North Africa’s Security
Security | Defense | Terrorism
Niger Airport Attack Deepens Sahel’s Security and Diplomatic Strains
An overnight assault on the air base embedded in Niamey’s international airport has pushed Niger’s crisis into the capital, wounding soldiers and damaging civilian aircraft. The United States has ordered non‑essential diplomatic staff to leave, while other governments tighten “avoid all travel” warnings, signaling a broader reassessment of risk. As Niamey accuses foreign states and militants claim responsibility, the episode underscores how security, regime politics, and great‑power rivalry now collide in the Sahel.
SECURITY & DEFENSE
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 northern stronghold for the separatists. - Where and what is Kidal? - Kidal occupies a special place in the geography and...
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 validated its strategic choices. The capture of Kidal -- a historic centre of independence insurgencies and a...
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 the pipeline for "months". The government has urged Tunisians to be vigilant following the escape of the five from...
Sahel: As France’s presence in the Sahel deteriorates, US maintains ties and remains active
By Arezki Daoud: The United States appears increasingly active in the Sahel, as France experiences a withdrawal of sort. The rise of anti-France juntas is not stopping the US from seeking greater influence, largely to thwart any attempts by Russia and its Wagner mercenaries to gain ground in the troubled Sahel.
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 withdrawal igniting fears fighting will intensify between troops and armed actors. The UN stabilisation mission known as...
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 of Gaza, aid officials said. The blockaded territory has been under sustained Israeli bombardment since Gaza's ruling...
Niger: Soldiers and insurgents killed in new clash near Burkina Faso border
Niger's military regime said Tuesday that six soldiers and 31 "terrorists" had been killed in fighting in a restive region plagued by insurgents linked with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group. Clashes between armed forces and "terrorist elements" broke out in the...
Niger ups pressure on UN to vacate the country
Niger's military leaders have ordered the United Nations coordinator to leave the country within 72 hours, blaming the world body for hindering international recognition of the post-coup regime. The expulsion order comes a day after the United States cut off more than...
Israel-Gaza conflicts bleeds into Egypt, policeman kills two Israeli tourists and their guide in Alexandria
An Egyptian policeman shot dead two Israeli tourists and their Egyptian guide Sunday, local media and Israeli authorities said, as war raged for a second day between Israel and Palestinian militants. Israel's National Security Council later said its citizens should...
Sahel: Touaregs say they seized military site in Gao province
Tuareg rebels on Wednesday claimed to have captured a camp of Mali's armed forces in the north of the country, where clashes have been escalating since August. The Upper Council for Azawad Unity (CUA) said in a brief statement on social networks that the army camp at...
INSURGENCIES & TERRORISM
Sahel: UN reports killing of civilians in a Mali army attack involving foreign troops
At least 50 civilians were killed and hundreds arrested in central Mali in April during an operation by the army and "foreign" personnel, the UN's peacekeeping mission said Wednesday. There was no immediate response from Mali's authorities to the allegations, just...
Sahel: Burkina Faso military launches counterinsurgency operations in the north
A soldier has been killed and at least 28 "terrorists neutralised" in two military operations in the north and east of Burkina Faso, the army said Monday. The landlocked Sahel state is in the grip of a seven-year-old insurgency that has claimed more than 2,000 lives...
Sahel/Chad: Government denies rebel attack on troops
A leading Chad rebel group said Saturday it had killed ten soldiers in the north of the country, a claim the government rejected as "fake news". The Military Command Council for the Salvation of the Republic (CCMSR) said troops had attacked its forces in the Wouri...
Sahel: Togo confronted with Jihadi movement from the Sahel
Togo's armed forces said Tuesday they had repelled a "terrorist" attack that injured "several" soldiers in the far northern village of Blamonga on the border with Burkina Faso. The attack, which took place on Monday, was the fifth in the country since last year, as...
Libya in turmoil again as tensions escalate
The United Nations on Tuesday voiced "deep concern" over growing tensions between rival Libyan forces, calling for "immediate" moves to calm the situation. The UN's mission UNSMIL said it was "following with deep concern the ongoing mobilisation of forces and threats...
Libya: New mass grave found in Tarhuna
Libyan authorities said Monday that seven unidentified bodies were found in the western town of Tarhuna, where scores of corpses have been discovered in mass graves in recent years. A "mass grave" was discovered on Sunday in a "public waste dump" and seven bodies have...
Sahel security: France’s military presence in Mali
French troops gained an enthusiastic welcome when they entered Mali more than nine years ago to help it fight a jihadist-fuelled insurgency. On Monday, France pulled out of the country in the face of deep hostility after falling out with colonels who seized power...
Sahel: Understanding the Mali crisis
On August 18 2020, crowds in the Malian capital Bamako applauded as young colonels toppled a civilian government struggling to roll back a bloody jihadist insurgency. Today, the looming anniversary of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita's ouster sees a country mired in...
Sahel: Militants kill more soldiers and civilians in Mali
Forty-two Malian soldiers died in an attack at the weekend by suspected jihadists, the army said Wednesday in a document naming the fatalities, revising an earlier figure of 21 dead. The toll is one of the bloodiest in Mali's decade-long insurgency, which has spread...
Sahel: Terror onslaught continues in Burkina Faso, 10 killed in Yatenga
Ten civilians, including four security auxiliaries, have been killed by suspected jihadists in northern Burkina Faso, a security source said on Tuesday. Six civilians and four members of the VDP auxiliary force died on Monday in an attack in Sima, in Yatenga province,...