Blog / / 05.11.23

Minerals Are Still Financing Conflict

This blog was written by Anrike Visser, Senior Advisor EU, Illicit Finance Policy at The Sentry.   No case better illustrates the risk of minerals financing violence than Russia. With affiliated mines across the Central African Republic, Sudan, Angola and elsewhere and a history of looting minerals from poor African nations, it is likely that Russia […]

Blog / / 03.09.23

Congressional Hearing: The Sentry’s Testimony on Countering Russia’s Terroristic Mercenaries

On March 8, 2023, The Sentry’s Director of Illicit Finance Policy Justyna Gudzowska testified before a hearing with the US Helsinki Commission. The hearing, “Countering Russia’s Terroristic Mercenaries,” evaluated the most effective tools to counter the Wagner Group and its affiliates – including potential foreign terrorist organization (FTO) designation through the bipartisan Holding Accountable Russian Mercenaries […]

Blog / / 07.22.22

US Withdrawal of Support Dents Confidence in South Sudan’s Peace Process

This blog was written by Brian Adeba, Deputy Director of Policy at The Sentry.   On July 15, the US cut off its support for South Sudan’s peace agreement due to a lack of progress on implementing the pact. The move followed weeks of signaling by the US that it would cease support for two peace […]

Blog / / 07.14.22

Congressional Hearing: The Sentry’s Testimony on the DRC for the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission

On July 14, 2022, The Sentry’s Policy Consultant Sasha Lezhnev testified before a hearing with the US Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission. The hearing, “Child Labor and Human Rights Violations in the Mining Industry of the Democratic Republic of Congo International Religious Freedom,” examined human rights violations in the DRC’s mining sector, including child and forced […]

Blog / / 12.14.21

Study on Conflict Minerals Disclosures: 5 Takeaways

By Ian Schwab, Chief of Staff at The Sentry   An academic study published in September 2021 examines the impact of conflict minerals disclosures in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and assesses previous research on the subject. The authors’ overall results “suggest that promoting supply chain transparency of conflict minerals alleviates the region’s resource […]

Blog / / 11.29.21

The Passing of Two Upstanders

from John Prendergast, Co-Founder of The Sentry   The Passing of Two Upstanders   The world lost two relentless advocates for social justice last week when Gabriel Stauring and Katie-Jay Scott were killed in a car accident. Gabriel and Katie-Jay were the founders of iAct and longtime anti-genocide activists. I worked closely with them on […]

Blog / / 10.28.21

The Sentry’s Testimony at the US Commission on International Religious Freedom Hearing

On October 27, 2021, The Sentry’s Director of Illicit Finance Policy Justyna Gudzowska testified before a hearing with the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. The USCIRF Hearing, “Targeted Sanctions – Implications for International Religious Freedom,” considered how the U.S. government can advance international religious freedom through targeted sanctions. The written testimony from Justyna is available here. […]

Blog / / 10.07.21

Why the Combating Global Corruption Act Matters

By Brad Brooks-Rubin, Senior Advisor to The Sentry   Congress is busy these days. Debt ceiling/spending bills, infrastructure negotiations, Afghanistan and January 6 hearings, and on and on. But under the national headline radar, important provisions to continue the fight against kleptocracy are moving forward through one of the few bills that Congress passes every […]

Blog / / 07.22.21

International Pressure Needed to Accelerate Rome Peace Talks

By Brian Adeba, Deputy Director of Policy   News that a holdout faction in the South Sudanese war has been included in the Rome talks mediated by the Community of Sant’Egidio represents a positive step toward peace in South Sudan, although much more remains to be done. At the talks this week, the SSOMA faction, led by […]

Blog / / 06.17.21

Financial Incentives Are Fueling Deadly Conflict in CAR

Over several months, The Sentry has worked closely with CNN on a confidential investigation, obtaining testimony and documents implicating Russian mercenaries connected to the Wagner Group, a shadowy Kremlin-linked defense and security firm sanctioned by the US, in mass atrocities committed against civilians in the Central African Republic (CAR). The investigative report that first aired on […]

Blog / / 05.25.21

The Sentry’s Congressional Testimony on The Impact of Sanctions in Africa

On Tuesday May 25, The Sentry’s Co-Founder John Prendergast testified before the US House of Representatives to the Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee Africa, Global Health, and Global Human Rights. The hearing provided Congress with an update on the impact of sanctions in Africa, including the risks mitigated by US sanctions programs and what Congress […]

Blog / / 03.24.21

The Sentry’s Congressional Testimony on Global Magnitsky

On Wednesday March 24, Brad Brooks-Rubin, General Counsel at The Sentry, joined a panel of witnesses asked to testify in front of the House Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission on the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. The hearing offered a chance to examine the implementation of the sanctions authority, analyze its efficacy in achieving […]

Blog / / 02.19.21

Five Ideas to Make Europe’s Conflict Minerals Law Succeed

By Sasha Lezhnev The European Union (EU) regulation on conflict minerals took effect on January 1, 2021, following several years of consultations and preparations. Related but not identical to the United States Dodd-Frank legislation on conflict minerals, the EU regulation applies only to direct importers of minerals, and it is global, not only focused on […]

Blog / / 12.21.20

If Not Now, When? : South Sudan Slips Back Into Famine

By Oliver Windridge, Senior Advisor at The Sentry for the UK.   This month, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification initiative (IPC) has announced the results of its latest inquiry into food insecurity in South Sudan, and the conclusions are stark. The IPC has found that several South Sudanese counties are in its very highest […]

Blog / / 11.23.20

Hearts and Bones and the Shared Experience of War

By Brian Adeba, Deputy Director of Policy Hearts and Bones is a heart-wrenching tale of two characters united by their shared struggle with war and loss. Daniel is a photographer from Sydney, Australia, who is traumatized by the horrific scenes he captured in war zones around the world, including in South Sudan. Sebastian is a […]

Blog / / 10.23.20

The Crisis in the Central African Republic

This week, The Sentry published a series of products on the Central African Republic in an effort to shine a light on the forces at play there and on what those with influence can do about it. Since 2012, sectarian violence has killed thousands and forced more than a million Central Africans to flee their homes. […]

Blog / / 08.10.20

Co-Founder John Prendergast’s moments with Congressman John Lewis

The Sentry’s Co-Founder John Prendergast spent a day in jail with Congressman John Lewis, and reflects on that experience plus another opportunity he had to learn from this recently departed civil rights giant. His tribute to Congressman Lewis was published in The Hill on August 5, 2020. Read about John Prendergast’s Two Rare Moments with […]

Blog / / 07.09.20

We’ve Got the Tool, Let’s Use It: The UK Launches its Human Rights Sanctions Program

By Oliver Windridge, Senior Advisor at The Sentry for the UK.   The United Kingdom this week launched its human rights sanctions program. Under this new program—something of a passion project for current UK Foreign Minister Dominic Raab—the UK government will now be able to issue sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans on individuals […]

Blog / / 07.08.20

New Sentry Advisory Highlights Money Laundering Risks in African Real Estate

Today, The Sentry published an advisory detailing how kleptocrats and their networks have increasingly been using African real estate to launder the proceeds of corruption. Investigative reporting by The Sentry and others on illicit flows stemming from grand corruption has highlighted how, in cities like Nairobi, Kampala, Windhoek, Cape Town, and Johannesburg, banks and governments […]

Blog / / 05.21.20

A Discussion on Kleptocrats, Coronavirus, & How to Combat Them

The Sentry’s Brad Brooks-Rubin participated in a webinar hosted by the Harvard Kennedy Center’s Carr Center for Human Rights Policy. Moderated by the Carr Center’s Executive Director Sushma Raman and featuring Judge Mark Wolf, Zorka Milin of Global Witness, and Brad, the discussion centered on the anti-corruption tools, both current and proposed, that can help prevent […]