North Africa

These Are a Few of Our Favorite…Blog Posts of 2015

Here are some of the Atlantic Council’s most popular blog posts of 2015.

Student Elections in Egypt: A Potential Step Forward

By Mohamed Abdel Salam

In December 2015, the Student Union of Egypt held annual elections for the first time in over two years. The Supreme Council of Universities suspended elections in March 2013, and continued to postpone them until now. University students blamed the government for the decision, accusing it of attempting to control a volatile, anti-government student movement.

Libya’s Peace Deal Will Need Western Support to Succeed

By Ashish Kumar Sen

A UN-brokered Libya peace agreement is hamstrung by security challenges, the uncertainty that it may actually end up producing a third power center in a country that already has two rival governments, and questions about whether the envisaged national unity government would even be able to operate from Tripoli. But these challenges are not insurmountable. […]

The Five Key Challenges to a Sustainable Peace in Libya

By Mohamed Eljarh

Libya’s political factions met in Skhirat, Morocco on December 17 to sign the UN-facilitated political agreement after more than 15 months of dialogue. This agreement represents the best hope for Libya’s reconstruction after a long political and armed struggle over power and resources.

Does Egypt Believe in its Parliament?

By Yussef Auf

After a three and a half year absence, the Egyptian parliament is back in business as the final rounds of election are coming to an end. A revote for thirteen seats is taking place in four constituencies, after which all seats in the parliament will be filled. Since the Supreme Constitutional Court (SCC) dissolved the […]

Social Media in Egypt: A Catapult for Change

By Omar Halawa

Zeinab Mohamed, an Egyptian blogger who joined twitter in January 2007, never imagined social media websites could come to represent Egypt’s “virtual political spectrum.” Not only has social media become a platform for political expression, it is also a tool for spreading awareness, and at times, for exerting pressure. 

Ending Syria’s War Will Require All Hands on Deck

By Ashish Kumar Sen

The United States and Russia will have to cooperate, says former Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy Nabil Fahmy served as Egypt’s Foreign Minister from 2013 to 2014. In this interview with the New Atlanticist’s Ashish Kumar Sen, Fahmy makes the point that the United States, Russia, the Arab states, Iran and Turkey will all need […]