Acies Lumen

02/10/2025

🤝 A New Chapter for the Americas: Why We Must Look South to Secure the Future of Electric Vehicles.
The race for clean energy leadership isn't just about technology—it's about trust.

China's influence in Latin America has grown exponentially, often focusing on pure resource extraction. But when two major Chinese firms abruptly pulled out of planned lithium battery projects in Chile, they left a strategic void.

Acies Lumen's new analysis, "A Strategic Imperative," reveals how the U.S. can use this moment not just to compete, but to lead with a fundamentally better model:

🇺🇸 Partner, Not Predator: We can break from the legacy of past imperialistic business arrangements (like in the copper industry) and offer a more equitable partnership.

🇰🇷 Strategic Unity: We must repair friction with allies like South Korea and unite U.S. market certainty with Korean battery tech and Chilean resources.

🇨🇱 Mutual Benefit: This alliance helps Chile achieve its national goal of moving up the value chain, creating skilled manufacturing jobs instead of just exporting raw materials.

This isn't just about lithium; it's about defining the future of global supply chain security and influence in the Global South.

Read the free infographic preview and request the full report to see the actionable roadmap.

👉 https://acieslumen.com/infographic.html

19/09/2021

I recently wrote a backgrounder about the Islamic State in Nigeria for the Metaculus prediction network.

https://www.metaculus.com/questions/7996/an-advancing-islamic-state-in-nigeria/


(Image Credit: "The Kiss Of Boko Haram" by robysaltori is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0)

31/07/2021

A sample of Friday's What to Watch Report for West Africa. The reports are easily customized for each region, can be sent daily, or weekly, and include an executive summary of events that matter to you.

23/06/2021

Threat: 2 Violence: 2 Written by: L'Observateur Paalga Burkina Faso: 11 policemen killed in Sanmatenga - Fatal ambush in FoubéWe had hoped to find them all safe and sound when, in the early hours of Tuesday, June 22, 2021, we learned that about twenty policemen were missing between Foubé and Barsalogho in the Sanmatenga, until at the end of the morning the reality prevailed in its cruelty....

[L'Observateur Paalga] On avait espéré les retrouver tous sains et saufs quand, aux premières heures du mardi 22 juin 2021, on a appris qu'une vingtaine de policiers étaient portés disparus entre Foubé et Barsalogho dans le Sanmatenga, jusqu'à ce qu'en fin de…

22/06/2021

Threat Total: 11 * Violence Cateory: 5 Written by: BusinessGhana The Director-General of Welfare of the Ghana Police Service, Commissioner of Police Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah has called for a change in police security strategies to counteract organized crime, according to Business Ghana. The Director-General argued the security of the country is being threatened by a rise in organized crime in the form of terrorism, kidnappings, drug and human trafficking, piracy, money laundering, and cyberattacks to name a few. Source:

We need a paradigm shift to address security challenges–Police Commissioner BusinessGhana

22/06/2021

(Image: "BBOG3MAYNYC_DSC_0395" by Michael Fleshman is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0) Written by: Vanguard Governor Abubakar Sani-Bello's Chief Press Secretary Mary Barje, said the security force was announced in Minna, the state capital. The unit is made up of a variety of security personnel and was immediately deployed to the Rafi Local Government Area to put an end to the surge in kidnappings. Read the original here:

[Vanguard] A statement by Governor Abubakar Sani-Bello's Chief Press Secretary Mary Barje, said the outfit was unveiled in Minna, the state capital.

22/06/2021

Written by: Reuters Yesterday, the world's top two cocoa producers, Ivory Coast and Ghana, told reporters they would resort to what they called, "name and shame" of the top chocolate companies for undermining premium payments that provide cocoa farmers a better income. The two West African states account for over 60% of the global cocoa output but remain at odds with chocolate makers over an increase in the cost of the beans. Read the original here:

Ivory Coast and Ghana are locked in a protracted battle with chocolate makers over the price of their beans

22/06/2021

Threat Total: 29 * Violence Score: 14 Written by: RFI Soldiers Injured by a car bomb told RFI Barkhane forces were the target. RFI reported a car bomb was detonated Monday in the town of Gossi in central Mali. The blast was aimed at French forces from Operation Barkhane. "The attack occurred in the Kaigourou neighborhood of Gossi, injuring several soldiers from France's Operation Barkhane in the Sahel, according to local sources," (RFI). Read the original here:

[RFI] A huge car bomb attack that injured several soldiers on Monday in the town of Gossi in central Mali was aimed at France's Barkhane force, local sources told RFI's sister station France 24.

22/06/2021

(Image: "Capitol Building" by D-Stanley is licensed under CC BY 2.0) Written by: FrontPageAfrica Govt, World Bank Signs U.S.$117 Million Financing Agreement Read the original here Source:

[FrontPageAfrica] Monrovia -- The World Bank and the government of Liberia on Friday signed three financing agreements in the amount of US$ 117 million for the construction of 101 kilometers of paved roads that will link Saclepea to Tappita to Toe's Town of t…

22/06/2021

(Image: "AFRICOM: Liberia Coast Guard Base" by USAFRICOM is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) Written by: FrontPageAfrica U.S Government Enhances AFL Capacity, Donates Huge Equipment to Liberia Coast Guard The US Government has donated a large consignment of equipment valued at over $USD 113,000 for the Liberian Coast Guard to enhance its operational capacity. The items donated include five 40 hp Mercury engines and assorted spare parts for the Liberia Coast Guard operational boats....

[FrontPageAfrica] Barclay Training Center -- The US Government has donated a huge consignment of equipment value over One Hundred Thirteen Thousand United States Dollars (113,000.00 USD) to the Liberia Coast Guard to enhance its operational capacity. The item…