Shield & Alert
- Sahel: Community Mourns Mariam Cissé, Killed by Militants in Northern Mali
- Algeria: 25 Executives Charged in Alleged Metals Fraud
- Sahel: Foreign Workers Targeted in New Mali Kidnappings
- Spain Faces Scrutiny Over Migrant Centers in Mauritania
- French Nationals Urged to Leave Mali as Insurgent Attacks Intensify in the Sahel
- Morocco: Two Years After the High Atlas Mountains’ Earthquake, Recovery Remains Uneven
- Tunisia: Wage Dispute Triggers Widespread Bank Shutdowns in Tunisia
- Algeria: Salima Melizi’s Case Highlights Algeria’s Cultural Tensions
- Mauritanian Police Detain Anti-Slavery Activist After Advocacy Event
- Tunisia: Economic Pressures Erode Household Purchasing Power
Sahel: Foreign Workers Targeted in New Mali Kidnappings
A string of recent kidnappings in western and northern Mali—including the abduction of five Indian technicians and an Emirati businessman—highlights the increasing risks for foreign workers engaged in energy, mining, and infrastructure projects. The evolving tactics of armed groups and complex negotiation processes have led companies to overhaul security protocols and adjust operations to cope with persistent threats.
French Nationals Urged to Leave Mali as Insurgent Attacks Intensify in the Sahel
Defense ministers from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger met in Niamey to accelerate their joint military alliance, but no deployment date was confirmed. France is advising nationals to leave Mali “temporarily” amid deteriorating security, while international shipping companies hesitate to continue cargo routes. November 7 brought reports of multiple attacks by insurgents, further highlighting the region’s instability.
Business News & Analyses
Algeria: 25 Executives Charged in Alleged Metals Fraud
The trial of 25 senior figures from Algeria’s state-run metals group Imetal, including former executives and public officials, is set to begin on November 24 in Algiers. The case involves allegations of large-scale corruption, public fund diversion, and favoritism in public contracts, exposing deeper risks of opaque management in Algerian state-run industries. Prosecutors say the scandal contributed to production losses and repeated breakdowns at strategic facilities.
Tunisia: Wage Dispute Triggers Widespread Bank Shutdowns in Tunisia
A nationwide banking strike in Tunisia has halted operations across major institutions as employees protest falling living standards and demand wage hikes
Morocco: Drought Pressure Threatens 2025-26 Farming Season
Repeated drought and water shortages continue to strain Morocco’s agriculture sector, raising urgent concerns about food security. Despite recent investments in large dams, groundwater development, and desalination, below-average rainfall and shrinking storage reservoirs are disrupting both urban and rural water supplies. Farmers and rural communities are particularly vulnerable as planning for the 2025-26 season remains clouded by uncertainty over much-needed rain.
Tunisia: Economic Pressures Erode Household Purchasing Power
A Fitch Solutions report published in October 2025 finds that the average Tunisian household’s purchasing power has declined by 11.1% since 2019, with real incomes struggling to keep pace with inflation and economic growth. The report notes that while consumption continues to rise, it outpaces GDP growth and savings, deepening the country’s structural economic challenges.
Egypt Pegs its Power Supply to New Israeli Gas Imports
Egypt’s government has finalized a new multi-billion dollar contract to import natural gas from Israel, aiming to address domestic shortages that have led to rolling blackouts across the country.
Sahel: Fuel Blockade in Mali Brings Daily Life to a Standstill
A militant fuel blockade has brought much of Mali and its key trade routes to a halt, sparking shortages, shuttering schools, and disrupting daily life from Bamako to Dakar. With convoys targeted and fuel prices soaring, the region faces mounting economic and security risks.
Libya: NOC Expands Exploration as Libya Targets 1.6 Million Barrels by 2026
Libya’s energy sector is gaining momentum as Sonatrach and other major players resume exploration and drilling across the Ghadames Basin. Recent activity includes Sonatrach’s return after a decade-long halt, new exploratory wells by the National Oil Corporation, and successful deep-layer production tests by Zueitina Oil Company.
Morocco: Forces Drive Morocco’s 2026 Budget: Security Recruitment Leads Job Creation Push
Morocco’s 2026 Finance Bill expands state hiring across security, health, and education, creating 36,000 new public positions—mainly in the Interior and Defense Ministries—but the scale underscores political rather than economic priorities, in a country where unemployment hovers near 13 percent and youth joblessness exceeds a third of the labor force.
Egypt’s Debt Diplomacy: How Brussels Became Cairo’s Latest Creditor of Confidence
The EU’s €7.4 billion package to Egypt marks Europe’s largest financial commitment to any non‑EU partner, aimed at stabilizing Cairo’s economy but adding to its already heavy debt load, now nearing 90 percent of GDP. The deal underscores Egypt’s strategic value to Europe amid regional turmoil and migration pressures.
Mali’s Energy Collapse Deepens as Fuel Blockade and Infrastructure Decay Converge
Mali is sinking deeper into darkness as power outages, crumbling roads, and fuel shortages combine into a nationwide crisis. Months of blackouts and blocked fuel imports by jihadist fighters have crippled transport, trade, and daily life, exposing years of neglect in energy and infrastructure management.
ANALYSES & MAJOR EVENTS
MAGHREB
Algeria: 25 Executives Charged in Alleged Metals Fraud
A high-profile corruption trial involving Algeria’s state-owned metals conglomerate Imetal is set to begin on November 24 before the economic and...
Morocco: Two Years After the High Atlas Mountains’ Earthquake, Recovery Remains Uneven
In September 2023, a powerful earthquake struck Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains, killing nearly 3,000 people and destroying much of the rural...
Tunisia: Wage Dispute Triggers Widespread Bank Shutdowns in Tunisia
Thousands of employees in Tunisia’s banking, financial, and insurance sectors observed a remote strike on Monday and Tuesday, November 3–4, 2025,...
Algeria: Salima Melizi’s Case Highlights Algeria’s Cultural Tensions
The arrest and release of Salima Melizi, an Algerian writer and publisher known for her independent voice, has generated significant concern within...
Morocco: Drought Pressure Threatens 2025-26 Farming Season
Morocco's 2025-26 agricultural season faces mounting difficulties due to sustained drought and diminishing water resources. Despite temporary...
Tunisia: Economic Pressures Erode Household Purchasing Power
A recent Fitch Solutions report, “Consumption and Household Income in Tunisia,” published October 22, 2025, finds that Tunisia’s average household...
More on the Maghreb
SAHEL
Sahel: Community Mourns Mariam Cissé, Killed by Militants in Northern Mali
Mariam Cissé, a well-known content creator from the town of Tonka in northern Mali, was abducted on November 6, 2025, at a weekly fair in Echel,...
Sahel: Foreign Workers Targeted in New Mali Kidnappings
A series of recent kidnappings in western and northern Mali have reinforced growing concerns for foreign workers and business interests operating in...
Spain Faces Scrutiny Over Migrant Centers in Mauritania
Debate in Spain has increased over government funding for migrant centers in Mauritania, with some critics arguing these sites operate more like...
Crisis in Sudan: Meet the Ruthless Warlord Hemedti
Libya has Khalifa Haftar, Sudan has its own ruthless warlord, Mohamed Hamdan Dagolo—better known as Hemedti. Like Haftar, Hemedti rose to power...
French Nationals Urged to Leave Mali as Insurgent Attacks Intensify in the Sahel
Faced with a surge of Islamist insurgency and increased boldness, the Defense Ministers of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger met on November 7 in Niamey...
Mauritanian Police Detain Anti-Slavery Activist After Advocacy Event
Warda Ahmed Souleymane, a prominent member of Mauritania’s abolitionist movement, was detained by police in Nouakchott on October 31, 2025, soon...
More on the Sahel
EGYPT
Egypt Pegs its Power Supply to New Israeli Gas Imports
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week referred in court to a “historic” natural gas deal with Egypt, according to reporting from...
Egypt’s Debt Diplomacy: How Brussels Became Cairo’s Latest Creditor of Confidence
When European and Egyptian leaders convened in Brussels for their first‑ever EU–Egypt Summit on 22 October 2025, the event signaled Europe’s...
Egypt’s Red Sea Crisis Intersects with U.S. Trade Strategy in Global Infrastructure Rivalry
Egypt’s foreign minister warned last week that Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea have cost the country more than $9 billion in...
Egypt Draws a Red Line on Nile Rights in GERD Dispute
Egypt is insisting that Nile water security is an uncompromising national priority, with the country’s leadership rejecting any attempts at...
Egypt’s Fuel Price Hike Deepens Economic Strain Amid IMF Reforms
Egypt has raised domestic fuel prices sharply as part of a multi-faceted effort to stabilize the country's economy amidst persistent fiscal pressure...
Egypt: Sisi Confronts Worldwide Embassy Uproar
A series of protests and confrontations at Egyptian embassies around the world has sparked international attention in recent months. Demonstrations...
More on Egypt
EU Report Accuses Tunisia of Migrant Trafficking to Libya
A report presented to the European Parliament accuses Tunisia of deporting sub-Saharan migrants and selling them to Libyan armed groups.
Sahel: Terror Groups Gain Ground as Armies Struggle to Contain Them
Al-Qaeda’s Sahel branch (GSIM) is now emerging as the region’s dominant jihadist force. Even the brutal Islamic State has been largely unable to contain SGIM’s expansion, which has been expanding its control across Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
Syria’s New Ruler Faces Jihadist Rebellion and Internal Strife
Ahmed Al-Charaa, once a top jihadist leader, now rules Syria after toppling Bashar al-Assad. But his grip on power is fragile. While rebranding himself as a moderate, he faces opposition from the Islamic State
Franco-Algerian Diplomatic Relations in Turmoil
The Franco-Algerian diplomatic relations are going through a turbulent period. The latest signs of discord between them stem from multiple sources that include the change in France’s recognition of Morocco’s plan on the Western Sahara
Burkina Faso Junta Faces Governance Challenges Amid Controversies and Rumors
The military junta in Burkina Faso is not governing at ease. The country is struggling with repressive actions from the junta, with opposition figures, lawyers and activities feeling the brunt of the regime.
Sahel: French company Orano loses operating license of key uranium site in Niger
The Nigerien government revoked the operating permit for the Imouraren uranium mine from the French company Orano to assert sovereignty over its resources.
MORE ANALYSES & MAJOR EVENTS
Morocco’s New Election Law Sparks Free Speech Battle
A new Moroccan election law threatens jail time and steep fines for anyone who posts or shares doubts about election integrity. Opposition leaders call the measure undemocratic and warn it will shut down free debate at a critical moment for the country’s political future.
Tunisia: Pollution Uprising in Gabès Turning Into Sustained Protest Movement
Tens of thousands have taken to the streets of Gabès, Tunisia, demanding the shutdown of a polluting chemical complex and drawing national attention to public health, broken government promises, and the urgency of real change. As the crisis escalates, Gabès is testing Tunisia’s ability to respond to grassroots mobilization against environmental and political neglect.
This Week’s Premium Podcast
Why Morocco’s Protests Aren’t Just About Youth: The Fight for Dignity and Justice
Morocco is facing its largest wave of unrest in years, with mass protests erupting across major cities demanding better hospitals, schools, and an end to corruption.
POLITICS
Security Council Backs Morocco’s Plan for Western Sahara, Sets Out Negotiation Terms
The United Nations Security Council has approved a resolution supporting Morocco’s autonomy proposal for Western Sahara as the most feasible basis for future negotiations. The decision, initiated by the United States, passed with eleven members in favor, three abstentions from Russia, China, and Pakistan, and no participation from Algeria. The resolution renews the mandate of the UN mission (MINURSO) and calls for all parties to engage in talks without preconditions, though key disagreements on self-determination and final status remain.
MORE ON POLITICS
Spain Faces Scrutiny Over Migrant Centers in Mauritania
Debate in Spain has increased over government funding for migrant centers in Mauritania, with some critics arguing these sites operate more like...
Crisis in Sudan: Meet the Ruthless Warlord Hemedti
Libya has Khalifa Haftar, Sudan has its own ruthless warlord, Mohamed Hamdan Dagolo—better known as Hemedti. Like Haftar, Hemedti rose to power...
Mauritanian Police Detain Anti-Slavery Activist After Advocacy Event
Warda Ahmed Souleymane, a prominent member of Mauritania’s abolitionist movement, was detained by police in Nouakchott on October 31, 2025, soon...
Security Council Backs Morocco’s Plan for Western Sahara, Sets Out Negotiation Terms
The UN Security Council voted on October 31, 2025, to adopt a resolution regarding Western Sahara, which was drafted by the United States and...
Algerian Lawmakers Consider Stripping Citizenship from Nationals Abroad
A plan resurfacing in Algeria’s parliament would allow authorities to strip citizenship from Algerians who commit acts abroad deemed seriously...
Morocco’s New Election Law Sparks Free Speech Battle
Morocco’s government has just approved a controversial change to its election law—setting out steep new penalties for anyone who publicly spreads...
Tunisia: Pollution Uprising in Gabès Turning Into Sustained Protest Movement
MondAfrique: Gabès' fight against pollution has reached historic levels, turning into a sustained protest movement with possible national...
Opinion: Why Cameroon’s Crisis Threatens a Regional Collapse
In an oped in MondAfrique, Johnny Vianney Bissakonou argues that gambling with Cameroon’s stability is reckless. He warns that the uncertainty...
West Africa’s New Rulers Use the Same Same Old Playbook of Their Predecessors
Cameroon’s election aftermath is fueling more street violence, Côte d’Ivoire’s political prospects remain stuck in limbo, and now Guinea is laying...
Egypt Draws a Red Line on Nile Rights in GERD Dispute
Egypt is insisting that Nile water security is an uncompromising national priority, with the country’s leadership rejecting any attempts at...
France Signals a Thaw in Its Rift with Algeria
France has signaled a possible thaw in its strained relationship with Algeria after several tense months marked by diplomatic disputes and public...
Algeria and Tunisia Expand Military Cooperation Amid Regional Security Tensions
In a move reflecting the deepening security alignment between Algeria and Tunisia, the two neighbors signed a new defense cooperation agreement in...
Madagascar: “Mamy” Ravatomanga, billionaire, vice-king, and protester target
A profile by Olivier Vallée and Nicolas Beau [MondAfrique]: Maminiaina Ravatomanga, “Mamy,” is a wealthy businessman and simultaneous unofficial...
Morocco: GenZ212 Makes Tactical Pause in the Fight for Reforms
The GenZ212 protest movement in Morocco, which emerged following the deaths of eight women in an Agadir hospital, has shown both dramatic growth and...
SECURITY, DEFENSE & TERRORISM
French Nationals Urged to Leave Mali as Insurgent Attacks Intensify in the Sahel
Defense ministers from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger met in Niamey to accelerate their joint military alliance, but no deployment date was confirmed. France is advising nationals to leave Mali “temporarily” amid deteriorating security, while international shipping companies hesitate to continue cargo routes. November 7 brought reports of multiple attacks by insurgents, further highlighting the region’s instability.
Sahel: Community Mourns Mariam Cissé, Killed by Militants in Northern Mali
Mariam Cissé, a well-known content creator from the town of Tonka in northern Mali, was abducted on November 6, 2025, at a weekly fair in Echel,...
Sahel: Foreign Workers Targeted in New Mali Kidnappings
A series of recent kidnappings in western and northern Mali have reinforced growing concerns for foreign workers and business interests operating in...
Crisis in Sudan: Meet the Ruthless Warlord Hemedti
Libya has Khalifa Haftar, Sudan has its own ruthless warlord, Mohamed Hamdan Dagolo—better known as Hemedti. Like Haftar, Hemedti rose to power...
French Nationals Urged to Leave Mali as Insurgent Attacks Intensify in the Sahel
Faced with a surge of Islamist insurgency and increased boldness, the Defense Ministers of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger met on November 7 in Niamey...
Mali’s Energy Collapse Deepens as Fuel Blockade and Infrastructure Decay Converge
Mali’s capital has grown quieter in the dark. Across Bamako and beyond, entire neighborhoods now spend long nights without electricity, while...
Mali: Bamako Strikes Back as JNIM Expands Its Rule
Over one turbulent weekend in mid‑October 2025, Mali’s army announced a series of airstrikes against jihadist strongholds just as the country’s most...
Sahel: Three Sahel States Join Forces in Northern Mali Offensive
Joint counterterrorism forces from the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) have carried out a precision operation in northern Mali, killing...
Africa: New Warning of Evolving Hybrid Threats Linking Terrorism, Crime, and Climate Pressures Across Africa
At a recent Mediterranean Dialogues Forum in Naples, Mauritania’s Foreign Minister Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug delivered a sobering assessment of how...
Washington Returns to Libya’s Frontlines in Bid to Counter Russia and Reunify Militias
U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) has announced that Libya, long divided between rival political and military factions, will host a key segment of next...
Algeria and Tunisia Expand Military Cooperation Amid Regional Security Tensions
In a move reflecting the deepening security alignment between Algeria and Tunisia, the two neighbors signed a new defense cooperation agreement in...
Libya’s Path to Stability: Still Blocked by Fragmentation and Armed Rivalries
Libya closes 2025 still caught in a web of armed rivalries, political fragmentation, and recurring violence that continually unsettle both...
Sahel: Surging Jihadist Violence Batters the Sahel, Exposing Government Weakness
By Arezki Daoud: A surge in jihadist violence has rocked the Sahel region through late September and early October 2025, disrupting lives from the...
Algeria Plans Major Military Budget Increase for 2026
Algeria is set to approve a substantial increase in defense spending for 2026, marking the largest allocation ever proposed for its armed forces....
Mali: Ongoing Attacks Prompt Longer Curfew in Western Mali
Authorities in Mali have extended the curfew in Kayes for another month, following a series of violent attacks attributed to armed groups operating...
SOCIAL, LABOR & THE ENVIRONMENT
Tunisia: Pollution Uprising in Gabès Turning Into Sustained Protest Movement
Tens of thousands have taken to the streets of Gabès, Tunisia, demanding the shutdown of a polluting chemical complex and drawing national attention to public health, broken government promises, and the urgency of real change. As the crisis escalates, Gabès is testing Tunisia’s ability to respond to grassroots mobilization against environmental and political neglect.
Sahel: Community Mourns Mariam Cissé, Killed by Militants in Northern Mali
Mariam Cissé, a well-known content creator from the town of Tonka in northern Mali, was abducted on November 6, 2025, at a weekly fair in Echel,...
Morocco: Two Years After the High Atlas Mountains’ Earthquake, Recovery Remains Uneven
In September 2023, a powerful earthquake struck Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains, killing nearly 3,000 people and destroying much of the rural...
Algeria: Salima Melizi’s Case Highlights Algeria’s Cultural Tensions
The arrest and release of Salima Melizi, an Algerian writer and publisher known for her independent voice, has generated significant concern within...
Mauritanian Police Detain Anti-Slavery Activist After Advocacy Event
Warda Ahmed Souleymane, a prominent member of Mauritania’s abolitionist movement, was detained by police in Nouakchott on October 31, 2025, soon...
Algerian Lawmakers Consider Stripping Citizenship from Nationals Abroad
A plan resurfacing in Algeria’s parliament would allow authorities to strip citizenship from Algerians who commit acts abroad deemed seriously...
Sahel: Fuel Blockade in Mali Brings Daily Life to a Standstill
By MondAfrique: Mali is in the grip of an unprecedented fuel crisis—a crisis now spilling into Senegal. The vital Dakar-Bamako supply route is...
Morocco’s Youth Protests Regain Momentum, Calls for Reform Ahead of 2025 Africa Cup
Morocco’s youth-led protest movement, GenZ212, returned to the streets on Saturday, October 18, after a short pause, confirming growing frustration...
Sahel: The Demographic Tide Reshaping Mali’s Regional Balance
Mali is on the cusp of a demographic transformation. According to new projections from the country’s National Population Directorate (DNP), the...
Tunisia: Protests in Gabès Over Pollution and Repression
Over the past week, Gabès, in Tunisia, has seen a dramatic escalation in social unrest centered on anti-pollution protests targeting a...
Algeria: Diphtheria Death Sparks Outbreak Fears in Skikda
The province of Skikda is experiencing anxiety after the announcement on Thursday of a death caused by diphtheria. This resurgence of a disease once...
Algeria: Diphtheria Death Sparks Outbreak Fears in Skikda
The province of Skikda is experiencing anxiety after the announcement on Thursday of a death caused by diphtheria. This resurgence of a disease once...
Mauritania: Water Scarcity Sparks Protests in Chami
Residents of Chami, a mining hub in western Mauritania, have taken to the streets to protest severe and prolonged water shortages that have left...
Mauritania Battles Dual Outbreaks Amid Sahel’s Shifting Climate
Mauritania is contending with concurrent outbreaks of diphtheria and Rift Valley fever that have left at least 36 people dead in recent weeks. The...
Sahel Displacement Hits 4 Million: UN Warns of Growing Crisis
By MondAfrique: On October 10, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) sounded the alarm: around 4 million people are currently...
BUSINESS & THE ECONOMY
Tunisia: Wage Dispute Triggers Widespread Bank Shutdowns in Tunisia
A nationwide banking strike in Tunisia has halted operations across major institutions as employees protest falling living standards and demand wage hikes
Algeria: 25 Executives Charged in Alleged Metals Fraud
A high-profile corruption trial involving Algeria’s state-owned metals conglomerate Imetal is set to begin on November 24 before the economic and...
Tunisia: Wage Dispute Triggers Widespread Bank Shutdowns in Tunisia
Thousands of employees in Tunisia’s banking, financial, and insurance sectors observed a remote strike on Monday and Tuesday, November 3–4, 2025,...
Morocco: Drought Pressure Threatens 2025-26 Farming Season
Morocco's 2025-26 agricultural season faces mounting difficulties due to sustained drought and diminishing water resources. Despite temporary...
Tunisia: Economic Pressures Erode Household Purchasing Power
A recent Fitch Solutions report, “Consumption and Household Income in Tunisia,” published October 22, 2025, finds that Tunisia’s average household...
Egypt Pegs its Power Supply to New Israeli Gas Imports
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week referred in court to a “historic” natural gas deal with Egypt, according to reporting from...
Libya: NOC Expands Exploration as Libya Targets 1.6 Million Barrels by 2026
Libya is pressing ahead with a broad-based energy revival that combines renewed foreign exploration, fresh domestic achievements, and ambitious...
Morocco: Forces Drive Morocco’s 2026 Budget: Security Recruitment Leads Job Creation Push
Morocco’s 2026 draft Finance Bill sets out one of the country’s most ambitious recruitment plans in years, creating more than 36,000 new jobs across...
Egypt’s Debt Diplomacy: How Brussels Became Cairo’s Latest Creditor of Confidence
When European and Egyptian leaders convened in Brussels for their first‑ever EU–Egypt Summit on 22 October 2025, the event signaled Europe’s...
Mali’s Energy Collapse Deepens as Fuel Blockade and Infrastructure Decay Converge
Mali’s capital has grown quieter in the dark. Across Bamako and beyond, entire neighborhoods now spend long nights without electricity, while...
Morocco Strengthens Global Standing with Record Tourism Growth
Morocco’s tourism sector continues its post-pandemic climb, welcoming 15 million visitors between January and September 2025 — a 14% increase...
Morocco Strengthens Global Standing with Record Tourism Growth
Morocco’s tourism sector continues its post-pandemic climb, welcoming 15 million visitors between January and September 2025 — a 14% increase...
Algeria Pushes for Ambitious Cashless Economy by 2028
Algeria says it will transition to a completely cashless economy by 2028, according to an official plan led by the Bank of Algeria and its National...
Egypt’s Red Sea Crisis Intersects with U.S. Trade Strategy in Global Infrastructure Rivalry
Egypt’s foreign minister warned last week that Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea have cost the country more than $9 billion in...
Egypt Draws a Red Line on Nile Rights in GERD Dispute
Egypt is insisting that Nile water security is an uncompromising national priority, with the country’s leadership rejecting any attempts at...