‘Today, I signed a proclamation recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over the Western Sahara’, President Trump wrote on Twitter, dramatically reversing U.S. policy on one of the world’s longest running and most neglected conflicts. What is going on here?

Lithuanian photographer Tadas Kazakevičius’s visual love letter Between Two Shores captures the peace and idiosyncrasy of the Curonian Spit—a unique and spectacular geographical formation, barely a mile wide across, that extends for over 60 miles from the coast of Lithuania into the Kaliningrad oblast of the Russian Federation.

While football may strive to be apolitical and unite people, it has become highly politicised. In Blood and Circuses, Robert O’Connor delves into the collective memory and experiences of football by people who are living in contested territories like Transnistria and Kosovo.

What are the motives and instruments that both EU and Russia exploit in their power projections towards Transnistria? And how do de facto state authorities tackle possible tensions emerging from externally imposed choices? A research paper by Eiki Berg and Kristel Vits of the University of Tartu (Estonia).

One week ago, on November 10, a Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement was signed by the president of Azerbaijan and the prime minister of Armenia, ending six weeks of warfare over disputed territory in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. As the handover date approached last weekend, some villagers set their own homes on fire before fleeing to Armenia.

The leader of a pro-independence group in Western Sahara declared war on Morocco, shattering a three-decade-long cease-fire and threatening a full-blown military conflict in the disputed desert territory in northwest Africa.

With the election of the conservative Turkish Cypriot Ersin Tatar, many anticipate a hardening of Turkish Cypriots’ position in negotiations over the final status of the island. An analysis by the Glasgow University lecturer Adrian Florea.

The president of Azerbaijan has said his troops have captured the strategically important city of Shushi—a claim refuted by Armenia. At least 1,000 people have died in Nagorno-Karabakh since fighting broke out.

In 2014, the International Court of Justice in The Hague ended the maritime conflict between Chile and Peru. In a Solomonic way, they divided the disputed sea between the two countries. However, the Court’s ruling left one point unresolved: the Terrestrial Triangle.

De Facto is looking for an intern who can join our team. Specifically, we are looking for someone with a background in Political Sciences. As the internship will be remote due to covid-19, the student can do his/her work from all over the world.

The Free Republic of Hakkelaarsbrug, a hamlet in the Netherlands, declared the independence in 2017. The micronation has a passport, banknotes, postage stamps, its own flag and a national anthem. It also has its own White House where meetings are held. However, there are no political parties—in fact, politics are banned completely.

A rightwing hardliner who has long advocated closer ties with Turkey has won a presidential runoff in the Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus. ‘We are the voice of Turkish Cypriots, we are fighters, we are fighting to exist within the TRNC,’ the newly elected leader said after his victory.

In the nineteenth century, a temporary country was created between Prussia and The Netherlands. Journalist Philip Dröge wrote a book about this ‘most curious place in the world’: Moresnet. Dröge was supposed to be interviewed live at our De Facto event, which was cancelled due to COVID-19. As an alternative, we publish this video interview—in expectation of better times.

The long-term reasons for the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh are well known. But what caused such an extensive military intervention as the one we are seeing these days, over 25 years after the ceasefire? And what can and should be done now? An analysis by Giorgio Comai.

An area of eastern Ghana has declared itself a sovereign state. The region known as Western Togoland has had secessionist attempts in the past.

Since September 27, large-scale military operations have continued around Nagorno-Karabakh and on the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Stepanakert is under attack, and on October 4, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced the capture of Talish. For live updates, videos and photos, follow JAMnews, the independent media platform from the Caucasus.

Are you interested in pursuing research on de facto state patron-client relations? The Norwegian Institute of International Affairs and the Department of Politics, University of York, are seeking a postdoctoral researcher to join the team of researchers on the project ‘Dynamics of de facto state patron-client relations (DeFacto)’. They are looking for a candidate with experience and ability to conduct empirical studies and field research.

One of the world’s oldest conflicts, a territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan, has re-erupted with the heaviest clashes in years.

Plea to remember ‘birds do not know borders’ amid spat between Taiwan’s largest bird conservation group and UK-based BirdLife International.

Announcing the re-launch of the Kosovo recognition updates series! PolGeoNow will now once again be providing timely reports on when countries recognize—or un-recognize—the disputed Republic of Kosovo.

New design aims to avoid confusion with mainland, says government, though opposition criticises ‘ideological move’.

“Resign! Resign! Resign!” These were the words heard on the evening of Friday 28 August on the main square of Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia. The words were addressed to its President Anatoly Bibilov. His position suddenly seems more insecure than ever before. What happened to imperil the regime so severely?

In 2004 a group of gay activists sailed on board of the Gayflower to the Coral Islands, a group of uninhabited islets east of the Great Barrier Reef, to protest against the refusal of the Australian government to recognize same sex marriage. The islands of the Coral Sea were claimed as homeland for the gay and lesbian people of the world and a campsite called Heaven was erected on Cato Island. ‘I Am What I Am’ became the national Anthem.

Fifty years ago, this remote micronation declared independence in a story of princes and princesses, taxes and treason and wheat quotas and war.

International relations and sport have become increasingly intertwined, with sport and sports events being used for various diplomatic and political goals. Yet, membership of FIFA and the IOC is largely organised along lines of sovereign statehood. What about CONIFA, the alternative for contested territories? An academic analysis by Ramesh Ganohariti and Ernst Dijxhoorn.

On the 23rd of July, Abkhazians celebrated their National Flag Day. On this date in 1992, Abkhazia declared itself independent.

What does South Ossetia’s international behaviour during the coronavirus crisis teach us about de facto states?

BIRN has discovered more evidence of Kosovo institutions lobbying for a land swap with Serbia: a Le Monde journalist states that Kosovo Ambassador to France Qendrim Gashi advocated for territory exchange, while an American academic has revealed that Hashim Thaci asked him to prepare a paper endorsing the plan.

On June 3 the Kingdom of Sedang was created by former French government official Charles-Marie David de Mayréna. Mayréna was involved in dubious affairs and owned a plantation in French Indo-China. He managed to convince the local tribesmen to form a small kingdom under his rule and the Kingdom published various stamps, had a flag and a coat of arms but perished when Mayréna died under mysterious circumstances in 1890.

New land is claimed in many ways. Revolutions are declared, borders are drawn and nations are born. But in this region the land is created. A brand new lighthouse will show the way.