North Africa’s Security
Security | Defense | Terrorism
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.
SECURITY & DEFENSE
Niger: Refugee camp in the Tahoua attacked, three killed
Jihadists carried out a coordinated attack on a camp housing thousands of Malian refugees in western Niger, killing three civilians, abducting a guard and sabotaging the water supply, the United Nations said Monday. Around 50 jihadists launched a "well-planned...
Egyptian army keeps busy killing “insurgents” in North Sinai
Egypt said Saturday (23 May) that 21 jihadists were killed in clashes with security forces in the restive Sinai peninsula, where Islamic State group-affiliated militants have waged a long-running insurgency. The interior ministry said in a statement that police...
Libya: Russia may be escalating conflict in Libya with more support for warlord Haftar
Berlin, May 26, 2020 - Russia recently sent fighter jets to Libya to support Russian mercenaries fighting for strongman Khalifa Haftar, the US military command for Africa (Africom) said Tuesday, in a major escalation in the long-running conflict. The military fighter...
Egypt arrests 11 for allegedly sharing ‘fake news’ with Al-Jazeera
Cairo, May 22, 2020 - Egyptian security forces arrested 11 people on suspicion of fabricating media content for the Qatar-based Al Jazeera network, the interior ministry said Friday. The suspects were allegedly found to be collaborating with members of the outlawed...
Outlook: Can the country of Togo be a Jihadi hotspot?
Dapaong, Togo, May 21, 2020 (By Célia Lebur) - In a makeshift bunker of sacks of rice beneath a tree, heavily-armed Togolese soldiers keep watch over villagers coming and going on foot or bike across the border with Burkina Faso. Just a dried-out river bed separates...
How the image of the United Arab Emirates in the Maghreb is taking a beating ($)
The United Arab Emirates has made no effort to fix its image abroad, as its involvement in crisis regions has been cemented by the UAE's leaders need to project some kind of strength in the Middle East and Africa. In North Africa's Maghreb region, the UAE's image has...
Niger: Insurgents attack Blabrine base near Diffa town
Niamey, May 19, 2020 - Twelve soldiers have been killed in a Boko Haram attack on a military outpost in Niger's Diffa region, scene of recent clashes with jihadist fighters, the defence ministry said Tuesday. The attack by "Boko Haram terrorists" overnight Monday on...
Libya: Haftar’s troops abandon airbase south of Aljmail
Warlord Khalifa Haftar and his patrons of the United Arab Emirates, France, Russia and many others don't seem to be able to take control of the situation in Libya. Billions of dollars already spent and months of a disorganized offensive against Tripoli that brought a...
Mali: War rages near border with Burkina Faso ($)
Bamako, May 15, 2020 - Malian troops have killed some 30 militants in a raid, the army said on Friday, in the latest violence in the war-torn West African state. The country's armed forces said on Twitter that they had killed "about 30 terrorists" near the border with...
Sahel: Niger sinking into chaos
By Boureima Hama - Amid clucking chickens and bleating sheep, the women of Gadbo, a small village in western Niger, gather around Zalika Issa and offer their condolences. Her nephew, shot dead in front of a crowd near the village well, was one of 20 people massacred...
INSURGENCIES & TERRORISM
38 killed in attack on two tourist hotels in Sousse, Tunisia
Two armed men attacked two tourist hotels in the eastern city of Sousse, killing at least 38 Tunisians and foreign nationals and wounding 36 other people, according to the Ministry of Interior. The victims appear to be mostly British. While one of the attackers...