North Africa’s Security
Security | Defense | Terrorism
French Nationals Urged to Leave Mali as Insurgent Attacks Intensify in the Sahel
Defense ministers from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger met in Niamey to accelerate their joint military alliance, but no deployment date was confirmed. France is advising nationals to leave Mali “temporarily” amid deteriorating security, while international shipping companies hesitate to continue cargo routes. November 7 brought reports of multiple attacks by insurgents, further highlighting the region’s instability.
SECURITY & DEFENSE
Libya: Dozens of suspects go on trial for alleged membership to IS
The trial opened Monday in Libya's western city of Misrata of 56 suspected Islamic State group militants captured after the 2016 fall of its bastion Sirte. The 56 suspects, out of a total of 320 facing trial, appeared in court before the trial was adjourned to...
Sahel: Suspected jihadists kill 4 Mali soldiers, 2 civilians in Tessit
At least four soldiers, two civilians and five assailants were killed on Sunday in an attack in a strategic border zone between Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, Mali's army said. The army blamed the attack on "terrorists" in an announcement late Sunday, using the term it...
Sahelian country of Chad looking for path to peace
By Tim Witcher and Dylan Gamba in Libreville Chad's military government and more than 40 opposition groups signed a deal Monday to launch national peace talks this month, but the main rebel outfit refused to take part. United Nations and African Union leaders urged...
Sudan condemns Chadian group’s killing of 18
Sudan's foreign ministry on Saturday condemned the killing of 18 Sudanese people during an attack by an armed group from Chad, state media reported. The killings took place Thursday when Sudanese herders from West Darfur state were ambushed while following the trails...
Sahel: Bomb attack in Ouakan, central Mali kills civilians
At least 12 civilians have been killed in Mali by suspected jihadists who lured victims into a bomb attack, two elected officials and a police source told AFP on Saturday. "The jihadists first killed two civilians in Ouakan (a town near Bankass in central Mali) before...
Libya: Fighting between rival militias rocks El Jebs, south of Tripoli
Clashes between armed groups erupted overnight in Tripoli, according to local media reports, the latest violence to hit the Libyan capital. An AFP journalist heard gunfire and explosions around 1:00 am Saturday (2300 GMT) in the city. The fighting, with light and...
Libya: United Nations to broker new talks between rivals in Libya
The United Nations said Thursday it will broker new talks between rival institutions from war-torn Libya next week to try to break a deadlock on the rules for long-awaited elections. "(Parliament speaker) Aguila Saleh and President of the High Council of State Khaled...
Sahel: Eight UN peacekeepers wounded in Mali blast
Eight UN peacekeepers were wounded Thursday in a mine explosion in Mali's jihadist-wracked Timbuktu region, the United Nations said. They were part of the Burkinabe contingent of the MINUSMA peacekeeping force, a UN official told AFP on condition of anonymity....
Sahel: Russian mercenaries of the Wagner Group take over base left by French military in Mali
Russian mercenaries arrived in the Malian town of Menaka on Wednesday just days after France's military pullout from the site, sources briefed on the matter told AFP. France handed back the military base in northeastern Mali on Monday, as part of its withdrawal from...
Libya: ICC confirms death of militia leader Mahmoud al-Werfalli
The International Criminal Court on Wednesday confirmed the death of wanted war crimes suspect and Libyan militia leader Mahmoud al-Werfalli, saying it was dropping the case against him. The decision by the Hague-based tribunal comes more than a year after reports...
INSURGENCIES & TERRORISM
Libya/Tunisia: Syrian fighters seize facility of Chinese industrial company near Tunisia borders
Sahel: Somber assessment about Burkina Faso’s stability, say MEA Risk LLC
Advisory firm MEA Risk LLC released a brief to its client suggesting that the instability in Burkina Faso and neighboring countries will likely escalate going forward. The audio portion of the brief is posted above. The MEA Risk note says Burkina Faso is a complex...
Libya: UN panel says no trace of Sudanese RSF mercenaries in Libya
United Nations, United States, Jan 20, 2020 - A United Nations panel said Monday it had no "credible evidence" of Sudanese paramilitaries fighting in conflict-wracked Libya for military strongman Khalifa Haftar as alleged by some media outlets. Several Libyan and...
Sahel: Insecurity forces Niger to halt voter registration in troubled regions
Niamey, Jan 21, 2020 - Niger's election commission said Tuesday it had suspended a voter registration drive in a western border region buffeted by jihadist insurgents. The Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) said because of security circumstances in the...
Libya: Haftar under pressure to resume oil exports
Tripoli, Jan 21, 2020 - The United States called Tuesday for an immediate resumption of Libya's lifeline oil exports that have been blocked by forces loyal to military strongman Khalifa Haftar since last week. "The suspension of National Oil Corporation (NOC)...
Sahel: Boko Haram kills more civilians in western Chad
N'Djamena, Jan 20, 2020 - Nine civilians died in western Chad after a female suicide bomber detonated her explosives in an area targeted in the past by jihadist group Boko Haram, the army and officials said on Monday. Chad is one of the countries struggling with the...
Africa: More violence in northern Nigeria
Kano, Nigeria, Jan 20, 2020 - Heavily armed jihadists have carried out an "extremely violent" attack on a vital aid facility housing United Nations workers in northeast Nigeria, the UN said Monday. No aid workers were harmed in the assault, but a military source said...
Libya: The Berlin conference outcome suggests no peace in Libya
Opinion by Arezki Daoud: All the roads leading to Tripoli are paved with landmines. The Berlin conference was a great initiative, and kudos to Angele Merkel for trying. But I fear it ended with no major progress and clear signs that the violence will not end anytime...
Libya: Pro-Haftar militia shuts down pipelines leading to export terminals
UPDATE: Gunmen known for their support to Khalifa Haftar closed on Sunday morning halted the flow of crude oil by shutting down the pipelines that reach the Zawiya port. The closure came after tribes loyal to Haftar threatened to do so, in protest against the Turkish...
Tunisia: Eight people sentenced to death for 2015 attack
Tunis, Jan 18, 2020 - A Tunisian court on Friday sentenced eight people to death in a trial for a 2015 attack on a presidential guard bus that killed 12. The November 24, 2015 suicide bombing in the capital Tunis claimed by the Islamic State group (IS) killed a dozen...