North Africa’s Security
Security | Defense | Terrorism
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 of the northern and eastern regions of the country. In Essakane-village, in the northeastern Burkina Faso, a terrorist...
SECURITY & DEFENSE
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 trafficking arms to Gaza, according to Libyan media. The four men -- Marwan al-Ashqar, his son Baraa, Mouayad Abed and Nasib...
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 the fight against insurgents in one of the world's most troubled regions. The G5, created in 2014, has secured only...
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 agreeing to strengthen military cooperation with Russia. The Nigerien foreign ministry said that it was ending the...
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...
INSURGENCIES & TERRORISM
Burkina Faso: Twenty civilians killed in two terror attacks in Koulpelogo
Around 20 people in east-central Burkina Faso have been killed in attacks by suspected jihadists, sources said on Friday. Armed men on Monday raided the village of Kaongo in the border province of Koulpelogo, killing at least 11 people including two women and...
Algeria says army officer killed in clash with Islamists
An Algerian army officer has been killed in a clash with suspected Islamists during an operation southwest of the capital, the defence ministry said on Thursday. The captain died Wednesday during the operation to capture "a group of terrorists" in the wooded region of...
Tunisia: Five killed in terror attack on Jewish community in Djerba
By Fethi Belaid and Akim Rezgui: Tunisia's small Jewish community was in shock and mourning Wednesday after a bloody shooting rampage in which a police officer killed five people outside Africa's oldest synagogue. The shooting Tuesday sparked mass panic during an...
Sahel: Clashes between Niger army and Boko Haram continue along border with Nigeria
Niger's army said its troops had killed around 20 jihadists and arrested 83 others in an operation against militants on its southeastern border with Nigeria. Troops supported by air power attacked jihadists who have been using Matari forest in Nigeria as a rear base...
Sahel: Death toll in Mali due to insecurity was up 54% in 2022 to nearly 1,300
The number of people killed in Mali continued to increase in 2022, a UN report said Wednesday, also linking more than a third of human rights violations to security forces. The UN mission in Mali, MINUSMA, was created in 2013 to help stabilise the country as it...
More releases of kidnapped persons in Sahel may signal easing of conflict between West and insurgents to focus on Russian threat
Photo: AQIM's Abu Ubaidah Youssef al-Annabi: Arezki's opinion: It may be too early to conclude that there is an easing of tension between Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and France, in particular. But there are some tidbits of evidence that suggest a potential...
Niger secures release of kidnapped French journalist Olivier Dubois and American aid worker Jeffery Woodke
By Camille Laffont: A French journalist and a US aid worker who had been kidnapped by jihadists in the Sahel have been released, an AFP journalist saw Monday. French freelancer Olivier Dubois and American aid worker Jeffery Woodke emerged from a plane that landed at...
Sahel: Mali ratchets up communications on military offensive against insurgents
The Malian Armed Forces known as FAMA, have been increasing their communications to the media to showcase their alleged wins. Ever since the junta of Assimi Goita took over, there has been a greater emphasis on PR. Earlier this week, FAMA said that 153 "terrorists"...
Sahel: Red Cross workers kidnapped in central Mali
Two workers with the International Committee of the Red Cross were kidnapped in northern Mali on Saturday, the organisation said, the latest abduction in the troubled West African country. Kidnappings are common in Mali, which has been battling a security and...
Sahel: Burkina Faso to raise troop level to intensify war against insurgents
Burkina Faso announced Thursday a recruitment drive for 5,000 soldiers to serve in the army for at least five years to aid the country in its fight against jihadists. The country, one of the world's poorest, has been battling a deadly insurgency since 2015. "An...