North Africa’s Security
Security | Defense | Terrorism
Niger Moves Uranium From SOMAÏR Mine Despite Arbitration Ruling
Niger’s military authorities have authorized the removal and transport of uranium from the SOMAÏR mine at Arlit without the involvement of longtime operator Orano, prompting the French nuclear group to denounce the shipment as illegal and in breach of a September 2025 World Bank–linked arbitration ruling. While Niamey signals plans to sell the stock on the open market as an assertion of resource sovereignty, the move raises legal, safety, and security concerns as uranium travels by road through conflict‑affected Sahel corridors.
SECURITY & DEFENSE
Mali: As France pulls its forces out of Mali, Algeria seeks to fill the void in a complex environment ($)
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Algeria: Hundred Algerian troops take part to Russia’s Vostok 2022 military drills ($)
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Sahel: German soldiers resume reconnaissance patrols in Mali
Germany has resumed reconnaissance patrols in eastern Mali as part of a UN peacekeeping mission, the military said Wednesday, after suspending the operations last month when the Malian government denied flyover rights. "Reconnaissance operations outside the city of...
Sahel: Region of Talataye in Mali falls in the hands of Islamic State affiliate after bitter fight with Al Qaeda
Jihadists affiliated to the Islamic State group have seized a town in northern Mali after bitter fighting with local rebels and rival militants linked to Al-Qaeda, several sources said Wednesday. The insurgents on Tuesday took Talataye, a town 150 kilometres (90...
Sahel: Insurgency in northern Burkina Faso worsens
By Armel Baily At least 35 civilians were killed and 37 wounded Monday when an IED blast struck a convoy carrying supplies in Burkina Faso's jihadist-hit north, the governor of the Sahel region said. The landlocked African state is in the grip of a seven-year-old...
Tunisia: Clash in Mount Salloum near Algeria leaves three IS Jihadists dead
The Tunisian army said Friday it had killed three jihadists linked to the Islamic State group, during an operation in the country's west. The men, members of the "Soldiers of the Caliphate" group, were killed during a morning operation in the Mount Salloum area near...
Libya: Apparent calm hides potential for more violence
There is potential for new violence in Libya, a United Nations official said Tuesday, as the country faces delays in moving toward elections. Rosemary DiCarlo, under-secretary-general for political and peacekeeping affairs, told the Security Council she was worried...
Sahel: Intense violence in Mali sends thousands fleeing
Tens of thousands of people, many of them children, have fled to a town in northeastern Mali after fighting erupted in the jihadist-torn region, a local official said Wednesday. Since March, more than 65,000 people have arrived in the town of Menaka near the border...
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...
INSURGENCIES & TERRORISM
Sahel: War rages in Mali, France’s air force neutralizes scores on insurgents
Paris, Feb 7, 2020 - French forces have put 30 jihadists "out of action" during Mali operations in a zone bordering Burkina Faso and Niger, a military spokesman said Friday. Colonel Frederic Barbry said an armed drone, a Mirage 2000 jet and two helicopters had...
Sahel: France sends 600 more soldiers to Mali
Paris, Feb 2, 2020 - France said Sunday it was boosting its military presence in the Sahel by adding a further 600 troops to its 4,500-strong operation in Mali and four other countries in the region. Defence Minister Florence Parly said in a statement that the bulk of...
Sahel: Village in Burkina Faso’s Sahel region attacked, 18 killed
Ouagadougou, Feb 3, 2020 - Suspected jihadists have killed 18 civilians in an attack in northern Burkina Faso, the governor of Sahel region said. "The defence and security forces brought back the body of the nurse to give it to her family in Yalgo and secure the area...
Egypt: Islamic State claims attack on pipeline in Sinai
Cairo, Feb 3, 2020 - The Islamic State group said on Monday it blew up a gas pipeline in Egypt's restive Sinai Peninsula, claiming it was connected to Israel. Security sources earlier said the pipeline hit was a domestic one that connects to a power station in...
Chad: Twenty-five killed in Boko Haram attack in Lake Chad
Analysis: Northern half of Africa bracing for upheaval this year
MEA Risk LLC - 29 January 2020: There has been a dangerous escalation of security risks and instability in the Maghreb and Sahel region since the start of 2020. War looks set to intensify in countries like Libya, Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso, Mali and others in the...
How UAE security firm deceives jobless Sudanese and sends them to fight in Libya
Khartoum, Jan 28, 2020 - Dozens of Sudanese protested Tuesday in Khartoum, alleging that their relatives had been recruited by a UAE firm as security guards but were dispatched to war-zones in Libya and Yemen. Men and women carrying banners that read "Our sons are nor...
Sahel: Destabilization of Burkina Faso underway
Ouagadougou, Jan 28, 2020 (By Armel Baily) - Six soldiers were killed and several went missing Tuesday after a suspected jihadist attack in troubled Burkina Faso, following a weekend massacre which could have claimed up to 50 lives, security and local sources told...