Latest Articles about Africa
Reconciliation or Extremism?: Tracking the Divisions among Egypt’s Jihadi Leaders
Some time has passed since the May 30 death of al-Qaeda's chief of operations in Afghanistan and third-in-command Mustafa Abu al-Yazid. Surprisingly, however, no eulogy has been issued by al-Qaeda’s second-in-command, Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri. Al-Yazid and al-Zawahiri shared the same cell in Egypt for being... MORE
Reset at Sea: US-NATO-Russian Cooperation in the Struggle against Piracy
Piracy has a long history and the struggle with it is closely tied to concepts of national sovereignty, freedom of the seas, and the protection of life and property at sea. In 1609, Hugo Grotius, (1583-1645), the great Dutch legal theorist, provided the legal foundation... MORE
Algeria’s AQIM Becomes a Regional Threat Despite Surrender of Senior Leaders
The Algerian-based al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) organization is facing new challenges to its leadership and its mission as a result of Algerian counterterrorist measures. The loss of a number of AQIM’s commanders to defections or arrest during security sweeps is beginning to have... MORE
Is Yemen Contemplating a Military Offensive in the Secessionist South?
The secessionist movement in southern Yemen has become increasingly violent in recent months and has gained considerable momentum since it first attained a loose organizational structure in 2007. The prospect of a renewed civil war ensuing between southern forces and the central government in Sana’a,... MORE
Admiral of the Desert – Muhammad Omar Osman and the Ogadeni Rebellion
The ceaseless destruction of Somalia by internecine clan warfare, sectarian conflict and foreign intervention continues to garner headlines in the international media; yet across Somalia’s border with Ethiopia there is an ongoing conflict involving ethnic Somalis in a remote and inhospitable region that has had... MORE
A Portrait of Abderrazzak al-Para: GSPC’s Mystery Man in the Maghreb
Amari Saifi, better known as Abderrezak al-Para (The Parachutist), was a rising star in the Algerian Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat, GSPC (Groupe Salafiste pour la Prédication et le Combat). However, his path as an Islamist militant leader was cut short when he was... MORE
Renegade Generals Threaten Unity of South Sudan’s SPLA as Independence Referendum Approaches
As the January 2011 referendum on independence for oil-rich South Sudan approaches, ongoing mutinies and indiscipline within the South’s military may create conditions of insecurity that threaten to delay the long-awaited plebiscite. Khartoum has little interest in seeing its main source of revenue separate and... MORE
What Kind of Relations Does Egypt’s Islamic Group Seek With Cairo’s Al-Azhar?
Since opening its doors to academic studies in 975 CE, Cairo’s al-Azhar University has become the Islamic world’s preeminent institution of Islamic studies and its Shaykh (or leader) has been traditionally regarded as the Sunni Islamic world’s most authoritative voice. However, since the Egyptian Revolution... MORE
Al-Qaeda Infiltration of the Western Sahara’s Polisario Movement
Jihadi forum participants were excited about a posting entitled: "Al-Qaeda penetrates the Polisario army and the Mauritanian army is in danger" (atahadi.com, April 20). Endeavors to penetrate the Polisario Front of the Western Sahara have long been on al-Qaeda's agenda.The posting gives a short brief... MORE
Algeria Launches Nation-Wide Counterterrorism Offensive
With al-Qaeda activities in the Sahel/Sahara region of Africa creating havoc with commerce, trade, resource extraction, tourism and general security, the nations of the region appear ready to mount a coordinated military approach to the elimination of Salafist militants. Algeria, with the largest and best-armed... MORE