Libya’s deputy industry minister, Hassan al-Droui, was killed by unknown gunmen as he drove home from a shopping trip during a visit to his hometown of Sirte, east of the capital Tripoli. The government blamed the attack, which occurred during on late Saturday (11 January), on hard-line Islamist militants. It is the first assassination of […]
Tag: Sudan
Sudan’s Belated ‘Arab Spring’ – Is al-Bashir Finally Leaving?
It is often being said that events in the Arab World will inevitably find their way to the Sudan, though almost always belatedly. Now, some three years after the Arab Spring began to rattle the Maghreb region, demonstrations have filled the streets of Sudan’s capital Khartoum. What began as a protest against rising fuel prices […]
How to Attract FDI to Maghreb: Casablanca Financial City a la ‘Shenzhen’
When in January 2013 the chief of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Christine Lagarde, attended the 5th international conference of finance ministers and central banks governors of the Maghreb countries, she talked about the necessity of boosting growth and employment within the region, while also reminding the distinguished audience that political issues still constitute a […]
Egypt-Ethiopia: a Looming Water War
Ethiopia’s project to construct the Grand Renaissance Dam, a $4.2 billion hydroelectric project that will divert the Blue Nile from its natural course, has flared up passions downstream in Egypt. Although some experts deem that Ethiopia’s move is largely technical and will not alter the water flow that is vital for both downstream states, Egypt […]
Libya Closes borders as War Clouds Gather in Mali
The newly formed Libyan government has ordered the temporary closure of the country’s borders with four of its neighbors and declared the southern region a restricted military zone. The land borders with Chad, Niger, Sudan and Algeria were shut in a bid to better control and fight “illegal immigration and illicit activities such as arms […]
The Grey-Force: Militant Salafism and Changing Security in North Africa
It is common today to associate Salafism with radicalism, nihilist violence and failed states. In fact, Salafism is a heterogeneous religious and political tendency. Salafis agree on the glorification of the early Muslim community, its religious texts, its supposed unity, its energy and moral conduct. However, they differ considerably on the way to revive this […]





