- 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:
Mali: The Failing Campaign of Wagner in Mali Presages Trouble for the Junta in Bamako
There have been more chatter and speculations about the activities of Russia’s mercenaries, formerly known as the Wagner Group, now reportedly called the Afrika Corps in the Sahel. It is unclear if the name "Afrika Corps" is official, but if so, it certainly confirms...
Mali: The Failing Campaign of Wagner in Mali Presages Trouble for the Junta in Bamako
There have been more chatter and speculations about the activities of Russia’s mercenaries, formerly known as the Wagner Group, now reportedly called the Afrika Corps in the Sahel. It is unclear if the name "Afrika Corps" is official, but if so, it certainly confirms...
Book analyst consultation
Instant notification of major events
ANALYSES & MAJOR EVENTS
MAGHREB
Energy: US oil companies explore opportunities in Algeria but no deal yet after months of talks
Junior executives of Oxy and Chevron, affiliated with the US-Algerian Business Council (USABC) traveled to Algiers on 21 January 2024 as part of a...
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...
22 Islamist militant suspects arrested in Tunisia ($)
Morocco-Israel trade figures collapsing
Defense: Morocco orders armored vehicles from Turkey ($)
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...
More on the Maghreb
SAHEL
How Sahel populations reject ECOWAS ($)
The West African group of ECOWAS is supposed to play the role of mediator in regional crises, with a combination of a stick-and-carrot strategy....
Sahel: Niger looking for alternative partners to France and the west
A major Nigerian delegation traveled to Moscow on Monday, 15 January 2024, in a tour that will visit Serbia, Turkey and Iran, in a bid to distant...
Podcast: The Sahel Region’s 2024 Outlook
Burkina Faso government says year-end army offensive killed hundreds of “terrorists” ($)
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,...
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...
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...
More on the Sahel
EGYPT
Egyptian policeman clashes with Israeli soldiers, kills three
Three Israeli soldiers and a member of Egypt's security forces were killed Saturday in a rare exchange of fire near the border between the two...
Jailed Egypt songwriter on hunger strike refuses water
Dissident Egyptian songwriter and poet Galal al-Behairy, who has been on hunger strike for three months in protest at his prison conditions, stopped...
Egypt: Sandstorm brings down billboard in Cairo, kills one
One person was killed and five others were injured Thursday when a billboard collapsed in a major thoroughfare as a result of a sandstorm that swept...
Egypt: Archaeologists find human and animal embalming workshops in ancient Egyptian capital city Memphis
Archaeologists in Egypt have unearthed two human and animal embalming workshops, as well as two tombs, discovered in the Saqqara necropolis south of...
Egypt: Cargo ship briefly grounded in Egypt’s Suez Canal
A cargo ship ran aground Thursday in Egypt's Suez Canal before it was quickly refloated without interrupting traffic, the authority in charge of the...
A world turned on its head: Egypt’s loyalty to the US in question
In Egypt, a country that gets substantial military and economic aid from the United States, General Abdelfattah el-Sissi has allegedly ordered the...
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: 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...
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. For example, cash-strapped Tunisia is expected to import almost all its cereal needs. During his visit to Tunis at the end of December and taking advantage of a weakened country, Russia’s top diplomat Sergei Lavrov said his country was “ready” to...
This Week’s Premium Podcast
Podcast: And Now the Environment is Major Factor of Instability in North Africa
As we reach the end of the third quarter 2023, about to enter the tail-end of the year, it is difficult to see a bright horizon for the northern half of #Africa. Two major natural disasters, magnified by poor governance and bad infrastructure, caused the death of at...
FOCAL POINTS
Egypt replants mangrove ‘treasure’ to fight climate change impacts
By Bahira Amin: On Egypt's Red Sea coast, fish swim among thousands of newly planted mangroves, part of a programme to boost biodiversity, protect coastlines and fight climate change and its impacts. After decades of destruction that saw the mangroves cleared, all...
Moroccan nomads’ way of life threatened by climate change
By Kaouthar Oudrhiri 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. "Everything has changed," said Moha Ouchaali, his wrinkled...
Sahel: Millions of people face food shortages
The United Nations warned Friday that up to 18 million people in the Sahel face severe food insecurity, with rations being cut due to funding shortages. The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) said that conflict, the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change and rising costs were...
In-Depth: Algeria’s gas sector facing internal woes and aggressive competition from Qatar
By Arezki Daoud: Algeria could have benefited from Russia’s war on Ukraine to maximize its revenue potential from exporting gas to a tense European market. But troubled by an unprecedented political crisis and a rocky presidential transition at home, Algeria’s leaders...
LATEST ISSUE
POLITICAL AFFAIRS
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 counterproductive influence in the region. Now, France is also concerned about Senegal, which remains, with Ivory Coast, the last two most...
MORE ON POLITICS
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...
Libya: The king is dead, long live the king
Opinion by Arezki Daoud: Pardon me if I am not convinced that Libya's eastern leaders have any interest in the rule of law and in the well-being of...
Franco-Moroccan relations likely to remain strained as ties between Paris and Algiers strengthen
There has been noticeable strain in relations between France and Morocco, with the ties between the two being once again tested this early 2024. The...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Libya: The king is dead, long live the king
Opinion by Arezki Daoud: Pardon me if I am not convinced that Libya's eastern leaders have any interest in the rule of law and in the well-being of...
Franco-Moroccan relations likely to remain strained as ties between Paris and Algiers strengthen
There has been noticeable strain in relations between France and Morocco, with the ties between the two being once again tested this early 2024. The...
PODCASTS
Podcast: And Now the Environment is Major Factor of Instability in North Africa
As we reach the end of the third quarter 2023, about to enter the tail-end of the year, it is difficult to see a bright horizon for the northern half of #Africa. Two major natural disasters, magnified by poor governance and bad infrastructure, caused the death of at...
COVID-19: The Latest
Covid-19: Libya gets first batch of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine
Libya's interim prime minister on Sunday announced the arrival of the first batch of vaccines against Covid-19, as the war-torn country's crumbling health system struggles against a mounting caseload. "Thanks to God, we have managed to import the first batch of...
Covid-19 in Algeria: Coping with the pandemic inside a Blida hospital
At a hospital near the Algerian capital, staff say they are "on the verge of burnout" more than a year on from the facility's first coronavirus-related admissions. Blida province has been one of the epicentres of Algeria's novel coronavirus outbreak, and was the site...
Tunisia: Russia to deliver first batch of 30K Sputnik V doses to Tunisia
Tunisia said Monday the first coronavirus vaccines were set to arrive to start mass inoculation in the North African nation using Russia's Sputnik V jabs. An initial 30,000 doses are due to arrive Tuesday from Russia, followed by 500,000 doses "in coming weeks", a...
SECURITY, DEFENSE & TERRORISM
Update: Dozens of Russian Militiamen Killed by Tuareg Rebels in Mali
Our colleagues of Mondafrique have released the following update. With its unmatched connections in the Sahel and West Africa, Mondafrique is one of the best sources of information on the region. Mondafrique: Fierce fighting that raged until Saturday at the Algeria-Mali border ended in a victory for the Tuareg rebel groups over the Malian forces supported by Wagner, as reported on Sunday. After...
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...
Mali: Southern Malians celebrate army’s taking of northern city of Kidal
Jubilant Malians have taken to the streets and the ruling junta issued triumphant statements saying the military's takeover of a key rebel-held town...
Tunisia: Prison escape rattles President Saied
Tunisia's president said Wednesday that the escape of five prisoners convicted of "terrorism" was a well-planned operation that had clearly been in...
Sahel: As France’s presence in the Sahel deteriorates, US maintains ties and remains active
In a stark contrast to the declining French presence, the United States has displayed a robust commitment to the Sahel region. The architect of the...
Mali: UN withdraws troops adding more instability to the region
UN peacekeepers in Mali announced Monday their pullout has started from two camps in the tense Kidal region, opening a new phase in a forced...
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...
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...
Mali: Southern Malians celebrate army’s taking of northern city of Kidal
Jubilant Malians have taken to the streets and the ruling junta issued triumphant statements saying the military's takeover of a key rebel-held town...
Tunisia: Prison escape rattles President Saied
Tunisia's president said Wednesday that the escape of five prisoners convicted of "terrorism" was a well-planned operation that had clearly been in...
SOCIAL, LABOR & THE ENVIRONMENT
Tunisia’s foreign migrant problem
Thousands of migrants are living without proper shelter north of Tunisia's port city of Sfax after many were driven out of the city by security forces, according to aid workers. Sfax has become a major hub for migrants from Tunisia and other parts of Africa attempting perilous voyages across the Mediterranean, often in rickety boats, in hopes of a better life. Sfax, Tunisia's second city, was...
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...
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...
Migrations: Italy wants rescue ships to return migrants to own countries
First migrants in a week land on Italy's Lampedusa A small group of Tunisians arrived by boat on the Italian island of Lampedusa Friday, the first...
Libya: More arrests in Libya-related floods
Libya's prosecutor general has ordered the arrest of four more officials, bringing to 12 the number held as part of an inquiry into this month's...
Egypt had more than 1,000 cases of violent crimes against women in 2022, latest case in Matrouh
An employee of Cairo University has been shot to death on campus by a former co-worker, the interior ministry said, in the latest case of femicide...
Algeria: While pro-democracy Hirak movement represents no risk to regime, Algeria continues to hold people in prisons
A United Nations expert on Tuesday urged Algeria to pardon people convicted or detained over their involvement in the pro-democracy protests of...
Tunisia: Eight migrants killed in Kairouan road accident
A road accident overnight in central Tunisia killed nine people including eight sub-Saharan African migrants, authorities said on Monday. It...
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...
Migrations: Italy wants rescue ships to return migrants to own countries
First migrants in a week land on Italy's Lampedusa A small group of Tunisians arrived by boat on the Italian island of Lampedusa Friday, the first...
BUSINESS & THE ECONOMY
Egypt Gets Massive Injections of Cash, but Outlook is Still Shaky
By Arezki Daoud | LinkedIn | Egypt has many powerful allies, including those in the global financial sector. No one wants to see it collapse, so money is flowing in a-go-go. Despite a dismal economic performance, global rating agencies, which acknowledge that Egypt is a huge risk, have been relatively lenient with the North African nation. With the lingering impact of COVID-19 on the economy, a...
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...
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...
Sahel: Niger bans French aircraft from its airspace
Niger's military rulers have banned "French aircraft" from flying over the country's airspace, according to the Agency for the Safety of Air...
Tunisia suffers hours-long power outage
A sudden power outage hit Tunisia Wednesday, causing a nationwide blackout for about three hours due to technical problems, the electricity and gas...
Morocco: Uncertainty looms in the tourism sector
By Anne-Sophie Labadie: Marrakesh's ancient medina was nearly empty on Sunday after a deadly earthquake that hit Morocco, but it did not stop some...
Mali, a leading producer of gold, manganese and lithium, shakes up mining sector
Mali has adopted a new mining code allowing the state to take up to 30 percent stakes in new mineral projects and collect more revenues from the...
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...
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,...
Sahel: Niger bans French aircraft from its airspace
Niger's military rulers have banned "French aircraft" from flying over the country's airspace, according to the Agency for the Safety of Air...
INTERNATIONAL
Nigeria: Relief in Katsina after release of hundreds of kidnapped boys
Exhausted and dishevelled, several hundred Nigerian schoolboys seized in a mass abduction claimed by Boko Haram experienced their first full day of freedom on Friday after a nearly week-long ordeal. But relief at their survival mingled with concern that many others could still be captive, and the circumstances of their release remained unclear. Looking dirty, worn-out and distraught, and most of...
NIGERIA
Nigeria gets six A-29 Super Tucanos attack aircraft from the US
Nigeria has received six of 12 turboprop light attack aircraft from the United States to help fight mounting insecurity, its airforce said. Africa's...
Nigeria: 28 kidnapped students released in Nigeria
Gunmen who seized 121 students at a high school in northwestern Nigeria in early July have released another 28 teenagers, a school official told AFP...
Nigeria: Four kidnapped Chinese workers regain their freedom
Four Chinese rail workers kidnapped last week in southwest Nigeria have been released, police said Tuesday. The four were abducted on Wednesday from...
Nigeria: 15 kidnapped students escape their abductors
Fifteen Nigerian hostages have escaped from their abductors as they slept, weeks after they were among more than 130 pupils and teachers snatched by...
Nigeria: Boko Haram chief Abubakar Shekau declared dead by rival ISWAP
By Aminu Abubskar When Nigeria's military claimed Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau had been badly wounded in an air strike 2016, the jihadist chief...
TURKEY
Turkey: Seven Kurdish family members killed in central Turkey racist attack
Seven members of a Kurdish family were killed Friday in central Turkey by armed assailants who tried to burn their house in what rights activists...
Turkey: Raging forest fires kill six, wounds hundreds
Fire crews tackled blazes for a fourth day as the number of people killed in forest fires sweeping through southern Turkey rose to six on Saturday,...
Turkey court sentences 22 to life for their alleged role in 2016 coup attempt
A Turkish court on Wednesday sentenced 22 former soldiers to life in jail for their roles in a failed 2016 bid to oust President Recep Tayyip...
Turkey – Sofagate: von der Leyen Turkish chair snub ruffles Brussels
A diplomatic faux pas that left EU chief Ursula von der Leyen without a chair as male counterparts took their seats at a meeting with Turkish...
Turkey: Escalating tension between Turkey and Iran over Iraq
Turkey and Iran summoned each other's ambassadors on Sunday, Turkish and Iranian state media reported, escalating a rumbling row over Turkey's...
MOZAMBIQUE
Mozambique: MSF suspends operation in Cabo Delgado
Johannesburg, June 5, 2020 - Global healthcare charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said Friday it has suspended medical support in northern...
Mozambique: President speaks of possible death of insurgent leaders in Cabo Delgado
Mozambican security forces may have killed the leaders of the Islamist militants who have terrorised communities in the central and northern...
Mozambique: Trial of policemen accusing of killing poll observer ends with prosecutor calling for harsh sentence
Xai-Xai, Mozambique, May 28, 2020 - Mozambique's public prosecutor on Thursday called for an "exemplary conviction" of six elite officers accused of...
Cabo Delgado: First major attack on Macomia after Ramadan
May 28, 2020- Islamist militants terrorising remote communities in Mozambique's Muslim-majority north mounted a fresh attack on Thursday, police...
Mozambique: Conflict with insurgents in Cabo Delgado intensifies
Mozambique's army said it has killed 50 suspected jihadists in the northern Cabo Delgado province after another spate of insurgent attacks in the...