Repercussions from the recent rebellion stunt pulled by Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner mercenary forces in Russia are being monitored closely in capitals across the world. In particular, a number of governments in Africa that had virtually handed over their security architecture to the Russian soldiers of fortune are taking stock of what happens next. Mercenaries can prove effective in the battlefield and for intelligence gathering. But the fact that they act outside the conventional controls of the state makes them a dangerous proposition. Oluwole Ojewale unpacks why, learning from the Russian experience, African countries engaged with Wagner should take back full responsibility for their security.

Media reports about people fleeing their homes to find safe havens focus mostly on tragedies at sea, or police efforts to hunt down smugglers. Less attention is given to why people set out on perilous journeys in the first place. Borja Santos Porras explains what the main drivers are – violence, extreme weather events and persecution – and why it’s important to understand them. “