Jesper Bjarnesen
@jesperbjarnesen.bsky.social
Senior researcher at the Nordic Africa Institute working on labour mobilities, displacement, urban informalities, street protests in Sahel, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Burundi. Also interested in AU, EU and Nordic migration policies and politics.
Reposted by Jesper Bjarnesen
”Fifty-three migrants, including two babies, are dead or missing after a rubber boat carrying 55 people capsized off the coast of Libya, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Spokesperson said on Monday.”
These terrible tragedies just continue. www.iom.int/news/two-bab...
These terrible tragedies just continue. www.iom.int/news/two-bab...
Two Babies Among 53 Dead or Missing After Migrant Boat Capsizes Off Libya
Geneva/Tripoli, 9 February 2026 – Fifty-three migrants, including two babies, are dead or missing after a rubber boat carrying 55 people capsized off the coast of Libya, the International Organization...
www.iom.int
February 9, 2026 at 9:41 PM
”Fifty-three migrants, including two babies, are dead or missing after a rubber boat carrying 55 people capsized off the coast of Libya, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Spokesperson said on Monday.”
These terrible tragedies just continue. www.iom.int/news/two-bab...
These terrible tragedies just continue. www.iom.int/news/two-bab...
Reposted by Jesper Bjarnesen
Au Danemark, au moins 10 000 personnes défilent pour dénoncer les propos de Donald Trump sur l’Afghanistan
Au Danemark, au moins 10 000 personnes défilent pour dénoncer les propos de Donald Trump sur l’Afghanistan
Le président américain avait déclenché l’indignation du Danemark et d’autres pays alliés, en affirmant, le 22 janvier, que leurs troupes étaient « restées un peu loin des lignes de front » pendant les vingt ans de conflit en Afghanistan.
www.lemonde.fr
January 31, 2026 at 4:33 PM
Au Danemark, au moins 10 000 personnes défilent pour dénoncer les propos de Donald Trump sur l’Afghanistan
Reposted by Jesper Bjarnesen
We need more of this in Europe. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
Spain approves decree to regularise half a million undocumented migrants
Move affecting those who have been in Spain five months or more runs counter to anti-migration policies across Europe
www.theguardian.com
January 28, 2026 at 8:08 AM
We need more of this in Europe. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
Reposted by Jesper Bjarnesen
I‘m sure @birgitsippel.bsky.social has the entire migration/asylum expert community on her side on this issue, but sadly that doesn‘t seem to mean much any more. @nikolajnielsen.bsky.social @euobserver.com @gesanchez.bsky.social
@jesperbjarnesen.bsky.social
@theecre.bsky.social
@jesperbjarnesen.bsky.social
@theecre.bsky.social
A socialist MEP might have to relinquish her role as lead negotiator on a migration dossier following right-wing pressure over proposals to shield humanitarians from criminal prosecution.
MEP who tried to shield humanitarians risks far-right defenestration
A socialist MEP might have to relinquish her role as lead negotiator on a migration dossier following right-wing pressure over proposals to shield humanitarians from criminal prosecution.
euobserver.com
January 16, 2026 at 6:56 PM
I‘m sure @birgitsippel.bsky.social has the entire migration/asylum expert community on her side on this issue, but sadly that doesn‘t seem to mean much any more. @nikolajnielsen.bsky.social @euobserver.com @gesanchez.bsky.social
@jesperbjarnesen.bsky.social
@theecre.bsky.social
@jesperbjarnesen.bsky.social
@theecre.bsky.social
Idag pratade jag med Studio Ett om konfliktbilden i Sahelregionen med anledning av att Antonio Guterres nyligen varnade för att regionen kan utgöra ett globalt terrorhot.
www.sverigesradio.se/artikel/har-...
Här är en länk till pressmeddelandet där Guterres citeras:
press.un.org/en/2025/sc16...
www.sverigesradio.se/artikel/har-...
Här är en länk till pressmeddelandet där Guterres citeras:
press.un.org/en/2025/sc16...
Här är den globala terrorismens epicenter - Studio Ett
Nu till Sahelregionen i Afrika som beskrivs som den globala terrorismens nya epicenter. Ingen annanstans i världen dör så många människor i terrordåd som ...
www.sverigesradio.se
December 22, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Idag pratade jag med Studio Ett om konfliktbilden i Sahelregionen med anledning av att Antonio Guterres nyligen varnade för att regionen kan utgöra ett globalt terrorhot.
www.sverigesradio.se/artikel/har-...
Här är en länk till pressmeddelandet där Guterres citeras:
press.un.org/en/2025/sc16...
www.sverigesradio.se/artikel/har-...
Här är en länk till pressmeddelandet där Guterres citeras:
press.un.org/en/2025/sc16...
Here are a few reflections on the recent presidential #elections in Côte d’Ivoire and the outlook ahead of the 27 December legislative elections
theconversation.com/cote-divoire...
theconversation.com/cote-divoire...
Côte d'Ivoire’s democratic backslide: elections leave even less space for freedom
Côte d’Ivoire’s 27 December legislative elections will be a test of the country’s democratic resilience.
theconversation.com
November 25, 2025 at 9:51 PM
Here are a few reflections on the recent presidential #elections in Côte d’Ivoire and the outlook ahead of the 27 December legislative elections
theconversation.com/cote-divoire...
theconversation.com/cote-divoire...
Reposted by Jesper Bjarnesen
The situation in Tanzania is worse than we realised. Some journalists have managed to smuggle information out of the country. Current death toll is close to 1,000 by some reports. A harshly enforced curfew is in place.
November 7, 2025 at 5:47 PM
The situation in Tanzania is worse than we realised. Some journalists have managed to smuggle information out of the country. Current death toll is close to 1,000 by some reports. A harshly enforced curfew is in place.
Reposted by Jesper Bjarnesen
Eritrea banned its football team from participating in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers because the teams athletes have in the past used international sporting commitments as an opportunity to escape the authoritarian regime. As a result several teams that had been eliminated qualified.
October 25, 2025 at 9:05 AM
Eritrea banned its football team from participating in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers because the teams athletes have in the past used international sporting commitments as an opportunity to escape the authoritarian regime. As a result several teams that had been eliminated qualified.
Reposted by Jesper Bjarnesen
Non-state armed actors engage with states in ambiguous and highly differentiated ways. In a recent article, Mariam Bjarnesen and I reflect on the seemingly contrasting approaches taken by three West African states; Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Liberia: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
www.tandfonline.com
August 5, 2025 at 9:59 AM
Non-state armed actors engage with states in ambiguous and highly differentiated ways. In a recent article, Mariam Bjarnesen and I reflect on the seemingly contrasting approaches taken by three West African states; Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Liberia: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Jesper Bjarnesen
The first round of the presidential #elections in Côte d’Ivoire will take place on 25 October. In this post, @sebastianvanbaalen.se and I take stock of the stakes for #democracy in an election where the two main opposition candidates have been barred from running theconversation.com/cote-divoire...
Côte d'Ivoire’s elections have already been decided: Outtara will win and democracy will lose
Regardless of the legal reasoning and outcomes, President Alassane Ouattara’s fourth-term bid is a loss for democracy in Côte d'Ivoire.
theconversation.com
October 22, 2025 at 1:06 PM
The first round of the presidential #elections in Côte d’Ivoire will take place on 25 October. In this post, @sebastianvanbaalen.se and I take stock of the stakes for #democracy in an election where the two main opposition candidates have been barred from running theconversation.com/cote-divoire...
Reposted by Jesper Bjarnesen
Le premier tour de l'élection présidentielle en Côte d'Ivoire aura lieu le 25 octobre. Dans cet article, @sebastianvanbaalen.se et moi-même faisons le point sur les enjeux démocratiques d'un scrutin où les deux principaux candidats de l'opposition sont exclus. theconversation.com/la-democrati...
La démocratie ivoirienne promise à une nouvelle défaite dans les urnes
L’élection de 2025 mine la démocratie ivoirienne parce qu’elle se joue sur un terrain largement biaisé en faveur du pouvoir en place.
theconversation.com
October 22, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Le premier tour de l'élection présidentielle en Côte d'Ivoire aura lieu le 25 octobre. Dans cet article, @sebastianvanbaalen.se et moi-même faisons le point sur les enjeux démocratiques d'un scrutin où les deux principaux candidats de l'opposition sont exclus. theconversation.com/la-democrati...
Reposted by Jesper Bjarnesen
With key contenders blocked, Côte d'Ivoire’s president is set for a fourth term. Opposition slams it as a blow to democracy. 🗳️😕
theconversation.com/cote-divoire...
#Politics
theconversation.com/cote-divoire...
#Politics
Côte d'Ivoire’s elections have already been decided: Ouattara will win and democracy will lose
Regardless of the legal reasoning and outcomes, President Alassane Ouattara’s fourth-term bid is a loss for democracy in Côte d'Ivoire.
theconversation.com
October 22, 2025 at 7:58 PM
With key contenders blocked, Côte d'Ivoire’s president is set for a fourth term. Opposition slams it as a blow to democracy. 🗳️😕
theconversation.com/cote-divoire...
#Politics
theconversation.com/cote-divoire...
#Politics
Le premier tour de l'élection présidentielle en Côte d'Ivoire aura lieu le 25 octobre. Dans cet article, @sebastianvanbaalen.se et moi-même faisons le point sur les enjeux démocratiques d'un scrutin où les deux principaux candidats de l'opposition sont exclus. theconversation.com/la-democrati...
La démocratie ivoirienne promise à une nouvelle défaite dans les urnes
L’élection de 2025 mine la démocratie ivoirienne parce qu’elle se joue sur un terrain largement biaisé en faveur du pouvoir en place.
theconversation.com
October 22, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Le premier tour de l'élection présidentielle en Côte d'Ivoire aura lieu le 25 octobre. Dans cet article, @sebastianvanbaalen.se et moi-même faisons le point sur les enjeux démocratiques d'un scrutin où les deux principaux candidats de l'opposition sont exclus. theconversation.com/la-democrati...
The first round of the presidential #elections in Côte d’Ivoire will take place on 25 October. In this post, @sebastianvanbaalen.se and I take stock of the stakes for #democracy in an election where the two main opposition candidates have been barred from running theconversation.com/cote-divoire...
Côte d'Ivoire’s elections have already been decided: Outtara will win and democracy will lose
Regardless of the legal reasoning and outcomes, President Alassane Ouattara’s fourth-term bid is a loss for democracy in Côte d'Ivoire.
theconversation.com
October 22, 2025 at 1:06 PM
The first round of the presidential #elections in Côte d’Ivoire will take place on 25 October. In this post, @sebastianvanbaalen.se and I take stock of the stakes for #democracy in an election where the two main opposition candidates have been barred from running theconversation.com/cote-divoire...
Reposted by Jesper Bjarnesen
The latest Open Access volume of Migration and Society has been published!: bit.ly/4mbOY7L
Featuring research by: @malayfiroz.bsky.social @jenri.bsky.social @ernabodstrom.bsky.social @jesperbjarnesen.bsky.social @djamilak.bsky.social @suzan-ilcan.bsky.social and more!
Featuring research by: @malayfiroz.bsky.social @jenri.bsky.social @ernabodstrom.bsky.social @jesperbjarnesen.bsky.social @djamilak.bsky.social @suzan-ilcan.bsky.social and more!
September 10, 2025 at 12:01 PM
The latest Open Access volume of Migration and Society has been published!: bit.ly/4mbOY7L
Featuring research by: @malayfiroz.bsky.social @jenri.bsky.social @ernabodstrom.bsky.social @jesperbjarnesen.bsky.social @djamilak.bsky.social @suzan-ilcan.bsky.social and more!
Featuring research by: @malayfiroz.bsky.social @jenri.bsky.social @ernabodstrom.bsky.social @jesperbjarnesen.bsky.social @djamilak.bsky.social @suzan-ilcan.bsky.social and more!
Reposted by Jesper Bjarnesen
Soft infrastructures? It’s a thing. At least this article that I co-wrote argues it is. We conceptualise regional labour #mobilities in #WestAfrica this way to highlight the social, cultural, contextual and adaptable mediation of movement. Have a look! www.berghahnjournals.com/view/journal...
www.berghahnjournals.com
September 9, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Soft infrastructures? It’s a thing. At least this article that I co-wrote argues it is. We conceptualise regional labour #mobilities in #WestAfrica this way to highlight the social, cultural, contextual and adaptable mediation of movement. Have a look! www.berghahnjournals.com/view/journal...
Soft infrastructures? It’s a thing. At least this article that I co-wrote argues it is. We conceptualise regional labour #mobilities in #WestAfrica this way to highlight the social, cultural, contextual and adaptable mediation of movement. Have a look! www.berghahnjournals.com/view/journal...
www.berghahnjournals.com
September 9, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Soft infrastructures? It’s a thing. At least this article that I co-wrote argues it is. We conceptualise regional labour #mobilities in #WestAfrica this way to highlight the social, cultural, contextual and adaptable mediation of movement. Have a look! www.berghahnjournals.com/view/journal...
Reposted by Jesper Bjarnesen
Reopening the call for a 3-year postdoctoral fellowship on jihad in Subsaharan Africa, with a later start date (January 2026) - French a plus but not a requirement... drive.google.com/file/d/1oLPb...
Postdoctoral Contract - Governing Jihad in Africa (ENG).pdf
drive.google.com
August 7, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Reopening the call for a 3-year postdoctoral fellowship on jihad in Subsaharan Africa, with a later start date (January 2026) - French a plus but not a requirement... drive.google.com/file/d/1oLPb...
Non-state armed actors engage with states in ambiguous and highly differentiated ways. In a recent article, Mariam Bjarnesen and I reflect on the seemingly contrasting approaches taken by three West African states; Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Liberia: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
www.tandfonline.com
August 5, 2025 at 9:59 AM
Non-state armed actors engage with states in ambiguous and highly differentiated ways. In a recent article, Mariam Bjarnesen and I reflect on the seemingly contrasting approaches taken by three West African states; Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Liberia: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Jesper Bjarnesen
The death toll for this disaster in the Gulf of Aden has risen to 140.
A boat carrying Ethiopian people trying to get to Yemen has capsized. The death toll has risen to 76 since this story was published.
August 4, 2025 at 4:45 PM
The death toll for this disaster in the Gulf of Aden has risen to 140.
How do states relate to non-state armed actors? As scholarship on #vigilantism has shown, the relationship is often ambivalent and subject to intense negotiation. Mariam Bjarnesen and I reflect on three West African cases to better understand state incentives www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Brothers in Arms? Vigilantism and Ambivalent State Responses in West Africa
A rich literature has argued for a nuanced and empirically grounded understanding of the incentives, roles, and practices of non-state actors in hybrid security governance. But what are the effects...
www.tandfonline.com
August 4, 2025 at 10:55 AM
How do states relate to non-state armed actors? As scholarship on #vigilantism has shown, the relationship is often ambivalent and subject to intense negotiation. Mariam Bjarnesen and I reflect on three West African cases to better understand state incentives www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Jesper Bjarnesen
"#Wagner mercenaries have arrested, imprisoned & tortured hundreds of civilians in former #UN bases & military camps shared with the Malian army...duplicated methods it used in occupied #Ukraine & in #Russia"
#Mali #Sahel
www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20...
#Mali #Sahel
www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20...
International investigation reveals Wagner Group's secret prisons in Mali
A collaborative investigation by international media outlets has uncovered secret prisons run by Russian Wagner mercenaries in Mali, where abuse and torture are carried out with impunity. Reporters wi...
www.rfi.fr
June 16, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Reposted by Jesper Bjarnesen
🚨 Job Alert! We have a fascinating new project running on jihadist insurgencies in Africa, for which three research positions are open. Only five more days left to apply! Details about the three positions 👇
June 11, 2025 at 9:30 AM
🚨 Job Alert! We have a fascinating new project running on jihadist insurgencies in Africa, for which three research positions are open. Only five more days left to apply! Details about the three positions 👇
Three Nordic countries have published foreign policy strategies for their engagement with African states. This new NAI Policy Note provides some reflections on their similarities and differences, and suggests some avenues for deeper Nordic cooperation. Have a look!
nai.uu.se/stories-and-...
nai.uu.se/stories-and-...
The Nordic Africa strategies – distinct but not incompatible - The Nordic Africa Institute
Moving away from traditional aid-driven agendas, Finland, Norway and Denmark have launched Africa strategies that aim to foster equitable partnerships based on mutual interests in trade, security and ...
nai.uu.se
June 5, 2025 at 6:30 AM
Three Nordic countries have published foreign policy strategies for their engagement with African states. This new NAI Policy Note provides some reflections on their similarities and differences, and suggests some avenues for deeper Nordic cooperation. Have a look!
nai.uu.se/stories-and-...
nai.uu.se/stories-and-...
Here are some thoughts on the online and offline popularity of Burkina Faso’s military leader, Ibrahim Traoré:
nai.uu.se/stories-and-...
nai.uu.se/stories-and-...
Visions of pan-Africanism overshadow repressive rule in Burkina Faso - The Nordic Africa Institute
Despite reports of crackdown on media and political opponents in Burkina Faso, junta leader Ibrahim Traoré is gaining popularity across the continent. According to NAI researcher Jesper Bjarnesen, Tra...
nai.uu.se
May 26, 2025 at 6:44 AM
Here are some thoughts on the online and offline popularity of Burkina Faso’s military leader, Ibrahim Traoré:
nai.uu.se/stories-and-...
nai.uu.se/stories-and-...