North Africa

Tensions between Morocco, Polisario Front remain after leader's killing

Polisario Front Police Chief Addah al-Bendir was murdered. And much like the long-simmering dispute between the Front and Morocco, nothing about his death is clear.

Simon Speakman Cordall | North Africa | May 6, 2021

A Sahrawi soldier waves the Sahrawi flag during a parade marking the 45th anniversary of the declaration of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), at a refugee camp on the outskirts of the southwestern Algerian city of Tindouf, on Feb. 27, 2021.

A Sahrawi soldier waves the Polisario Front flag during a parade marking the 45th anniversary of the declaration of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), at a refugee camp on the outskirts of the southwestern Algerian city of Tindouf, on Feb. 27, 2021.

Tunisian TV show pranks guests with 'lethal' COVID-19 vaccines

The WHO wants a Tunisian hidden camera prank show that purports to show people dying or falling seriously ill after taking COVID-19 vaccinations taken off the air.

Stephen Quillen | North Africa | May 3, 2021

An elderly wheelchair-bound woman receives a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine at El-Menzah sports hall, Tunis, Tunisia, April 12, 2021.

UN Security Council discusses concerns over spread of Libya's foreign fighters

The killing of Chad's leader has ignited fears over the potential spread of violent mercenaries outside of Libya.

Al-Monitor Staff | North Africa | May 3, 2021

Intel: UN to send cease-fire observers to Libya

Libya's interim government welcomed the step and echoed calls for foreign forces to leave.

Al-Monitor Staff | Libya | Apr 19, 2021

A delegate from Libya takes part in the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum hosted in Gammarth on the outskirts of Tunisia's capital, on Nov. 9, 2020. In October, the two main sides in the complex Libyan conflict signed a landmark cease-fire agreement.

Libya and Greece agree to resume talks on Mediterranean Sea border

Libya's new unity government has had warm relations with Greece so far, but there are remaining issues on energy drilling in the Eastern Mediterranean that also involve Turkey and Egypt.

Al-Monitor Staff | Libya | Apr 14, 2021

Libya's interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah (R) meets with Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Libya's capital, Tripoli, on April 6, 2021.

Algerian protesters keep up pressure as government targets activists abroad

Algeria's pro-democracy Hirak movement hits the streets, calling for a civil state.

Simon Speakman Cordall | North Africa | Apr 7, 2021

Algerians carry a large banner during an anti-government demonstration in the capital, Algiers, on April 2, 2021.

Can France’s decision to speed up declassification of Algeria war archives ease trauma in Algiers?

In light of France's attempt to reconcile with its former colony Algeria, it has announced the easing of security restrictions on the French archives of the Algerian war.

Simon Speakman Cordall | Algeria | Mar 18, 2021

French President Emmanuel Macron meets Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia at the Elysee presidential palace before the opening of an international congress on Libya, Paris, France, May 29, 2018.

Western Sahara media, activists criticize US decision to recognize Moroccan sovereignty

US President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the United States had accepted Morocco's claim to disputed Western Sahara and that Morocco and Israel were establishing full relations.

Adam Lucente | North Africa | Dec 11, 2020

Biden will face matrix of conflicting influence campaigns in Africa, Mideast

Egypt seeks to check Turkish influence in North Africa and the Horn, while its priority remains Nile Dam talks with Ethiopia.

Week in Review | North Africa | Nov 20, 2020

WHO regional director says COVID-19 threat far from over, despite vaccine progress

In a lengthy interview with Al-Monitor, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Ahmed al-Mandhari warns the coronavirus "remains a cause for concern," as he discussed his organization’s efforts to help the countries of the region cope with the pandemic.

Ahmed Gomaa | Gulf | Nov 6, 2020

Ahmed al-Mandhari, WHO regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean, speaks during a press briefing at the World Health Organisation's regional office in the Egyptian capital Cairo on February 19, 2020, following the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus. - The World Health Organization said it was making "tremendous progress" in the fight against the global COV-19 disease confirming that Africa still has only one case.
The death toll from the virus jumped past 2,000 on February 19, while 74,185 cases of in

Tunisia allows regions to impose nightly curfews amid COVID-19 spike

The North African country has reported more than 40,000 infections since March.

Al-Monitor Staff | North Africa | Oct 19, 2020

The long road to post-COVID economic recovery in the Middle East

Indicators show that economic recovery across the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf following the coronavirus pandemic may take longer and more effort than initially thought.

Karen Young | Gulf | Jul 14, 2020

An Iraqi woman wearing a protective mask amid the COVID-19 pandemic, buys fresh produce from a street seller at a market in Karrada, in the capital Baghdad, on July 14, 2020. - Iraq, in a bid to prevent the spread of the deadly COVID-19 illness, shut its 32 border crossings to goods and people coming from Iran, Turkey, Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia in mid-March, which helped its agriculture ministry accelerate a campaign to make Iraqi food markets self-sustainable, after years of relying on foreign imports

Intel: Congress advances trans-Sahara security bill as Pentagon mulls Africa troop drawdown

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week unanimously advanced long-stalled legislation to formally institutionalize a counterterrorism partnership with numerous North African and Sahel states.

Bryant Harris | North Africa | May 26, 2020

U.S. Representative Michael McCaul (R-TX) arrives at Trump Tower to meet with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in New York, U.S., November 29, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar - RC17792FFC10

Sudan outlaws female genital mutilation

Sudan's criminalization of the practice done to a majority of young girls won praise and may reflect some change in attitudes.

Al-Monitor Staff | North Africa | May 1, 2020

Women chant slogans during a demonstration calling for the repeal of family law in Sudan, on the occasion of International Women's Day, outside the Justice Ministry headquarters in the capital Khartoum on March 8, 2020. - Under ousted president Omar al-Bashir's Islamist regime, a notorious "public order" law was used to have women publicly flogged or imprisoned for "indecent" dress or for drinking alcohol, seen as "indecent and immoral acts". Sudan's new government last November revoked the legislation -- b

Mideast economies to see biggest downturn in four decades, IMF projects

Almost every country in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia is expected to have negative gross domestic product this year, and the overall GDP for the region is expected to contract by an average of 3.1%.

Al-Monitor Staff | Gulf | Apr 15, 2020

North Africa

Tensions between Morocco, Polisario Front remain after leader's killing

Polisario Front Police Chief Addah al-Bendir was murdered. And much like the long-simmering dispute between the Front and Morocco, nothing about his death is clear.

Tunisian TV show pranks guests with 'lethal' COVID-19 vaccines

UN Security Council discusses concerns over spread of Libya's foreign fighters

Intel: UN to send cease-fire observers to Libya

Libya and Greece agree to resume talks on Mediterranean Sea border

Algerian protesters keep up pressure as government targets activists abroad

Can France’s decision to speed up declassification of Algeria war archives ease trauma in Algiers?

Western Sahara media, activists criticize US decision to recognize Moroccan sovereignty

Biden will face matrix of conflicting influence campaigns in Africa, Mideast

WHO regional director says COVID-19 threat far from over, despite vaccine progress

Tunisia allows regions to impose nightly curfews amid COVID-19 spike

The long road to post-COVID economic recovery in the Middle East

Intel: Congress advances trans-Sahara security bill as Pentagon mulls Africa troop drawdown

Sudan outlaws female genital mutilation

Mideast economies to see biggest downturn in four decades, IMF projects

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