Egypt has cleared roughly 6.1 billion dollars in overdue payments to foreign oil and gas companies, closing a multi‑year backlog that had accumulated during its foreign‑currency crunch and weighed on upstream investment. Officials say the full settlement, completed in...
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Algeria’s Northern Grain Farmers Push Back Against the Government’s Saharan Wheat Strategy
Algeria has spent the past several years betting a growing share of its food security on wheat grown deep in the Sahara desert. According to local media, farmers in the country's traditional grain-growing north, however, pushed back publicly against that strategy for...
Mali’s Jihadist-Separatist Alliance Pushes Toward Anéfis as Fighting Enters Its Sixth Day
A jihadist-separatist alliance has opened a new front in northern Mali, ambushing a Malian-Russian convoy near Anéfis and pushing to seize the strategic town, while Bamako continues to insist its forces retain control even as fighting has spread to Gao, Sévaré, Konna,...
Morocco’s Labor Market Gaps Push Growing Numbers of Women Toward Seasonal Work in Spain
Morocco's weak labor market and limited rural opportunities are pushing tens of thousands of citizens toward seasonal jobs in Europe. The government is now deeply involved in organizing and supervising this migration as an economic safety valve. Speaking before the...
Libya: Washington’s Libya Plan Would Install Haftar’s Son as President. Libya’s Institutions Are Saying No
U.S. diplomacy has been making moves in Libya these days. Washington's latest push in the troubled North African nation sits inside a crowded field of mediation efforts, rising local resistance to a specific power-sharing formula, and a UN process that, on paper at...
Energy: Africa’s LNG surging to global leverage
Africa is moving from the margins to the center of the global liquefied natural gas (LNG) story. As Europe scrambles to replace Russian gas and Middle East conflict constrains flows through chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz, African producers are rolling out...
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
Morocco Detains Civic Activist Amid Online Speech Concerns
Authorities in Morocco have detained another young activist in what appears to be a developing pattern involving members of the youth movement...
Tunisia: Arrest of Opposition Figure Olfa Hamdi Raises Concerns
A Tunisian civil liberties organization has publicly challenged the Tunisian authorities over the reported detention of opposition politician Olfa...
Morocco’s Deficit Widens in Trade With Turkey
Economic ties between Turkey and Morocco are expanding at an unprecedented pace. Over the past two years, trade flows have accelerated sharply,...
MAGHREB PAGE
SAHEL
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,...
Burkina Faso: Deep Supply Weaknesses in Ouagadougou Amid Seasonal Butane Shortages
Gas shortages in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, have become a recurring issue at the end of each year. The problem now appears regularly...
Sahel: Jihadist Attack Kills Local Prefect in Southwestern Niger
A jihadist attack in Niger targeted the residence of the prefect (governor) of Torodi during the night of Sunday, January 4, into Monday, January 5....
SAHEL PAGE
EGYPT
Egypt’s Debt Diplomacy: How Brussels Became Cairo’s Latest Creditor of Confidence
When European and Egyptian leaders convened in Brussels for their first‑ever EU–Egypt Summit on 22 October 2025, the event signaled Europe’s...
Egypt’s Red Sea Crisis Intersects with U.S. Trade Strategy in Global Infrastructure Rivalry
Egypt’s foreign minister warned last week that Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea have cost the country more than $9 billion in...
Egypt Draws a Red Line on Nile Rights in GERD Dispute
Egypt is insisting that Nile water security is an uncompromising national priority, with the country’s leadership rejecting any attempts at...
EGYPT PAGE
FOCAL POINTS
Security: Escalation of Russia-Ukraine war could transform crisis into global conflict
By Amélie Bottolier-Depois: UN chief Antonio Guterres warned nations Monday that he fears the likelihood of further escalation in the Russia-Ukraine conflict means the world is heading towards a "wider war." The secretary-general laid out his priorities for the year...
Egypt: Archaeologists announce discovery of 1,800-year-old Roman city
Egyptian archaeologists said Tuesday they had discovered an 1,800-year-old "complete residential city from the Roman-era" in the heart of the southern city of Luxor. The city, dating to the second and third centuries, is the "oldest and most important city found on...
Health: World Health Organization concerned about unprecedented number “intersecting health emergencies,” appeals for money
The World Health Organization on Monday appealed for $2.54 billion for its work in 2023 to help millions of people facing health emergencies around the world. The UN health agency said that it was currently responding to an unprecedented number of intersecting health...
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POLITICAL AFFAIRS
Morocco Allegations Reignite Spain’s Pegasus Debate
New reporting has revived scrutiny of the 2021 Pegasus intrusion targeting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s phone, focusing on the Ceuta visit as a potential operational opening and renewing debate over attribution, accountability, and Spain’s wider relationship with Morocco, including questions raised by Morocco’s growing security ties with Israel.
MORE ON POLITICS
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...
Algeria’s External Rebalancing: Managing Strained Ties with France While Preserving Strategic Stability with the United States
Algeria's current foreign policy reflects a deliberate effort to recalibrate relations with France while maintaining pragmatic continuity with the...
Algerian Parliament Passes Law Criminalizing French Colonization
On December 24, 2025, Algeria's National People's Assembly unanimously approved legislation that designates French colonization as a crime and...
Egypt Anchors Its Energy Strategy With Long-Term Israeli Gas as Israel Weighs the Trade-Offs
Israel has approved a long-term natural gas export agreement that will channel roughly 131 billion cubic meters of gas from the offshore Leviathan...
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...
PODCASTS
Pressure mounts in Algeria amid calls for resumption of Hirak | 18 June 2020
COVID-19: The Latest
Covid-19: Libya gets first batch of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine
Libya's interim prime minister on Sunday announced the arrival of the first batch of vaccines against Covid-19, as the war-torn country's crumbling health system struggles against a mounting caseload. "Thanks to God, we have managed to import the first batch of...
Covid-19 in Algeria: Coping with the pandemic inside a Blida hospital
At a hospital near the Algerian capital, staff say they are "on the verge of burnout" more than a year on from the facility's first coronavirus-related admissions. Blida province has been one of the epicentres of Algeria's novel coronavirus outbreak, and was the site...
Tunisia: Russia to deliver first batch of 30K Sputnik V doses to Tunisia
Tunisia said Monday the first coronavirus vaccines were set to arrive to start mass inoculation in the North African nation using Russia's Sputnik V jabs. An initial 30,000 doses are due to arrive Tuesday from Russia, followed by 500,000 doses "in coming weeks", a...
SECURITY, DEFENSE & TERRORISM
West Africa: Jihadist Attacks Intensify in Northern Benin Amid Cross-Border Insurgency Pressure
Jihadist attacks in northern Benin have intensified in recent weeks, with militants linked to JNIM claiming a deadly assault on a military position near the Niger border and carrying out additional raids on security posts along the country’s volatile frontiers with Burkina Faso and Nigeria. The violence underscores how northern Benin has become part of a wider cross-border insurgency spilling south from the central Sahel, even as authorities bolster Operation Mirador and try to prevent armed groups from entrenching themselves on Beninese soil.
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...
Mali: Bamako Strikes Back as JNIM Expands Its Rule
Over one turbulent weekend in mid‑October 2025, Mali’s army announced a series of airstrikes against jihadist strongholds just as the country’s most...
Sahel: Three Sahel States Join Forces in Northern Mali Offensive
Joint counterterrorism forces from the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) have carried out a precision operation in northern Mali, killing...
Africa: New Warning of Evolving Hybrid Threats Linking Terrorism, Crime, and Climate Pressures Across Africa
At a recent Mediterranean Dialogues Forum in Naples, Mauritania’s Foreign Minister Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug delivered a sobering assessment of how...
Washington Returns to Libya’s Frontlines in Bid to Counter Russia and Reunify Militias
U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) has announced that Libya, long divided between rival political and military factions, will host a key segment of next...
Algeria and Tunisia Expand Military Cooperation Amid Regional Security Tensions
In a move reflecting the deepening security alignment between Algeria and Tunisia, the two neighbors signed a new defense cooperation agreement in...
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...
Mali: Bamako Strikes Back as JNIM Expands Its Rule
Over one turbulent weekend in mid‑October 2025, Mali’s army announced a series of airstrikes against jihadist strongholds just as the country’s most...
Sahel: Three Sahel States Join Forces in Northern Mali Offensive
Joint counterterrorism forces from the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) have carried out a precision operation in northern Mali, killing...
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.
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...
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...
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...
Sahel: The Demographic Tide Reshaping Mali’s Regional Balance
Mali is on the cusp of a demographic transformation. According to new projections from the country’s National Population Directorate (DNP), the...
Tunisia: Protests in Gabès Over Pollution and Repression
Over the past week, Gabès, in Tunisia, has seen a dramatic escalation in social unrest centered on anti-pollution protests targeting a...
Algeria: Diphtheria Death Sparks Outbreak Fears in Skikda
The province of Skikda is experiencing anxiety after the announcement on Thursday of a death caused by diphtheria. This resurgence of a disease once...
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...
BUSINESS & THE ECONOMY
Morocco’s Deficit Widens in Trade With Turkey
Trade between Turkey and Morocco has accelerated sharply, surpassing $5 billion in recent exchanges and strengthening Ankara’s position in the Moroccan market. While the expansion reflects deeper economic integration, Moroccan policymakers are seeking investment-based solutions to address a widening trade imbalance and position the country as a regional production hub ahead of the 2030 World Cup.
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...
Business: Chinese Logistics Platform Scouts Tunisia As Africa Gateway
Wuhan Yangluo Port Services, a Chinese state-linked entity active across trade, logistics, finance, and investment, has dispatched a delegation to...
EU–Morocco Tomato Dispute Deepens Over Western Sahara Labeling
Allegations of unfair competition and labeling disputes are straining relations between Morocco and the European Union over tomato exports,...
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...
Libya: NOC Expands Exploration as Libya Targets 1.6 Million Barrels by 2026
Libya is pressing ahead with a broad-based energy revival that combines renewed foreign exploration, fresh domestic achievements, and ambitious...
Morocco: Forces Drive Morocco’s 2026 Budget: Security Recruitment Leads Job Creation Push
Morocco’s 2026 draft Finance Bill sets out one of the country’s most ambitious recruitment plans in years, creating more than 36,000 new jobs across...