North Africa’s Security
Security | Defense | Terrorism
Jihadist Expansion Threatens Coastal West Africa
The Sahel is confronting an intensifying insurgency that continues to evolve in scale and complexity. Armed groups such as the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (EIGS) are adapting and adjusting their...
SECURITY & DEFENSE
Regional affairs: Tensions rise in Eastern Mediterranean Sea
Sahel: Chad army unable to contain Boko Haram in Lake Chad
As tensions escalate in the east Med Sea, Egypt and Greece announce joint economic zone
Libya: More evidence of Russian meddling in Libya
Turkey accuses third parties of conspiring in Libya
Tensions mount between Athens and Ankara, Greek navy deploys ships in the Aegean
Egypt: Two soldiers and 18 alleged insurgents killed in Sinai’s Bir al-Abd
Libya: Sudan nationals headed to Libya as mercenaries captured at border
Libya: Haftar’s supporters still insist on a losing strategy, Egypt ups threats of attack
Morocco: Four arrested in Nador on suspicion of terrorism
INSURGENCIES & TERRORISM
Algeria: Police foil suicide attack in Constantine
The North Africa Journal: February 27, 2917: A suicide attack targeting a police station in Bab el-Kantara, in the Algerian province of Constantine, was foiled on February 26, 2017. A suicide bomber was seeking to enter the police station, but was prevented to do so...
Outlook: Yet another cycle of uncertainty for the region
As the armed forces and security services manage to control, to a certain extent, the terror threat, the Greater North Africa region is facing unprecedented political tension, social stress and economic despair. Data for all countries in the North Africa zone,...
Instability in North Africa and Sahel claims over 8,500 deaths in 2016. MEA Risk expects 2017 to be another crisis year
Moscow’s possible lifting of arms embargo on Libya could trigger new violence, setback to Western interests
The North Africa Journal | Jan. 10, 2017 | Hakim Briki: For the period of January 02 to 08, 2017, there were 30 critical incidents in Libya, resulting in 38 deaths. As a result, the MEA Risk Incidents Index for the period was 2.2. The index measures the extent of the...
Tunisia braces for return of militants from war zones, while at odds with Germany over deportation of Berlin attack perpetrator
January 10, 2017 | The North Africa Journal | By Hakim Briki | UN data suggests that some 4,000 Tunisian nationals are fighting alongside Islamic insurgency groups in war zones. They are between 1,000 and 1,500 in Libya, 200 in Iraq, 60 in Mali and 50 in Yemen. The...
Morocco sustains counter-terror campaign, as Prime Minister struggles to set up new cabinet
January 10, 2017: The North Africa Journal: By Hakim Briki: The CIA has warned a number of countries, including Morocco, of a risk of Berlin-like attacks conducted by Islamic State militants in the next few weeks. Local media says the CIA informed the Moroccan...
French military presence in Africa unlikely to change post 2017 presidential elections
January 2017: Despite a deadly year of terror in France, partly tied to the country’s involvement in major conflict zones, Paris is looking to maintain such involvement, and may even increase it. The upcoming presidential elections are not likely to witness a major...
Egypt: Explosion in Maadi, Cairo, several injured
An explosion apparently from a grenade thrown by an attacker was reported on Sunday evening on the Autostrad road near the affluent neighborhood of Maadi in Cairo. The attack injured several people, although authorities refuse to release figures.
Turkey maintains pressure on Islamic State in and out of its territory
Battling on various fronts, Turkey is also facing an aggressive Islam State, which has been responsible for many terror attacks with Turkey. Over the past couple of days, the Turkish military has been increasing its anti-IS campaign both within Turkey proper and...
Morocco remains a moderate risk country, seeks to contain militant groups
Morocco faces a moderate level of security risk, placing it as an intermediate risk country. Indeed the Kingdom faces several risk sources but it has managed, thus far, to successfully control them. From October 25 to November 24, Morocco’s MEA Risk Index was 1.44,...