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Aug 25, 2016

Egypt and Ethiopia: Fears of Drought and Dreams of Development

By Mohamed Mahmoud

The sign above a modest, one-story shop features a photo of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam next to an image of gold and dollars: revenue expected from the dam, the great dream in Ethiopia’s imagination. For Egyptians, that same dream stirs fears of drought. Tsegaab Getachew, a 29-year old Ethiopian tour organizer, hopes that the […]

Ethiopia North Africa

MENASource

Aug 24, 2016

Can Tunisia’s New Government Deliver?

By Karim Mezran and Elissa Miller

On August 20, Tunisia’s new Prime Minister-designate Youssef Chahed announced his new cabinet. Almost three weeks earlier, Prime Minister Habib Essid had been ousted in a vote of no-confidence. President Beji Caid Essebsi and his supporters, displeased with Essid’s performance and worried by the country’s economic downturn and political tensions, decided to change course and […]

North Africa

MENASource

Aug 24, 2016

Libya and the HoR Vote: What May Come Next

By Fadel Lamen and Karim Mezran

After many failed attempts to meet and reach a quorum, Libya’s House of Representatives (HoR) seated in Tobruk met on August 22 and voted on the cabinet of the Government of National Accord (GNA) proposed by the Presidential Council (PC) led by Fayez Serraj. With the legal quorum of 101 members, 61 members voted no […]

Libya

MENASource

Aug 22, 2016

Does Federalism Have a Future in Libya?

By Wolfgang Pusztai

In the wake of Libya’s 2011 revolution, eastern leaders feared that they would once again become second class citizens. The perceived domination by Tripolitanians of the National Transition Council (NTC)—the de facto government established during the revolution; the alleged marginalization of Cyrenaica; and the strong influence of militias from Tripoli, Misrata, and Zintan on the […]

Libya

MENASource

Aug 18, 2016

Yemen Talks at a Standstill

By Daniel DePetris

The month-long break in UN-facilitated Yemeni peace talks announced on August 6 wasn’t a surprise; indeed, it was preordained and widely expected. But this doesn’t make the relative breakdown in the negotiations any easier for the international community and the UN Security Council to stomach.  UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called upon the parties to […]

Yemen

MENASource

Aug 17, 2016

Yemeni Parliamentarians Vote to Form a New Government

By Jillian Schwedler

As the Yemen peace talks went on hiatus on August 6, the Houthi-Saleh alliance moved to convene a newly formed governing council in the capital Sanaa. As they did so, forces loyal to internationally recognized President Abd Rabbou Mansour al-Hadi tried again to take Sanaa militarily. The Houthi and Saleh camps experienced tense moments during […]

Yemen

MENASource

Aug 15, 2016

Libyan Matryoshka

By Fadel Lamen and Karim Mezran

Analyzing the situation in Libya and trying to define the root causes of the crisis is akin to unboxing a traditional Russian nesting doll—identical matryoshka dolls of decreasing size placed one inside the other ad infinitum. An initial reading may reveal the main cause of the Libyan crisis to be ideological divisions between Islamists and […]

Libya

MENASource

Aug 10, 2016

Turkey’s Outreach to Russia

By Aaron Stein

As President Recep Tayyip Erdogan makes his first international visit in the wake of an attempted coup against his government, Turkey’s recent outreach to Russia comes as part of a broader effort to recalibrate Turkish foreign policy, following years of political isolation.

Russia Turkey

MENASource

Aug 10, 2016

Can Riyadh Make the Case for Stronger Partnership?

By Frederic C. Hof

The leaders of the Saudi Kingdom worry that the foundation undergirding a 70-year partnership with the United States is eroding. A pro-Iran narrative assigning the fatherhood of jihadist extremism to Saudi Arabia picks up steam, while White House denizens make no secret of their displeasure with the Kingdom. Even the President of the United States […]

Iran Saudi Arabia

MENASource

Aug 9, 2016

Calculating the Cost of Egypt’s IMF Deal

By H.A. Hellyer

In the past five years, Cairo’s rulers have been involved in discussions with the IMF for a program three times. It has never been closer than it is now to signing off on one – but that does not mean that the challenges have suddenly disappeared. On the contrary – they are potentially larger than […]

Economy & Business North Africa