North Africa’s Security
Security | Defense | Terrorism
Egypt and Turkey Test Pragmatic Rapprochement After Years of Estrangement
Egypt and Turkey are cautiously rebuilding relations after years of estrangement, driven by shifting regional dynamics and converging state interests. Recent defense-industrial cooperation and renewed diplomatic engagement point to a pragmatic recalibration rather than full political reconciliation, as both countries test whether managed coordination can replace prolonged rivalry.
SECURITY & DEFENSE
Could Syria Avoid a Repeat of the Libyan Disaster: Opinion by Arezki Daoud
What is happening in Syria today reflects a nation at a crossroads. The decades-long grip of the Assad family has ended, ushering in both relief and a new wave of challenges.
Sahel: Inside Chad’s Risky Alliance in Sudan’s Conflict
Chadian President Mahamat Déby’s support for Sudan’s Hemedti amid the Sudanese conflict has sparked tension at home, risking political instability and opposition within Chad’s military and ruling elite.
The US Africa Policy: Don’t Expect Anything New
U.S. administrations, whether Republican or Democrat, have historically shown limited focus on Africa, prioritizing counterterrorism over development. With recent geopolitical shifts, some are calling for a more balanced approach, emphasizing stability and economic growth over military presence.
Algeria boosts defense budget to tackle cross-border threats
Algeria’s draft Finance Law for the year 2025 earmarks record spending for its military and defense. The Ministry of Defense, which oversees the country’s armed forces, will receive more than US$25 billion, an increase of over 10% compared to 2024. The move is...
Libya’s fragmented military and competition for its control
While the world is focused on the crises in the Middle East and Ukraine, a power struggle continues to destabilize Libya, with protagonists competing for the control of the armed forces. Three factions are now at the center of an ongoing struggle over the fate of the...
Mali: Wagner and Junta leaders in tough spot with series of embarrassing defeats and decisions to make
(Photo from unconfirmed video showing an insurgent burning the presidential plane in Bamako. The person filming the attack speaks in Peul or Fulani language) By Arezki Daoud: This week’s attacks on the Malian capital of Bamako highlight the junta's difficulty in...
Mali: The Failing Campaign of Wagner in Mali Presages Trouble for the Junta in Bamako
There have been more chatter and speculations about the activities of Russia’s mercenaries, formerly known as the Wagner Group, now reportedly called the Afrika Corps in the Sahel. It is unclear if the name "Afrika Corps" is official, but if so, it certainly confirms...
Sahel: Wagner Lost Men in Tinzouatin, but Russia Sees Real ROI in the Sahel. It May Now Make a Move on Nigeria
Russia is seeing a good "return on its investment" in the Sahel. Both Mali and Niger have cut their ties with Ukraine after Kiev’s intelligence agency GUR said it was involved in the clash at the end of July that claimed the lives of dozens of Russian mercenaries and...
Sahel: Ukraine invites itself in the Sahel crisis
Ukraine has a good reason to sabotage Russia’s operations around the world. They are at war. And so it is no surprise that they both undermine each other wherever they are around the world. While the Ukrainians have been battling a Russian onslaught on their own...
Update: Dozens of Russian Militiamen Killed by Tuareg Rebels in Mali
Our colleagues of Mondafrique have released the following update. With its unmatched connections in the Sahel and West Africa, Mondafrique is one of the best sources of information on the region. Mondafrique: Fierce fighting that raged until Saturday at the...
INSURGENCIES & TERRORISM
Sahel: IED kills three UN soldiers, injures five others in central Mali
Three United Nations peacekeepers were killed and five were seriously injured on Tuesday when their convoy struck a roadside bomb in central Mali, the UN mission said. "A MINUSMA Force convoy hit an Improvised Explosive Device #IED today," it said in a tweet that...
Sahel: Intense fight in northern Burkina Faso claims dozens of lives
At least 51 soldiers were killed in an ambush by suspected jihadists in northern Burkina Faso, the army said on Monday, adding that 160 of the assailants died during counter-attacks. The ambush took place on Friday in Oudalan province near the restive frontier with...
Africa security: Gulf of Guinea facing growing threat of instability
Criminals in northern Ghana tried to blow up a bridge using explosives for the first time in a region where the government fears growing violent spillover from a jihadist war across the border in Burkina Faso, a top official said. Ghana along with Gulf of Guinea...
Burkina Faso: New terror attack in Sahel province kills 18 people
At least 18 people have been killed in two attacks in Burkina Faso, sources briefed on the incidents told AFP on Sunday, as violence rages in the Sahel nation. The country faces a jihadist insurgency that swept in from neighbouring Mali in 2015, with thousands of...
How the insurgents are expanding the Jihadist frontline to West Africa
By Patrick Markey and Kent Mensha: Standing near the dried river bed that marks Ghana's northern border, Alima can see her hamlet, lying in Burkina Faso less than two kilometres (1.2 miles) away. Even though her home is just a short walk away, she says she will never...
Mali: New terror attack kills two in the Segou region
A policeman and a civilian were killed and seven were wounded in an attack in jihadist-torn eastern Mali, officials said Wednesday. The attack occurred Tuesday evening at a checkpoint in San, a town some 400 kilometres (250 miles) east of the capital Bamako and about...
Sahel: Mali court convicts unnamed person in killing of UN peacekeepers, issues death sentence
A Malian court has sentenced a man to death over the 2019 killing of three peacekeepers in the south of the country, the UN mission in Mali said on Wednesday. The Bamako criminal court convicted the accused -- who was not named -- on Tuesday of acts of terrorism,...
Sahel: Doctor working for WHO in Mali abducted
The World Health Organization said Tuesday that one of its doctors had been abducted in Mali, adding that the motivation behind an attack on his car was unclear. "We deplore the abduction of WHO colleague Dr Mahamadou Diawara, who was taken by unidentified assailants...
Sahel: Jihadist violence intensifies in Burkina Faso
Attacks in Burkina Faso have increased since October and now especially target civilians, according to junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traore, who took power last year on a vow to quell jihadist violence. The extremists are switching tactics to focus on civilians, Traore...
Sahel: Jihadists in Burkina Faso also abduct children and babies
Investigators now believe that last week's raid by suspected jihadists in Burkina Faso led to the abduction of around 60 women, girls and babies, a regional prosecutor said Thursday. Earlier reports had suggested that around 50 women had been taken, said a statement...