
Latest Articles about Africa

Anti-Balaka Militias Target Muslims in the Central African Republic
Recent fighting in the resource-rich Central African Republic (CAR) is inflicting a “human disaster” on the country. [1] Nearly one million residents of the country have been displaced, a majority of them from the northwestern region of the CAR that borders Cameroon and Chad, with... MORE

An In-Depth Look at Libya’s Controversial Militia Leader Ibrahim al-Jadhran
One of the greatest challenges faced by the fledging Libyan state is the seven-month long oil blockade affecting three oil terminals—Ras Lanuf, Es Sider and Zuetina—in eastern Libya that collectively account for 60 percent of the country’s oil exports. The blockade, led by Ibrahim al-Jadhran,... MORE

South Sudan on the Brink: A Profile of Nuer Opposition Leader Riek Machar Teny
As South Sudan teeters on the brink of another civil war less than two years after gaining independence, most of the focus has been on the young nation’s former vice-president, Riek Machar Teng. The 61-year-old is a veteran rebel who spent years collaborating with the... MORE

Tripoli Battles Shadowy Qaddafists While Tribal Rivals Fight Over Southern Libya
Despite living in the midst of some of the world’s most open and sparsely populated spaces, Libya’s southern tribes are engaged in a new round of bitter urban warfare, as snipers, gun-battles and mortar fire take a heavy toll on the civilian population. At stake... MORE

Northern Cameroon Under Threat from Boko Haram and Séléka Militants
The Tenth Parallel North has been described as the “fault line where Islam and Christianity meet and clash.” [1] In Africa, the Tenth Parallel passes west to east through Nigeria, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Sudan and Somalia. Cameroon is the only one... MORE

Tunisian Extremists Expand Beyond Their Bases in Jebel Chaambi
2013 marked the return of terrorism to Tunisia. Since the middle of the year, terrorist incidents have occurred with greater frequency and now pose an alarming threat to the safety of Tunisia. During the first half of 2013, the Tunisian security forces were the target... MORE

Ansar al-Shari’a: Transforming Libya into a Land of Jihad
In the first attack of its kind in Libya, a suicide car bomber drove an explosive-laden truck into a military checkpoint in Bersis (east of Benghazi) on December 22, 2013 that killed 13 people and injured 17 others (Jeune Afrique, December 23, 2013). The investigation... MORE

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb Attacks Morocco’s “Kingdom of Corruption and Despotism”
Al-Andalus, the media branch of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), released a rather sophisticated and detailed video on Morocco titled “Le royaume de la corruption et du despotisme" (The kingdom of corruption and despotism) on September 12. [1] The video mixed a series of... MORE

Oil Exploration and Political Stalemate Threaten to Trigger Renewed Conflict in the Western Sahara
The decades-long unresolved conflict over the Western Sahara threatens to heat up again as Algeria and Morocco dispute the future of the region and young members of the Sahrawi Polisario Front (Frente Popular para la Liberación de Saguia el-Hamra y Río de Oro - Popular... MORE

Foreign Fighters in Somalia and al-Shabaab’s Internal Purge
The role of foreign fighters in al-Shabaab was brought to public attention once again in October with the release by al-Kata’ib (Shabaab’s media wing) of a video entitled: “It’s an eye for an eye: the Woolwich attacks.” [1] The video featured ten British jihadis who... MORE