From Libya awarding major oil and gas blocks to Chevron and Eni and reviving its energy ambitions and Morocco attracting new aerospace and auto supply-chain investments to Egypt extending rate cuts and securing EU-backed green hydrogen financing — explore the latest developments shaping North Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Sahel’s political, economic, and security landscapes.
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On Our Radar
The headlines shaping politics, security, and economics across North Africa and the Sahel.
BLOOMBERG
Chevron, Eni Among Winners of First Libya Oil Auction Since 2007
Chevron Corp., Eni SpA, QatarEnergy and Repsol SA were among major energy companies that won rights to explore for oil and gas in Libya.
BUSINESS INSIDER AFRICA
AfDB’s new leader wants Africa to depend less on foreign capital, and he has a plan
The new President of the African Development Bank Group, Dr Sidi Ould Tah, delivered his first official address to the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the African Union and set out an ambitious and transformative financial vision for the continent.
TROVIT
Tunisia Is the Most Competitive African Country in Green Value Chains
Reporting on the claim that Tunisia has a comparative edge in “green” value chains (e.g., renewables components, green manufacturing/services), usually tied to proximity to Europe and skills/infrastructure factors.
IL SOLE 24 ORE
Stellantis and the Auto Supply Chain: Why It Wants to Bring Companies From Algeria
Discusses Stellantis’ Algeria strategy and what it could mean for supplier localization/regional production networks, including implications for Italian/European suppliers’ positioning.
REUTERS
IMF Urges South Africa to Adopt a Clearer Debt Rule
Covers IMF messaging on fiscal credibility and the need for a more transparent/credible debt anchor to manage borrowing costs and investor confidence.
THE GUARDIAN
EU Moves Closer to Creating Offshore Centres for Migrants and Asylum Seekers
Reports on EU policy discussions toward externalizing parts of asylum processing, including legal, political, and humanitarian critiques and the likely partner-country dynamics.
BLOOMBERG
Egypt Extends Rate-Cut Cycle Into the New Year as Inflation Eases
Details Egypt’s continued monetary easing alongside falling inflation and measures aimed at reviving credit and growth while balancing currency and external-position risks.
THE SPAIN POST
Brussels Strengthens Morocco Trade Deal, Pressuring Spain
Covers EU–Morocco trade/political dynamics and how Brussels’ posture may intersect with Spanish domestic politics and broader regional diplomacy.
BUSINESS INSIDER AFRICA
Africa’s Largest Oil Refinery Hits a Global Milestone
Explains an operational milestone at a major African refinery and what it implies for fuel imports, domestic supply, pricing, and downstream competitiveness.
MINING.COM
Congo Says It Would Seek Other Partners If US Minerals Framework Fails
Reports DRC’s leverage strategy in critical minerals partnerships, signaling diversification toward alternative investors if a U.S.-aligned framework stalls.
HYDROGEN INSIGHT
EU Grants Nearly €35m to 100MW Green Hydrogen and Ammonia Project in Egypt
Details EU support for an Egypt-based green hydrogen/ammonia project, focusing on funding structure, scale, and export-market logic.
BUSINESS INSIDER AFRICA
China Strengthens Africa’s Critical Minerals Grip as Congo’s Manono Mine Nears
Reporting on how Chinese-linked financing/offtake positions are consolidating access to upstream assets, using DRC’s Manono project as a case study.
BUSINESS INSIDER AFRICA
Nigeria–Morocco Pipeline Project Powers New Vision for Africa’s Energy Unity
Covers ambitions and constraints around the Nigeria–Morocco gas pipeline (financing, security, demand, regulatory coordination) and its regional-integration narrative.
THE BRUSSELS TIMES
Bill Gates-backed Mining Company Itching to Access Colonial Archives But Belgium Says No
Explains an archives-access dispute and why historical records matter for mining claims, liability, or due diligence—plus Belgium’s rationale for restricting access.
AFD (FRANCE)
World Bank–AFD Morocco Co-financing
Announces/recaps a World Bank–AFD co-financing initiative in Morocco, typically outlining sector focus, financing envelope, and reform priorities.
AL-MONITOR
Libya, Morocco, and Israel Forces Powering Algeria–UAE Rupture
Reporting on diplomatic tensions (Algeria–UAE) to regional alignments and flashpoints, emphasizing how external partnerships and security ties reshape Maghreb politics.
AL-MONITOR
Libya’s Oil Revival Powers Despite Shaky Investment Thesis
Reporting on Libya’s oil-sector rebound while highlighting why investment remains fragile (contracting risk, governance, security, and institutional fragmentation).
MOROCCO WORLD NEWS
Morocco Achieves Five-Year High of 5 Million in Lemon Exports in 2025
Reports a record performance in Morocco’s lemon exports, linking it to agribusiness capacity, market access, and trade dynamics.
GLOBAL TRADE REVIEW
Tunis-Carthage International Airport Embarks on US$950 Million Transformation
Explains a major airport upgrade plan, focusing on financing, capacity expansion, and implications for Tunisian connectivity and trade/logistics.
THE AFRICA REPORT
UN Backs Trump Plan for Sudan, After Receiving $2bn Lifeline From US
Covers UN positioning around a U.S.-backed initiative on Sudan in the context of new funding pledges, and the diplomatic fault lines surrounding RSF/Sudan policy.
AL JAZEERA
African Union Calls for End to “Extermination of Palestinians,” Decries African wars
Reports on AU summit messaging linking global crises and African conflict burdens, highlighting the organization’s political signaling and priorities.
BLOOMBERG
U.S. Convenes Foes Morocco, Algeria for Rare Western Sahara Talks
A U.S.-led diplomatic effort to bring Morocco and Algeria into the same orbit for Western Sahara-related talks, emphasizing stakes for regional stability and international alignment.
REUTERS
India Pulls Out of Russian-Backed Mali Lithium Project Over Security Risks
India’s withdrawal decision as a security-risk signal for large-scale extractives investment in Mali, with implications for geopolitical competition in critical minerals.
HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
Morocco Is Ready to Tell Its Own Stories
Discusses Morocco’s creative industry ambitions (production capacity, incentives, talent ecosystems) and how the country wants to shape its own narrative in global media.
REUTERS
Libya Awards New Oil and Gas Blocks
Covers Libya’s licensing round and awarded blocks, highlighting which companies won, what the state is trying to signal to markets, and the political/operational risks around execution.
REUTERS
Tunisian Startup Tackles Marine Pollution With Steel Drain Filters
Profiles a Tunisia-based innovation addressing marine pollution via drainage filtration, with focus on scaling, procurement, and environmental impact.
REUTERS
Egypt Appoints New Defence Minister
Reports Egypt’s senior defense appointment and what it may indicate about civil-military management and security priorities.
REUTERS
Safran to Open Landing Gear Plant in Morocco
A major aerospace investment in Morocco, tying it to industrial policy, supply-chain integration, and jobs/skills development.
AP NEWS
AU, Democracy, and Coups
AU-level debate on democratic backsliding and coups, spotlighting institutional constraints and member-state politics.
REUTERS
Italy’s Meloni Offers Climate-Shock Debt Suspension for African States
Reports an Italian proposal linking climate shocks to debt-relief mechanisms, framing it within broader climate finance and creditor coordination debates.
Commentaries from the North Africa, Mediterranean and the Sahel Program
Africa pays a high price for dollar dependence
Stimson Center’s North Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Sahel Program Director Hafed Al-Ghwell writes for Arab News on how governments across Africa are rightfully questioning the wisdom of anchoring their countries’ futures to the U.S. Dollar.
Morocco: An International Legal Anchor
Dr. Leila Hanafi writes for the Stimson Center and argues that Morocco is increasingly shaping international peace efforts not through grandstanding, but through law, institutions, and follow-through. Hanafi adds that Morocco’s credibility stems from sustained respect for international legal processes, administrative continuity, and an ability to implement agreements where others falter.
The Mediterranean, North Africa, the Sahel: A Single, Strategic System?
In a new policy paper for the Stimson Center, Dr. Darioa Cristiani argues that the Sahara and Mediterranean are increasingly interlinked by security and economic dynamics and that countries in the Mediterranean can no longer afford to view these as parallel or adjacent regions.
Reports & Analysis on the Region
Deeper dives from experts, think tanks, and research institutes.
REPORT
The Suspension of USAID Activities and its impact on Nigeria Health Ecosystem
PASAS/Minka policy brief on the Implication for HIV and Malaria Program Sustainability, Health Workforce and Domestic Financing in Nigeria.
POLICY ANALYSIS
Virility Politics in the Sahel
This ISPI analysis explores how masculinity “virility” narratives and militarized political performance shape Sahel governance and conflict dynamics, including implications for recruitment and legitimacy.
REPORT
The Africa–India Blueprint for Growth
A CSEP policy blueprint on scaling Africa–India economic cooperation, typically covering trade, investment, technology, and development finance.
POLICY ANALYSIS
Egypt and Türkiye: A Pragmatic Turn
Middle East Council on Global Affairs assesses the drivers of Cairo–Ankara normalization, likely emphasizing economics, regional crises management, and limits of strategic convergence.
REPORT
World Bank Human Capital Report
Flagship World Bank reporting on human capital outcomes (health, education, skills) and their macroeconomic implications, often with cross-country benchmarking.
REPORT
What We Can Learn From Public Debt Reductions in OECD Countries
CEPR report synthesizes lessons from historical debt-reduction episodes, typically emphasizing growth/inflation mixes, fiscal institutions, and political economy constraints.
REPORT
Militant Islamist Violence in the Sahel
A situational overview by Africa Center for Strategic Studies of trends in Sahel militant violence (geographic spread, tactics, and pressure points), often linking security outcomes to governance and local conflict drivers.
POLICY ANALYSIS
The Middle East in “Domino Dynamics”: Interlinked Crises, Fluid Alliances, Precarious Deterrence
An OSMED analysis of how interconnected theaters and shifting alignments raise escalation risks, with spillovers for North Africa and the Mediterranean security environment.
REPORT
Integrated Tactical Units in West Africa
A conflict monitoring data report by ReliefWeb shows continued high levels of violence across Africa, with the Sahel and Sudan among the most affected regions.
REPORT
Mediterranean: The Production Hub How Nearshoring Is Challenging Global Risks
This report by Blueconomy (Italy) explores how nearshoring is shifting manufacturing and logistics toward the Mediterranean basin, highlighting infrastructure, energy, and political-risk constraints shaping investment decisions.
REPORT
A Pathway to Security in the MENA: Integrating Subregional Electricity Markets
A report by Norwegian Institute of International Affairs examines how, despite being among the richest regions in energy, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is facing security and electricity crises. Grids are beset with technical challenges and gas dependence, and energy poverty is high amidst conflict. Integrated cross-border electricity markets can alleviate power shortages through trade.
REPORT
Analysis of the Suspension of USAID Migration-Sector Activities in Mauritania
This paper by PASAS / Minka (FR) reviews the operational and policy impact of a halt in USAID-supported migration programming in Mauritania, including likely gaps in service delivery and coordination effects across partners.
COMMENTARY
Making Libya Investable Again
This Middle East Institute commentary lays out constraints to investment in Libya (political fragmentation, legal uncertainty, security, FX/financial governance) and suggests reforms and sequencing to improve bankability.
REPORT
Chinese Loans to Africa Database
A data tool by Boston University Global Development Policy Center tracking Chinese lending across African countries, typically allowing users to filter by borrower, lender, sector, year, and debt terms for research and policy analysis.
COMMENTARY
Libya after Saif al-Islam: An uncertain future remains
This ISPI analysis examines Libya’s political uncertainty following developments surrounding Saif al-Islam Gaddafi.
POLICY ANALYSIS
The Silent Majority of the New South: Small States, Davos 2026, and the Last Line of International Law
This Policy Center for the New South paper argues that “small states” in the Global South are becoming pivotal swing actors as great-power competition erodes the old order, and frames international law as a last-resort guardrail for their sovereignty and economic resilience.
REPORT
The Agreement on The Port of Misrata Is The Mirror of Italy’s Policy in Libya
A CESPI report on how the Misrata port agreement illustrates Italy’s leveraging industrial actors like MSC and energy ties through ENI under the Mattei Plan, pragmatically preserves its strategic influence in a fragmented Libya amid Turkish, Russian, Chinese, and renewed U.S. competition—yet without resolving the country’s underlying political instability.
REPORT
ACLED regional overview: Africa, January 2026
A conflict monitoring data report by ReliefWeb shows continued high levels of violence across Africa, with the Sahel and Sudan among the most affected regions.
Upcoming Events
Key briefings and conferences to watch.
The Search for Peace in Libya: A Book Talk With Stephanie Williams
Join the Stimson Center on February 25 for a discussion with Stephanie Williams, author of “Libya Since Qaddafi,” moderated by Hafed Al-Ghwell, exploring Libya’s conflict, diplomacy, and lessons for international peacemaking.
Metropolis International Migration Network Conference 2026
A conference on November 17–20 aims to explore and reflect on the evolving landscapes of mobility in Africa, drawing on the contemporary dynamics and forward-looking scenarios, and moving toward a much-needed paradigm shift.
2026 IMF MENA Research Conference – “Rethinking MENA Integration in a Fast-Changing Global Environment”
An International Monetary Fund (IMF) announcement and call for papers for a research conference to be held June 29–30, 2026 at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Rabat, Morocco, inviting work on trade and financial integration, macroeconomic policy under new external shocks, digitalization, energy, and regional cooperation.
International Conference on African Research
This conference in Rabat, Morocco between July 6-11 will convene scholars and practitioners to discuss Africa-focused research and policy.
Tune In
Hear the latest insights from regional experts.
WEBINAR
Escaping the Cycle of Conflict in Libya
Stimson Center hosted Tim Eaton, Senior Research Fellow, Middle East and North Africa Programme, Chatham House, to discuss his recent policy brief, arguing an internationally mediated economic track is essential to curb rent-seeking, fragmentation, and support stabilization in Libya.
WEBINAR
African Union — 39th Ordinary Session (Assembly)
Official AU event page with the video recording, agenda items, summit documents, communiqués, and participation details.
PODCAST
Episode 86: What is the Libyan Coastguard?
In this Civil Fleet episode, Frey Lindsay, a journalist with the transparency and civil liberties organization Statewatch discusses how the so-called Libyan Coastguard is far from a unified organization but is, in fact, an amalgamation of groups with different structures and vying allegiances.
PODCAST
Black Agenda Radio (Feb 13, 2026)
In this week’s segment, the radio discusses the conditions in Libya, the forces behind the assassination of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, and the struggle to regain sovereignty after 2011.
WEBINAR
North Africa: Connecting continents, creating opportunities
The IMF-hosted forum focuses on North Africa’s role as a bridge between regions amid trade, investment, and infrastructure shifts.
Job Opportunities
Career moves, fellowships, and calls for applications—all in one place.
Embassy of Belgium
Accountant (Cairo, Egypt)
The Embassy of Belgium in Cairo is recruiting a passionate, proactive, open-minded and precise individual to join our ranks in a full-time position as Administrative Collaborator – Accounting Expert.
IFC
Division Director (Cairo, Egpyt)
IFC seeks to recruit a Division Director to lead the Division of North Africa and Horn of Africa. The position will be based in Cairo, Egypt and will report to the Regional Vice President for Africa.
The Egyptian Authority for Children’s Villages
Program Manager (Cairo, Egypt)
The Egyptian Authority for Children’s Villages (SOS) – Egypt is currently looking for qualified applicants/candidates for the position of Program Manager.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN
Program Specialist (Cairo, Egypt)
FAO is seeking a programme specialist to oversee the implementation of assigned project(s) and contribute to other FAO Egypt projects as required. The role ensures project(s) alignment with FAO’s Strategic Framework, national priorities, and donor requirements.
European Commission (INTPA)
International Aid/Cooperation Officer (Brussels, Belgium)
EU job posting focused on migration/forced displacement programming, covering policy coordination, partner management, and program oversight.
UNICEF
Consultant (Tunis, Tunisia)
The main objective of this position is to review, optimize, and finalize the training manuals and facilitator guides related to the prevention of online violence, ensuring their pedagogical quality, operational effectiveness, and thematic relevance.
UN Office of Project Services
Project Manager (Bamako, Mali)
The Project Manager (Transactional) is responsible for the effective delivery and daily oversight of projects which provide transactional services, such as HR services, procurement, grants or services, to UNOPS partners.
Splash International
Regional Director for Africa (HQ)
The Regional Director, Program Delivery Africa provides strategic and operational leadership to ensure high quality, on time, and on budget delivery of Project WISE II across Splash’s African countries.
