Feb 3, 2026

Sudan Conflict: Egypt’s Military Escalation After the Fall of El‑Fasher$

Analysis by The North Africa Journal

Egypt appears to have shifted from diplomatic broker to covert combatant in Sudan's war, with new evidence pointing to drone and air strikes launched from a secret base in the Western Desert. Satellite imagery, flight logs and investigations indicate that Egypt has established a covert airbase at the East Oweinat agricultural project, roughly 65 kilometers from the Sudanese border, to launch strikes against Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targets deep inside Sudan. The operations mark Egypt's evolution from cautious mediator to active, if deniable, belligerent on the side of Sudan's Armed Forces, as the conflict becomes the focal point of widening regional proxy rivalries involving the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar.

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Sahel: Niger Emerges as Key Battleground as JNIM and Islamic State Collide$

by The North Africa Journal | Aug 5, 2026 | 111, Briefs, 1PREMIUM, Security & Defense, 1breaking, Niger, Terrorism, 1shorts, Sahel, Terrorism, Security, security upfront, Shield and Alert: Sahel

A defection, a blood feud, and overlapping territorial ambitions are pushing JNIM and the Islamic State Sahel Province into direct competition across western Niger. The outcome around the region of Dosso could determine whether Sahelian jihadist violence stays fragmented — or consolidates into a wider regional arc.

Morocco: Rights Group Says it Documented 130 Deaths Among Would-Be Migrants in Morocco-Spain Border Breach Disaster$

by The North Africa Journal | Aug 3, 2026 | Politics, International, Social & Human Affairs, Unrest, 1shorts, 111, Immigration, 1PREMIUM, Maghreb, International politics, Immigration, politics upfront, Shield and Alert: Maghreb, Briefs, Human Rights, Morocco, Repression

The official death toll from a mass border crossing into the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta has risen to at least 72, but a rights group says it knows of 130 deaths and so many others missing. Morocco and Spain are facing growing pressure to explain how tens of thousands of people managed to force their way into European territory in a matter of days.

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by The North Africa Journal | Jul 31, 2026 | Politics, Security, politics upfront, Criminality and Corruption, Briefs, International, Morocco, 111, Politics, 1PREMIUM, 1shorts, Maghreb, International politics, Immigration

Morocco is facing scrutiny on two fronts this summer: a corroborated investigation alleging systematic use of Pegasus spyware against journalists and foreign officials, and a fresh migrant surge into Ceuta that echoes the 2021 border crisis. Both developments draw scrutiny of Morocco from European governments and beyond, each for different reasons — one a question of covert surveillance, the other of border management under pressure.

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