Latest Articles about Africa
Libyan Islamists Back Away from al-Qaeda Merger in Reconciliation with Qaddafi Regime
It has been more than two years since talks started between the Libyan authorities and the imprisoned leaders of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (Al-Jama’a al-Islamiya al-Muqatilah bi Libya – LIFG). As both sides acknowledge past mistakes, there are finally signs that the longtime antagonists... MORE
Morocco’s Multi-Pronged Counterterrorism Strategy
This May marks the sixth anniversary of the deadly night of suicide bombings in Casablanca. The attacks, characterized by many as Morocco’s 9/11, took the lives of 33 innocent victims, while the attackers, hailing from the slums of Sidi Moumen, lost 12 of their own. ... MORE
British Hostage Threatened with Death Unless Abu Qatada is Released from British Prison
Warnings continue to come from Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) that time is running out for the British government if it wants to obtain the release of a kidnapped British tourist by freeing imprisoned al-Qaeda ideologue Abu Qatada al-Filistini (Ennahar [Algiers], May 2). While... MORE
Mokhtar Belmokhtar: The Algerian Jihad’s Southern Amir
Suspected of a leading role in the kidnapping of the two Canadian and two European hostages released on April 21, 2009, the enigmatic Mokhtar Belmokhtar has yet again come to the fore as the dominant jihadi personality in the Sahara. Dubbed the “Uncatchable” by French intelligence... MORE
“Stopping the Idols”: Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb Calls for Boycott of Algerian Elections
Al-Qaeda and radical Islamist groups that look to al-Qaeda as a source of guidance and inspiration boast an impressive record of issuing carefully calculated public statements in an effort to influence key political events in their favor. In addition to relying on violence, the remarkable... MORE
BRIEFS
GOVERNMENT FORCES CLASH WITH ROGUE ISLAMIST COMMANDER IN MINDANAO Filipino government forces engaged in a major battle last week with rebel forces under the command of a renegade commander of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The clashes, described as the fiercest this year, occurred... MORE
Chinese Involvement in African Conflict Zones
As China expands its engagement throughout Africa, it increasingly finds itself involved in African conflict zones either by design or accident. This involvement takes essentially three forms: Chinese participation in UN peacekeeping operations, Chinese weapons, especially small arms, which make their way into conflict zones,... MORE
BRIEFS
PRO-GOVERNMENT WARLORD LAUNCHES ATTACK IN SOUTH SUDAN’S OIL-RICH MALAKAL REGION Fierce fighting broke out last week in the oil-rich region in and around Malakal, the capital of Sudan’s Upper Nile State, after a government-sponsored militia leader made an unexpected return to the city, where he is... MORE
Government Forces Overrun Tuareg Rebel Camps in Northern Mali
Mali's security forces appear to have broken the latest Tuareg rebellion in that country as a month-long offensive concludes with the seizure of all Tuareg bases in north Mali. The leader of the revolt, Ibrahim Ag Bahanga, is believed to have escaped across the border... MORE
Gul’s African Visit Could Indicate How Turkey Will Act in the UN Security Council
Turkish President Abdullah Gul visited Kenya and Tanzania to expand Turkey's relations with the two African countries. With this visit, Abdullah Gul became the first Turkish president to pay an official visit to these sub-Saharan nations. Kenya and Turkey signed an agreement that envisages cooperation... MORE