politics upfront Bound

As Libya approaches 2026, the country remains locked in a prolonged political impasse marked by competing authorities, delayed elections, and sustained foreign involvement. Rival governments and security structures continue to operate in parallel, limiting the ability of Libyan institutions to exercise unified control. Regional and international actors remain deeply embedded in Libya’s political and security environment, shaping outcomes through strategic alliances and informal arrangements. While large-scale conflict has been contained, the absence of a nationally driven political settlement leaves Libya’s sovereignty constrained and its long-term stability uncertain.

Saudi–Emirati tensions over Yemen have reignited a debate about how the United Arab Emirates projects power beyond the Gulf, particularly across Africa and the Maghreb. The public rupture with Saudi Arabia over Yemen has drawn attention to a broader pattern in which Abu Dhabi is accused of using proxy actors, military support, media influence, and selective alliances to shape outcomes in fragile conflict zones. From Libya and Sudan to the Western Sahara file, the UAE has emerged as a consequential external actor whose involvement often intersects with local rivalries, unresolved conflicts, and competing regional interests.

Algeria’s National People’s Assembly unanimously approved legislation designating French colonization as a crime and establishing legal grounds for reparations. The law lists imprescriptible crimes including nuclear testing, extrajudicial executions, torture, and resource exploitation. While symbolically significant, experts note the law has no international legal standing to compel France, though it marks a definitive shift in the bilateral memory relationship.

Thousands gathered in central Tunis to mark the December 17 anniversary of the uprising’s start, using the occasion to express support for the president and advance a political narrative centered on sovereignty, rejection of foreign influence, and loyalty to a leader rather than parties or institutions.