Shield & Alert
- Libya’s Abnormal New Normal
- Niger: More Russian Weapons and Military Instructors Land in Niamey
- Senegal at the Center of Another Geopolitical Fight
- Mali: Al Qaeda attacks rebel convoy in the Ouagadou forest
- From a Russian Grain Export Onslaught to a Ban on French Cattle: Agricultural Trade Between France and Algeria in Standstill
- Niger and Algeria recall their ambassadors over undocumented migrants
- Senegal: Disgraced President leaves office to find shelter in Marrakesh
- Morocco: Health workers go on strike, demand implementation of reforms
- Algeria: President announces early election, no one knows why
- Algeria: Beware of forgery. New law seeks to reduce fraud and white collar crime
Senegal at the Center of Another Geopolitical Fight
By Arezki Daoud: France is experiencing an unprecedented backlash in the Sahel and in West Africa. Disastrous post-colonial policies forced the people of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso to expel French troops and diplomats, reducing Paris' entrenched but...
Senegal at the Center of Another Geopolitical Fight
By Arezki Daoud: France is experiencing an unprecedented backlash in the Sahel and in West Africa. Disastrous post-colonial policies forced the people of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso to expel French troops and diplomats, reducing Paris' entrenched but...
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ANALYSES & MAJOR EVENTS
MAGHREB
Brief: Tunisia: The Lazy Governors
Funny news this week from Tunisia where the Presidency of the Republic announced the dismissal of two governors. They are Mondher Sik-Ali of...
Algeria: Opposition leader Zoubida Assoul announces presidential bid
Algerian opposition and pro-democracy lawyer Zoubida Assoul has announced that she will run for the presidential election scheduled in December...
Agriculture: Spanish farmers say Moroccan strawberries carry virus, as Morocco surpasses Spain as tomato supplier to EU
Agriculture is the theater of another kind of war where there are winners and losers. Worth billions of dollars, the EU agricultural market is...
Algeria-Morocco Competition for Regional Influence Shifts to Economic Affairs
Opinion By Arezki Daoud: Up until now, enemy brothers, Algeria and Morocco have been trying to impress and disrupt one another to ascertain their...
Morocco: Consumers to pay more for Netflix, Airbnb and other online services courtesy 2024 state budget
Morocco is overhauling its taxation system to generate more revenue from online services, in particular the ones focused on foreign-operated...
Tunisia’s Slide Toward Autocracy: The Erosion of Democratic Institutions
By Arezki Daoud | Photo: Abir Moussi: Tunisia has been experiencing a fast moving drift towards autocracy, marked by the manipulation of judicial...
More on the Maghreb
SAHEL
Bloody Sunday: The indiscriminate killing of Muslim and Catholic worshipers in Burkina Faso
Sunday, 25 February was a bloody day for religious groups in Burkina Faso. Two attacks against a church and a mosque confirm the utter instability...
Niger and Mali up their anti-Western positions, lash out at France and US
Backlash against France continues in Niger, with several local media reporting that security and intelligence services in Niamey discovered this...
Niger: Two soldiers killed in insurgent attack in Diffa
Mali: Katiba Mecina insurgents raid military camp in Niono, repelled
Senegal’s outgoing president prepares for disgraced exit
By Francis Sahel, Mondafrique: In the absence of any other alternative, Senegalese President Mack Sall announced last Friday his intention to...
Africa’s 2024 Elections Off to a Bad Start
By Arezki Daoud: It’s an election year in Africa and it already started badly. The East African island of Comoros in the Indian Ocean opened the...
More on the Sahel
EGYPT
Six more years: Egypt’s al-Sisi gets “reelected” with “nearly 90%” of the vote as the economy faces freefall
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has won a third term with 89.6 percent of the vote in the Arab world's most populous nation, the national...
Egypt intercepts drone of unknown origin in Sinai as region remains destabilized
@northafricajournal #Egypt downs #drone in #Sinai Peninsula near #Israel ♬ original sound - The North Africa Journal The Egyptian air force shot...
Egypt: Italy sets new trial for Egyptians accused of student’s murder
A court in Italy on Monday set a February date for a new trial in absentia of four Egyptian security officers accused of murdering an Italian...
Turkey welcomes Palestinian cancer patients after they entered Egypt
More than two dozen Palestinian cancer patients, who had crossed from Gaza into Egypt, arrived in Turkey for treatment in the early hours of...
Egypt opens Rafah Border, to allow safe passage to foreign nationals
Egypt will help evacuate "about 7,000" foreigners and dual nationals from the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, the foreign ministry said, with officials...
Third aid convoy enters Gaza via Egypt border crossing
An aid convoy entered the besieged Gaza Strip on Monday via the Rafah border crossing, AFP correspondents on the Egyptian and Palestinian sides...
More on Egypt
MORE ANALYSES & MAJOR EVENTS
War in Gaza forces former Middle East foes to seek reconciliation
By Mondafrique: The war in Gaza is forcing feuding States in the Middle East and in the Gulf to seek the path of reconciliations. Faced with President Biden’s inability to impose a red line on Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, the four most influential countries in the region – namely Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey – are forced to draw a new geopolitical map to deal with the Gaza...
Mali junta ends Algiers Agreement
The ruling junta in Mali announced, on Thursday 25 January, the "end, with immediate effect", of the Algiers agreement signed in 2015 with the pro-autonomy and independence groups based in the north of the country. Long considered essential for stabilizing the country, the agreement was primarily engineered by Algeria, but with such announcement, the basics elements of peace in the region have...
This Week’s Premium Podcast
Podcast: The Sahel Region’s 2024 Outlook
How did 2023 end in the Sahel and what should we expect 2024 to look like? Firstly, Christmas in Africa this year has been gloomy to say the least. There was not much to cheer for. The political, economic, social and security environments in many African nations have been experiencing the worst-case scenario, so much so that 2024 is likely to bring more bad news for millions of people.
FOCAL POINTS
Tunisian brand turns sea plastic into green couture
By Francoise Kadri: The two men in bright overalls rooting for plastic on a Tunisian beach do so to make a living, but also in the knowledge that they are helping the environment. What they do not know is that the waste will become part of a synthetic plastic fibre...
Culture: Tuareg flock to Algerian desert oasis for ancient festival
In a riot of colour, music and dance, thousands of Tuareg have flocked to the Sebeiba festival that marks the end of an ancient tribal feud and which once a year transforms an oasis town deep in the Algerian Sahara. The Tuareg are a semi-nomadic people of Berber...
Entrepreneurship: Producing cheese in Algeria
By Abdellah Cheballahb: Sporting a white cap and apron, Rachid Ibersiene bustles around vats at his dairy in Algeria's Atlas Mountains where he has brought the tradition of artisanal cheesemaking back from Switzerland. "We started with a butane gas bottle and stove,"...
Niger: Sahara salt diggers struggle to maintain centuries-old trade
By Camille Laffont: At the edge of an oasis almost engulfed by the dunes, where the rare caravan still passes, is a desert landscape punctured by holes. The salt pans of Kalala, near Bilma in northeastern Niger, were once an essential stop for traders with their...
LATEST ISSUE
POLITICAL AFFAIRS
Senegal: Disgraced President leaves office to find shelter in Marrakesh
By MondAfrique: A short video circulating on social media shows outgoing Senegalese President Macky Sall's departure for Morocco on April 2, the day of the inauguration of his rival Bassirou Diomaye Faye. Morocco officially welcomed the former President of Senegal who did not wish to remain in his country for another day after he left office. He lives with his family in an opulent villa he owns...
MORE ON POLITICS
Brief: Tunisia: The Lazy Governors
Funny news this week from Tunisia where the Presidency of the Republic announced the dismissal of two governors. They are Mondher Sik-Ali of...
Algeria: Opposition leader Zoubida Assoul announces presidential bid
Algerian opposition and pro-democracy lawyer Zoubida Assoul has announced that she will run for the presidential election scheduled in December...
Niger and Mali up their anti-Western positions, lash out at France and US
Backlash against France continues in Niger, with several local media reporting that security and intelligence services in Niamey discovered this...
Senegal’s outgoing president prepares for disgraced exit
By Francis Sahel, Mondafrique: In the absence of any other alternative, Senegalese President Mack Sall announced last Friday his intention to...
War in Gaza forces former Middle East foes to seek reconciliation
By Mondafrique: The war in Gaza is forcing feuding States in the Middle East and in the Gulf to seek the path of reconciliations. Faced with...
Algeria-Morocco Competition for Regional Influence Shifts to Economic Affairs
Opinion By Arezki Daoud: Up until now, enemy brothers, Algeria and Morocco have been trying to impress and disrupt one another to ascertain their...
Africa’s 2024 Elections Off to a Bad Start
By Arezki Daoud: It’s an election year in Africa and it already started badly. The East African island of Comoros in the Indian Ocean opened the...
Tunisia’s Slide Toward Autocracy: The Erosion of Democratic Institutions
By Arezki Daoud | Photo: Abir Moussi: Tunisia has been experiencing a fast moving drift towards autocracy, marked by the manipulation of judicial...
Growing pressure on Algeria and UAE to break ties: Can their leaders bypass pressure groups
A diplomatic crisis between Algeria and the United Arab Emirates has been brewing for some time, and it has now taken on a new dimension. While...
Senegal President Suspends Presidential Election, Pushes Country into Chaos
By Nicolas Beau | MondAfrique: The specter of an unprecedented political crisis looms over Senegal with President Macky Sall’s decision to suspend...
Senegal President Suspends Presidential Election, Pushes Country into Chaos
By Nicolas Beau | MondAfrique: The specter of an unprecedented political crisis looms over Senegal with President Macky Sall’s decision to suspend...
Podcast: The Sahel is the Next Big Geopolitical Crisis where Foreign Meddlers are Congregating
Transcript: The Sahel is now clearly the next big event in Africa's geopolitics. After the complete destruction of Libya, the same foreign powers...
Sahel: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger Announce Withdrawal from ECOWAS Bloc
In a significant development, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have decided to withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS,...
Sahel: Russia to experience boost of its influence in the Sahel
By Arezki Daoud: Russia’s influence in the Sahel is about to expand further with more cooperation deals announced by Niger and Russia during the...
COVID-19: The Latest
Covid-19: Egypt bars unvaccinated employees and students from accessing public facilities
Egypt on Monday barred officials and students not vaccinated against Covid-19 from government offices and universities unless they show a negative PCR test. Officials who have not had a jab must show a PCR test, which is prohibitively expensive in Egypt, "every three...
Morocco lifts Covid curfew
Morocco on Tuesday said it was lifting a nationwide pandemic curfew thanks to an improving health situation and widespread vaccinations. Infections had surged in the North African country after it initially eased the curfew -- imposed early in the pandemic -- and...
Covid-19: Tunisia lifts nighttime curfew as virus cases fall
Tunisian President Kais Saied on Friday announced the lifting of a nighttime curfew in place since March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, but imposed vaccine certificates for public events. The curfew, currently in place between midnight and 5:00 am, will end on...
SECURITY, DEFENSE & TERRORISM
Niger: More Russian Weapons and Military Instructors Land in Niamey
The departure of the French and American troops from Niger created an opportunity for the Russians to replace them. The Russians’ objective is to clearly counter the west and reduce its influence in the Sahel, West Africa and elsewhere on the African continent. The French have naturally been the first to experience trouble with the Sahel. Their exit from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger was greeted...
War in Gaza forces former Middle East foes to seek reconciliation
By Mondafrique: The war in Gaza is forcing feuding States in the Middle East and in the Gulf to seek the path of reconciliations. Faced with...
Western Sahara: Escalating Tensions Between Morocco and the SPLA
The North Africa Journal: With global attention focused on the Middle East and the Ukrainian crises, the Western Sahara feud has been evolving from...
Russia’s first African military base in a highly unstable nation
By Arezki Daoud: Since Russia started its war on Ukraine, we have been told that Moscow was headed towards disaster. Echoing the views of Western...
Mali junta ends Algiers Agreement
The ruling junta in Mali announced, on Thursday 25 January, the "end, with immediate effect", of the Algiers agreement signed in 2015 with the...
22 Islamist militant suspects arrested in Tunisia ($)
Defense: Morocco orders armored vehicles from Turkey ($)
Russia-Africa: From weapon sales to economic ties
By Arezki Daoud: Has the war in Ukraine deter Russia from engagement in Africa? Certainly not! We know on the security front, a growing number of...
Sahel: Russia to experience boost of its influence in the Sahel
By Arezki Daoud: Russia’s influence in the Sahel is about to expand further with more cooperation deals announced by Niger and Russia during the...
Egypt: One killed, six arrested in gun battle on Egypt-Israel border
A gunfire broke out near Nitzana, Israel, along the border crossing separating Egypt and Israel. The incident, which involved more than a dozen...
Egypt’s economy hit hard by Houthis’ attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea
The US and the UK hitting Houthi targets in Yemen is largely the result of a sense of panic taking place in commercial and business circles. The...
Egypt’s economy hit hard by Houthis’ attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea
The US and the UK hitting Houthi targets in Yemen is largely the result of a sense of panic taking place in commercial and business circles. The...
Burkina Faso government says year-end army offensive killed hundreds of “terrorists” ($)
In a year-end offensive carried out by the Burkina Faso military from December 23, 2023 to January 2, 2024 in the East and Center-East regions,...
Sahel: Mali acquires lethal drones from Turkey
On January 4, 2024, the Malian military acquired six Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones. The military authorities say the drones will be used to “surveil...
Four Mauritanian gold miners were killed last weekend near Gleibat El Foula ($)
SOCIAL, LABOR & THE ENVIRONMENT
Egypt: Italy sets new trial for Egyptians accused of student’s murder
A court in Italy on Monday set a February date for a new trial in absentia of four Egyptian security officers accused of murdering an Italian student in 2016. Giulio Regeni, 28, was researching his doctorate at Cambridge University when he was abducted while in Cairo. His body, bearing extensive signs of torture, was eventually found dumped on the outskirts of the city. Italian judges threw out...
Moroccan authorities destroy homes without warning or relocation offers ($)
In a series of surprise operations, coastal communities in Morocco have been experiencing the forceful destruction of homes and structures by...
Morocco’s water woes deepen as rationing takes hold
By The North Africa Journal: The entire sub-region of North Africa is the hardest hit by a drought that is causing disruptions to millions of...
Algeria: Six members of the same family die of carbon monoxide in MSila
Six members of the same family died on Sunday, 14 January 2024, at their home in the municipality of Ain El Melh in the wilaya of M'Sila, after...
Mauritania: Christian group released from detention, expelled from Mauritania
Media sources report that 15 Christians leaders and their families who were arrested by Mauritania at the end of November 2023, were released on 18...
Tunisia: Journalist Zied El-Heni released from jail, gets six-month suspended sentence
Tunisian journalist El-Heni was released from prison on Wednesday, 10 January 2024, but he was given a six-month suspended sentence. He was arrested...
Drought is pushing North African economies to the brink and to social unrest
Drought is wreaking havoc on North Africa’s water supply and on its agriculture. All countries in the region are facing a dangerous water outlook....
Egypt: After wishing each other a happy new year, Egyptians see price hikes that will make 2024 not such a happy year
Bread has always been a source of concern for rulers and leaders. When their prices increase, watch out for the public reaction. In history, bread...
Sahel: Kidnapped in Libya in 2017, South African medic released this week in Mali
A South African paramedic who had been held by jihadists in Mali for over six years has been released, security and humanitarian sources told AFP on...
Tunisia: Three workers assigned to historic World Heritage wall in Kairouan killed after wall collapsed
A section of the historic walls around the Old City of Kairouan collapsed on Saturday, killing three masons carrying out repairs on the UNESCO World...
UN rapporteur on human rights pressures Algeria to release jailed activists
The United Nations special rapporteur on human rights defenders on Tuesday urged Algeria to release all jailed human rights activists, citing...
Tunisia: Three workers assigned to historic World Heritage wall in Kairouan killed after wall collapsed
A section of the historic walls around the Old City of Kairouan collapsed on Saturday, killing three masons carrying out repairs on the UNESCO World...
UN rapporteur on human rights pressures Algeria to release jailed activists
The United Nations special rapporteur on human rights defenders on Tuesday urged Algeria to release all jailed human rights activists, citing...
North Africa’s use of drones in the agricultural sector
By Aymen Jamli: A drone buzzed back and forth above rows of verdant orange trees planted near Nabeul, eastern Tunisia. The black unmanned aircraft,...
Egypt: Italy sets new trial for Egyptians accused of student’s murder
A court in Italy on Monday set a February date for a new trial in absentia of four Egyptian security officers accused of murdering an Italian...
BUSINESS & THE ECONOMY
Morocco: Price of butane gas to increase by 25% in April
(Photo: Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch) Morocco will stop subsidizing butane gas in 2026, but prices will begin to increase next month, April 2024. The decision to lift subsidies was announced in October 2023 by billionaire Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, who also happens to be the owner of Akwa Group, a major Moroccan company active in the oil and gas sector. The social and economic...
Algeria-Morocco Competition for Regional Influence Shifts to Economic Affairs
Opinion By Arezki Daoud: Up until now, enemy brothers, Algeria and Morocco have been trying to impress and disrupt one another to ascertain their...
Morocco: Consumers to pay more for Netflix, Airbnb and other online services courtesy 2024 state budget
Morocco is overhauling its taxation system to generate more revenue from online services, in particular the ones focused on foreign-operated...
Economy: China’s commitment to Africa is being tested by its stance on the continent’s crippling debt
By MondAfrique: As a whole, Africa has seen its debt increase five-fold over the past twenty years, to reach $700 billion. And Chinese lenders...
Germany to get Algerian gas for first time
Germany is to get Algerian gas with the signing on 8 February of a contract tying gas producer Sonatrach to Leipzig-based gas trader VNG Handel...
Trade: Israel-Morocco trade takes a hit amid extreme instability in the Middle East
Last year, Morocco and Israel have had a strong run on their bilateral trade, as the two countries put into effect the Abraham Accords. Almost all...
Morocco-Israel trade figures collapsing
Russia-Africa: From weapon sales to economic ties
By Arezki Daoud: Has the war in Ukraine deter Russia from engagement in Africa? Certainly not! We know on the security front, a growing number of...
Algeria-Spain: Despite diplomatic disconnect, Algeria-Spain maintain strong energy ties ($)
Egypt’s economy hit hard by Houthis’ attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea
The US and the UK hitting Houthi targets in Yemen is largely the result of a sense of panic taking place in commercial and business circles. The...
Mauritania: Sudden customs tax increase at border with Morocco jolts food markets in Mauritania
Households and consumers in Mauritania are experiencing spikes in food prices. A the Nouakchott fruit and vegetable market prices surged over the...
Egypt’s economy hit hard by Houthis’ attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea
The US and the UK hitting Houthi targets in Yemen is largely the result of a sense of panic taking place in commercial and business circles. The...
Mauritania: Sudden customs tax increase at border with Morocco jolts food markets in Mauritania
Households and consumers in Mauritania are experiencing spikes in food prices. A the Nouakchott fruit and vegetable market prices surged over the...
JPMorgan de-lists Egypt from its Emerging Market Bond Index (S)
Tunisia: Phosphate company signals recovery after a three-year decline (S)
INTERNATIONAL
Nigeria grapples with end of fuel subsidy
By Alexandre Martins Lopes: Nigerians are struggling with surging fuel prices after newly elected President Bola Tinubu declared an end to popular subsidies, a move analysts and experts said was long overdue. On his first day in office, Tinubu kept to his campaign promise and announced an end to the long-running arrangement, which has given Nigerians access to cheap petrol. The continent's...
NIGERIA
Nigeria: New president grapples with many challenges and opportunities
By Patrick Markey: Just a month in power, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has already received foreign entrepreneurs and investors at his villa, telling...
Nigeria ends segmentation of Forex markets, OKs free trading on naira
Nigeria's central bank has abolished the country's multiple exchange rate system and effectively floated the naira currency, the bank said, as new...
African space tech? Don’t rule it out, says Nigeria’s startup king
By Joseph Boyle: Iyinoluwa Aboyeji might not have the personal wealth of Elon Musk or Mark Zuckerberg, but his level of success as an African...
Nigeria grapples with end of fuel subsidy
By Alexandre Martins Lopes: Nigerians are struggling with surging fuel prices after newly elected President Bola Tinubu declared an end to popular...
Nigeria: Bandits raid six villages in north, kill 30 civilians
Armed men killed 30 people in weekend raids on six villages in Nigeria's north, a region regularly hit by criminal violence and clashes between...
TURKEY
Turkish drone strike allegedly kills Kurdish counter-terrorism officers
Iraq's President Abdel Latif Rashid condemned on Tuesday "repeated Turkish attacks", a day after a drone strike on a northern airfield killed three...
Turkey: Istanbul’s popular opposition mayor faces fresh trial
By Dmitry Zaks: Istanbul's popular opposition mayor went on trial Thursday on fresh corruption charges that could further cloud his hopes of...
Sweden eager to get NATO bases even before membership
Sweden, whose NATO membership bid is currently blocked, is ready to welcome temporary NATO bases on its soil even before it is a full member, Prime...
Turkish Airlines set for major fleet expansion
The chairman of Turkish Airlines said Monday that the company will make a final decision on plans for a record-breaking order of 600 aircraft in two...
Turkey: 16-year-old boy arrested for drawing mustache to president’s image
Turkish authorities on Tuesday seized and jailed a 16-year-old youth for drawing a moustache on an election campaign poster showing re-elected...
MOZAMBIQUE
Mozambique: Foreign forces have eased Mozambique unrest: think tank
The deployment of thousands of foreign troops last year has helped significantly stem the jihadist violence that has rocked northern Mozambique for...
Mozambique: Captured jihadists in Mozambique say insurgency ‘weakening’
By Marc Hoogsteyns Rare interviews with captured members of a jihadist group terrorising northern Mozambique point to low morale in their ranks and...
Security: General sees gains in Mozambique’s conflict ‘puzzle’
By Marc Hoogsteyns Many people are deserting the ranks of the Islamic insurgency in Mozambique as the military presses gains, according to the...
Mozambique’s ex-finance minister Manuel Chang to be extradited from South Africa to US to face fraud trial
Mozambique's ex-finance minister Manuel Chang, currently in detention in South Africa, will be extradited to the United States to face trial over a...
Mozambique: GL Africa Energy to build gas power plant in Nampula
British firm GL Africa Energy will build a $400-million gas power plant in Mozambique, even as unrest has disrupted work on key gas fields in...
DISCOVERY NORTH AFRICA: VIDEOS
Morocco earthquake: How residents are coping with the earthquake (video)
Morocco earthquake: How residents are coping with the earthquake
Podcast: South Africa today: achievements and challenges
In this podcast, Arezki Daoud of MEA Risk and of The North Africa Journal, reports on his thoughts on South Africa, after a 10-day visit in April 2023. Audio only podcast: Youtube video presentation:
Moroccan nomads’ way of life threatened by climate change
By France 24: In the blistering desert of Morocco, the country's last Berber nomads, the Amazigh, say their ancient lifestyle is under threat as climate change brings ever more intense droughts.
In Morocco hills, cannabis farmers bet on budding industry •
By France24: In the hills of northern Morocco, vast cannabis fields are ready for harvest, but farmers complain that a government plan to market the crop legally is yet to deliver them any benefits. The marginalised Rif region has long been a major source of illicit...
Video: Inside sex tourism in Morocco
France24's Reporters report on pedophiles and sex tourists in Morocco, where hundred of thousands are being sexually exploited.