North Africa’s Security
Security | Defense | Terrorism
Sahel: Drone Incident Escalates Diplomatic Rift on Algeria–Mali Border
Tensions between Algeria and Mali have deepened after Algeria rejected International Court of Justice jurisdiction over a disputed drone incident, halting legal mediation. The standoff, marked by sharp exchanges at the UN and ongoing suspension of diplomatic ties, underscores mounting mistrust and risks to regional stability in the Sahel.
SECURITY & DEFENSE
Sahel: Chad rebels claim they want political solution and dialogue with military junta
Chad's main rebel groups said Tuesday they were conditionally willing to take part in national talks aimed at leading the country back to civilian rule after this year's coup. Idriss Deby Itno had ruled the coup-prone African country with an iron fist for three...
Central African Republic’s presidential guards fire on Egyptian soldiers, wound 10
Members of the Central African Republic's presidential guard fired on Egyptian peacekeepers in capital Bangui, injuring 10 of them, the UN mission in the poor nation said Tuesday, just two weeks before the end of their mandate. The "deliberate and unspeakable attack"...
Elusive peace: Libyan militias damage only functioning oil refinery during violent clash
Libya's only operational oil refinery was "severely" damaged after gunmen battled for three hours around the complex, the National Oil Corporation said. "The Zawiya Oil Complex was severely damaged as a result of skirmishes by armed groups," Libya's state oil company...
Egypt: Sisi uses Facebook to announce lifting of state of emergency
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Monday announced the lifting of the state of emergency in place since deadly jihadist attacks on Coptic Christian churches more than four years ago. The North African country has been under a state of emergency since April...
Lebanon: Deadly clashes in Beyrout after rally against port blast judge
By Rouba El Husseini and Hashem Osseiran: The health ministry said 32 people were wounded. Amal said three of its members were killed, while Hezbollah announced that funerals of two men and one woman would take place on Friday. A doctor at Beirut's Sahel hospital...
Inside West Africa’s drug trade
By Selim Saheb Ettaba: West Africa is a small but strategic hub for smugglers moving drugs from Latin America to Europe and the Middle East. What is Africa's role in the drug trade? Africa appears to have become an attractive hub for drug transshipments mainly...
Sahel: Niger opens first military school in Niamey
Facing a spate of jihadist attacks, Niger on Friday opened its first military school in the capital Niamey to train future officers. "We have set in place with this school the final link in the chain for training our military," President Mohamed Bazoum said at the ...
Algeria: IED explosion kills border guard during patrol mission in Tlemcen province
An Algerian border guard was killed and two wounded on Wednesday evening when a bomb went off near the Moroccan border, the defence ministry said Thursday. The home-made device exploded as they passed during a patrol to "secure the borders and tackle organised crime",...
Sahel: UN and NATO mulling over support to Sahelian armies in combating militant groups
NATO is studying options to bolster support for the multinational G5 Sahel force in the troubled three-borders region of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, where a surge in jihadist violence has cost thousands of lives, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a...
Sahel: IED kills 16 soldiers between Koro et Bandiagara in Mali
Sixteen soldiers were killed and 10 wounded in an attack in central Mali on Wednesday, security and health officials in the war-torn Sahel state said. In a statement, Mali's army said the troops had been the target of a "complex IED attack" -- referring to an...
INSURGENCIES & TERRORISM
Sahel: Mali soldiers ambushed by insurgents in Mopti, five killed
Bamako, Aug 21, 2019 - Five troops were killed in central Mali on Wednesday when their convoy was ambushed by jihadists, the armed forces said. The army on its Twitter feed said that the attack occurred on a road between the villages of Boni and Hombori. "FAMA (the...
Libya: American arms dealer sentenced to prison for attempting to sell Russian weapons to Libyan militia
Los Angeles, Aug 20, 2019 - An international arms dealer was sentenced to 30 years in prison by a Los Angeles federal court Monday for conspiring to sell surface-to-air missiles to Libyan militants and other customers in the Middle East. The trafficking operation run...
Sahel: Insurgents kill at least 24 soldiers in northern Burkina Faso
Ouagadougou, Aug 20, 2019 - The death toll from an attack Monday on a military base in northern Burkina Faso rose to 24, the military said, in an unprecedented blow to the army in its campaign against jihadist insurgents. Seven people were wounded and five others...
Libya: Tripoli could get a moment of respite in this Eid al-Adha
Tripoli, Aug 10, 2019 - Libya's government has said it is willing to accept a truce in fighting around Tripoli for the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha that starts Sunday but on four conditions. The United Nations had called on the UN-recognised Government of National...
Sahel: Red Cross suspends operations in Timbuktu, Mali, as violence escalates
Aug 6, 2019 - Twin attacks in Mali have killed four people, including two Malian soldiers, security sources said Tuesday, as the International Committee of the Red Cross suspended activities in Timbuktu due to "growing insecurity". A gendarme was killed in an ambush...
Egypt: Carnage in Cairo after blast killed 20 people
Cairo, Aug 5, 2019 - A huge blast which killed 20 people in Cairo was caused by a speeding car packed with explosives, Egyptian officials said Monday as witnesses described carnage. The car was driving against the traffic when it smashed into three other vehicles just...
Libya: Warlord Khalifa Hartar pursues attacks on Misrata as death toll in Tripoli reaches 1,100
Tripoli, Aug 6, 2019 - Forces loyal to Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar said they launched air strikes early Tuesday against an airbase in third city Misrata held by government loyalists. "Our air force carried out several raids against the Misrata airbase, targeting...
Libya: Khalifa Haftar’s army kills 42 civilians in Morzuk
Tripoli, Aug 5, 2019 - At least 42 people were killed and dozens wounded in an air strike targeting a town hall meeting in southern Libya, a local official and the UN-recognised government said Monday, accusing forces of military strongman Khalifa Haftar. The...
Libyan civilian plane escapes bombing at Mitiga Airport in Tripoli
Tripoli, Aug 5, 2019 - A Libyan airliner has narrowly escaped being hit by incoming fire as it landed at war-torn capital Tripoli's sole functioning airport, aviation officials said. "The crew on the flight from Benghazi, which was carrying 124 passengers, avoided...
Tunisia: Army kills two insurgents near Bou Amrane
Two armed alleged jihadists have been shot dead in an "anti-terrorist" operation led by national guard and army units in southern Tunisia, the interior ministry said Saturday. The two "terrorists" were killed in the mountainous area of Orbata in Gafsa, the ministry...