Intelligence Reports

M23 Capture of Goma: A Prelude for War Declaration and Food Crisis

M23 rebels rapidly advanced on Goma within the last 48 hours, capturing the city on 30 January, and will likely advance to the outskirts of Bukava in the coming days. According to most recent reporting, at least 13 UN Peacekeepers were killed during pitched battles with the rebel group. As the fighting progresses towards Bukavu, civilians are fleeing the area out of fear of reprisals and also looting.

The violence and displacement are likely to exacerbate existing food security issues. The M23 rebellion, widely thought to be sponsored by the Rwandan Government, has long festered in the DRC’s North Kivu region. Rwandan involvement, though denied by Kigali, has soured and poisoned its relationship with the DRC, and has helped lay the foundation for the DRC to formally declare war on Rwanda in the coming days. 

In-depth Articles & Guides

The Sinaloa Cartel: An Overview

The Sinaloa Cartel is one of the oldest of the dominant players in Mexico’s current drug trafficking scene. This group was not the first of its kind in the country, but it has become one of the most powerful. This Cartel has expanded into Europe and has a strong foothold in the United States. It deals predominantly in marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. The cartel is also involved in money laundering through cryptocurrency and the Chinese Underground Banking System. 

The continuing efforts by American and Mexican law enforcement have resulted in numerous arrests and have affected the workings of the Sinaloa Cartel. The war on drugs and cartels has also continued for many years and is not likely to end soon, especially with the growth that drug trafficking is experiencing across the world.

Gangs and cartels have contributed to disappearances and deaths around the world and will continue to be a concern for security. The operations of the Sinaloa Cartel will also continue to affect citizens who become subject to their rule and the possibility of violence in their neighbourhoods, even as the cartel tries to earn favour through social help packages.