

Exciting work coming soon!

www.armedgroupscentre.org/network/jame...

Centre on Armed Groups — James Barnett

Fellow

www.armedgroupscentre.org

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Centre on Armed Groups @armedgroups.bsky.social · Feb 12

Aid should never be out of reach. The Centre, in a global
partnership with @savethechildrenus.bsky.social & Fight for Humanity, through ECHO funding, is working to strengthen access to life-saving assistance for children in conflict.
#ChildrenInConflict #ChildSoldiers #RedHandDay

Centre on Armed Groups @armedgroups.bsky.social · Feb 9

M23’s resurgence is just one piece of a much larger regional crisis.

Centre Fellow @ethuin.bsky.social explains the dynamics at play in the #EasternCongo in our latest rapid insight piece: www.armedgroupscentre.org/m23drc-vogel

Centre on Armed Groups — The M23 crisis in the DRC

www.armedgroupscentre.org

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Centre on Armed Groups @armedgroups.bsky.social · Feb 6

Looking to better understand the crisis in the #EasternCongo?

Centre Fellow @kvlassen.bsky.social and co-author Judith Verweijen, break down the key dynamics shaping the conflict — beyond the usual focus on minerals.

www.egmontinstitute.be/congo-crisis...

Congo crisis extends beyond ‘conflict minerals’ - Egmont Institute

On Sunday night, the Congolese rebel group M23 and the Rwandan army invaded Goma, the capital of North Kivu province in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The fall of Goma […]

www.egmontinstitute.be

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Centre on Armed Groups @armedgroups.bsky.social · Feb 5

In a new Q&A piece for the Centre, Fellow @ethuin.bsky.social unpacks the complexities of the #M23 conflict and the broader crisis in the #EasternDRC.

Read it here: www.armedgroupscentre.org/m23drc-vogel

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Centre on Armed Groups @armedgroups.bsky.social · Jan 27

We are excited to welcome Albert Souza Mulli to the Centre on Armed Groups as our Head of Policy Advice!

Albert's appointment marks an exciting chapter for the Centre as we continue to bridge research and practice.

Learn more about Albert: www.armedgroupscentre.org/network/albe...

Centre on Armed Groups — Albert Souza Mülli

Head of Policy Advice

www.armedgroupscentre.org

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Centre on Armed Groups @armedgroups.bsky.social · Jan 22

We’re starting 2025 strong with the release of our first newsletter of the year, which serves as a one-stop catch-up on everything from key trends shaping armed conflict (AI, anyone?) to in-depth research on ISKP.

📖 Access and subscribe here: bit.ly/40uuyOC

2025 Outlook: Trends Shaping Armed Conflict

bit.ly

Centre on Armed Groups @armedgroups.bsky.social · Jan 14

Centre Expert Nadwa Al-Dawsari analyzes the Houthis’ rise from a marginal insurgency to a dominant force in the #MiddleEast, exploring their control of key territories in #Yemen, advanced tactics & growing influence in Red Sea geopolitics 👇

www.armedgroups-internationallaw.org/2025/01/14/t...

Armed Groups and International Law - Armed Groups in Context: The Houthis – From Local Insurgency to Regional (Non-State) Powerhouse Shaping Middle East Dynamics

“We will continue to escalate, undeterred by their aggression, for we are at war and in open-ended confrontation with them [America and Israel],” declared Houthi leader Abdulmalik Al-Houthi, waggin…

www.armedgroups-internationallaw.org

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Reposted by Centre on Armed Groups

Olivia Herman @oliviaherman.bsky.social · Dec 30

Exciting to discover that my book on Reparations by Non-State Armed Groups under International Law has been included by @armedgroups.bsky.social in their essential reads of 2024

Centre on Armed Groups @armedgroups.bsky.social · Dec 19

Reparations by Non-State Armed Groups under International Law by Olivia Herman

🔗https://bit.ly/4gJy8uU

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Centre on Armed Groups @armedgroups.bsky.social · Dec 20

How has the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) evolved under Taliban pressure?
Our latest report dives deep into its decentralization, strategies & ideological persistence 👇

www.armedgroupscentre.org/reports-and-...

Centre on Armed Groups — Shadow wars: the Taliban’s campaign against the Islamic State Khorasan Province

This paper examines the evolution of the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) from 2021 through 2024, tracing its transformation from a severely weakened entity to an adaptive, decentralised organis...

www.armedgroupscentre.org

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Centre on Armed Groups @armedgroups.bsky.social · Dec 19

What are your must-reads from 2024? Share in the comments!

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