Maghreb Edition
MEA Risk Brief: April 10, 2018: The commander of the pro-eastern government Libyan National Army, General Khalifa Haftar, is reported to have suffered a heart attack. He has been transferred to Jordan for intensive care.
Morocco is facing its largest wave of unrest in years, with mass protests erupting across major cities demanding better hospitals, schools, and an end to corruption.
Hannibal Gaddafi, son of Libya’s former dictator Muammar Gaddafi, was released from a Lebanese prison in November 2025 after nearly ten years in detention. Gaddafi was originally kidnapped from Syria in 2015 by militants seeking information about the 1978 disappearance of Lebanese cleric Musa al-Sadr—a case that has strained Libya–Lebanon relations for decades.
Libya’s energy sector is gaining momentum as Sonatrach and other major players resume exploration and drilling across the Ghadames Basin. Recent activity includes Sonatrach’s return after a decade-long halt, new exploratory wells by the National Oil Corporation, and successful deep-layer production tests by Zueitina Oil Company.
The United States is reengaging in Libya through Flintlock 2026, a major U.S. Africa Command exercise set for next spring near Sirte. The training will bring together Libya’s rival eastern and western forces for the first time since 2011, signaling a renewed American role in efforts to unify the country’s military, counter extremist threats, and curb Russian influence in North Africa.
