Apr 29, 2026

Mali: After Kidal, The War Comes to Bamako$

Analysis by The North Africa Journal

Mali’s military government lost Kidal to a joint FLA-JNIM offensive on April 26, 2026, after Russian Africa Corps personnel and Malian troops withdrew under rebel escort. The fall of the city, retaken by Bamako with Russian support in November 2023, exposes the limits of the junta’s sovereignty narrative and raises serious questions about the durability of Mali’s security model.

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Egypt joins China’s tariff-free initiative as Beijing opens its market to nearly all of Africa$

by The North Africa Journal | Jul 13, 2026 | Briefs, Business & Economy, Egypt, 1 Up Front, 1shorts, Egypt economy, economy upfront, 111, 1PREMIUM

Egypt joined China’s expanded zero-tariff scheme on 1 May 2026, gaining duty-free access to the Chinese market alongside 52 other African countries with diplomatic ties to Beijing. The move eliminates tariffs that previously ran from 8 to 30 percent on key Egyptian exports, though the arrangement is a two-year preferential window through April 2028 rather than a permanent deal, and non-tariff barriers like rules of origin and phytosanitary standards still apply.

While its Minorities are Winning World Cup Games, France is Preparing to Pivot to the Far Right$

by The North Africa Journal | Jul 13, 2026 | Maghreb, International politics, Politics, politics upfront, Shield and Alert: Maghreb, International, 1PREMIUM, 1-BLUE-LEFT-SECTION-Special-Focus-Free, Briefs, Politics, 1shorts

As France’s multiethnic World Cup squad marches toward the semifinals, the country’s 2027 presidential race is tilting hard right. Right-winger Marine Le Pen leads first-round polling and beats nearly every rival in hypothetical runoffs. With RN president Jordan Bardella waiting in the wings and Jean-Luc Mélenchon consolidating the left, France’s fractured center may not be able to stop either a far-right or hard-left runoff in 2027. Here is our take.

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by The North Africa Journal | Jul 13, 2026 | Briefs, Business & Economy, Egypt, 1shorts, Egypt economy, 111, 1PREMIUM

Egypt has fully paid the $6.1 billion in arrears it owed foreign oil and gas partners, ending a multi-year backlog tied to its foreign-currency crunch. With the debt paid down to zero by mid-2026, officials are pairing the settlement with new investment incentives and a push to revive onshore drilling, aiming to reverse years of declining crude output.

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