From the North Africa, the Mediterranean and the Sahel Program
Events, commentaries and updates from the Stimson Center.
Tripoli’s New Leverage: How the American Initiative Changed the Rules of Negotiation
In a brand-new commentary for the Stimson Center, Program Director Hafed Al Ghwell maps how a US-led change to closed-door negotiating and the ability of players to enforce settlements has reshaped who holds power in Libya’s reunification talks.
The Game of Middle Powers in North Africa
In a new commentary for the Stimson Center, Research Associate Yusuf Can & Stefan Lukas of Middle East Minds map how Russia, the Gulf states and Turkey are reshaping North Africa’s security and economic landscape.
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.
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. Watch the Stimson Center event of a rare joint conversation with the ambassadors of all three Alliance of Sahel States members to discuss regional realignment, security, and future international engagement.
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.
Tout sur l’Algérie
Legislative elections in Algeria: the FLN and the MSP retreat, breakthrough of the RND
The provisional results of the legislative elections of July 2 were unveiled on Monday, July 6. The ruling FLN remains in the lead, the RND progresses, the MSP is the big loser, the RCD and the PT are far behind.
S&P Global
COMMODITIES 2026: Oil majors flock to Libya as sentiment improves
As Libya’s oil production repeatedly hit new 12-year highs, BP, Shell, and ExxonMobil all agree to return to Libya to tap estimated 48 billion barrels of crude reserves.
Jeune Afrique
Mahmoud Dicko: the secrets of the Malian imam’s Algerian exile
Part one of an investigation into Malian imam Mahmoud Dicko’s two years of closely watched exile in Algeria while under surveillance from Algerian and Malian intelligence services.
Bloomberg
Egypt edges closer to $1.6 billion IMF payout with initial deal
IMF and Egypt reached a preliminary deal on the country’s latest program review, putting Cairo on track to unlock $1.6 billion in financing.
Orient XXI
Morocco. In Casablanca, silence, demolition
The medina of Casablanca has been the scene of large-scale destruction operations for several months, in anticipation of the construction, on the horizon of the 2030 World Cup, of a “Royal Avenue”, supposed to change the face of Morocco’s economic capital.
Business Insider Africa
Africa’s second most powerful military set to soon receive formidable Chinese fighter
Algeria is considering purchasing Chinese J-10C fighter jets and KJ-500 early warning aircraft to upgrade its air capabilities, reducing Algeria’s reliance on Russian military systems.
Business Insider Africa
U.S. courts Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso as Russia expands Sahel footprint
The U.S. is seeking to rebuild ties with Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso as Russia deepens its military presence across the Sahel through Africa Corps, shifting from prioritizing democratic reforms to focusing on security cooperation, counterterrorism and access to strategic minerals.
Le Point
World Cup 2026: football, a new battleground between Algeria and Morocco
How the world cup became an arena for regional prestige online and among fans. For the countries, the stakes are not only sporting, but also economic, political and regional
Investing.com
U.S. to suspend some duties on phosphate fertilizer from Morocco
President Donald Trump has authorized the temporary suspension of certain duties on phosphate fertilizer imported from Morocco, the White House said on Monday, as farmers grapple with shortages due to the Iran war.
Al Jazeera
Marco Rubio meets Libyan commander as U.S. pushes to resolve Libya crisis
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has met a top official from the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), which backs the government in eastern Libya and is competing for power with the internationally recognized authorities in the capital, Tripoli.
The Africa Report
Malian children at the heart of the gold rush
As Malians struggle to make ends meet, some children head to illegal gold mines in the western part of the country, eking out a living — underpaid, abused, and exploited.
Reuters
Senegal’s Faye plans to form his own political party
The report says global energy transition progress has largely stalled in 2026, with transition readiness declining for the first time in more than a decade. Morocco ranked 72nd globally and 5th in Africa in the WEF Energy Transition Index 2026, outperforming Egypt (84th), Algeria (94th), and Nigeria (80th) but trailing Tunisia (62nd).
Reuters
Morocco prevents attacks by cell loyal to Islamic State in Sahel
Morocco’s counterterrorism agency said on Monday it had foiled attack plots targeting sensitive sites and public security by a cell loyal to Islamic State’s affiliate in the Sahel with ten suspects arrested.
Financial Times
Shell alleged to have misled UK courts in Nigeria pollution case
Amended High Court pleadings accuse Shell of misrepresenting its Nigerian subsidiary SPDC as operationally independent, citing an internal 2008 email about the practice of dumping polluted material during spill clean-ups.
Africanews
Sudanese army claims recapture of Kulbus, key Darfur town on Chadian border
The Sudanese army said it had retaken Kulbus, a strategic town near the Chadian border, in what appeared to be its biggest battlefield gain in western Darfur since the fall of El-Fasher last year.
BBC
U.S. withdraws troops from Nigeria after Islamic State mission
The U.S. has pulled out most of the roughly 200 troops it deployed to Nigeria’s Lake Chad Basin, following a joint operation that killed senior Islamic State figure Abu-Bilal al-Minuki.
Hespress
Transport union: Over 80 Moroccan trucks stranded at Mauritania-Senegal border
More than 80 Moroccan freight trucks remain stranded at the Rosso border crossing between Mauritania and Senegal after being diverted from the Mali route because of ongoing security concerns.
Wamda
MENA startup investment falls to $148.2 million in June 2026
Investment activity across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) cooled in June 2026, with 41 startups collectively raising $148.2 million, marking a 76% decline from the previous month. However, funding was still 190% higher than in June 2025.
Gulf Times
Forced conscription returns as war looms in Ethiopia’s Tigray
Witness and rights group account young men being seized across Tigray as the TPLF conducts forced recruitment reminiscent of the 2020-22 war.
Yahoo Sports
Cape Verde World Cup team gets hero’s welcome in homecoming
Cape Verde’s national team received a hero’s welcome on Sunday upon their return home from the World Cup where they made big waves and took title holders Argentina to extra time in their final match.
African Press Agency
Strengthening vigilance to contain Diphtheria in Mauritania
Long considered a disease of the past, diphtheria continues to affect certain regions of Mauritania. Located in the east of the country, near the border with Mali, the Mbera refugee camp hosts communities particularly exposed.
Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) welcomes the bill on access to information drafted by the Mauritanian government, a concrete response to one of the organization’s recommendations. It represents the fulfillment of a major commitment made by President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani in 2024 and reaffirmed to RSF in Nouakchott in May 2025.
Reports & Analysis on the Region
Deeper dives from experts, think tanks, and research institutes.
COMMENTARY
El-Obeid siege carries grim echoes of El-Fasher
Stimson Center Program Director Hafed Al Ghwell argues that the siege of El-Obeid could become a decisive point in Sudan, threatening humanitarian access, trade routes, military balance, and national unity.
COMMENTARY
The UK could help end Sudan’s civil war
Financial Times argues that Britain, as the UN Security Council’s penholder on Sudan, has leverage and should use it to proscribe a terrorist militia and cut off its supply lines.
COMMENTARY
Foreign Affairs explores why decades of U.S.-Africa policy have failed to achieve their aim even as they enrich African elites, arguing that African leaders have been able to push counterintuitive policy and Trump’s approach encourages marginal players to influence major decisions.
COMMENTARY
The United States and the Libyan stalemate: between Haftar, Tripoli and the UN
OSMED argues that Washington’s dual outreach to both Saddam Haftar and Tripoli risks freezing rather than solving Libya’s fragmentation, and that plans are susceptible to western militias and regional players in Turkey, Egypt, and the UAE.
COMMENTARY
Algeria’s financial reforms are showing progress. Washington should take note
Atlantic Council finds that Algeria is not unmovable in its financing reform, and Washington should take notice as it could signal broader opportunities to develop the bilateral relationship.
COMMENTARY
The Phosphate Pivot: Why Morocco and Tunisia Matter to U.S. Food Security
MENA2050 argues that China’s phosphate export freeze exposed a U.S. food-security gap and encourages Washington to invest in a Morocco-Tunisia fertilizer corridor rather than focusing on Tunis through a democratic lens.
COMMENTARY
Sisi at the G7: Positioning Egypt as a Regional Partner
ISPI analyzes how Egypt sought to convert its exposure to Middle Eastern crises into diplomatic capital and whether that growing international recognition can deliver tangible political and economic gains at home.
COMMENTARY
Five insights for building Africa’s inclusive prosperity
From the World Bank-AFD partnership, Dabalen and Melonio argue that the continent’s growth hinges on creating more jobs, investing in key industries, strengthening governance, deepening integration in the region, and leveraging migration as an economic opportunity.
REPORT
ScienceDirect paper analyzing how accumulated international reserves have a positive impact on reducing the public debt in African economies, with results being observed during periods of large exchange rate depreciation and depending on exchange rate regime.
REPORT
African Development Review article examines Franc Zone membership on reserve accumulation for Sub-Saharan African countries, with results informing policies to promote structural transformation, aimed at intensifying both intra-zone trade as well as countries’ attractiveness.
REPORT
Afreximbank Commodity Bulletin – Number1, 2026
Afreximbank analyzes supply-side shifts in the best and worst performing commodities year-to-date, Lithium and Cocoa, amid emerging climate risks.
REPORT
UNHCR analyzes the movements of refugees and migrants across Algeria, Tunisia, Mauritania and Morocco, as these continue to be important destination, departure and transit countries for migratory movements in and beyond North Africa. The Route-Based Approach offers a strategic framework and key points for targeted intervention.
BOOK REPORT
The Oxford Handbook of the Egyptian Economy
Mohieldin, Giugale, and Ramadan provide a comprehensive, in-depth analysis of the Egyptian economy and of its future development paths with and without reforms.
REPORT
Mali: Grave Abuses Amid Renewed Fighting
Human Rights Watch’s report documents and examines alleged grave abuses committed during renewed fighting in Mali based on Human Rights Watch’s investigation.
REPORT
World Economic Forum’s report covers global energy transition progress, finding that record clean energy investment has been accompanied by growing challenges related to energy security, infrastructure, and financing.
COMMENTARY
Why local networks are the future of aid in Africa
Stimson Center Program Director Hafed Al Ghwell argues that Africa’s current reality of overlapping conflict, climate shocks, and governance failure departs from the assumptions of traditional humanitarian responses, and that effective aid increasingly exists in small, local, and trusted networks able to operate where formal institutions can’t amidst enduring crises.
COMMENTARY
The UN Mission in South Sudan in the Context of Changing Security and Regional Dynamics
A new Stimson Center policy memo examines the current security situation in South Sudan, the effects of Sudan’s war, and the implications of the recently renewed UNMISS mandate.
COMMENTARY
Algeria: energy diplomacy in the Sahel
Le Point examines how Algeria managed its energy assets to reengage strategy among Sahelian countries, gifting Niger a 40MW power plant, validating the Trans-Saharan pipeline feasibility study, and launching joint development of the Kafra oil block aiming to preserve Algiers’ regional influence against competing Moroccan initiatives.
REPORT
Outlook for Sustainable Agriculture in North Africa: Report Card Assessment
The Middle East Institute uses a comparative report card approach to assess water reliability, water use efficiency, agricultural land sustainability, and food sector economics across Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Mauritania.
COMMENTARY
Is Africa becoming a new arena for adaptive drone warfare?
ISS Africa examines how the transfer of Ukrainian technology, combined with Africa’s existing arms networks, could drastically shift state and non-state armed actors across the Sahel, the DRC, and Sudan.
BOOK REVIEW
Book Review: How Africa Works by Joe Studwell
A review of Joe Studwell’s book on African economic development, assessing its arguments about industrial policy, agricultural transformation, and the structural conditions for growth against the continent’s contemporary development challenges.
Upcoming Events
Key briefings and conferences to watch.
Libyan British Business Council
Understanding Libya’s Evolving Business Landscape
July 9, 2026 — Upcoming briefing tackles questions of how Libya’s markets are evolving, what recent political and economic developments mean for foreign companies, and how to identify credible partners and navigate local dynamics with confidence.
Policy Center for the New South
Africa Economic Symposium – 4th Edition: Turning Transitions into Growth
July 13, 2026 — In its 4th Edition, the symposium will address the limits of the current African growth model as the continent faces simultaneous shifts in climate, technology, and demography. Policy choices will determine whether these transitions support higher productivity and resilience or exacerbate social and economic vulnerabilities.
Financial Times
Africa Summit: Mobilising growth in a new global order
October 21, 2026 — In its 13th year, the summit convenes leading policymakers, business leaders, financiers and visionaries to explore how Africa can sustain greater regional cooperation, investment, and leadership amid uncertainty.
Atlantic Council
2026 Transatlantic Forum on GeoEconomics
December 11, 2026 — The Transatlantic Forum on GeoEconomics is an annual flagship convening focused on issues at the nexus of economics, finance, foreign policy, and national security.
Tune In
Hear the latest insights from regional experts.
PODCAST
Old Playbooks, New Threats: Africa’s Evolving Security Landscape
This episode examines how extremist groups are adapting, and response efforts are struggling to keep up, looking at how technology is reshaping how armed groups recruit, finance, and operate.
VIDEO REPORT
Can Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces take control of el-Obeid?
Al Jazeera analyzes Sudan’s strategic city of el-Obeid has been targeted by intense attacks from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and why control of the city is so important.
PODCAST
Julien Antouly, lecturer in international law and specialist in the Sahel countries, answers RFI’s questions on the withdrawal of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso from ICC at the UN.
PODCAST
Benin and Niger push toward border reopening
BBC discusses Niger’s strict conditions for reopening its border with Benin with a new defense agreement, joint intelligence unit, and more as part of its Focus on Africa series.
VIDEO REPORT
Fire and floods hit Ghana’s capital as residents are left stranded
Al Jazeera displays scenes of a massive fire engulfed a rubber factory in Ghana’s capital, Accra, as severe flooding swamped parts of the city and slowed firefighters.
PODCAST
The Human Cost of the Strait of Hormuz Closure
Middle East Institute Alistair Taylor is joined by MEI Senior Fellow Intissar Fakir to explore what it means for the region, unpack the link between food security and regional stability, and assess how the strait’s reopening could impact those affected.
WEBINAR
How might an African credit rating agency improve the continent’s financing conditions?
A joint Chatham House panel discussion, held in collaboration with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, assessing the potential impact of an African credit rating agency on reducing borrowing costs and lowering barriers to financing for African countries.
Job Opportunities
Refugees International
The Program Officer will provide administrative, programmatic, research, and advocacy support to RI’s Middle East portfolio, with a focus on displacement crises and humanitarian policy issues across the region, particularly on Syria and the Levant.
Middle East Institute
The Research Assistant is a critical role within the MEI Policy Center, dedicated to supporting various research projects of MEI scholars, as well as managing logistics and administrative tasks, reporting to the Vice President in Washington, DC.
Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED)
Chad: Climate and Environment Project Director
Senior project director role based in N’Djamena leading climate and environment programming in Chad, overseeing initiatives addressing environmental resilience, adaptation, and natural resource management in the Sahel.
Apply by July 15th.
Institute for Security Studies
At the helm of the ISS, the ED will steer a highly respected and trusted pan-African organization, ensuring that cutting-edge research translates into policy advice, technical support and training that improve human security in Africa.
Apply by July 20th.
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.
United Nations
Human Rights Intern: Middle East and North Africa
Assist Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights across research, analysis, and drafting of human right situations and violations.
Apply by Aug 31st.
International Rescue Committee
Senior Manager, Emergency Cash and Basic Needs (Sudan)
Leads IRC’s emergency cash assistance and basic-needs programming through December 2026.
Apply by December 31st.
Community Adaptation for a Water Festival Without Clean Water