North Africa’s Security
Security | Defense | Terrorism
Algeria Plans Major Military Budget Increase for 2026
Algeria’s government is set to boost its military budget to historic levels in 2026, with over $24 billion earmarked for defense spending. This unprecedented increase, outlined in the country’s draft finance law, reflects Algeria’s aim to reinforce security amid regional instability and border threats. The new funding will prioritize modernizing military equipment and strengthening operational readiness, underscoring the military’s central role in national policy.
SECURITY & DEFENSE
Libya: As country prepares for elections, presence of foreign mercenaries remains thorny issue
Fewer violations of the arms embargo on Libya have occurred this year as compared with 2020, but the "continuing presence" of foreign fighters is "still a serious threat," UN experts said in a confidential report. Nonetheless, while the "intense pace of delivery" of...
Egyptian court sentences 22 Jihadists to death by hanging
An Egyptian court on Thursday sentenced to death by hanging 22 Islamist militants for 54 attacks including the attempted assassination of a former interior minister, a judicial source told AFP. The men were found guilty of committing 54 "terrorist operations"...
Burkina Faso: Anti-France sentiment in Burkina Faso creates operational challenges for French troops in the Sahel
By Armel Baily A French military convoy heading for Mali remained blocked in Burkina Faso on Thursday after being hampered by protests. The convoy, comprising several dozen vehicles, is heading for a French base in Gao in the violence-torn centre of Mali. It first has...
Niger: Unable to get protection from the government, Niger villagers are now forming militia groups
By Boureima Hama Abdoulaye casts a questioning eye over the passengers of a car that has pulled up at the entrance to his village in western Niger. Slung over the shoulder of his long and slender frame are a bow and a quiver of arrows -- the only weapon he has against...
Podcast: Tunisia revisited- How the government neglects the inner regions
Tunisia Revisited: MEA Risk analyst Arezki Daoud reviews where Tunisia stands as of November 2021 in the areas of social and economic development.
Security: As Russia’s influence in Africa grows, EU wants to impose sanctions on Russian mercenaries Wagner
EU foreign ministers agreed Monday to draw up more sanctions on shadowy Russian mercenary group Wagner over its involvement in a string of hotspots, the bloc's foreign policy chief said. The private military outfit, which Western capitals see as closely linked to the...
Sahel: New Jihadist attacks in Mali and Burkina Faso
Four Malian soldiers were killed by suspected jihadists Sunday and several others wounded in an attack northeast of the capital Bamako, near the border with Mauritania, the army said on social media. The soldiers, on post at Guire, in the Nara region, fought off an...
Libya: Handful of mercenaries may leave Libya soon
Forces of Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar said Thursday 300 foreign mercenaries fighting on their side would leave the country, at the request of France, which will host a conference on Libya. The announcement, which gave no timeline for their exit, comes on the eve...
Algeria-Morocco conflict: Two scenarios on the likelihood of an armed confrontation
Will then fight or will they not? Tensions between Algeria and Morocco continue to escalate following the killing of three Algerian truckers in the Western Sahara. The Algerian authorities suggested that a Moroccan drone was used to hit the trucks, promising a...
Algeria sacks General Mohamed Kaidi, head of the military Employment & Preparedness department, signals continued instability in military leadership
In a surprise move, General Mohamed Kaidi, the head of one of the most strategic departments in Algeria's defense system, was relieved of his post on 8 November in circumstances that remain unknown. As head of the Employment & Preparedness Department, Kaidi has...
INSURGENCIES & TERRORISM
Libya: Warlord Haftar’s air raid targets civilians, injures children
Tripoli, Oct 7, 2019 - An air raid on riding stables near the Libyan capital Tripoli has wounded at least six people, including children, sparking condemnation from the United Nations and the unity government. An African worker was also among the six people wounded in...
Sahel: Mali president Boubacar Keita dismisses coup speculation
Bamako, Oct 6, 2019 - Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita on Sunday rejected as speculation talk of a military coup after recent jihadist attacks left dozens of soldiers dead near the border with Burkina Faso. Keita said lessons would be learned after 38 soldiers...
Libya: US kills suspected IS insurgents in raid on Libya
The US military command for Africa announced Friday it killed 17 suspected Islamic State group jihadists in southern Libya, in the third such strike in a week. "At this time, it is assessed the airstrike killed 17 terrorists" on Thursday, Africom said in a statement....
Libya: Two killed in drone strike in Sirte, raid on Mitiga airport
Tripoli, Sept 16, 2019 - Drone strikes on Libya's coastal town of Sirte killed two pro-unity government fighters and wounded 18 others on Monday, their force said, blaming foreign powers backing military strongman Khalifa Haftar. The three raids on the former Islamic...
Sahel: Clash near Goundam in Mali leaves three dead
A Malian soldier was killed and seven others injured in an ambush by gunmen on Wednesday in the northern Timbuktu region of the country, military and local sources said. The attack was carried out in the morning by armed men on a pickup truck about 20 kilometres (12...
Sahel: Security agents kidnapped in Mopti, Mali
Bamako, Sept 6, 2019 - Armed men abducted 22 members of a military unit comprising mainly Tuareg ex-rebels and former members of armed pro-government groups in violence-wracked Mali, the driver of their bus said Friday. The group, set to be incorporated into a...
Sahel: Kidnappings intensify in southeast Niger
Niamey, Sept 5, 2019 - At least 66 civilians were kidnapped in July in southeastern Niger near the border with Nigeria where the jihadist group Boko Haram is active, a UN source said Thursday. "At least 66 civilians including 44 women were abducted in July 2019 alone...
Sahel: Fourteen killed in IED explosion in Mali
Bamako, Sept 3, 2019 - Fourteen bus passengers were killed Tuesday by a road mine in central Mali, the bus company said, in an attack bearing the hallmarks of jihadists who plague the region. The vehicle was en route from the central town of Douentza to the northern...
Tunisia: Four killed in army-insurgent clash in Kasserine
Tunis, Sept 2, 2019 (AFP) - A national guard officer and three suspected jihadist militants were killed in a gunbattle in northwest Tunisia on Monday, his force said. "Terrorists are still around but Tunisia is stronger," Prime Minister Youssef Chahed said, paying...
Sahel: Boko Haram attacks village in Gueskerou, Nigeria, dozen killed
Niamey, Aug 24, 2019 - A night raid blamed on Boko Haram has left a dozen villagers dead in southeastern Niger on the frontier with Nigeria, a local official said Saturday. The attack on Friday night in the border district of Gueskerou, is the latest to hit the Diffa...