security upfront Bound

April 2025 has seen a notable series of military developments across North Africa, where rivalries and competition for influence are adding more stress.From U.S. missile sales to Morocco to new defense agreements between Algeria and Mauritania, the regional defense landscape is worrying but  geopolitical competition will likely continue to exacerbate tensions.

Moroccan security services arrested 12 operatives of the so-called “Lions of the Caliphate in the Maghreb Al-Aqsa” after a yearlong investigation. Authorities say the terror cell, linked to Daesh in the Sahel, had a weapons cache in Errachidia and planned attacks in Morocco.

France has officially ended its military presence in Chad, returning the Kossei base to the Chadian government.  This marks the end of a long-standing French military footprint in the Sahel after similar exits from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. 

France’s decades-long military presence in Africa is winding down as countries like Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire announce the closure of foreign bases, signaling a shift in regional dynamics and France’s influence.