Armed attacks attributed to Sahel-based jihadist groups have intensified in northern Benin in recent weeks, highlighting the continued spread of militant activity along the country’s borders with Burkina Faso and Niger. On March 4, fighters linked to the Group for the...
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Desert Locusts Stir Fresh Worries in North-West Africa
Agricultural authorities in several parts of North and West Africa are maintaining surveillance for desert locust activity following recent reports of small swarms detected near Algeria’s southwestern border. The monitoring reflects the importance of the western...
Mali Army, Russian Allies Accused of Executing Civilians Near Mauritania Border
Malian troops and their Russian allies are accused of executing refugees and civilians near the Mauritanian border, according to RFI. The French media outlet said seven people who had just crossed from Mauritania into Mali were killed on Friday, March 6, in the Ahl El...
Niger: Armed Attacks Target Military Bases in Tahoua
In the early hours of March 9, 2026, armed militants launched coordinated assaults on military facilities in Tahoua, a city in northwestern Niger located about 500 kilometers east of Niamey. The attacks targeted both the local airport and nearby military...
Global Energy Markets Jolt as Iran War Disrupts Gulf Oil Flows
Saudi Arabia has begun cutting oil output as the escalating U.S. and Israeli war against Iran disrupts shipping across the Gulf region, pushing crude prices sharply higher and triggering emergency discussions among major economies. On Monday, benchmark oil prices...
Trump Sends Controversial Envoy to South Africa at a Diplomatic Low Point
The arrival of Leo Brent Bozell III as the new U.S. ambassador to South Africa comes at a moment of visible diplomatic tension between Washington and Pretoria. Appointed in March 2025 by President Donald Trump and arriving in Pretoria on February 17, 2026, Bozell...
TOP REGIONAL HEADLINES
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.
MAGHREB
Cyclone Harry’s Hidden Toll: NGOs Fear Up to 1,000 Migrants Lost at Sea
Humanitarian groups say the death toll from January’s Central Mediterranean storms may be far higher than official figures, warning that Cyclone...
Morocco Reassures Public on King Mohammed VI’s Mechanical Lumbosciatica
Morocco’s Royal Palace has confirmed that King Mohammed VI is undergoing treatment for a mechanical lower‑back condition but emphasized that his...
Agriculture: Drought‑Hit 2025 Season Leaves Morocco More Dependent on Cereal Imports, According to FAO
Morocco is heading into 2026 with a mixed outlook for its cereal sector, as favorable early-season conditions contrast with an expected drop in...
MAGHREB PAGE
SAHEL
Defense: Mauritania and Spain Use Naval Exercises to Bolster Atlantic Maritime Security
Mauritanian and Spanish naval forces have conducted joint exercises off the coast of Nouadhibou, underscoring a growing security partnership in a...
UAE Regional Influence Under Strain Amid Sudan, Libya, Yemen, and Maghreb Frictions
Across several regions, the United Arab Emirates is facing visible diplomatic and political friction with key Arab states. The developments span...
Mali: Gold Mining Site in Sikasso Region Hit by Armed Group
Armed attackers struck the Morila gold mine in southern Mali during the night of January 4 to January 5, 2026, causing material damage to the site,...
SAHEL PAGE
EGYPT
Washington Initiates Review Process for Possible Terrorism Designations of Muslim Brotherhood Branches
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on 23 November 2025 that his administration has initiated a formal review to determine whether certain...
Egypt’s Justice Reform: Promises and Persistent Problems
Egypt amended its criminal procedure code in November 2025, rolling out changes framed by officials as efforts to “modernize” the justice system and...
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 PAGE
FOCAL POINTS
Tunisia: Profile of jailed opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi
Islamist-inspired Ennahdha opposition party arrested on Monday, once towered over Tunisia's politics but many now blame him for the country's ills. The reputation of the 81-year-old veteran politician, once seen as a kingmaker following the 2011 Arab Spring revolt...
Morocco: Despite being an agricultural powerhouse, Morocco is experiencing soaring food prices
By Ismail Bellaouali: Soaring inflation in Morocco is driving up living costs and stirring public anger, and as food prices increase the country's export-led agricultural model is coming under fire. On April 8, protesters gathered outside parliament in the capital...
Maghreb competition: The ridiculous debate over who should claim ownership of the Haiek veil
Opinion by Arezki Daoud: Competition between the regimes of Algeria and Morocco has gone mainstream. Now Algerians and Moroccans are battling each other over the silliest things, from who presumably owns specific foods to who should claim ownership of specific arts...
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POLITICAL AFFAIRS
Inside the US Decision to Target Specific Muslim Brotherhood Branches
The United States’ decision to designate Muslim Brotherhood chapters in Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon as terrorist organizations marks a significant shift in policy, but not the sweeping ban many had anticipated. Rather than targeting the movement as a whole, Washington adopted a selective approach grounded in specific allegations of operational ties to violence, particularly involving Hamas and cross-border militant activity
MORE ON POLITICS
Libya: Turkey is Here to Stay, Abandons Exit Strategy
Turkey's parliament has approved a 24-month extension of its military deployment in Libya, running through early 2028. The decision, while...
Nigeria: Questions Mount Over U.S. Airstrikes in Northern Nigeria
By Leslie Varenne, MondAfrique: The American strikes carried out in Nigeria on Christmas Day raise serious questions. Beyond the confusion...
Tunisia: Leading Labor Union in Turmoil
The possible resignation of Noureddine Tabboubi, the general secretary of the UGTT (Tunisian General Labor Union), is the culmination of a deep...
Libya: Protesters Gather at UN Mission in Janzour Demanding Accelerated Elections, Warning of National Collapse
Dozens of demonstrators assembled outside the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) headquarters in Janzour on January 2, 2026,...
Rights Groups Warn of Widening Restrictions on Freedoms in Tunisia
The Tunisian League for Human Rights has issued a stark assessment of the country’s political and civil trajectory, warning of a sustained...
U.S. Immigration Policy and the Changing Landscape of Africa-U.S. Travel
As the United States prepares to implement a new round of immigration and visa policy changes in 2026, the effects are being felt across Africa and...
Libya Enters 2026 With the Same Political Fragmentation and Sustain Bad Foreign Influence
As Libya enters 2026, the country remains caught in the same prolonged state of political suspension, where formal sovereignty exists on paper but...
Tunis Appeals Court Upholds Prison Sentence Against Opposition Leader Abir Moussi
A Tunis appeals court has upheld a two-year prison sentence against opposition figure Abir Moussi, confirming an earlier ruling linked to charges...
The UAE’s Growing Role in African Conflict Zones
Saudi–Emirati tensions over Yemen open a wider question: to what extent is the UAE using proxy actors, media leverage, and selective alliances to...
Nigeria’s Conflict Goes Global With Washington Entering the Fight
The United States’ Christmas Day airstrikes in northwestern Nigeria mark a rare but consequential shift in the internationalization of Nigeria’s...
U.S. Immigration Policy and the Changing Landscape of Africa-U.S. Travel
As the United States prepares to implement a new round of immigration and visa policy changes in 2026, the effects are being felt across Africa and...
Libya Enters 2026 With the Same Political Fragmentation and Sustain Bad Foreign Influence
As Libya enters 2026, the country remains caught in the same prolonged state of political suspension, where formal sovereignty exists on paper but...
Tunis Appeals Court Upholds Prison Sentence Against Opposition Leader Abir Moussi
A Tunis appeals court has upheld a two-year prison sentence against opposition figure Abir Moussi, confirming an earlier ruling linked to charges...
The UAE’s Growing Role in African Conflict Zones
Saudi–Emirati tensions over Yemen open a wider question: to what extent is the UAE using proxy actors, media leverage, and selective alliances to...
PODCASTS
Pressure mounts in Algeria amid calls for resumption of Hirak | 18 June 2020
COVID-19: The Latest
Covid-19: Official says Tunisia’s health system has collapsed
Tunisia virus situation catastrophic: health ministry Tunisia's health system has "collapsed" under the weight of the Covid-19 pandemic, the health ministry spokeswoman said on Thursday, describing the virus's affect on the country as "catastrophic". On Tuesday alone,...
Morocco accelerates Covid vaccination campaign, targets prison population
Morocco has vaccinated nearly 4,000 inmates as part of a campaign launched in March to inoculate the incarcerated population against coronavirus, the kingdom's prison authority said Wednesday. The aim of the campaign, started several weeks after the national...
Covid-19: Tunisia PM warns of risk of collapse of health facilities, announces new restrictions
Coronavirus: Latest global developments Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis: India's rocketing records India reports a record new Covid-19 daily death toll of over 4,000 and more than 400,000 new cases as the country grapples with the world's...
SECURITY, DEFENSE & TERRORISM
Sudan Conflict: Egypt’s Military Escalation After the Fall of El‑Fasher
Egypt appears to have shifted from diplomatic broker to covert combatant in Sudan’s war, with new evidence pointing to drone and air strikes launched from a secret base in the Western Desert. Satellite imagery, flight logs and investigations indicate that Egypt has established a covert airbase at the East Oweinat agricultural project, roughly 65 kilometers from the Sudanese border, to launch strikes against Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targets deep inside Sudan. The operations mark Egypt’s evolution from cautious mediator to active, if deniable, belligerent on the side of Sudan’s Armed Forces, as the conflict becomes the focal point of widening regional proxy rivalries involving the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar.
Burkina Faso Faces New Security Tensions Amid Coup Allegations
Burkina Faso experienced a sudden spike in political and security tension overnight in early January, with coordinated public mobilizations in...
Sahel: Rising Attacks on Military and Economic Targets Deepen Mali’s Instability
As the year closes, Mali’s security environment shows no sign of improvement , marked by coordinated jihadist operations, persistent pressure on...
Sahel: Violence in Northern Mali Drives New Wave of Displacement Into Mauritania
More than 3,300 people have fled northern Mali over the past month, crossing into Mauritania to escape escalating violence and severe disruptions to...
Sahel: French Special Forces Accused of Direct Role in Benin Coup Response
A recent account by the head of Benin’s Republican Guard alleged that France played a role in an attempted coup in Benin, triggering a legal and...
Niger Moves Uranium From SOMAÏR Mine Despite Arbitration Ruling
Niger’s decision to move uranium from a disputed mine in the country’s north is deepening its confrontation with French nuclear group Orano and...
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...
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...
SOCIAL, LABOR & THE ENVIRONMENT
Morocco’s Youth Protests Regain Momentum, Calls for Reform Ahead of 2025 Africa Cup
As of Sunday, October 19, protests led by the youth collective GenZ212 continued across multiple Moroccan cities, demanding better healthcare, education, and accountability in public spending ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. While authorities have tightened restrictions and detained over 600 participants, demonstrations have regained strength following a temporary pause, revealing deep frustration with inequality, corruption, and government priorities.
Moroccan Streamer Ilyas El Maliki Arrested Again
Moroccan online streamer Ilyas El Maliki was detained on the evening of Monday, 25 November 2025 in the coastal city of El Jadida, police sources...
Mauritania Confronts Concentrated Desert Locust Outbreak With Regional Spillover Risk
Mauritania is facing a concentrated desert locust outbreak in several western and northern regions, prompting intensified surveillance and control...
Mauritania: New Rescue Off Nouadhibou as Regional Migration Pressures Intensify
Mauritanian authorities and local rescue teams recovered a pirogue carrying 156 migrants on Monday off the coast of Nouadhibou, ending a ten-day...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
BUSINESS & THE ECONOMY
Algeria Expands Core Infrastructure Investment Across Core Sectors
Algeria is scaling up investment in core infrastructure as part of a long-term strategy spanning transport, water security, energy, and mining. Backed by multi-billion-dollar allocations in the 2026 state budget, the program targets roads, railways, ports, airports, and large-scale hydraulic projects, alongside major mining developments linked to new logistics corridors.
Authorities frame the effort as both an economic and social priority, aimed at improving service reliability, supporting industrial growth, and reducing regional disparities, particularly in remote southern areas. Several projects rank among the largest of their kind in Africa and reflect a continued reliance on state-led development to address structural challenges
Aviation: Ryanair Picks Rabat as New Low-Cost Aviation Hub
Ryanair, Europe’s largest low-cost airline by passenger volume, plans to establish a new operational base at Rabat–Salé Airport starting in April...
Egypt Bets on Upstream Investment to Reverse Gas Production Decline
Egypt is planning a significant expansion of upstream energy activity over the next five years as it seeks to stabilize a decline in natural gas...
Business: As Relations With France Strain, Algeria Broadens Its Grain Suppliers
Algeria has been broadening its wheat supplier base in an effort recalibrate economic ties with France, long Algeria’s dominant cereal supplier....
Algeria’s Parallel Currency Market Surges, Puts Pressure on the Dinar
The euro and the US dollar are trading at record levels on Algeria’s parallel currency market, widening the gap with official rates to more than...
Algeria Raises Minimum Wage and Jobless Benefits for 2026
Algeria has approved increases to both the national minimum wage and unemployment benefits, starting in 2026, according to Algerian media reports....
Algeria Rolls Out 5G Network with Six-Year Expansion Plan
Algeria has activated its 5G mobile network, with the formal launch occurring on December 3rd in Algiers. The country's three major...
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...
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...