- Sahel: Inside Chad’s Risky Alliance in Sudan’s Conflict
- Book: Lafarge Group and the Islamic State
- Sahel: Foreign Mining Firms Face Growing Risks as Juntas Assert Control Over Resources
- Is Morocco Quietly Preparing for Royal Succession?
- Algeria boosts defense budget to tackle cross-border threats
- Libya’s fragmented military and competition for its control
- Algeria: Diphtheria and Malaria outbreak in southern border regions claims at least 40 lives
- Algeria: Former head of police in custody for allegedly conspiring with foreign officials
- Mali: Wagner and Junta leaders in tough spot with series of embarrassing defeats and decisions to make
- Morocco: First Mpox case reported in Marrakech, health authorities activate emergency protocols
Special Focus:
Morocco: First Mpox case reported in Marrakech, health authorities activate emergency protocols
With dense ties to West Africa, Morocco now has its first Mpox case, identified in the tourism city of Marrakech. This marks the first case in North Africa, prompting an immediate activation of emergency protocols and a damage-control communication strategy coming...
Morocco: First Mpox case reported in Marrakech, health authorities activate emergency protocols
With dense ties to West Africa, Morocco now has its first Mpox case, identified in the tourism city of Marrakech. This marks the first case in North Africa, prompting an immediate activation of emergency protocols and a damage-control communication strategy coming...
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ANALYSES & MAJOR EVENTS
MAGHREB
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...
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...
Profile: The Controversial Legacy of Saddam Haftar: A Portrait of Corruption and Abuse
By Arezki Daoud: Khalifa Haftar, the powerful figure dominating eastern Libya, has orchestrated a regime where his sons wield significant political...
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...
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...
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...
More on the Maghreb
SAHEL
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...
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...
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: Wagner Group and Mali army engaging in mass murder and forced displacement of northern populations
The Wagner Group is wracking havoc in northern Mali, with actions that hint on ongoing efforts to depopulate the region. Human rights abuses against...
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...
More on the Sahel
EGYPT
Nine Egyptians arrested in Greece for migrant smuggling
Nine Egyptians have been arrested on suspicion of being people smugglers after the migrant boat disaster off Greece that claimed at least 78 lives,...
Egypt executes man over high-profile femicide
Egypt on Wednesday executed a man sentenced to death for the murder of a fellow student who rejected his advances, authorities said, in the...
Egypt: Three British tourists missing after boat fire in the Red Sea
Three British tourists were missing Sunday after a motor yacht caught fire in Egypt's Red Sea, authorities said. The Red Sea governorate said in a...
Egypt’s regime intensifies repression, kills any hope of political stability
@arezkid #Egypt: “#Chicken feet are good for you and your budget”: #1country1minute ♬ Soft One month into a much-touted programme to heal the...
Egypt: Shark attack claims life of foreign resident in resort city of Hurghada
A Russian man was killed on Thursday when a shark attacked him off the coast of Egypt's Red Sea resort city of Hurghada, authorities said. "An...
Egypt: Suez Canal traffic resumes after broken down tanker tugged away
Egypt deployed three tugboats Sunday to tow away an oil tanker that had broken down and caused brief delays in the Suez Canal, authorities in...
More on Egypt
Egypt: After wishing each other a happy new year, Egyptians see price hikes that will make 2024 not such a happy year
Immediately after “winning” a third term at the end of December 2023, President Abdelfattah Al-Sisi ordered the “progressive” dismantling of the so-called subsidies. Overnight, as the calendar shifted to 2024, the prices of electricity increased by as much as 26%. As you would expect many other products followed immediately, such as the prices for accessing the Internet up 33%, the price of Cairo metro ticket up by 20%. And that’s just the beginning. In the coming weeks and months, check out the prices of food and basic commodities soaring again, as the Egyptian Pound likely to lose more value.
MORE ANALYSES & MAJOR EVENTS
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 ongoing visit to Moscow of Niger’s Prime Minister and other senior officials. Speaking to Russian media, Niger’s Defense Minister Salifou Mody said joint projects are being finalized during the visit, following months of preparation and negotiation in...
Sahel: Qatar helps dissipate diplomatic tensions between Mali and Algeria
The North Africa Journal - Qatar has demonstrated its diplomatic skills in the Middle East crisis but it has also been quietly active in other regions, such as helping reduce tensions between Mali and Algeria. To recall, the Malian government expressed its anger at Algeria after its president invited and met with a high-profile religious cleric, Imam Mahmoud Dicko, known for having positions...
This Week’s Premium Podcast
Podcast: Egypt 2024 Outlook
Unsurprisingly Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi, in power in Egypt since he overthrew the Islamist Mohamed Morsi in a coup in 2013, was re-elected as president again for another six-year term. The election was fast-tracked because holding the election in 2024 amid a projected worsening economic crisis could have constituted a bigger political problem for president el-Sissi. The election authorities reported that the latter won his third presidential election, with 89.6% of the votes, a figure that obviously makes no sense. Many accuse the government of having committed massive election fraud. As president Sisi enters his third term, what kind of problems should we expect. Perhaps the question from an outside perspective is should we expect the government to stabilize the country in the years to come? And the answer is a resounding no.
FOCAL POINTS
Sahel: The dreadful Koro Toro prison and the brutality of the Chadian regime
By Ali Abba Kaya with Laura Diab and Thomas Gropallo in Libreville: Dehydrated and whipped by scorching winds as their crowded truck snaked through the dunes, some drank urine to survive, while those who died were tossed into the Chadian desert. After being rounded up...
Morocco’s argan industry in need of stimulus
By Kaouther Larbi: Morocco's argan oil is highly prized by the cosmetics industry, yet it is now mostly produced by elderly workers, raising questions about how long the artisanal practice can continue. A dozen women, sitting on the floor of a workshop inland from...
Algeria makes baby steps to stimulate tourism sector, but just in the Sahara
Algeria will allow foreign tourists heading to its vast desert south to obtain visas on arrival, part of efforts to "promote tourism in the Sahara", the interior ministry announced Wednesday. In a statement, it said that "foreigners heading to the south of the...
Tunisian migrants increasingly eyeing Germany as a destination
By Françoise Kadri: Germany is becoming a key destination for disillusioned young Tunisians despite a language barrier and the North African nation's long history of ties with France. Europe's biggest economy, with its low birth rate, is crying out for labour, and...
LATEST ISSUE
POLITICAL AFFAIRS
Burkina Faso Junta Faces Governance Challenges Amid Controversies and Rumors
The military junta in Burkina Faso is not governing at ease. The country is struggling with repressive actions from the junta, with opposition figures, lawyers and activities feeling the brunt of the regime.
MORE ON POLITICS
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...
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...
How Sahel populations reject ECOWAS ($)
The West African group of ECOWAS is supposed to play the role of mediator in regional crises, with a combination of a stick-and-carrot strategy....
Sahel: Niger looking for alternative partners to France and the west
A major Nigerian delegation traveled to Moscow on Monday, 15 January 2024, in a tour that will visit Serbia, Turkey and Iran, in a bid to distant...
Algeria: Judicial Supervision of Former Head of RCD Party: Political Pressure or Legal Procedure?
The former president of the opposition party, the Rassemblement pour la Culture et la Démocratie (RCD), Mohcine Belabbas, has been under judicial...
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...
Sahel: Qatar helps dissipate diplomatic tensions between Mali and Algeria
The North Africa Journal - Qatar has demonstrated its diplomatic skills in the Middle East crisis but it has also been quietly active in other...
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...
How Sahel populations reject ECOWAS ($)
The West African group of ECOWAS is supposed to play the role of mediator in regional crises, with a combination of a stick-and-carrot strategy....
Sahel: Niger looking for alternative partners to France and the west
A major Nigerian delegation traveled to Moscow on Monday, 15 January 2024, in a tour that will visit Serbia, Turkey and Iran, in a bid to distant...
Algeria: Judicial Supervision of Former Head of RCD Party: Political Pressure or Legal Procedure?
The former president of the opposition party, the Rassemblement pour la Culture et la Démocratie (RCD), Mohcine Belabbas, has been under judicial...
COVID-19: The Latest
Egypt cancels religious events amid resurgence of Covid epidemic
Egypt on Wednesday announced a partial shutdown of malls and restaurants and called off festivities for the Muslim holidays of Eid al-Fitr to curb rising coronavirus cases. The closure of cafes, malls and restaurants from 9 pm will take effect from Thursday until May...
MENA region more vulnerable to Covid-19 with the start of Ramadan
The World Health Organization expressed concern Wednesday that the Covid-19 pandemic could worsen in the Middle East and North Africa during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Detected cases of Covid infection in the region rose 22% last week, while deaths rose 17%,...
Covid-19: France and Spain evacuate their citizens from Morocco
Spain and France are chartering planes and ferries to bring home thousands of their nationals stranded in Morocco because of the pandemic, their embassies said on Twitter. Rabat last week decided to suspend all passenger flights to and from the two European countries...
SECURITY, DEFENSE & TERRORISM
Sahel: Ukraine invites itself in the Sahel crisis
Ukraine has a good reason to sabotage Russia’s operations around the world. They are at war. And so it is no surprise that they both undermine each other wherever they are around the world. While the Ukrainians have been battling a Russian onslaught on their own territory, their military intelligence agency, known as the GUR, has been looking to hit Russian interests and operations abroad....
Four Mauritanian gold miners were killed last weekend near Gleibat El Foula ($)
Morocco-Mauritania relations: Tensions after killing by drone of Mauritanian civilians
The Moroccan media said the Mauritanian authorities have abruptly increase by 171% the customs duties applied to Moroccan goods entering Mauritania...
Tunisia neutralizes human smugglers
The Tunisian police reported on January 7, 2024 the dismantling of an alleged human trafficking network in the Sfax region. Authorities say the gang...
Sahel: Burkina Faso ratchets up war effort with new army units and taxes for voluntary militia
The North Africa Journal - The new year began in earnest in Burkina Faso, with fresh efforts from the government to create new units and tackle...
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...
Rising Storms: The Pact Uniting Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger Against Jihadists and Isolation
The military rulers of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have banded together in a joint defence pact to fight jihadists and present a united political...
Libya releases four Hamas members held since 2016
Libyan authorities on Friday released four members of the Palestinian militant group Hamas who were arrested in 2016 on charges including...
Sahel: Burkina Faso and Niger withdraw from regional anti-terror force
The military leaders of Burkina Faso and Niger said Saturday they would quit the G5 anti-jihadist force in Africa's Sahel area, the latest blow to...
Niger ditches security arrangements with EU, engages more with Russia
Niger's military leaders said Monday that they were ending two European Union security and defence missions in the country, after earlier in the day...
Mali: The taking of Kidal: Why the town in north Mali is so important
Mali's army has retaken the town of Kidal from Tuareg-dominated rebels. Here we look at the significance of the place which has for years been a...
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...
Rising Storms: The Pact Uniting Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger Against Jihadists and Isolation
The military rulers of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have banded together in a joint defence pact to fight jihadists and present a united political...
Libya releases four Hamas members held since 2016
Libyan authorities on Friday released four members of the Palestinian militant group Hamas who were arrested in 2016 on charges including...
Sahel: Burkina Faso and Niger withdraw from regional anti-terror force
The military leaders of Burkina Faso and Niger said Saturday they would quit the G5 anti-jihadist force in Africa's Sahel area, the latest blow to...
SOCIAL, LABOR & THE ENVIRONMENT
Libya flood: As death toll exceeds 3,300, tens of thousands of people are displaced
Libya's flood disaster, which killed thousands in the city of Derna, also displaced more than 43,000 people, the International Organization for Migration said Thursday. A tsunami-sized flash flood broke through two ageing river dams upstream from the coastal city after the Mediterranean Storm Daniel lashed the area on September 10. It razed entire neighbourhoods, sweeping untold thousands of...
Libya: Companies flock to Benghazi for reconstruction projects
More than 260 Libyan and international companies on Wednesday attended a forum in Benghazi organised by the country's eastern authorities with the...
In the Media: Morocco: After the quake, water!
France24 says a rare geological phenomenon has occurred in Morocco's Atlas Mountains following a large earthquake on September 8. While the...
In the Media: Pressure grows on Moroccan leaders over conflict in the Middle East
US World & News Report discusses the public pressure and protests in Morocco and other Arab nations in response to Israel's war with Hamas. Tens...
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...
Egypt: Relief convoys in Egypt head towards Gaza border crossing
Relief convoys which have been waiting for days in Egypt were Tuesday headed towards the Rafah border crossing with the besieged Palestinian enclave...
Morocco: Appeals court reduced prison sentence to rights activist Saida El Alami, but conviction remains
A Moroccan appeals court on Wednesday reduced to eight months the sentence for a human rights activist convicted of comments considered offensive to...
Libya: Revisiting Derna a month after the floods: mental trauma and thousands still missing
By Rim Taher: Nearly a month after floods hit Derna in eastern Libya, survivors are struggling to overcome the psychological toll, with many...
Libya: Divisions deepen among Libyan leaders over flood relief
By Imed Lamloum: More than three weeks after Libya's deadly flood disaster, the divided country's two rival administrations remain bitterly at odds...
Spain: Migrants arrested in Spain for alleged mutiny on rescue ship
Nine migrants were arrested in the Canary Islands on "piracy" charges for forcing the ship that rescued them to change course for Spain instead of...
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...
Tunisia: Strike on Gaza hospital ignites protest in Tunis
Thousands of angry protesters gathered outside the French embassy in Tunisia on Tuesday, also denouncing the US, after a strike on a Gaza Strip...
Egypt: Relief convoys in Egypt head towards Gaza border crossing
Relief convoys which have been waiting for days in Egypt were Tuesday headed towards the Rafah border crossing with the besieged Palestinian enclave...
Morocco: Appeals court reduced prison sentence to rights activist Saida El Alami, but conviction remains
A Moroccan appeals court on Wednesday reduced to eight months the sentence for a human rights activist convicted of comments considered offensive to...
BUSINESS & THE ECONOMY
Flurry of Major Infrastructure and Energy Projects in West Maghreb
Algeria and Morocco are committing big investments in infrastructure and energy, from building new railroad networks and expanding highways, to creating electricity from renewable sources to boosting production of fossil fuel.
Tunisia: Phosphate company signals recovery after a three-year decline (S)
Libya: Protesters force closure of El Sharara oil field over local economics
The North Africa Journal - Protestors seeking social and economic development for the Fezzan region, located in the southwestern Libya, forced the...
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...
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,...
Libya: Companies flock to Benghazi for reconstruction projects
More than 260 Libyan and international companies on Wednesday attended a forum in Benghazi organised by the country's eastern authorities with the...
Sahel: Impoverished Niger now has oil but it needs to build a pipeline and circumvent sanctions to export it
The military leaders who took power in Niger this year have commissioned a giant pipeline that will carry crude oil to neighbouring Benin, public...
Sahel: Russia to build nuclear power plant in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso's junta-led government signed a deal with Russia on Friday for the construction of a nuclear power plant to increase the energy supply...
Tunisia’s economy minister sacked amid unprecedented financial crisis
Tunisian President Kais Saied sacked the economy minister on Tuesday and appointed the finance minister to the role on an interim basis, the...
Libya: Decade-long Libya-Europe flight suspension ends with new Tripoli-Rome route
A Rome-bound aircraft departed on Saturday from Libya's capital, restarting flights to Italy after a nearly decade-long suspension due to an EU ban,...
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,...
Morocco: Managem denies hazardous levels of arsenic at Bou Azzer cobalt mine
Moroccan mining company Managem, controlled by Morocco's royal family, has refuted allegations linking its mining activities to arsenic...
Libya: Companies flock to Benghazi for reconstruction projects
More than 260 Libyan and international companies on Wednesday attended a forum in Benghazi organised by the country's eastern authorities with the...
Sahel: Impoverished Niger now has oil but it needs to build a pipeline and circumvent sanctions to export it
The military leaders who took power in Niger this year have commissioned a giant pipeline that will carry crude oil to neighbouring Benin, public...
INTERNATIONAL
US-Africa: Trump’s disastrous reputation in Africa
As they watched a violent mob smash into the US Capitol, some in Africa could not help but see a little irony in the chaos incited by President Donald Trump, who once famously called African nations "shitholes". Others across the continent offered Washington some tips on how run a democracy -- advice that has so often gone in the other direction. "It's time for the African Union to send in...
NIGERIA
Nigerian actor arrested for alleged support to IPOB separatist group
Nigerian troops have arrested a well-known Nollywood actor for allegedly inciting support for a banned separatist movement in the country's restive...
Nigeria: Gunmen release dozens of kidnapped students
By Aminu Abubakar: Nigerian gunmen have freed the remaining pupils from more than 100 kidnapped from an Islamic seminary in northwestern Niger State...
Nigeria army says it is responsible for spike in Boko Haram surrenders, but ISWAP may be the real reason
By Audu Abba Kurama with Animu Abubakar in Kano Images of bedraggled jihadists and families surrendering to the military have sparked heated debate...
Nigeria: Curfew in Jos amid exploding violence
By Muhammad Tanko Shittu: A central Nigerian city caught up in intercommunal tensions remained under 24-hour curfew on Thursday, two days after the...
Nigerian doctors begin strike over pay, inadequate facilities
Doctors in Nigeria's state-run hospitals on Monday began a strike over pay, insurance benefits and poor facilities, union leaders said, as the...
TURKEY
Turkey says 12 migrants blocked by Greece die at border
By Dmitry Zaks Turkey on Wednesday accused neighbouring Greece of allowing 12 migrants to die in the winter cold after stripping them of their...
Turkey: Armenia and Turkey resume first flights in two years
Historic rivals Turkey and Armenia on Wednesday resumed their first commercial flights in two years as part of cautious efforts to warm their frozen...
Turkey: Turkish lira hits record low against dollar
The Turkish lira sank to a record low against the dollar on Thursday after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan fired three central bank members in an...
Turkey battling raging fires destroying pristine lands on the Med and Aegean coasts
By Kadir Demir: Roaring blazes encircled a Turkish thermal power plant Tuesday and forced farmers to herd panicked cattle toward the sea as...
Turkey: EU sends help to Turkey as wildfire toll reaches eight
By Kadir Demir The European Union sent help to Turkey on Monday and volunteers joined firefighters in battling a week of violent blazes that have...
MOZAMBIQUE
Mozambique and Tanzania to coordinate their counterinsurgency operations
Tanzania and Mozambique have reached an agreement to join forces to fight extremist violence that has claimed hundreds of lives in the two...
Mozambique: Jihadists wreck havoc on northern Mozambique
The UN called Friday for urgent measures to protect civilians in Mozambique's northeastern Cabo Delgado province, where jihadists are wreaking...
Mozambique: Outrage after naked pregnant woman is by men in military uniform
Rights watchdog Amnesty International on Tuesday called for an independent probe into the killing of a naked pregnant woman by men in military...
Mozambique: Setback in Rovuma gas project as insurgents kill eight workers
Gunmen ambushed and killed eight employees of a private construction firm working on the multi-billion-dollar gas project in Mozambique's restive...
NGO decries French companies’ stance on the environment in Mozambique mega project
Johannesburg, June 14, 2020 - Friends of the Earth accused France on Monday of planting a "ticking climate bomb" in Mozambique, where French oil...