Pieter Van Ostaeyen
@p-vanostaeyen.bsky.social
Historian & Arabist
Independent analyst on Jihadism, History, Arabic & Islamic Studies
Publications available via https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6691-1988
Independent analyst on Jihadism, History, Arabic & Islamic Studies
Publications available via https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6691-1988
Most alarming report on Somalia
Unless a new government of national unity or provisional authority holds genuine promise of better days to come, then Somalia’s future will be as dark as as-Shabaab’s black banner. africacenter.org/publication/...
Unless a new government of national unity or provisional authority holds genuine promise of better days to come, then Somalia’s future will be as dark as as-Shabaab’s black banner. africacenter.org/publication/...
November 23, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Most alarming report on Somalia
Unless a new government of national unity or provisional authority holds genuine promise of better days to come, then Somalia’s future will be as dark as as-Shabaab’s black banner. africacenter.org/publication/...
Unless a new government of national unity or provisional authority holds genuine promise of better days to come, then Somalia’s future will be as dark as as-Shabaab’s black banner. africacenter.org/publication/...
Suspicious drone activity over Belgian Military Bases since October 2025 (approximate list and locations)
November 5, 2025 at 11:40 PM
Suspicious drone activity over Belgian Military Bases since October 2025 (approximate list and locations)
June 2025 in the Sahel series for the Counter Extremism Project
Again co-authored with @hasretkargin.bsky.social and Brenno Fedi Fineschi www.counterextremism.com/blog/sahel-m...
Again co-authored with @hasretkargin.bsky.social and Brenno Fedi Fineschi www.counterextremism.com/blog/sahel-m...
August 14, 2025 at 1:10 PM
June 2025 in the Sahel series for the Counter Extremism Project
Again co-authored with @hasretkargin.bsky.social and Brenno Fedi Fineschi www.counterextremism.com/blog/sahel-m...
Again co-authored with @hasretkargin.bsky.social and Brenno Fedi Fineschi www.counterextremism.com/blog/sahel-m...
After almost a year I decided to resume reporting on Jihadism in the Sahel:
Co-authored with @hasretkargin.bsky.social and Brenno Fedi Fineschi
Sahel Monitoring May 2025 www.counterextremism.com/blog/sahel-m...
Co-authored with @hasretkargin.bsky.social and Brenno Fedi Fineschi
Sahel Monitoring May 2025 www.counterextremism.com/blog/sahel-m...
August 14, 2025 at 1:08 PM
After almost a year I decided to resume reporting on Jihadism in the Sahel:
Co-authored with @hasretkargin.bsky.social and Brenno Fedi Fineschi
Sahel Monitoring May 2025 www.counterextremism.com/blog/sahel-m...
Co-authored with @hasretkargin.bsky.social and Brenno Fedi Fineschi
Sahel Monitoring May 2025 www.counterextremism.com/blog/sahel-m...
A nee piece for my collection
Cameroonian
18th/19th century
Tikar craft
Cameroonian
18th/19th century
Tikar craft
June 28, 2025 at 10:02 PM
A nee piece for my collection
Cameroonian
18th/19th century
Tikar craft
Cameroonian
18th/19th century
Tikar craft
Statue of the first King of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem: Godfrey of Bouillon
Important note : Godfrey refused to accept the title of King, he chose the title of Protector of the Holy Grave
Important note : Godfrey refused to accept the title of King, he chose the title of Protector of the Holy Grave
June 4, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Statue of the first King of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem: Godfrey of Bouillon
Important note : Godfrey refused to accept the title of King, he chose the title of Protector of the Holy Grave
Important note : Godfrey refused to accept the title of King, he chose the title of Protector of the Holy Grave
Burkina Faso
JNIM fighters, some of them kids, posing and fooling around in captured army uniforms
JNIM fighters, some of them kids, posing and fooling around in captured army uniforms
May 28, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Burkina Faso
JNIM fighters, some of them kids, posing and fooling around in captured army uniforms
JNIM fighters, some of them kids, posing and fooling around in captured army uniforms
More than 100 killed in jihadi attack in northern Burkina Faso
apnews.com/article/burk...
apnews.com/article/burk...
May 13, 2025 at 12:58 PM
More than 100 killed in jihadi attack in northern Burkina Faso
apnews.com/article/burk...
apnews.com/article/burk...
The Shifting Front of Militant Islamist Violence in the Sahel
Militant Islamist violence in the Sahel continues to shift southward and westward, putting ever more pressure on population centers in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—as well on West African neighbors.
africacenter.org/spotlight/mi...
Militant Islamist violence in the Sahel continues to shift southward and westward, putting ever more pressure on population centers in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—as well on West African neighbors.
africacenter.org/spotlight/mi...
May 3, 2025 at 6:50 PM
The Shifting Front of Militant Islamist Violence in the Sahel
Militant Islamist violence in the Sahel continues to shift southward and westward, putting ever more pressure on population centers in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—as well on West African neighbors.
africacenter.org/spotlight/mi...
Militant Islamist violence in the Sahel continues to shift southward and westward, putting ever more pressure on population centers in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—as well on West African neighbors.
africacenter.org/spotlight/mi...
The Islamic State's weekly an-Naba' magazine counts merely 8 pages. Almost completely focuses on operations in African provinces. In total there were 24 operations, 22 of them in Africa. 124 killed or wounded in Somalia, 27 in Nigeria, 4 in Mozambique, 4 in Congo and 2 in Syria.
April 25, 2025 at 3:07 PM
The Islamic State's weekly an-Naba' magazine counts merely 8 pages. Almost completely focuses on operations in African provinces. In total there were 24 operations, 22 of them in Africa. 124 killed or wounded in Somalia, 27 in Nigeria, 4 in Mozambique, 4 in Congo and 2 in Syria.
In edition 491 of The Islamic State’s weekly an-Naba’ the organisation’s Somali branch claims 55 attacks in 52 days, killing and wounding 318 soldiers (and others likely) and destroying 26 military vehicles
April 17, 2025 at 7:27 PM
In edition 491 of The Islamic State’s weekly an-Naba’ the organisation’s Somali branch claims 55 attacks in 52 days, killing and wounding 318 soldiers (and others likely) and destroying 26 military vehicles
April 9, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Belgian FN Herstal Five-SeveN somewhere in Syria
Likely from Qaddafi’s stocks plundered in 2011
Via @warnoir.bsky.social
Likely from Qaddafi’s stocks plundered in 2011
Via @warnoir.bsky.social
March 25, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Belgian FN Herstal Five-SeveN somewhere in Syria
Likely from Qaddafi’s stocks plundered in 2011
Via @warnoir.bsky.social
Likely from Qaddafi’s stocks plundered in 2011
Via @warnoir.bsky.social
Some of the 25,490 Jews and 353 Roma deported from my hometown Mechelen to Auschwitz between August 1942 and July 1944
March 23, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Some of the 25,490 Jews and 353 Roma deported from my hometown Mechelen to Auschwitz between August 1942 and July 1944
Picked up some new books for my Crusades collection …
March 8, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Picked up some new books for my Crusades collection …
Sayeh isn’t even one year old but she already adopted the new world order …
February 25, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Sayeh isn’t even one year old but she already adopted the new world order …
This is telling for Russia's influence in Africa. Just look at the countries voting against this resolution:
⛔️ Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, DRC, Equatorial-Guinea, Eritrea, Mali, Niger
⛔️ Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, DRC, Equatorial-Guinea, Eritrea, Mali, Niger
February 24, 2025 at 6:21 PM
This is telling for Russia's influence in Africa. Just look at the countries voting against this resolution:
⛔️ Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, DRC, Equatorial-Guinea, Eritrea, Mali, Niger
⛔️ Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, DRC, Equatorial-Guinea, Eritrea, Mali, Niger
A new piece co-authored with my esteemed friend and colleague @saladinaldronni.bsky.social for The Counter Extremism Project
The Islamic State in Puntland, Somalia
"Africa is slowly developing in to the new epicenter of ISIS’s global terrorist operations"
www.counterextremism.com/blog/islamic...
The Islamic State in Puntland, Somalia
"Africa is slowly developing in to the new epicenter of ISIS’s global terrorist operations"
www.counterextremism.com/blog/islamic...
February 22, 2025 at 6:45 PM
A new piece co-authored with my esteemed friend and colleague @saladinaldronni.bsky.social for The Counter Extremism Project
The Islamic State in Puntland, Somalia
"Africa is slowly developing in to the new epicenter of ISIS’s global terrorist operations"
www.counterextremism.com/blog/islamic...
The Islamic State in Puntland, Somalia
"Africa is slowly developing in to the new epicenter of ISIS’s global terrorist operations"
www.counterextremism.com/blog/islamic...
A rather prophetic post by @theeconomistevents.bsky.social dating back to July 5, 2018
The Western alliance is in trouble
archive.is/X8Yg0#select...
The Western alliance is in trouble
archive.is/X8Yg0#select...
February 19, 2025 at 5:51 PM
A rather prophetic post by @theeconomistevents.bsky.social dating back to July 5, 2018
The Western alliance is in trouble
archive.is/X8Yg0#select...
The Western alliance is in trouble
archive.is/X8Yg0#select...
Commentaar is overbodig
February 15, 2025 at 10:32 AM
Commentaar is overbodig
Bright observation by @Remote_Ops (Twitter) here.
In the most recent video production of the Islamic State’s Sahel Province one fighter can be seen carrying an M4 assault rifle which was likely captured in the ambush of Tongo Tongo (Niger) on October 4, 2017 where 4 US soldiers were killed
In the most recent video production of the Islamic State’s Sahel Province one fighter can be seen carrying an M4 assault rifle which was likely captured in the ambush of Tongo Tongo (Niger) on October 4, 2017 where 4 US soldiers were killed
February 12, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Bright observation by @Remote_Ops (Twitter) here.
In the most recent video production of the Islamic State’s Sahel Province one fighter can be seen carrying an M4 assault rifle which was likely captured in the ambush of Tongo Tongo (Niger) on October 4, 2017 where 4 US soldiers were killed
In the most recent video production of the Islamic State’s Sahel Province one fighter can be seen carrying an M4 assault rifle which was likely captured in the ambush of Tongo Tongo (Niger) on October 4, 2017 where 4 US soldiers were killed
Doomsday scenario lurks around the corner
February 10, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Doomsday scenario lurks around the corner