In Yemen, Somalia, and Sudan, the state has ceased to function as it should. This has led to problems not just on land but at sea, making this trio one big and urgent international issue.
Riyadh wants to help Yemen's various southern factions come up with creative solutions. It wants a unified Yemen, but other parties have a different agenda, complicating efforts to hold a conference.
The Yemeni novelist and computer science professor speaks to Al Majalla about science, uncertainty, and the role of fiction in questioning inherited narratives of progress
The UAE backs southern Yemenis who want secession, while Saudi Arabia wants a unified Yemen. Egypt also favours unity, but is close to both Gulf states, putting it in a difficult position.
Overcoming Yemen's fragmentation requires more support for the Riyadh-led path—one that rejects secession, all militias and institutionalises the state
No single party in Yemen can impose dominance over the other through military force, nor can any side achieve dominance solely by relying on external actors
Any agreement that restores traffic through the strait will bring immediate relief, but repairing the damage wrought by war—and restoring confidence—will take far longer
As states race to embed algorithms in systems of reconnaissance, targeting, air defence, and military decision-making, a new layer of risk is taking shape