Articles

INTRODUCTION: TERRORISM IN THE HORN OF AFRICA

Mankind was just so impossibly heavy. There were so many of them and they showed no sign of halting their endless reproduction. Stop, she wanted to cry out, please stop. You cannot all fit on the space between the oceans, you cannot grow enough food on the land beneath the mountains. You cannot graze enough livestock on the grasses around your cities, you cannot build enough homes on the peaks of your hills. You must stop, so that I can rest beneath your ever- increasing weight. […] Why could men not just be less greedy, she wondered.

Modern armed conflicts have long manifested themselves without formal initial acts or declarations of war. These steps are difficult to implement in practice, given that conflicts often arise within national sovereignty, within limited local contexts, or following offensive actions by terrorist organizations. Furthermore, an armed conflict can also erupt (theoretically) suddenly, confronting the international community with the event, requiring communication via a concise text message on some popular social network!

The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti, deployed from 2004 to 2017[1] and tragically tested by the 2010 earthquake[2] and the cholera outbreak[3], stands as one of the most instructive and controversial cases for those concerned with the doctrine and employment of stability policing.

A critical discourse on security is more complex than ever and requires a multilevel approach able to integrate all its deeply interconnected dimensions. The seemingly – but distant – notions of political and personal security are expressions of the same security paradigm, in which Stability Police Units (SPUs) and targeted policies play a leading role.

1. Context 

As a result of Russia’s aggression, the responsibilities of Ukrainian Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA) have significantly expanded, including up to combat missions.

After the liberation of occupied territories by the Ukrainian Defence Forces, law enforcers take over, coordinating and cooperating with civilian and military institutions. They gradually restore the Rule of Law, de-escalate tensions, and (re)build trust, fostering a safe and secure environment. 

To better understand the twenty-year history of the Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units, we  must begin with the birth of the concept of "Stability Policing" internationally, its evolution, and discuss the challenges, particularly the role of Italy and the Carabinieri within this context. To do so, we must go back to the 1990s and the deployment of traditional military forces in situations outside of conventional warfare.

Throughout the twentieth century, the study of international organizations saw the consolidation of distinct theoretical approaches, including unionism, functionalism, and intergovernmentalism. These theories provided different frameworks for analysing the growing complexity of international structures and their impact on global dynamics. In particular, the emergence of an increasingly complex bureaucracy, as emphasized by the sociologist Max Weber, was a central aspect of these organizations, reflecting the evolution of modern governance models.

Abstract

The technology of Artificial Intelligence (AI) functions as a transformative power which affects security and cultural heritage preservation (C.H.P). The dual-use capabilities of AI technology create essential ethical and operational challenges. AI technology protects cultural assets through its monitoring capabilities and digitization efforts and predictive threat analysis but it becomes a significant threat when used to launch cyberattacks or spread misinformation or target cultural sites precisely.

Abstract

The collection of evidence in the battlefield, represent an intersection of military operations and judicial systems, which has created new challenges to be faced.

With the aims to share the authors' perspectives on this topic, this manuscript examines through a comparative analysis of existing protocols and best practices, the similarities and differences between Battlefield Evidence Collection and Crime Scene Investigation, viewed through the lens of utilizing collected evidence in criminal proceedings,.