North Africa’s Security
Security | Defense | Terrorism
Libya: Pakistan Steps In as Surprise Broker to Unify Libya
Pakistan has quietly begun mediating between Libya’s rival authorities in the east and west, pushing a three‑year power‑sharing transition backed by Saudi Arabia and coordinated with the United States in a bid to reunify the country’s fragmented institutions.
SECURITY & DEFENSE
Facing Regional Instability, Algeria Introduces Mobilization Law in Line with Global Practices
Amid rising regional tensions, Algeria is updating its defense laws with a proposed general mobilization bill that would allow for the rapid transition from peacetime to wartime readiness. The law outlines scenarios triggering full national mobilization, mandates civilian compliance, and grants sweeping powers to authorities in times of imminent threat or aggression.
North Africa Defense: Morocco Gets Surface-to-Air Missiles, Algeria-Mauritania Sign Defense Pact
April 2025 has seen a notable series of military developments across North Africa, where rivalries and competition for influence are adding more stress.From U.S. missile sales to Morocco to new defense agreements between Algeria and Mauritania, the regional defense landscape is worrying but geopolitical competition will likely continue to exacerbate tensions.
Franco-Algerian relations set to worsen over planned military maneuvers in Morocco
Algeria summoned the French Ambassador to protest the planned “Chergui 2025” Franco-Moroccan military exercises scheduled for September near the Algerian border. Tensions between the nations have escalated following France’s support for Morocco’s position on Western Sahara.
Morocco Busts ‘Lions of the Caliphate’ Terror Cell After Yearlong Probe
Moroccan security services arrested 12 operatives of the so-called “Lions of the Caliphate in the Maghreb Al-Aqsa” after a yearlong investigation. Authorities say the terror cell, linked to Daesh in the Sahel, had a weapons cache in Errachidia and planned attacks in Morocco.
Sahel: France Concludes Military Presence in Chad
France has officially ended its military presence in Chad, returning the Kossei base to the Chadian government. This marks the end of a long-standing French military footprint in the Sahel after similar exits from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
France’s decades-long military presence in Africa is winding down
France’s decades-long military presence in Africa is winding down as countries like Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire announce the closure of foreign bases, signaling a shift in regional dynamics and France’s influence.
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...
INSURGENCIES & TERRORISM
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...
Mali: Security agents remain targets of attacks in Mali, four killed in Segou
Four gendarmes were killed and three others injured on Sunday after being ambushed in western Mali, a region prone to jihadist attacks, the paramilitary police said. Two police vehicles were torched and two others, equipped with machine guns, were captured by the...
Tunisia: Nine women sentenced to prison for plotting to kill government minister
Tunisia has jailed nine members of an all-women "terrorist" gang accused of plotting to assassinate a government minister, media reported Thursday. In the North African nation's first known case of an all-woman jihadist group, two of the ringleaders were jailed for 25...
Sahel: Nine killed in mosque attack in Burkina Faso’s Sahel province
Nine people were killed when suspected jihadists attacked a mosque in northeastern Burkina Faso, local sources said Thursday. The attack happened at around nightfall on Wednesday in the village of Goulgountou in Burkina's Sahel region, when assailants arrived on...
Sahel: Troop toll from Mali jihadist clash rises to 14 dead, 31 “terrorists killed”
Fourteen Malian soldiers were killed in a clash with jihadists this week, the army said Thursday, giving a new toll in an attack claimed by an Al-Qaeda-linked group. Fighting erupted when an army unit was hit by roadside bombs between the towns of Mopti and Segou in...
Sahel: Several killed in army-Jihadists confrontation in central Mali
At least 12 soldiers died in clashes with jihadists in central Mali, army and police officers said on Wednesday. The fighting on Tuesday between the towns of Mopti and Segou also left seven jihadists dead, the army said overnight, giving an earlier toll of three...
Mali: Unidentified armed individuals kill five people on Bamako-Segou road
Two firefighters and three civilians were killed on Monday night in an attack in southeastern Mali, the ministry of security and civil protection said Tuesday. A sixth person was also wounded. At around 9:00 pm, the Civil Protection Road Rescue Post of Markacoungo, in...