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Sahara: UN denies likely resignation of UN SG’s Personal Envoy as mere speculation

The United Nations has formally denied the possible resignation of Staffan de Mistura, the UN Secretary General’s personal envoy for the Sahara. During his daily press briefing on Monday, Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary General António Guterres, flatly denied the rumors relayed by certain media according to which Mr. Staffan de Mistura is […]

Gas exploration: British firm Chariot wins a new license for the Rissana offshore zone

The Rissana offshore zone, located in the immediate vicinity of that of Lixus, off Larache, where large gas reserves were discovered last January, has been awarded to the British company Chariot. The Africa focused transitional energy company Chariot announced this Monday February 28 that it has been formally awarded the Rissana Offshore Licence for gas […]

China’s ‘Soft-Power’ Inroads into North Africa

The current international environment has been significantly shaped by three defining events: the eurozone crisis, the ‘Arab Spring’ accompanied by the rise of political Islam in North Africa and the Middle East, and the continuing rise of China’s global influence. A closer look at these three seemingly disconnected events reveals that they are in fact […]