Global Kidnap Bulletin | July 2019

INCLUDED IN THIS MONTH’S BULLETIN:

BAD COPS: GLOBAL CASE STUDIES OF POLICE INVOLVEMENT IN KIDNAP FOR RANSOM AND EXTORTION 

Police complicity in kidnapping and extortion activities permeates many societies and spans several continents. In this article, we present three case studies of police involvement in acts of organised crime, kidnap and extortion, including Mexico, the Philippines and Nigeria.

ON A KNIFE’S EDGE: A POST-AL BASHIR SUDAN

Since the ousting of long-serving president Omar Al Bashir in April, protesters have continued to mobilise against the Military Transitional Council (MTC), calling for power to be transferred to a civilian administration. Significant uncertainty persists, despite a recent power-sharing agreement with civil society leaders. In this article, we assess the prospects for a further political crisis in the country.

DEATH AND REVOLUTIONARY TAXES: MAOIST EXTORTION IN ASIA 

There have been mounting concerns of a resurgent Maoist movement and the potential for increased Maoist extortion of businesses operating in the Asia Pacific region. Drawing on case studies from Nepal, India and the Philippines, we analyse the use of extortion by Maoist militant groups and political parties.

OF SPIES AND SPECULATION: WRONGFUL DETENTION IN A CONFLICT ZONE 

Since Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) launched an offensive on Tripoli in early April, the LNA has been accused of several arbitrary detentions, abductions and disappearances. The victims include local officials, foreign nationals, activists and journalists. This article assesses the threat of wrongful detention to foreign nationals in Libya.

The cost of living: extortion in the northern triangle

According to authorities in Latin America’s Northern Triangle (Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador) extortion-related activities have been on the increase in 2019. Foreign and local nationals, as well as public and private-sector companies, have been targeted. In this article we consider the drivers behind the reported increase in extortion in the Northern Triangle, and the related threat to those operating in the region.