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Latest Articles about North Africa
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The “Scandinavian Fighter” in al-Shabaab: Fu’ad Muhammad Khalaf
Somali-Swedish militant Fu’ad Muhammad Khalaf (a.k.a. Shongole, the “Scandinavian fighter”) is one of the leaders of al-Shabaab. Apart from being a key figure of the movement, Khalaf is known for openly challenging the authority of Ahmad Abdi Godane. Background Khalaf was reportedly born in 1965... MORE
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AQAP Resilience Exposes the Weakness of Yemen’s Security Apparatus
Using an explosives-laden vehicle, a suicide bomber targeted the gate of Yemen’s 111th Army Brigade base in Ahwar, Abyan province, on October 18, while a commando of a dozen militants simultaneously stormed the camp with machine guns and RPGs (Barakish, [Sana’a], October 18; Yemen Post,... MORE
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BRIEFS
MERGER OF NORTHERN MALI REBEL MOVEMENTS CREATES POLITICAL DISTANCE FROM ISLAMIST MILITANTS Andrew McGregor Proclaiming that the move was the only means of securing peace in northern Mali, the three largest rebel movements in the region announced their merger on November 4. The merger brings... MORE
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Hot Issue: Libya in Anarchy Two Years After Western Intervention
Executive SummaryTwo years ago, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s assassination by Western-backed rebels (October 20, 2011) marked the end of all-out civil war and the collapse of the state in Libya. The United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) based their case for... MORE
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Can the Sinai’s Bedouin Become a Counterterrorist Force?
Egypt’s North Sinai region is becoming an increasingly fierce site of conflict between the Egyptian military and local and Gaza-based militant Salafist organizations. The area’s most powerful Bedouin tribes, al-Tarabin, al-Sawarka and al-Tiyaha, form a majority of North Sinai’s population and are vital participants in... MORE
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Targeting Civilians at the Core of Boko Haram’s New Strategy
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan declared a State of Emergency in May in the three states of north-eastern Nigerian where Boko Haram is most active—Borno, Yobe and Adamawa. In the following weeks, a military offensive deploying 8,000 troops with air support forced Boko Haram to abandon... MORE
Al-Qaeda’s Influential Online Strategist: Abu Sa’d al-Amili
Though the writings of online jihadist strategists are readily available, analysts have struggled with what use to make of them due to the secrecy that surrounds these writers. Are jihadists in the field likely to heed their advice? Or are these men keyboard warriors blowing... MORE
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Al-Murabitun: North Africa’s Jihadists Reach into History in Their Battle against European “Crusaders”
At the end of August, the Katibat al-Muslimeen (Veiled Brigade) of Mokhtar Belmokhtar, announced a merger with the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJWA) to create a new jihadist movement, al-Murabitun (The Almoravids). According to its founding statement, the group aims at... MORE
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Jihadism and Counterterrorism Policy in Algeria: New Responses to New Challenges
Algeria, a forerunner in the fight against Islamist terrorism due to its decades-long experience with Islamist extremists, is facing new challenges in terms of tactics and strategy. Beyond the spectacular January In Aménas attack, new trends in local terrorism were already in place. The recent... MORE
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Libya in Anarchy Two Years After Western Intervention
Two years ago, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s assassination by Western-backed rebels (October 20, 2011) marked the end of all-out civil war and the collapse of the state in Libya. The United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) based their case for military intervention on... MORE