The groups expanded their footholds in the Sahel by opportunistically exploiting deep-seated state weaknesses, filling vacuums left by absent or ineffective central governments. This is particularly the case in rural areas plagued by corruption, chronic neglect and a lack of basic public services. They embedded themselves within communities through

Meanwhile, in Ukraine, the situation is more complex. Before the war, roughly 5,000 Ahiska Turks lived in regions such as Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Crimea. Some faced xenophobia, (10) while others reported full integration. (11) Since 2014, and especially after 2022, many have fled, some aided by Turkish government evacuations. Notably, some Ahisk

As Russia’s war in Ukraine enters its third year, attention has increasingly turned to the demographic costs of the conflict. Recent investigations have revealed a disturbing pattern: ethnic minorities from Russia’s periphery are disproportionately conscripted, deployed, and killed. Among these overlooked communities are the Ahiska Turks, a sta