Dec 29, 2025

Sahel: Niger Declares General Mobilization Amid Escalating Jihadist Violence$

Analysis by The North Africa Journal

Niger’s military authorities have declared a nationwide general mobilization, granting the state expanded powers to requisition people, property, and services in response to ongoing jihadist violence. The move comes as attacks linked to al-Qaeda, the Islamic State, Boko Haram, and ISWAP continue to destabilize large parts of the country, with thousands of casualties reported this year. As Niger deepens its security alignment with Mali and Burkina Faso under the Alliance of Sahel States, the decision raises questions about regional counterterrorism coordination, civilian protection, and the broader security trajectory of the central Sahel.

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Premium Contents

Cyclone Harry’s Hidden Toll: NGOs Fear Up to 1,000 Migrants Lost at Sea$

by The North Africa Journal | Feb 3, 2026 | Libya, Human Rights, Social & Human Affairs, Migration crisis, Tunisia, 1PREMIUM, 1Notify, 1Alert, 1shorts, Immigration, Maghreb, Social, Immigration, Immigration, Briefs, Shield and Alert: Maghreb

Up to 1,000 migrants may have vanished in the Central Mediterranean during Cyclone Harry, far more than the 380 people officially listed as missing by maritime authorities, according to humanitarian groups working on the Tunisia–Libya route. The Italian NGO Mediterranea Saving Humans says testimonies from coastal communities around Sfax and from migrants’ families suggest dozens of boats sailed into the storm and never returned, turning what was reported as a series of shipwrecks into what advocates describe as a “hidden catastrophe” at sea.

Morocco Reassures Public on King Mohammed VI’s Mechanical Lumbosciatica$

by The North Africa Journal | Feb 3, 2026 | Maghreb, Politics, Shield and Alert: Maghreb, 1PREMIUM, Briefs, Morocco, Politics, Governance, 1shorts

Morocco’s Royal Palace has confirmed that King Mohammed VI is being treated for mechanical lumbosciatica, a lower‑back condition linked to muscle contracture, but has stressed that his situation is not considered serious. Doctors have prescribed medication and rest to ease the pain, and official statements have emphasized continuity of state affairs while reassuring the public that the 61‑year‑old monarch’s health problem is localized and manageable.

Agriculture: Drought‑Hit 2025 Season Leaves Morocco More Dependent on Cereal Imports, According to FAO$

by The North Africa Journal | Feb 3, 2026 | Briefs, Business & Economy, Morocco, 1shorts, Maghreb, Economy & Business, Business and Economy, 1PREMIUM

Morocco ended 2025 with a below‑average cereal harvest and higher food inflation, leaving the country more dependent on grain imports going into the 2025/26 marketing year, according to a new country brief from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The report notes that while late‑season rains improved conditions for the winter crop now in the ground, cumulative rainfall during the 2025 growing season was more than 60% below normal in key cereal‑producing areas, sharply curbing yields and forcing authorities to extend subsidy measures and step up import plans to secure supplies.

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