Algeria: Presidency signals another term for Bouteflika as FLN endorses 2019 bid
The North Africa Journal – 9 April 2018: The possibility of President Bouteflika to run for another term is now increasingly likely. In fact, not only has he received the official endorsement of the ruling FLN party, but he has also toured projects in Algiers,...
Morocco allegedly informs Algeria about possible military action in Western Sahara
MEA Risk Brief: Morocco has reportedly informed Algeria, through an unidentified European ambassador to Algeria, that it is ready to intervene militarily if the “Polisario Front continues to refuse the United Nations” and Morocco’s call to withdraw from...
Algerians brace for currency devaluation, fueling informal forex
The North Africa Journal – 5 April 2018: The informal foreign currency exchange market (forex) in Algeria is more vibrant than ever, and continues to expand. The use of such market is widespread because of an ineffective financial sector and regulations that are...
Mali: Five killed as insurgents attack two villages in Koro
MEA Risk LLC: Five civilians were killed, and four others were wounded on 18 February….
Polisario clashes with tribesmen inside Tindouf camps
MEA Risk Brief: According to a security source, members of the security forces of the Sahrawi movement Polisario Front have clashed with Oulad Dim tribesmen inside the Sahrawi refugee camp of Tindouf on 16 February. The skirmish started when Polisario officials...
Algerian army loses two more soldiers in new attack, puts troops on high alert along Mali border
MEA Risk LLC: On 19 February, two Algerian soldiers were killed, and a third one was wounded after a roadside bomb was detonated by suspected Islamic insurgents during the passage of a military convoy in El Aich, in Khenchela’s Djellal municipality. This was...
Libya’s slave trade
By Maya Yang: On January 25, a series of grisly videos from Libya surfaced online that depicted several kidnapped Sudanese migrants tortured for ransom. In one video, at least five Sudanese men lay on the ground with fresh wounds on their backs, pleading with their...
Uber withdraws from Morocco
The North Africa Journal: February 21, 2018: There is a great deal of jubilation among Morocco’s taxi drivers and the leaders of the transport sector as Uber, the ride-hailing service announced that its last ride in Casablanca will take place on February 23. Present...
Algeria: Five soldiers killed in a Tebessa sweeping operation
Five soldiers were killed today (14 February) in a bomb explosion in Tebessa, near the Tunisian border, according to MEA Risk LLC. A large-scale sweeping operation was launched after the incident, in an area that appears to be affected by the presence of militant...
Tunisia: Difficult Road to Stability
The North Africa Journal – February 13, 2018: Tunisia continues to face several pain points that the government is struggling to fully contain. On the economic front, new datapoints confirm the tough start of the year for the country. Its foreign exchange...
Not such a happy new year for North Africa
The North Africa Journal: January 11, 2018- The new year started off on the wrong foot for North African nations, and the seeds of discontent for the years to come have been sown. The year 2017 ended with a lot of drama and lingering crises that promise to stick...
Tunisia: Protests spreading over inflation, riots in Kasserine
The North Africa Journal – January 8, 2018: Since January 1st, the prices of basic food products have skyrocketed in Tunisia, due to austerity measures passed by the parliament. Tracking firm MEA Risk LLC reported that in central Kasserine…...
Morocco: Food distribution in Essaouira turns deadly, over a dozen killed
The North Africa Journal – November 19, 2017: At least 15 people died when they were crushed during a stampede in Essaouira, Morocco. The victims were receiving food aid in the town of Sidi Boulaalam, near the Atlantic Ocean to the west of the country. The death...
The disgraceful practice of human trafficking in Libya
The North Africa Journal – November 16, 2017: International organizations and human rights groups have long been aware of the mistreatment of Sub-Sahara migrants moving through Libya in an effort to reach Western Europe via the Mediterranean Sea. But the...
The Algerian legislative elections: the results
The North Africa Journal – May 7, 2017: The Algerian ministry of interior says voter participation was 38.25% on 4 May, down 6% compared to the 2012 legislative elections. Out of 23,251,503 registered voters, only 8,528,355 of them voted. A number of civil...
Social and labor unrest escalates in Tunisia as the government is running out of ideas
Over the past weekend, the Tunisian central government dismissed two senior provincial officials in the restive Tataouine province located in the southeast, near the Libyan border. In the capital, Prime Minister Chahed also fired his finance and education ministers,...
As tension eases in Western Sahara conflict, the belligerents stick to their guns
The North Africa Journal – May 4, 2017: Fighters of the Polisario Front, who are seeking statehood in the Western Sahara, withdrew from a contested area known as Guerguerat, following a unilateral withdrawal of the Moroccan troops a few weeks ago. The removal of...