The Observatory charts criminal economies and armed violence in the region by identifying the key actors, activities and sectors driving transnational crime and fuelling conflict.

Armed conflict is sustained by structured economic and political networks. Without understanding the economies of conflict, efforts to reduce violence are bound to remain incomplete.

Through field research, open-source intelligence and local partnerships, the Observatory maps relationships of power, resource control and financial flows that shape conflict economies. Mapping these systems helps expose hidden power structures, identify leverage points for policy and reform and inform prevention and accountability strategies.