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Outlook: Yet another cycle of uncertainty for the region
As the armed forces and security services manage to control, to a certain extent, the terror threat, the Greater North Africa region is facing unprecedented political tension, social stress and economic despair. Data for all countries in the North Africa zone,...
Instability in North Africa and Sahel claims over 8,500 deaths in 2016. MEA Risk expects 2017 to be another crisis year
Miami, FL – MEA Risk LLC - The North Africa and Sahel zone witnessed a 16.0% increase in the number of destabilizing critical incidents in 2016 to a total of 11,916, according to MEA Risk LLC. Despite such increase, MEA Risk’s Instability Index, measuring the crisis...
Algerian authorities confronted with localized labor unrest, escalation in 2017
While the Algerian authorities continue to focus a great deal of attention and resources on preventing attacks from Islamic militant groups, the erosion in state revenues is forcing them to push for new austerity measures that are creating a lot of tension nationwide....
More Belt-Tightening Ahead for Algeria
The North Africa Journa: October 2, 2016: Algeria continues to seek cost containment measures, with growing expectation of fuel price increases in 2017 aimed at reducing the projected budget deficit of $2.6 billion. There is also pressure on the government to freeze...
As counter-terror campaign intensifies in Algeria, Libya’s weapons making their way into the country
In the first four months of 2016, the Algerian army has killed 31 Islamist insurgents, and captured 33 others nationwide. Furthermore, an arsenal of war big enough to wreck havoc was siezed, including over 300 war weapons were retrieved, 202 hideouts were destroyed...
BP and Statoil Reducing their Staffs in Algeria: Consequences on Business Continuity
Although the recent terror attempt on an Algerian gas site, signed by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) caused no physical damage, it has had without any doubt some psychological impact on jittery companies and on authorities scrambling to secure the area....
Mortar shell attack on an Algerian gas field, no casualties
According to MEA Risk sources, an insurgent group has attacked a gas field exploited by the Algerian state-owned energy company Sonatrach, Statoil and BP in the In Salah gas site of Krechba, in the Saharian province of Ghardaia. Two homemade mortar shells were fired;...
With Peugeot-Citroen Joining Renault, Oran becomes the Capital of Algeria’s Car Assembly Business
Although the companies have not made a formal announcement yet, the Wali (governor) of Oran in western Algeria says his province will be home of a new Peugeot-Citroën auto assembly plant. The plant is even scheduled to be located the municipality of el-Hamou. If the...
Bombing of Libya Looms as Neighboring States Seek to Seal the Borders and Build Refugee Towns
Fresh troop movements and unusual activity along the Algeria-Libya borders are clear indications of the potential for an imminent Western offensive in Libya, according to MEA Risk security trackers. The Algerian authorities, fearful for the consequences of a...
Maghreb Security: Easing of Tension vs. Ramadan, but Instability Remains Dangerously High
MEA Risk tracking firm says a return to a certain level of normalcy in the Maghreb region has been taking place ever since the end of Ramadan back in July. Yet the concept of normalcy and a reduction in the stress level compared to the period of Ramadan do not mean...
IS Looking to Widen North Africa Operations, says MEA Risk
There are a lot of chatters and pronouncements in various places about the Islamic State organization (Daesh) seeking to expand its presence and intensify its operations in North Africa, according to MEA Risk. Tunisia and Morocco are particularly mentioned in those...
Bloodiest Day in Algeria in Almost 15 Years
The province of Ghardaia, in central Algeria has been the scene over the past few days of intercommunal clashes that are pitting two ethnic groups. MEA Risk trackers on the ground report that pitched battles between members of the Maliki and Mozabite tribes have...
Belmokhtar Likely Escaped US Attack, and the Bizarre Aftermath
According to the Libyan government of Tobruk, the Algerian militant group leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar, head of al-Mourabitoun, was killed in a U.S. airstrike in eastern Libya. However, there is no evidence of his killing and the US authorities have not confirmed his...
Algeria Hard Currency Reserve Stood at $179 Bil in Dec 2014, Down 7.8% Year on Year
Algeria’s political and economic leaders have a big problem. The country’s foreign currency reserves stood at $178.9 billion at the end of December 2014. That’s not a bad number except that it fell 3.5% sequentially in just one month, which is compared to November...
North Mali Crisis: The Failure of the Algiers Talks
The fifth round of talks on peace in northern Mali ended in Algiers with nothing in favor of the northern populations. Pitting the government of Mali in Bamako to the northern Touareg tribes in the north, the Algiers talks were meant to inject a certain logic in the...
Some President’s Men Want FLN Chief in Power
The controversial Amar Saadani, the current head of the nationalist’ FLN party is said to be positioned to take over the top leadership of the Algerian Senate. If that occurs, Saadani could indeed end up becoming Algeria’s president for ten days if the current...
Lebanese CEO of Qatar Mobile Operator in Algeria Threatens Media
For a long time, many in the Algerian government have sought to curtail the power of the private and independent press. Using state-owned printing presses and the state advertisement agency, the government managed to put pressure on many private newspapers using such...
Death toll from Libya crises in 2014 exceeds 2,600 – 71% of the region’s casualties
The year 2014 ended with at least 3,771 fatalities from Critical Incidents in the Maghreb and Sahel zones, based on MEA Risk LLC’s tracking service CIncidents. With an intense political crisis affecting Libya, that country was home for nearly 71% of the casualties,...
Maghreb MEA Risk Digest: Week Ending Jan. 18, 2015
The following review is a summary of Critical Incidents witnessed by MEA Risk Analysts and as reported in Critical Incidents Tracker. For the week ending Sunday January 18th, the Maghreb region saw a decrease in the number of Critical Incidents by a rate of -18%. The...
Algeria’s Finances: 2015 Likely to be a Tough Year
Over the past years Algeria has enjoyed a steady stream of strong revenues. Oil money has been used partly to stimulate national savings, to pay for general economic development and to cover subsidies. Another critical contribution of oil money was Algeria’s ability...
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