North Africa | Current Events from North Africa. North African Current Events

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Arab Awakening Begins to Resemble European Enlightenment

What exactly is it today that is 'awakening' in North Africa and the Middle East? It is the people. They demand justice. But are they capable of creating just and modern governments?

Egypt: The Importance of History and Process

Egyptians are voting for what is hoped to be the first freely elected parliament in decades. Although an encouraging development, these elections do not yet signal a new dawn in Egyptian politics

Egypt: Detained in Cairo

Journalist Joseph Mayton saw firsthand over 13 hours of detention in the new Egypt, a country where the military rules, the police and the torturers act as enforcers

In Egypt's New Democracy, Women Feel their Vote Diminished

For Egypt's women, who make up 52 percent the country's eligible voters, voting is less fair than they had hoped

Libya: Long Road to Disarmament

Mistrust of Libya's interim administration is likely to deter tens of thousands of revolutionary fighters from complying with a massive new demobilization plan

Somalia: Mohamud Mohamed Ali, 'Two years later, I am back to square one'

Mohamud Mohamed Ali, 21, was a high-school student when he fled the Somali capital, Mogadishu, in June 2009, in fear of being forcibly recruited into Al-Shabaab. His dangerous journey ultimately took him to South Africa

Somalia: Yemen Returnee Numbers Soar

Continuing unrest and xenophobia in Yemen have prompted an upsurge in the number of migrants and refugees returning to Somalia, with up to 6,000 reported to have travelled back across the Red Sea

Egyptian Elections in Doubt as Violence Returns to Tahrir

Middle East analyst Bayless Parsley examines the impact violent clashes between Egyptian protesters and security forces will have on upcoming parliamentary elections and how Egypt’s Supreme Council of the Armed Forces plans to respond

Rule of Law Under Siege in Egypt

Demonstrations in Cairo's Tahrir square against Egypt's interim military rulers have reportedly left at least 33 people dead and more than 1,500 injured since they began

Egyptians Feel Less Secure on Streets and in Wallets

Egyptians feel less safe from crime and worse off financially than before the revolution that toppled President Husni Mubarak, according to opinion polls as the country's transitional military government struggles to retain its legitimacy in the eyes of many Egyptians

Guide to Egypt's First Post-Revolution Elections

Millions of Egyptians will head to the polls on November 28th in the first parliamentary vote after a popular uprising ended Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule

Fitting End for Libya's Bloody Dictator

Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi is finally rotting in the ground, ending the unsavory spectacle of his bloody corpse on public display in a refrigerated vegetable locker. A guy like him was lucky not to end up with his head on a stake

Africa: Threats of the Sea

The last year or so has seen a significant change in piracy activities, which has led to considerable successes for these terrors of the high seas

Riots and Revolutions in the Digital Age

For the Arab Spring it was Twitter; for the summer riots in London it was BlackBerry Messenger. The latest technology is helping to accelerate 'information cascades', where people make decisions based on what they see other people doing -- and getting away with

Democracy in Revolution: the Mediterranean Moment

By showing us the possibility of democracy in revolution, the Mediterranean has ignited a revolution in democracy, one that is redefining the meaning of both terms

Tunisians Celebrate Elections, Worry What Follows

As Tunisians celebrated their first big step toward democracy, many feared it may be followed by another step back as the Islamic Ennahda Party is likely to emerge as the biggest vote getter, setting the stage for a possibly searing conflict over the role of religion in the nascent democracy

Lack of Education Hinders Arab Economies

Across the Arab world -- from the wealthiest oil economies to the resource-poor countries of North Africa and the Levant -- education remains a key obstacle to making the region's economies economically competitive, a report by the World Economic Forum (WEF) has found

Powder in the Eyes in Algeria

In response to popular pressures, the Algerian regime is making gestures toward reform. But the real problem is the regime itself.

Egyptian Blogger Finally Becomes Cause Celebre

Shunned as pro-Israel, a controversial blogger is adopted by Egyptian activists after authorities send him to psychiatric hospital

Foreign Investment Outlook Dims as Arab Spring Continues to Stir

Foreign direct investment, one important remedy for economic revival in the Middle East and North Africa, looks like an increasingly distant prospect amid the continuing political turmoil

Arab Islamists Are Here to Stay

Given the history of Western support for corrupt secular governments, the popularity of moderate Islamist parties should come as little surprise nor should it be cause for concern

Arab Spring: The Fog in Our Future

The most dramatic contemporary event from which one can attempt to extrapolate future world change is the political and social uprising of the Arab peoples of the Mediterranean basin. The consequences are unpredictable, highly political in the short run, and wholly unfathomable in the longer term

International Security: Balanced Transition

'Starting from scratch' is the term used widely to describe the challenges faced by the world's newest state, the Republic of South Sudan. More recently, it has been used to describe the difficulties to be faced in Libya. While the two states are in entirely different situations both face similar difficulties in what is effectively nation building in a post-war context

Egyptian Citizens Take Up Arms Amid Insecurity

It took Ahmed Fawzi, a College of Islamic Studies graduate, only a few hours after seeing a man robbed and killed by a group of criminals to buy a gun

Egypt's Generals Fail to Stem Human Rights Abuses

In the nine months since they assumed control, the generals ruling Egypt have managed to run up an abysmal human rights record as Husni Mubarak, whose toppling from power they had promised would usher in a new era of democracy and freedom

Sinai Bedouin Join Al-Qaeda Out of Bitterness, Not Ideology

Economic and social grievances at heart of surge in violence in the Egyptian-ruled Sinai Peninsula

Rebuilding Libya

After decades of government malfeasance, Libya needs new political structures, a strong civil society, and an equitable economy

Gaddafi's Death: Mission Accomplished!

One dictator less is good, the mission has been accomplished and whatever else is happening in Libya is just mundane

Arab Spring: Fall Update

The popular Arab Spring protests against tyrannical regimes originally brought hope for freedom and democracy in the region. However, even with marginal victories, like Qadhafi's death, the future of these countries remains extremely delicate and uncertain. Here's the latest update on the countries most affected by this year's Arab Spring uprisings

Gaddafi Took Knowledge of Where Bodies Were Buried to the Grave

In all the speculation about why the late Libyan ruler was assassinated, it seems strange that media commentators would not at least speculate that it was because more than a few world governments and leaders would not want to have risked his shooting off his mouth in a trial

Libya: Now the Hard Part Starts

More than four decades after he seized power, and more than seven months after the civil war began that led to his ouster, Muammar al-Qaddafi is dead, forever removed from Libya's politics. Qaddafi's death alters but does not transform the situation in Libya

Qadhafi's Death Leaves Libyan Oil Industry Uncertain

The death of Libyan dictator Muammar Qadhafi marks the end of an era, both for the nation and its once-booming oil industry

Libya: The True Costs of Humanitarian Intervention

As rebel forces consolidated control of Tripoli in the last days of August, many pundits began speaking of a victory for the idea of humanitarian intervention. Yet even if the intervention does ultimately give birth to a stable and prosperous democracy, this outcome will not prove that intervention was the right choice in Libya

Libya: Humanitarian Intervention Comes of Age

Foreign policy realists and other critics likened the Libyan operation to the disastrous engagements of the early 1990s, arguing that humanitarian intervention is the wrong way to respond to intrastate violence and civil war. To some extent, widespread skepticism is understandable: foreign interventions inevitably face steep challenges. Yet such skepticism is unwarranted

As Arab Awakening Gets Messy, US Involvement Weakens

Since the start of the intervention in Libya, commentaries on the left have usually interpreted the action as Western imperialism. It was called an effort to seize control of Libya's enormous oil reserves, in the guise of humanitarian intervention

Arab Spring Takes Surprising Toll on Expats

The quality of life for foreigners living and working in the Middle East and North Africa has certainly taken a turn for the worse over the past year, but they might be surprised to find that some of the cities where the biggest drops occurred were by no means the ones most seriously affected by war, protests and strikes

Plunging Foreign Reserves Pose New Threat to Egypt

While Egyptians make repeat visits to the polls over the next three months to elect a new government and debate the future of their country, the country's foreign currency reserves are rapidly running down to perilous levels

Tahrir Square Protestors Losers in Egyptian Elections

Egypt's flawless elections, big turnout, and the expected win for Islamists leave liberal opposition adrift

Expected Win by Egypt's Islamists Poses Dilemma for U.S. Policy

For the Obama administration, which has pushed for free and fair elections in Egypt, the process itself might be considered a victory. The outcome, however, would be a bitter pill to swallow, as U.S. policymakers are forced to reach out to the Muslim Brotherhood to protect their interests in the region

Tunisia's New Premier Faces Islamic Test

All eyes will be on Tunisia's Hamadi Jebali, the Arab Spring's first democratically elected Islamist leader

Europe's Woes Make Their Way Across the Mediterranean

Europe's seemingly intractable financial crisis is threatening to make itself felt across the Mediterranean in the economies of North Africa that can least afford another blow, economists say

Egypt and Tunisia Try to Lure Back Their Tourists

Egypt and Tunisia are trying to woo back tourists with campaigns making use of the social media, celebrities, new slogans and a dose of image re-branding

Tunisia Elections: The Real Thing This Time

Although many challenges lie ahead, Ennahda's victory in Tunisia shows that the country is starting to work like a real democracy

Obama Sets New Precedent with Role in Getting Gadhafi

Unlike the death of Osama bin Laden, the demise of Moammar Gadhafi cannot be chalked up as an unquestioned achievement of President Obama as he seeks political arguments for re-election next year. By choice, the American role was secondary, even inelegently described as 'leading from behind'

Obama Risks an Oil Opportunity

It may be a good time to remind President Obama of oil's importance to economic security, and the role that wartime leadership and image play in getting your hands on it post-victory. He can't just quietly outsource and downplay war because it's icky, then call dibs on victory, as he has just done with Libya. Something has to give

Gadhafi Bites the Dust ... What's Next?

Forgive me if I don't join in the euphoric Hallelujah Chorus celebrating the demise of Moammar Gadhafi. Oh, I'm happy he's dead, but ...

Gaddafi's Grim End

When you get a chance to have one less Gaddafi in the world, you should take it

What's Next for United States - Libyan Relations?

After Muammar Gaddafi's demise, the future of Libya's relationship with the United States remains uncertain

Gaddafi Just Another Tyrant Who Painted Himself Into a Corner

Tyrants such as Muammar Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein seal their own fate

Post Gaddafi Libya: What Happens Next?

Libya may have to turn to Asian countries such as China and India for long term financial help as also for construction and white collar workers

Libya and Iraq: The Price of Success

The withdrawal from Iraq creates enormous strategic complexities rather than closure. While the complexities in Libya are real but hardly strategic, the two events share certain characteristics and are instructive

Gaddafi's End & Libya's New Beginning

The death of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is prompting reactions from inside the White House and outside its front gates as tourists and passersby share in expressing their opinions

Libyans Celebrate Gaddafi's Death

Libyans are celebrating the death of their former leader Muammar Gaddafi. When news of the former dictator's capture spread and even before confirmation of his death, the joy of liberation from his 42-year iron rule was felt

Price of the Libya Intervention

One legacy of attacking Libya is the 20,000 surface-to-air missiles that have gone missing

Economics of the Arab Spring

Arab economies are as varied as the region's politics -- from poor Yemen, to much richer Libya, to the very wealthy gulf states, with countries such as Egypt, Tunisia, Syria and others being something of a median. Yet the performances of these economies are as critical to the long term success of the Arab Spring as the region's laws

The Last Colony in Africa

Exporters Armed Arab Spring Crackdown

Libya: Winning the Peace Collectively

Many Arabs Stay Hopeful Even as Economies Sag

Arab World Poised for Economic Growth Spurt

Fear of an Islamic Planet

Egyptian Army Turns Guns on Its Citizens

Timeline of Egyptian Sectarian Violence

Riots in Cairo

A New Phase in Post-Mubarak Egypt

Why America Should Pay Attention to Egyptian Elections

Boycott Looms as Egyptian Elections Near