Maghreb

From a year of elections, to multiple summits, as well as conflict hotspots and debt burdens, 2024 will bring mixed fortunes for the African continent.

African leaders who went to St Petersburg expecting tangible results from Putin’s promised new programme of support for Africa will undoubtedly have concluded that Russia is unable to offer what they need.

Uganda is among the latest countries to turn up the legal temperature on its LGBTQ+ populations. Countries in the Middle East and North Africa offer lessons on how to hold the ground on sexual health and rights.

Episode 27 of our weekly podcast examines the Syrian regime with signs that governments in the Middle East are prepared to engage with Bashar al-Assad again.

The future of the region is still up for grabs. It will be up to those who believe in democracy and progress to seize it.

Short animation explaining why international policymakers must develop strategies to transform elite bargains into accountable political systems.

Football in the Arab world has long served as a forum for debate about autocratic power and violence, and it has encouraged social solidarity.

How did leading academics and policymakers think about and impact imperialism and decolonization from the 1920s to 1970s?

Examining the crossover between water security and climate change with the next two COPs taking place in regions with a history of being water stressed.

Turkey benefits from NATO’s Strategic Concept and is in a celebratory mood over a new deal with Sweden and Finland. But interpretation is the key to success.

Against a backdrop of rising urgency, COP27 in Egypt will bring all aspects of climate action into the spotlight – but especially the role of the host country.

A renewed governance split in Libya is blocking progress on agreeing an electoral framework. Ending the standoff over state spending could break the impasse.

Ukraine draws focus away from Africa’s conflict hotspots, a key concern at the AU and UN Joint Strategic Assessment on Security in the Sahel high-level consultation.

The UK has axed its Middle East and North Africa minister. This will leave the Foreign Office stretched thin and constrain Britain’s global influence.

Experiences from the MENA region show that successful energy subsidy reforms must focus strongly on mitigating social impacts.

To tackle corruption in the MENA region, the international community must prioritize accountability over stability.

Aanu Adeoye on a pan-African newspaper that is putting the truth out there

For the first time since the Arab Spring an Islamist party has been removed from power through the electoral process as Morocco’s voters dismiss the ruling PJD.

How does the post-9/11 generation reflect on the attacks of 11 September, 2001? And does its legacy shape their wider views of international politics?

In a series exploring women in international affairs, Alanoud Alsharekh and Azadeh Pourzand speak to Gitika Bhardwaj about the evolution of women’s rights across the Middle East.

The race is on as the major Middle East powers up their climate ambition after many years of slow progress. Healthy competition could help drive genuine action.

Intissar Kherigi, co-founder of the Jasmine Foundation, summarises a century of transformation of governance in the Tunisian state.

A decades-long struggle has gone digital

China has been accused of using its vaccine to expand its influence, but for many struggling economies it is filling a gap left by Western states and donors.

Libya’s new Government of National Unity (GNU) faces big administrative hurdles and a limited mandate.

While the Arab Spring is not over, the moment of 2011 is.

Although China is likely to remain its preferred economic partner, strategic rebalancing would help Algeria hedge its bets and optimize relations with Beijing and beyond.

A historically low turnout in the recent referendum highlights the urgent need for those in power to deliver serious reform for democratic change.

Policies designed to exclude asylum seekers are leading to human rights violations and undermining the international refugee regime.

The Moroccan government is capitalizing on a burst of unity, social solidarity and public support in the face of a crisis. However, if it fails to effectively mitigate the public health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, this spirit of solidarity and cooperation will not last long.

As climate change and the trade of water-intensive goods exacerbate global water scarcity, how can importers of commodity products improve the sustainable use of water at sites of production?

After decades of fragmented expansion, Algeria’s social protection system is under financial strain. With rising demand across the region, strategic reforms are needed to boost fiscal space in order to improve social welfare outcomes for the country’s citizens.

A historic opportunity exists to promote multilateral cooperation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, building on recent political de-escalation. With the right design, a new forum could succeed where previous initiatives have failed.

This paper explores armed group–community relations in Libya and the sources of revenue that have allowed armed groups to grow in power and influence.

Over the past two decades, China has increased its presence in North Africa in terms of trade and investment. This paper looks at China’s policy within the context of its Africa and Middle East policies to better understand its approach to Morocco and Tunisia.

International policymakers have failed to stabilize states such as Iraq and Yemen, partially because of the assumed binary distinction between state failure and success. This paper advocates for a ‘middle–out’ approach that aims to strengthen the connectivity between the bureaucracy and de facto authorities.

This report examines the common economic factors that continue to drive conflict in Iraq, Libya, Syria and Yemen. It also makes specific recommendations to Western policymakers addressing these types of sub-economies in detail.

Mauritania stands at the threshold of a crucial political change. The actions of political leaders and wider society during this critical period could have large and far-reaching consequences in setting the course for the country’s evolution.