Feb 2, 2026

Defense: Mauritania and Spain Use Naval Exercises to Bolster Atlantic Maritime Security$

Mauritania and Spain have carried out joint naval exercises off Nouadhibou, built around a port visit by the Spanish patrol vessel Furor and focused on navigation safety and operational coordination. The drills, paired with visits to Mauritanian military installations, signal a tightening maritime partnership in Atlantic waters that are central to security, fisheries, and migration routes. Officials in Nouakchott present the cooperation as part of a broader effort to strengthen maritime stability and protect shared interests at sea.
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Sahel: Niger Emerges as Key Battleground as JNIM and Islamic State Collide$

A defection, a blood feud, and overlapping territorial ambitions are pushing JNIM and the Islamic State Sahel Province into direct competition across western Niger. The outcome around the region of Dosso could determine whether Sahelian jihadist violence stays fragmented — or consolidates into a wider regional arc.

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Morocco: Rights Group Says it Documented 130 Deaths Among Would-Be Migrants in Morocco-Spain Border Breach Disaster$

The official death toll from a mass border crossing into the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta has risen to at least 72, but a rights group says it knows of 130 deaths and so many others missing. Morocco and Spain are facing growing pressure to explain how tens of thousands of people managed to force their way into European territory in a matter of days.

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Spies, Lies, and a Border Overrun: Morocco’s Bad Week$

Morocco is facing scrutiny on two fronts this summer: a corroborated investigation alleging systematic use of Pegasus spyware against journalists and foreign officials, and a fresh migrant surge into Ceuta that echoes the 2021 border crisis. Both developments draw scrutiny of Morocco from European governments and beyond, each for different reasons — one a question of covert surveillance, the other of border management under pressure.

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