Chadian President Mahamat Déby’s support for Sudan’s Hemedti amid the Sudanese conflict has sparked tension at home,...
Politics Bound
Sahel: Foreign Mining Firms Face Growing Risks as Juntas Assert Control Over Resources
Mining companies that have been operating in the Sahel for a long time are now experiencing a tectonic shift in their...
Sahel: A Primer on the Northern Mali Crisis
Northern Mali has always been a region of turmoil, and the responsibility for the misery there starts with the central...
Morocco sustains counter-terror campaign, as Prime Minister struggles to set up new cabinet
January 10, 2017: The North Africa Journal: By Hakim Briki: The CIA has warned a number of countries, including...
Morocco remains a moderate risk country, seeks to contain militant groups
Morocco faces a moderate level of security risk, placing it as an intermediate risk country. Indeed the Kingdom faces...
Algerian authorities confronted with localized labor unrest, escalation in 2017
While the Algerian authorities continue to focus a great deal of attention and resources on preventing attacks from...
Status Quo in Morocco’s Elections: Not too Many Choices for Voters
The Norh Africa Journal- October 8, 2016: With a low 43% turnout, a sign of a malaise and disappointment for most...
Libya: Dire Situation for Civilians in Benghazi
On September 30, 2016, Amnesty International said fears are growing for hundreds of civilians who are trapped in a...
Libya Crisis Update: Latest Development
The crisis in Libya is accelerating. MEA Risk Trackers and Analysts say that most major militias have joined the fight...
Maghreb Security: Easing of Tension vs. Ramadan, but Instability Remains Dangerously High
MEA Risk tracking firm says a return to a certain level of normalcy in the Maghreb region has been taking place ever...
Tunisia Ups Security Actions to Prevent Terrorism
The past week has been very busy for the Tunisian security authorities. The recent killing of tourists in Sousse,...
Bloodiest Day in Algeria in Almost 15 Years
The province of Ghardaia, in central Algeria has been the scene over the past few days of intercommunal clashes that...
Terror in Tunisia and the Gloomy Outlook
The attacks recently perpetrated against two hotels in Sousse confirm that Tunisia is now in a permanent state of war,...
The Libyan Crisis: The Moroccan Negotiations Likely to Lead to Nowhere
The Libyan government based in the east of the country and affiliated to the House of Representatives (HoR) is ready...
Governance in Tunisia: The Challenges of Restoring the Rule of Law
Now that Tunisia has managed to rebuild its government structures and a new constitution, how is it managing its...
Some President’s Men Want FLN Chief in Power
The controversial Amar Saadani, the current head of the nationalist’ FLN party is said to be positioned to take over...
Lebanese CEO of Qatar Mobile Operator in Algeria Threatens Media
For a long time, many in the Algerian government have sought to curtail the power of the private and independent...
Libya and its three Competing Power Centers
The recent appointment of General Khalifa Haftar as top military commander is an indication that many Libyans are...
The Egyptian Government Signals Some Easing of an All-Out Repression Strategy
There are some tiny signals coming from Egypt that President Sissi and his government are looking to ease a few of the...
Death toll from Libya crises in 2014 exceeds 2,600 – 71% of the region’s casualties
The year 2014 ended with at least 3,771 fatalities from Critical Incidents in the Maghreb and Sahel zones, based on...
Maghreb MEA Risk Digest: Week Ending Jan. 18, 2015
The following review is a summary of Critical Incidents witnessed by MEA Risk Analysts and as reported in Critical...
Algeria’s Finances: 2015 Likely to be a Tough Year
Over the past years Algeria has enjoyed a steady stream of strong revenues. Oil money has been used partly to...
Tunisia: Fourth Year Anniversary of the Jasmine Revolution: Time to Celebrate and Time to Focus
Tunisia has achieved a lot. With a broad and solid consensus is emerging on the future of the country, and the secular...
The Cost of Excessive Trade Regulation: How Tunisia is Losing Money
Tunisia suffers from the illegal trade of merchandise that reduces its potential for more state income. Most of...
Boko Haram Targets Niger, Panic in the East of the Country
Niger, the northern neighbor of Nigeria is now on the target list of the West African Islamist militant group Boko...
Mali’s Government Legitimacy Undermined by Corruption Scandals
Two procurement contracts in Mali got the IMF and the World Bank pretty upset. The international institutions have...
Tunisia’s Presidential Elections’ Outlook: Essebsi’s Almost Guaranteed Victory
MEA Risk says the first round of the Tunisian presidential elections turned out to be democratic, transparent, free,...
Egypt: The Extraordinary Tale of a Wholesale Death Sentence
The Egyptian regime is using some of the most severe tools of punishment to signal its Islamist foes that it means...
Niger’s Mali Border: another Brewing Crisis to Watch
MEA Risk's Critical Incidents Tracker reports that the West African Islamist militant organization MUJAO (Mouvement...
The Fall of Derna (Libya) to ISIS is not New
The international media, in particular CNN has focused a great deal of attention to the city of Derna in Eastern...
Despite quiet week, Mali faces unprecedented challenges
MEA Risk's Critical Incidents Tracker reports that despite a relatively quiet week (ending November 30th, 2014), the...
Crisis in Egypt Likely to Persist
Egypt is facing what Algeria faced in the 1990s. Nothing is working. The economy is in despair and a civil war is...
An Open Letter To The Israelis And Palestinians
I have been writing about your conflict for more than three decades. Invariably, I find myself delving into the same...
Morocco: Growing Social Tension amid Rising Costs of Living
The North Africa Journal | May 13, 2014 - With the government focused on reducing the weight of subsidies on the...
Libya’s Woes and Rivalries: a Divided Congress, the Militias and the Federalists
The North Africa Journal | Tension remains high in Libya. Factions with opposing ideologies and strong men at their...
Morocco-Algeria: Diplomatic Tension Escalates
Tension has been rising between Morocco and Algeria, over, yet again the disputed Western Sahara territory. This...
Morocco: the King’s Men Return to Power, Islamists Move to the Backseat
The coalition that formed the Moroccan cabinet since the electoral victory of the Islamist PJD party has been facing a...
Political Crisis in Tunisia: When Irresponsible Politics Kill Jobs
The Tunisian economy has become the victim of the so-called Arab Uprising, which ironically started in Tunisia....
The Case for Federalism
The prospect of stability and peace in North Africa, the Sahel and further into the Middle East and Sub-Sahara Africa...