The spate of coups in the Sahel has been advantageous for Russia. Marcel Plichta and Christopher Faulkner argue that Moscow's mercenaries in the Sahel aren't to blame for the democratic retrenchment, but their presence is insulating and emboldening military dictators on their path to autocratic consolidation.
Assistant Professor of National Security Affairs in the College of Distance Education, US Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island
Previously, Christopher was a postdoctoral fellow with the National Security Affairs Department at NWC.
His research focuses on militant recruitment, private military companies (PMCs), and civil-military relations.
Before joining NWC, he served as a postdoctoral researcher with the University of Central Florida and as a visiting assistant professor at Centre College.
Christopher earned his PhD in Security Studies from the University of Central Florida.
He has been published widely in leading international security and relations journals, including African Security, the European Journal of International Relations, and International Studies Quarterly, and is a contributor to War on the Rocks, Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, Lawfare, The Hill, and The Conversation, among other outlets and publications.
