French President Macron announcing €23 billion of investment at Africa summit in Nairobi targeting energy, infrastructure, artificial intelligence and finance to the escalating violence in the Sahel — explore the latest developments shaping North Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Sahel.
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From the Stimson Center
Deeper dives from the Stimson Center.
A Conversation with the Ambassadors of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger: The Sahel at a Crossroads
Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger are reshaping the Sahel’s political and security landscape. Join the Stimson Center on May 21st for a rare joint conversation with the ambassadors of all three Alliance of Sahel States members on regional realignment, security, and future international engagement.
Morocco Country Policy Report
Stimson Center’s North Africa, Sahel and Mediterranean Program published a flagship report, Analyzing Morocco’s evolution into a strategic middle power amid economic transformation, climate stress, and geopolitical competition.
Balancing Export-Led Growth and Labor Protections in Morocco
Paul Dyer, Managing Director at Legacy Social Advisory, writes on how Morocco’s export-led growth model faces rising inequality and unemployment, underscoring the need to rebalance labor protections and job creation.
Algeria as a Geopolitical Actor: Strategic Dynamics and Regional Implications
In a recent Issue Brief, Dario Cristiani, Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, examines Algeria’s constrained geopolitical influence amid rising competition, internal stability, and evolving Mediterranean partnerships.
A Conversation with Ms. Amina Benkhadra: Morocco’s Energy Future and Strategic Resources
Morocco is advancing its energy and minerals sectors to strengthen security and drive the green transition. Watch Amina Benkhadra, Director General of the National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM), explore strategy and partnerships at the Stimson Center.
On Our Radar
The headlines shaping politics, security, and economics across North Africa and the Sahel.
Africanews / AFP
Alliance of Sahel States Confirms Joint Airstrikes in Mali
Niger announces that the AES unified force carried out intense air campaigns in Malian territory following the April 25 attacks, with the joint force scaled from 5,000 to 15,000 troops in mid-April.
Amnesty International
Amnesty Urges Probe After Nigeria Market Airstrike Kills 100
A Nigerian military airstrike hit a crowded market in northwest Zamfara state, killing at least 100 civilians according to Amnesty International; the Nigerian military denied targeting civilians, saying airstrikes are intelligence-led and hit only militant targets.
The Libya Observer
UNSMIL and LANA to Hold Media Roundtable in Tripoli
The UN Mission in Libya cooperates with the Libyan News Agency on a media briefing tied to the political transition process.
Al-Monitor
After a Year Away, France Returns Ambassador to Algeria: What to Know
Analysis of France’s decision to restore its ambassador to Algiers after a year-long diplomatic freeze, examining what the normalization means for the bilateral relationship, France’s Sahel policy post-expulsions, and Algeria’s strategic leverage in the ongoing Western Sahara and Sahel diplomatic reshuffles.
Financial Times
The Islamists battling Sudan’s ruthless paramilitaries
Role of brigades that helped Sudanese army win battles against RSF militia has alarmed Washington and Abu Dhabi.
The Libya Observer
Dbeibah Welcomes Return of the Ras Jedir Border Crossing
GNU Prime Minister Dbeibah comments on the reopening of the Libya–Tunisia border crossing, a key trade and transit route.
Libyan News Agency
EU Ambassador Nicola Orlando Reaffirms EU as Steadfast Partner
The EU Ambassador makes a statement in Tripoli reaffirming European support for the Libyan political process.
Libyan News Agency (LANA)
Libyan-Turkish Business Forum for Building Materials Commences in Benghazi
A bilateral commercial forum opens in Benghazi with a Turkish private-sector delegation focused on the construction and building materials sector.
North Africa Post
Algeria’s Tebboune Hints at Reluctant Volte-Face on Sahara Issue as U.S. Pressure Mounts
Analysis of presidential remarks suggesting Algeria may soften its stance on Western Sahara under sustained U.S. diplomatic pressure.
The Libya Observer
Ukrainian Cargo Plane Detained in Trinidad with Undeclared Explosives Bound for Libya
Authorities in Piarco discover undeclared explosives aboard a flight headed to Libya, prompting an investigation.
The Libya Observer
HRW: ICC Confirmation-of-Charges Hearing for Khaled Al-Hishri a Milestone for Libyan Victims
Human Rights Watch comments on the ICC case against the Libyan national, calling the hearing a step toward accountability.
Reuters
Warm Words, Thin Relief: Macron’s Africa Financial Push under Scrutiny
Reuters analysis finding that despite Macron’s €23 billion headline figure at the Nairobi Africa Forward Summit, little of the money is new and African civil society voices warn the summit repeats the pattern of grand promises with thin delivery.
Libyan News Agency (LANA)
Acting FM Taher Al-Baour Meets China’s Ambassador on Consular Reopening
Discussions are held about reopening the consular section of the Chinese embassy in Libya.
Business Insider
Report confirms Morocco as Africa’s next powerhouse
A report by the Washington-based Stimson Centre has described Morocco as an emerging middle power that is increasingly shaping economic, industrial and geopolitical dynamics across Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
Hespress
Algeria’s Changing Language Signals Possible Path to Sahara Settlement
Analysis of President Tebboune’s softened rhetoric on Western Sahara following the Landau visit and UN Resolution 2797, suggesting Algeria may be moving toward a negotiated position.
Morocco World News
Morocco’s Quiet Supremacy over the Sahara File
Coverage of the new Stimson country policy report framing Morocco as a proactive regional actor and stable anchor through strategic transactionality on the Western Sahara file.
Maghrebi.org
Remains of Second U.S. Army Soldier Recovered after Morocco African Lion Exercise
A multinational search operation concludes, recovering the second soldier who went missing during the AL26 exercise in Morocco.
Maghrebi.org
RSF reports on the first consular access granted to the French journalist held in Algeria.
Maghrebi.org
120 Migrants Saved from Trafficking Site Near Ajdabiya, Eastern Libya
Libyan authorities rescue 120 migrants from a detention-site trafficking operation near Ajdabiya.
Hespress
Morocco emerges as key regional power, U.S. policy report says
A report published by the Washington-based Stimson Center has described Morocco as an experienced “middle power” strategically positioned at the crossroads of the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and Africa’s Atlantic coastline.
Morocco World News
A think tank ratifies what Moroccan scholarship established years ago
Washington-based Think Tank report on Morocco’s political, economic and social realities.
Pravda Mali
Malian Foreign Minister Diop Confirms April 25 Offensive Was a Failed Decapitation Strike
FM Abdoulaye Diop’s press summary states that Mali will not bow down, framing the April 25 attacks as an attempted but failed strike on the leadership.
HSToday
Weekly terror-attacks roundup covering JNIM’s attack on Kenieroba Central Prison, the killings in Korikori and Gomossogou villages (50+), an ISWAP attack on Magumeri base in Borno, and Boko Haram’s attack on a Lake Chad military base in Chad killing 23.
North Africa Post
Royal Air Maroc to Receive First Boeing 737 MAX 9, Fleet to Record 66 Aircraft
Morocco’s national carrier scales its narrow-body fleet to support the 2030 World Cup tourism build-up.
North Africa Post
Morocco’s FDI Inflows Jump to $6 Billion in 2025
Bank Al-Maghrib data shows record foreign direct investment inflows driven by manufacturing and renewables sectors.
Africa Defense Forum
Suffering Continues as Sudan War Enters Fourth Year
Coverage of the RSF’s May 3 drone strike on the Kenana Sugar Co. fuel storage facility, with quotes from the Darfur Network for Human Rights and analyst Hamid Khalafallah.
World Bank
Announces the program’s third phase (2025–2030) covering Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal, with a cumulative $277 million allocated since 2014.
Holy See (Vatican)
Address to Members of the John Paul II Foundation for the Sahel (May 9, 2026)
Pope Leo XIV marks the renewal of the Foundation’s mission with new Statutes adopted in Dakar, pledging continued Vatican engagement on peace, food security, and water in the Sahel.
Bloomberg
Macron Announces €23 Billion Investment Package at Africa Forward Summit
Macron’s first major Africa engagement outside the Francophonie, announcing €14 billion from French companies and €9 billion from African investors, with pledges to create 250,000 jobs across France and Africa.
Al Jazeera Fault Lines
Investigative documentary on the 18-month RSF siege of El Fasher, co-produced with Sudan War Monitor; uses survivor testimony, satellite imagery, and visual evidence to investigate mass killings and allegations of ethnic cleansing.
Médecins Sans Frontières
Refugee testimonials from Noor, Mohammed, Mawahib, and Nasr in Chad documenting their experiences fleeing the RSF siege of El Fasher.
Reuters
African Leaders Urge Credit Reforms at Nairobi Summit with France
African heads of state use the Nairobi summit to push international banks and credit rating agencies to reprice African sovereign risk, arguing that inflated risk premiums block the investment needed to weather the Iran war’s economic shocks.
Reuters
Africa Forward Summit: Macron’s New Africa Push
Reuters video segment from the Nairobi Africa Forward Summit covering Macron’s stated pivot away from Françafrique, the €23 billion investment package, and African leaders’ mixed reactions to France’s repositioning.
Reuters
Africa CDC, Aspen Talks Long-Term Vaccine Supply to Boost Local Manufacturing
Africa CDC and South Africa’s Aspen Pharmacare hold talks on a long-term vaccine supply agreement designed to anchor continent-wide manufacturing capacity and reduce Africa’s dependence on imported vaccines.
Reuters
Egypt and Turkey Hold Two Days of Talks in Normalization Push
Egypt and Turkey hold two days of diplomatic talks in a sustained push to normalize relations after years of tension stemming from Turkey’s support for the Muslim Brotherhood, marking a significant step in the broader regional realignment accelerated by the Iran war.
Reuters
19 WTO Members Including U.S. Agree Among Themselves Not to Impose Duties on E-Commerce
A plurilateral group of 19 WTO members, including the U.S., agree to extend the e-commerce moratorium among themselves, a development with direct implications for North African digital economy integration and the region’s trade policy options.
Al-Ahram
Egypt to Host Arab Summit as Iran War Reshapes Regional Order
Al-Ahram covers Egypt’s preparations to host an Arab League summit amid the Iran war, with Cairo seeking to leverage its role as a neutral mediator and its Suez Canal infrastructure to reassert regional centrality.
Bloomberg
Congo Eyes Deals with Cobalt Producers to Tackle Illegal Mining
The DRC government is negotiating bilateral agreements with major cobalt producers to formalize artisanal mining and cut off the illicit supply chains that have fueled armed group financing, a development with direct implications for China’s dominance of Congo’s cobalt sector and European battery supply chains.
Business Insider Africa
A U.S.-linked mining company withdraws from a West African lithium project amid financing difficulties, as Chinese state-backed firms expand their footprint in Mali and Guinea’s lithium deposits, deepening Beijing’s control over a critical battery-transition mineral.
Business Insider Africa
Algeria’s Richest Man Issad Rebrab’s Cevital Launches $600 Million Sugar Beet Project
Cevital announces a $600 million investment in domestic sugar beet cultivation and processing in Algeria’s northeast, reducing the country’s dependence on raw sugar imports disrupted by Hormuz shipping disruptions and positioning Algeria toward food self-sufficiency.
Business Insider Africa
Strait of Hormuz Closure Has Become a Payday for Africa’s Richest Man
The Dangote refinery’s jet fuel export surge and Aliko Dangote’s expanding influence as a regional energy supplier are examined in the context of the Iran war, arguing the Hormuz closure has dramatically accelerated Nigeria’s emergence as a continental petroleum hub.
Project Syndicate
The Blind Spots of African Development Finance
Former IMF resident representative Gomez Agou identifies three critical gaps in Africa’s development finance architecture arguing that the African Development Bank is best placed to fill the void as Western aid retreats.
Business Insider Africa
Africa’s Largest Refinery Records an Impressive 57 Million Barrels of Jet Fuel Export
The Dangote Refinery reports a record jet-fuel export milestone, reinforcing its role as a continental energy hub with significant implications for North African and Sahel aviation fuel supply chains disrupted by the Hormuz closure.
Al-Monitor
Oil Eases as Trump Pauses Iran Strikes
Al-Monitor’s daily newsletter covers the Trump administration’s pause in Iran strikes and its effect on oil prices, with analysis of the implications for North African energy exporters Algeria and Libya, Egypt’s Suez Canal revenues, and Sahel fertilizer supply chains.
Financial Times
The ranking: Africa’s Fastest-Growing Companies 2026
The Financial Times ranking of Africa’s fastest-growing companies, now in its fifth year, continues to throw up surprises.
Reports & Analysis on the Region
Deeper dives from experts, think tanks, and research institutes.
COMMENTARY
Why Global Migration Policy Dies Without North Africa
Stimson Center Program Director Hafed Al Ghwell argues that global migration governance is fundamentally failing because it treats North Africa as a buffer zone for European border control rather than as a central, multidimensional actor simultaneously functioning as a migration origin, transit, and destination region.
REPORT
The Widening Scope of Africa’s Militant Islamist Threat
Africa Center for Strategic Studies documents 23,968 fatalities continent-wide in 2025, a 24% increase, with the Sahel accounting for the largest share for the fifth consecutive year and Burkina Faso alone representing 50% of Sahel fatalities.
COMMENTARY
African Champions Chart the Way on the Global Compact for Migration
ISS Africa commentary argues 17 African countries are pioneering global migration management and asks whether others will follow, with implications for Mediterranean and Sahel migration routes.
COMMENTARY
Insurgent Offensive in Mali Exposes the Deficiencies of Junta-led Security in the Sahel
Lesley Anne Warner of Carnegie Endowment for International Peace argues that JNIM has outpaced state responses, citing ACLED data showing battles involving Russian fighters in Mali fell from 537 in 2024 to just 24 per month in 2026, with Kidal’s surrender marking the decisive inflection point.
COMMENTARY
Africa After Aid Is More Resilient Than You Might Think
The Economist leaders essay argues that while the collapse of Western development aid budgets has caused short-term pain, African economies have been forced toward greater fiscal self-reliance, domestic revenue mobilization, and intra-African trade — making the continent structurally more resilient than aid-dependency models suggested.
REPORT
The Mo Ibrahim Foundation launches a major new research initiative examining Africa’s development trajectories and the conditions for economic transformation, providing a data-driven framework for assessing which African states are moving forward and which are falling behind.
COMMENTARY
Mali’s Crisis and Its Fallout for the Maghreb
ISPI analysis examining how the April 25 JNIM-FLA offensive and the resulting collapse of the AES security model are reshaping North African security calculations, with particular focus on Algeria’s exposure to Sahel instability and the implications for Tunisia and Libya as secondary spillover theaters.
COMMENTARY
Assessing African Jihadist State Takeovers: Capability, Will, and the Puzzling Logic of Inaction
Jason Warner and Miles Charles of Hudson Institute argue that while JNIM, al-Shabaab and IS-Sahel have the military capability to take over states in Burkina Faso, Mali, Somalia and Niger, they lack the practical will to do so rating a full jihadist state takeover as “conceivable” but unlikely even in the most at-risk states.
COMMENTARY
Mali Attacks Show Security Cannot Be Delivered by Military Means Alone
Chatham House analysis arguing the April 25 attacks have fundamentally challenged the AES narrative of regained sovereignty, urging political negotiation at regional, national, and local levels.
COMMENTARY
Dispatches: Why Washington Should Treat Africa as a Strategic Priority
Alex Plitsas from Atlantic Council reflects on a recent visit to Sirte with U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), arguing Africa’s strategic importance demands sustained White House attention.
COMMENTARY
Did France’s First Africa Summit Outside the Francophonie Reset Its Relations with the Continent?
ISS Africa Analysis of Macron’s Nairobi Africa Forward Summit, examining whether the rebranded France-Africa relationship can overcome the diplomatic damage done by the Sahel expulsions.
COMMENTARY
U.S. Minerals Diplomacy Tests Sahel Countries’ Partnership Choices
ISS Africa analysis argues that Mali’s projected status as Africa’s second-largest lithium producer and Niger’s uranium reserves are driving U.S. re-engagement with the AES junta states despite democratic governance concerns.
COMMENTARY
Unarmed Civilian Protection and Community-Based Early Warning Amid Troop Withdrawals
ISS Africa Commentary on the growing role of non-armed civilian protection mechanisms as international forces withdraw from Sahel communities.
COMMENTARY
Sudan as a Sahelian Rear Area: Sudan as the Missing Link in a Continental Extremist Arc
Argues Sudan’s collapse risks reactivating 1990s jihadist logistics infrastructure linking Sudan to Algerian and Malian armed groups.
COMMENTARY
Sudan’s War and the Coming Islamist–Arab Proxy Front Across Chad
Argues Burhan and SAF leadership now confront a wider transnational Arab military ecosystem rooted in the Sahel, with Chad as the key transit corridor.
REPORT
The Expansion of the Sahel Security Crisis toward Sudan and the Horn of Africa
Ethiopian Institute of Foreign Affairs (IFA) maps Niger’s role as a transit corridor linking West Africa to Chad, Libya, and Sudan in an expanding continental extremist arc.
COMMENTARY
Héni Nsaibia on Fall of Kidal as a Turning Point in Mali’s Conflict
ACLED’s West Africa Senior Analyst commentary on regime setbacks, Russian involvement, and risks of further instability following the April 25 offensive.
REPORT
Q&A: What Does the April 25 Offensive Mean for Mali?
Crisis Group experts walk through the strategic implications of the JNIM-FLA offensive, the fall of Kidal, and where the country is headed.
REPORT
Africa File, May 7, 2026: Ethiopia-Sudan Tensions Rise over RSF Khartoum Strikes
Critical Threats Project (AEI) tracks SAF–Ethiopia drone tensions, TPLF’s assertion of control in Tigray, and the potential backfire of U.S. sanctions on Kabila.
COMMENTARY
The Blind Spots of African Development Finance
Project Syndicate commentary where Former IMF resident representative Gomez Agou argues that Africa’s development-finance system is expanding faster than its analytical infrastructure, identifying three critical gaps: untracked contingent liabilities, purely transactional macro dialogue, and the absence of a pan-African benchmark for pricing new financial instruments.
Upcoming Events
Key briefings and conferences to watch.
Economic Science Association (ESA)
2026 African Meeting – June 15–17, 2026
Academic conference on economic research relevant to the African continent, including macroeconomic vulnerability and political-economy themes pertinent to Egypt, Morocco, the Sahel, and the post-Hormuz shock environment.
International Space Summit Africa (ISSA)
ISSA 2026 – August 10–12, 2026
Continental forum for African and global space agencies, governments, and industry covering satellite communication, Earth observation, space policy, and dual-use applications including drone and ISR capabilities relevant to humanitarian response across the Sahel and Sudan.
Tune In
Hear the latest insights from regional experts.
VIDEO REPORT
Rebels Jeered Putin’s Africa Corps out of a Key Sahel Town. Now His Regional Grip Is Slipping Away.
CNN video feature with Héni Nsaibia (ACLED), Bakary Sambe (Timbuktu Institute), and Ulf Laessing (KAS) on the strategic collapse of Russia’s Africa Corps model in Mali.
WEBINAR
Why Have Peace Efforts Failed to End Conflict in Sudan?
Al Jazeera Inside Story panel with Caroline Bouvard (Solidarités International), Kholood Khair (Confluence Advisory), and Cameron Hudson (former NSC) examining why every ceasefire attempt in Sudan has collapsed.
WEBINAR
Climate Mobility in the MENA Region: Between Adaptation and Displacement
Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center hosted a panel discussion to explore how climate change is reshaping mobility, governance, and resilience across eight MENA countries including Algeria, Morocco, and Egypt.
WEBINAR
After the Mali Attacks: What Way Forward for the Sahel and West Africa?
ECFR Online panel with EU Special Representative for the Sahel João Cravinho, ISS Africa’s Djiby Sow, OECD’s Nana Touré, and ECFR’s Suzanne Tisserand examining post-offensive diplomatic options.
PODCAST
Rebuilding Regional Order and Security in West Africa
Chatham House podcast where Paul Ejime and Paul Melly discuss ECOWAS-AES dynamics and West African foreign ministers’ call for local security solutions following the Mali attacks.
VIDEO REPORT
Fighting in Sudan’s Blue Nile State Displaces Thousands
Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan reports from Al-Damazin on RSF/SAF clashes that displaced more than 28,000 people in Blue Nile State.
PODCAST
Rebuilding Regional Order and Security in West Africa
Chatham House (Africa Aware Podcast)’s Paul Ejime and Paul Melly discuss ECOWAS–AES dynamics and West African foreign ministers’ calls for local security solutions following the Mali attacks.
Job Opportunities
Career moves, fellowships, and calls for applications—all in one place.
STOOS Consulting
Call for Individual Experts, Trainers and Advisory Specialists in TVET, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment
Mobilizing experts who can support STOOS and its partners in designing and delivering market-relevant, inclusive, and practical economic empowerment interventions that improve employability, enterprise development, income generation, and local economic resilience across Libya. Apply by June 1st.
UNICEF
Education Officer (Bamako, Mali)
As the Education Officer, you will report to the Education Specialist for close guidance and supervision. You will provide professional technical, operational and administrative assistance throughout the programming process for the ECW programs/projects through the application of theoretical and technical skills in researching, collecting, analyzing and presenting technical programme information while learning organizational rules, regulations and procedures to support the development and formulation of the Education Programme within the Country Programme. Apply by June 2nd.
UNIDO – United Nations Industrial Development Organization
UNIDO Representative, Subregional Office, Cairo, Egypt
Under the supervision of the Managing Director of the Directorate of Global Partnerships and External Relations (GLO), the Division of Regional Bureaus and Field Coordination (GLO/RFO) coordinates the field representation and interventions of UNIDO in Member States and regions. Apply by June 3rd.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Internship Programme for Near East and North Africa (RNE)
The Internship Programme aims to attract talented young women and men who are strongly motivated to share their new perspectives, innovative ideas, and latest academic experience in FAO’s domains. Apply by August 25th.
Policy Center for the New South
Junior Professional Program (Fellowship/Job)
Two-year structured professional development contract in Rabat for early-career analysts working on Morocco, Africa and Global South issues.
Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED)
Country Finance Office (Tunis, Tunisia)
The Country Finance Officer (CFO) will oversee supporting the Country Finance Manager in his/her functions. More specifically, she/he will be in charge of the implementation and follow-up of financial management and control tools.
Current Geopolitics Shift Deep-Sea Mining Debates