From the North Africa, the Mediterranean and the Sahel Program
Events, commentaries and updates from the Stimson Center.
U.S.-North Africa Relations in an Era of Strategic Disruption
As North Africa faces strategic turbulence, from the U.S.-Iran war’s aftershocks to Libya’s instability, former Ambassador Joey Hood, former Ambassador Elizabeth Aubin, and former US Special Envoy Jonathan Winer discuss what’s at stake for U.S. policy in the region—RSVP for the upcoming event on July 30, 2026.
Tripoli’s New Leverage: How the American Initiative Changed the Rules of Negotiation
In a new commentary for the Stimson Center, Program Director Hafed Al Ghwell maps how a U.S.-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
Writing 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.
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.
On Our Radar
The headlines shaping politics, security, and economics across North Africa and the Sahel.
Militarnyi
Egypt Opens World’s Largest Strategic Command Headquarters
Egypt has officially opened the Strategic Command Headquarters of the Armed Forces in El-Asima el-Jadida accompanied by a large-scale military parade. President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi signed the official charter.
World Bank
World Bank Group and Morocco Partner to Unlock the Power of Next-Generation Hydropower
A major new pumped storage hydropower project in northern Morocco will provide reliable and affordable electricity, improve the resilience of the national grid, and create jobs.
Reuters
Senegal’s top court calls parliament-backed reform ‘unconstitutional’
Senegal’s top court has struck down changes to the country’s constitution that would have altered the balance of power in government, ruling against an amendment adopted by parliament last month.
Reuters
Nigeria rescues schoolchildren, teachers abducted in Oyo, presidency says
At least 39 schoolchildren and six teachers kidnapped by gunmen in Nigeria’s southwestern Oyo state nearly two months ago have been rescued by security forces, a presidential spokesperson said on Friday.
The Citizen
Bank of Tanzania buys 28 tonnes of gold worth $3.68 billion to strengthen reserves
The Bank of Tanzania (BoT) has purchased and accumulated about 28 tons of gold worth $3.68 billion (about Sh9.76 trillion at current market prices) over the past 18 months as part of the government’s strategy to strengthen foreign exchange reserves, support the value of the Tanzanian shilling, enhance financial sector stability and promote economic growth.
Business Insider Africa
Sudan’s gold wealth under threat as the EU moves to choke a key war revenue stream
The European Union has imposed new sanctions on Sudan’s gold trade, including an import ban and restrictions on selling gold within EU states, in response to the country’s ongoing civil conflict.
Business Insider Africa
Four African cities land in the bottom 10 of the global liveability rankings for 2026
Four African cities have been placed among the world’s 10 lowest-ranked urban centers in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Global Livability Index 2026, highlighting the persistent impact of insecurity, strained healthcare systems, infrastructure gaps and governance challenges across parts of the continent.
Africanews
RSF chief Mohamed Hamdan Daglo sentenced to death in absentia
A court in Sudan’s army-controlled city of Port Sudan on Sunday sentenced paramilitary leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo and 15 others to death in absentia over charges of killing a regional governor and war crimes in Darfur, state media reported.
Archyde
Belgium Unlocks Congo Mining Records Amid Global Critical Minerals Race
Belgium has begun declassifying colonial-era mining archives concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). With an estimated $24 trillion in mineral wealth at stake, the disclosure arrives as the U.S. and China compete for critical minerals.
Business Elites Africa
Nigeria Opens West Africa’s Largest Lithium Processing Plant in Push for Battery Supply Chain
Nigeria has commissioned what the Federal Government describes as West Africa’s largest lithium processing plant, marking a major step in the country’s plan to move from raw mineral exports to local processing and battery-related manufacturing.
The Africa Report
Ghana sued over Trump deportation deal in ECOWAS court case
A coalition of organizations has filed a landmark lawsuit before the ECOWAS Court over Accra’s role in a secret U.S. deportation deal that could set new legal limits on Africa’s migration cooperation with Washington.
The Africa Report
From Libya to Ethiopia, Trump sides with Sudan’s genocidal RSF
A series of recent actions by the Donald Trump administration is raising concerns that the U.S. lacks a cohesive strategy for dealing with the conflict in Sudan and the greater Horn of Africa.
The Africa Report
U.S.-Africa Week Ahead: Trump’s Africa envoy heads to West Africa as Washington courts Sahel juntas
Assistant Secretary of State Frank Garcia is travelling to Nigeria, Mali and Côte d’Ivoire for his inaugural trip to the continent, as the United States seeks to rebuild ties with the Alliance of Sahelian States.
Mauritanian News Agency
Mauritania, China Ink MoU To Partially Cancel Mauritania’s Debt
In Nouakchott, Mr. Abdallahy Ould Souleymane Ould Cheikh Sidiya, Minister of Economic Affairs and Development, and Mr. Tang Zhongdong, Chinese Ambassador to Mauritania, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the partial cancellation of Mauritania’s debt.
Bloomberg
Egypt Holds Rates a Third Time With U.S.-Iran Peace Push at Risk
Egypt left interest rates unchanged for a third consecutive meeting, opting for caution with a fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire at risk of unraveling.
The Geopolitical Desk
Libyan Presidential Council co-Chair claims he was “illegally” overruled in Intelligence Chief appointment
A political battle has broken out in Tripoli over control of the Libyan Intelligence Agency, which has become a fault line that risks escalating in western Libya, with broader repercussions in eastern and western relations at a time when the U.S. is pushing forward with a new unity deal.
The Geopolitical Desk
Inside Libya’s FX arbitrage machine
Libya’s dinar crisis is not a dollar shortage. It is the product of fiscal expansion, subsidy distortions, and a widening gap between official and parallel markets. This analysis breaks down the data behind the arbitrage machine shaping Libya’s FX trajectory.
Arab News
How migration, terrorism and war are redrawing North Africa’s security map
Libya, Tunisia and Algeria are forging closer border cooperation as transnational threats ignore national frontiers. Experts say tougher enforcement must be matched by governance reforms to deliver lasting regional stability.
Le Point
How Morocco became a world football powerhouse
In the quarterfinals of the World Cup, the Kingdom has become a key player in African and world football—a result of policies decided in high places.
African Economy Inc.
How Gulf Banks Are Reshaping Africa’s Banking Sector as European Lenders Retreat
Africa’s banking sector is undergoing a significant transformation as Gulf financial institutions expand across the continent while several European lenders continue to scale back their African operations.
Al Jazeera
Some 30 Malian soldiers killed during Anefis retaking, says army chief
General Jean Elysee Dao says 60 others also wounded as army retakes key town after nearly a week of fighting.
Al Jazeera
Can Nigeria’s drone industry deliver Africa’s defence sovereignty?
Military manufacturing may be growing, but defense sovereignty depends on far more than production. Across Africa, the ability to defend borders, monitor territory and protect critical infrastructure remains heavily dependent on foreign suppliers.
Asharq Al-Awsat
Egyptian Source to Asharq Al-Awsat: Cairo Hosts Egyptian-Israeli Talks to Avert Renewed Gaza War
An Egyptian source familiar with the Gaza ceasefire negotiations told Asharq Al-Awsat that Egyptian and Israeli delegations met in Cairo in recent hours as part of intensive efforts to prevent complications that could jeopardize the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
UN News
Sudan’s people subject to ‘relentless’ drone strikes in El Obeid
The war in Sudan threatens to spiral further as the strategically important town of El Obeid continues to face “relentless” drone attacks by advancing paramilitary militias, the UN’s human rights chief, Volker Türk, said on Friday.
The National
Libya’s rival militaries hold landmark unification talks on home soil
Libya’s rival armies met in the central city of Sirte on Sunday in one of the most senior face-to-face efforts yet to reunify the country’s divided armed forces, with both sides declaring a unified national army as the only path to lasting stability.
Reports & Analysis on the Region
Deeper dives from experts, think tanks, and research institutes.
COMMENTARY
Africa faces devastating choices as foreign aid plummets
Stimson Center Program Director Hafed Al Ghwell argues that a drop in developmental assistance to sub-Saharan Africa is forcing detrimental trade-offs for governments, stating that decreases in aid reflects a broader change and require stronger domestic tax, debt restructuring, and trade partnerships to become resilient.
COMMENTARY
What Demographic Trends Mean for U.S. Policy
Stimson’s authors looks at how the United States is older than it has ever been, even as immigration — historically its demographic advantage over other wealthy nations — has slowed sharply. Meanwhile, Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia are home to record numbers of young people entering a labor market that isn’t ready for them. The brief lays out the demographic forces reshaping U.S. priorities — youth bulges, urbanization, aging, and immigration — and what they mean for American strategy in the demographic century.
COMMENTARY
A case for rural infrastructure upgrade in Africa
Shobogun argues that infrastructure investment concentrated in African capitals leave rural areas underserved. He states that rural gaps constrain productivity and market access, making it an utmost priority.
REPORT
On the Horizon: July-December 2026
International Crisis Group’s report includes entries on Chad, Cuba, food insecurity in the Horn of Africa and Pakistan, sounding the alarm about conflicts and crises that may emerge or escalate in the next three to six months. It identifies key actors and dates to watch in support of global conflict prevention efforts.
COMMENTARY
Prospects for Agri-Food Processing in Sub-Saharan Africa
Ruerd Ruben argues Africa’s trade position in exporting raw commodities while importing processed goods limits economic development, instead advocating for investment in agri-food processing to increase revenue, employment, and import substitution.
REPORT
Financial and digital inclusion for women in Africa: seven years of action by the G7 Partnership
Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the French Treasury, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) brought together partners in the G7 Partnership for Women’s Digital Financial Inclusion in Africa to review seven years of progress and set priorities for the next phase.
COMMENTARY
Can Banjul Change Africa’s Debt Narrative?
Falala-Ltoff argues that Gambia’s framework for restructuring its sovereign debt can provide paths for other African countries to shift their own debt relationships.
REPORT
Preliminary 2026 IIAG findings: Anti-Corruption shows signs of recovery
The Mo Ibrahim Foundation has released a new data brief presenting preliminary findings from the 2026 Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) on Anti-Corruption. The analysis shows that while Africa’s average Anti-Corruption score has edged up slightly over the decade, this masks a more complex trajectory: an initial decline until 2020 followed by a sustained recovery in recent years across dozens of African countries.
COMMENTARY
Sahel collapse: State partition, rising militias and risk to Europe
GIS Reports’ Fasanotti traces Mali’s crisis from Tuareg grievances to the JNIM-ALF offensive, Russia’s Africa Corps falters, and the junta’s strain from these events. The report examines European, America, and Chinese pursuits and finds that stabilization among territorial partition is more likely than complete junta collapse.
REPORT
‘Everything Goes to Tripoli and for the South, There’s Nothing’: EU Migration Externalization and Grievances in Southern Libya
This article examines how European Union (EU) migration externalization is perceived and negotiated in southern Libya. Drawing on fieldwork conducted in 2022–2023 in Kufra and across the Fezzan, it analyses how geographically concentrated migration cooperation shapes grievances, governance, and political dynamics.
COMMENTARY
Morocco’s Sport Strategy to the Test
Morocco’s sporting ambitions have become a pillar of diplomacy and development, but rising social inequalities, youth unrest and costly mega-events expose the tensions behind the Kingdom’s global showcase.
REPORT
World Investment Report 2026: International investment in a turbulent era
UNCTAD’s flagship report looks at the recent recovery in flows of FDI and how geopolitical tensions, tariff escalation, and rising economic-security concerns are reshaping investment strategies.
COMMENTARY
Tunisia Is Dying While Chasing Political Ghosts
Middle East Forum argues that Tunisia’s centralized authoritarian control may suppress opposition in the short term, but it cannot substitute for a viable economic strategy.
COMMENTARY
Egypt’s Military Landlord Economy and its Limitations
Carnegie argues that the armed forces champion a form of capitalism that is generating revenue, but its reliance on rent faces diminishing returns, leaving the country with massive sunk costs and deferred returns, deepening dependency on external borrowing.
COMMENTARY
Defining an alternative path for AI governance in the Global South
AFD argues current AI governance frameworks represent advanced economy items while the Global South countries require structures suited to their structural gaps across infrastructure and data-sovereignty.
COMMENTARY
Why America Gets Africa Wrong
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
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
International Reserves, Currency Depreciation and Public Debt: New Evidence of Buffer Effects in Africa
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.
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
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
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.
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.
Upcoming Events
Key briefings and conferences to watch.
Chatham House
Webinar: Covering Libya: Journalism, Competition for Media Space and the Societal Impact
July 15, 2026 — This webinar will bring together journalists and analysts to explore how local and international coverage of Libya has evolved, how traditional media and social media have been utilized by rival factions, and the impact of this on Libyan society.
The Tahrir Institute
Tunisia’s Democratic Backsliding: Five Years Since Saied’s Power Grab
July 23, 2026 — To examine Tunisia’s trajectory five years since July 25, 2021, speakers will address key questions: Since Saied’s power grab, how have governance, economic, and foreign policy evolved? How have civil society actors, labor organizations, and opposition groups responded to the moment? What policy options remain available? And what do these trends suggest about Tunisia’s future political and economic trajectory?
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
How Africa Can Build AI on Its Own Terms
In this World Bank episode, Andrew Dabalen speaks with Dr. Chinasa Okolo about what it will take for Africa to shape its own AI future. The discussion explores the concept of AI sovereignty, highlighting the importance of local capacity, data governance, and context-specific solutions to ensure AI supports inclusive and sustainable development across the continent.
VIDEO REPORT
Friends turned foes: The split reshaping Senegal
In an Al Jazeera interview, Ousmane Sonko, president of Senegal’s National Assembly, reflects on his fractured alliance with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the constitutional standoff dividing the country’s leadership and the future of Senegal’s democracy.
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.
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
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.
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development
Clean Energy Transition Programme Officer
Programme Officer for the Middle East and North Africa at the Office of Global Energy Relations should have experience in project management and liaison activities to join the Division for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Latin America (EMAL). The successful applicant will be a member of a team coordinating the implementation of the Clean Energy Transitions Programme (CETP) as well as other projects with MENA counterparts.
Apply by July 19th.
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.
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development
In the Economics Department, several positions will be opened with a focus varying from structural and macroeconomic projects of a cross-country nature to country analysis. The work entails economic and econometric analyses and drafting papers on diverse policy issues.
Apply by August 16th.
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.
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.
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Research Internship (Unpaid) The research interns will assist the Center’s scholars in their research on political, economic, security and education reforms—topics related to the MENA region are selected for a period of three to six months on a full-time basis.
Community Adaptation for a Water Festival Without Clean Water