Hold Your Fire!

In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard is joined by Dareen Khalifa, Crisis Group’s senior adviser for dialogue promotion, to discuss Syria’s transition after the fall of the Assad regime and the political evolution of President Ahmed al-Sharaa. They talk about al-Sharaa’s recent trip to the White House and Washington’s evolving Syria policy and sanctions relief. They examine how life has changed under Syria’s new leadership and the daunting task the authorities face in unifying the country’s armed groups, including efforts to integrate the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the north east. They also delve into outbreaks of sectarian violence in Alawite and Druze-majority areas, concerns about the political transition’s inclusiveness and Syria’s complicated relations with Israel. Finally, they trace al-Sharaa’s evolution from his militant past to the Syrian presidency and discuss whether domestic headwinds could derail his achievements on the world stage.For more, check out our Syria page.

In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard is joined by Crisis Group’s Cameroon expert Arrey E. Ntui and Sahel director Jean-Hervé Jézéquel. Richard first talks with Arrey about the fallout from Cameroon’s disputed elections, growing public anger toward President Paul Biya – the world’s oldest serving head of state – and opposition protests. They also assess how the political crisis might affect Cameroon’s long-running Anglophone conflict and risks for further escalation. Richard then turns to Jean-Herve to discuss the blockade imposed by the militant group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which has cut off fuel supplies to the capital Bamako. They examine why the military has struggled to secure key supply roads, whether the blockade signals a shift in JNIM’s strategy, how it might shape public sentiment toward Mali’s military rulers and whether the blockade paves the way for a jihadist takeover.Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more, check out our Cameroon and Mali pages.

This week on Hold Your Fire!, Richard talks with Crisis Group experts Phil Gunson and Renata Segura about U.S. military build-up off Venezuela’s coast, strikes on alleged drug smuggling boats and whether Washington could depose Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard speaks with Crisis Group’s Venezuela and Andes expert Phil Gunson and Latin America & Caribbean director Renata Segura about the escalating tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela. They assess the large-scale military build-up off Venezuela’s coast, officially framed as a counter-narcotics operation but widely seen as part of a broader campaign to pressure Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. They unpack U.S. strikes on suspected drug smuggling boats and how effective such measures are in curbing the narcotics trade. They talk about the evolution of U.S. policy toward Venezuela, divisions within Donald Trump’s team over policy and how Venezuelans view the latest escalation. They look at the role of Venezuela’s military and armed groups and how they might respond to foreign intervention. Finally, they consider Washington’s next steps and assess Trump’s approach to the Western hemisphere more broadly and how Latin American leaders view his policies. Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more, check out our statement “Beware the Slide Toward Regime Change in Venezuela” and our Latin America & Caribbean regional page.

In this update episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard speaks with Crisis Group’s Sudan expert Shewit Woldemichael and Horn director Alan Boswell about the paramilitary RSF capturing North Dafur’s capital El Fasher, the reports of horrific violence in the city and the implications for the trajectory of Sudan’s war. They discuss how the RSF managed to take control of the city after a siege of more than a year and the situation in El Fasher now amid a worsening humanitarian crisis and reports of mass killings of civilians. They discuss the de facto partition of Sudan with the RSF now controlling most of western Sudan and the army holding the capital Khartoum and the east. They also explore whether the capture of El Fasher may derail U.S.-led efforts to broker a ceasefire.For more, check out our recent episode Can a U.S.-Arab Roadmap Stop Sudan’s War? And our Sudan country page.

This week on Hold Your Fire!, Richard speaks with Crisis Group Yemen expert Ahmed Nagi about what the ceasefire in Gaza means for the Israel-Houthi conflict, risks of further attacks in the Red Sea and the future of the intra-Yemeni peace process. In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard is joined by Crisis Group’s Yemen expert, Ahmed Nagi, to discuss where the Israel-Houthi conflict may be headed after the ceasefire in Gaza. They examine the Houthis’ attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, which the group links to Israel’s assault on Gaza. They assess Israel’s recent attacks in Yemen that killed senior Houthi political and military figures, and how the group is adapting. They also unpack the Houthis’ ties to Tehran, as they have become the most capable actor within Iran’s “axis of resistance”, as well as the group’s sharper rhetoric against Saudi Arabia in recent weeks. Finally, they discuss the standoff between the Houthis and its Yemeni rivals, the state of the internationally recognised government under the Presidential Leadership Council, risks of renewed conflict, and prospects for reviving intra-Yemeni talks.Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more, check out our Yemen country pages.

In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard speaks with Crisis Group’s Afghanistan expert Ibraheem Bahiss and South Asia director Samina Ahmed about clashes this week between Afghan and Pakistani forces. Richard first speaks with Ibraheem about what triggered the latest confrontation, including reported Pakistani strikes on Pakistani militants, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), in Kabul and in border regions. They trace the strained relations between Kabul and Islamabad and why the Taliban authorities struggle to address Pakistan’s concerns – with Islamabad accusing the Kabul authorities of sheltering the TTP and allowing cross-border attacks – even as they have reined in other foreign militants. Richard then turns to Samina to discuss the spike in militant violence in Pakistan’s western regions, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, how Islamabad views possible rapprochement between the Taliban and India, Islamabad’s broader foreign relations – including a defence pact with Saudi Arabia and warmer ties to Washington – and the risk of further clashes.Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more, check out our Afghanistan and Pakistan country pages.

In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard talks with Crisis Group’s Sudan expert Shewit Woldemichael, Horn of Africa director Alan Boswell and Gulf & Arabian Peninsula director Yasmine Farouk about the latest shifts in Sudan’s war and recent diplomatic efforts. They chart recent battlefield developments, including the situation in El Fasher in northern Darfur, where fighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is particularly intense amid a worsening humanitarian crisis. They examine how the balance of power between the warring parties is evolving, the interests of outside actors supplying arms, and the RSF’s push to establish a parallel government. They also look at diplomatic efforts to end the war, including the recent announcement by the U.S., Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, known as the Quad, outlining a roadmap for peace in Sudan, how the RSF and the Sudanese army are responding, and what the initiative can realistically achieve.Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more, check out our recent Q&A “All Eyes on the Quad: How the U.S. and Its Partners Can Push for Peace in Sudan”, Alan’s Foreign Affairs piece “Sudan’s War Is the Shape of Things to Come” and our Sudan page.  

In this Special Episode of Hold Your Fire!, two years of war in Gaza after Hamas’s 7 October attacks, Richard is joined by Crisis Group’s former president and former U.S. Special Envoy to Iran and official in several previous U.S. administrations, Rob Malley. They discuss Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, Hamas’ reaction to the proposal and where things might be headed next. They discuss Rob’s new book, co-authored with Hussein Agha, “Tomorrow Is Yesterday: Life, Death and the Pursuit of Peace in Israel-Palestine”, which traces the collapse of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and the two-state solution, potential missed opportunities, and whether Washington or others could ever have clinched a peace agreement. They discuss the unravelling of Iran’s “axis of resistance” and what, if anything, could deter Israel from continuing to pursue its objectives by force. Finally, Richard reflects with Rob on what it means to be both an insider and an outsider in policymaking.Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more, check out Rob’s new book, co-authored with Hussein Agha, “Tomorrow Is Yesterday: Life, Death, and the Pursuit of Peace in Israel/Palestine”, our last episode “What to Make of Trump’s Gaza Plan?” and our Israel/Palestine page.