North Africa’s Security
Security | Defense | Terrorism
Crisis in Sudan: Meet the Ruthless Warlord Hemedti
Libya has Khalifa Haftar, Sudan has its own ruthless warlord, Mohamed Hamdan Dagolo—better known as Hemedti. Both men have risen to power through armed force and human rights abuses, commanding personal militias that operate outside legal state structures. They secure their authority through violence, control over territory and resources, and a readiness to suppress opposition through fear and brute force. A profile of Sudan’s Hemedti.
SECURITY & DEFENSE
Mali: How insurgents are in total control in the north of the country
By Amaury Hauchard Security forces in the Menaka region of northeastern Mali are struggling with a kaleidoscope of militia groups as they strive to bring order to the violence-torn area. Almost every important armed group in Mali has a foothold in Menaka, from the...
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...
INSURGENCIES & TERRORISM
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...
Sahel: 150 children killed in Mali violence in six months
Bamako, Aug 13, 2019 - UN child protection body UNICEF warned on Tuesday children in Mali faced rising violence with more than 150 killed in the first half of the year in jihadist and ethnic attacks. "More than 150 children were killed in the first half of 2019 and 75...
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...