North Africa

The North Africa region, sometimes called the Maghreb, holds strategic and political importance for the United States and Europe with its geographic crossroad between Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Destabilized by the tumultuous uprisings of the Arab Spring, the developments in these countries are reasons for concern as well as hope, as different political, security, and economic conditions take shape in each country.

Programs

Middle East Programs

Working with our allies and partners in Europe and the wider Middle East to protect US interests, build peace and security, and unlock the human potential of the region.

Libya

Content

MENASource

Jul 20, 2015

Egypt’s Fight for Independent Journalist Unions

By Miriam Berger

The headquarters for the Independent Union for Egyptian Journalists is a small office shared with a media rights group, just steps away from the Middle East News Agency (MENA), one of the main organs of the Egyptian government’s media machine in downtown Cairo. This way, explained founder Wael Tawfik in April, the syndicate can be close to […]

North Africa

MENASource

Jul 16, 2015

Is the Skhirat Agreement Libya’s First Step to a Brighter Future?

By Karim Mezran

The agreement signed last Saturday by most Libyan factions in the Moroccan city of Skhirat represents an undoubtedly positive step forward, though not one exempt from possible pitfalls and reversals. The agreement arose from an ongoing Libyan political dialogue, moderated by UN Envoy Bernardino Leon, geared toward reaching national reconciliation among warring factions.

Libya

New Atlanticist

Jul 16, 2015

Libya Needs a Little Help from its Friends

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Atlantic Council’s Karim Mezran says peace deal, even if incomplete, can succeed with strong international support Even if a Tripoli-based faction were to set aside its grievances and sign a UN-brokered peace deal that would not be enough to rescue Libya. What the North African nation needs is an international peacekeeping force with a clear […]

Libya

MENASource

Jul 16, 2015

Recent Congressional Developments on Egypt Aid

By Amy Hawthorne and Elissa Miller

The US Senate and House of Representatives appropriations committees have now each passed their versions of the bills that fund the foreign assistance programs for the new Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 that begins on October 1.

North Africa

MENASource

Jul 10, 2015

Egypt’s New Anti-Terror Law: An In-Depth Reading

By Sonia Farid

The assassination of Prosecutor General Hisham Barakat—the first attempt on a senior official’s life since a bombing targeted the Interior Minister in 2013—came as a shock. With the attack taking place in highly secured area in Cairo —the Military Academy neighborhood—the threat suddenly felt much closer to home for many. One of the government’s first […]

North Africa

MENASource

Jul 10, 2015

A Look at the 2014 State Department Human Rights Report on Egypt

By Amy Hawthorne and Elissa Miller

Four months after the congressionally mandated due date, the US State Department finally released its 2014 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.  The report on Egypt paints a disturbing picture of the human rights crisis afflicting the country since the military ousted former president Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood on July 3, 2013, following […]

North Africa

MENASource

Jul 8, 2015

After Sinai, Calls for Revenge Dominate

By Khaled Dawoud

Angry chants demanding the execution of top Muslim Brotherhood leaders are commonplace at funerals of security personnel killed in terrorist attacks. These calls now seem stronger than ever following the assassination of late Prosecutor General, Hisham Barakat, and the death of at least twenty-one soldiers and officers in clashes with terrorists late last week in […]

North Africa

In the News

Jul 6, 2015

Slavin Moderates Issues in the News

By Barbara Slavin

South Asia Center Nonresident Senior Fellow Barbara Slavin joins Voice of America’s Issues in the News to moderate a discussion on the nuclear deal with Iran, the opening of a US embassy in Cuba, the Greek financial crisis, and the violence in Egypt:

Cuba Greece

In the News

Jul 6, 2015

Hawthorne: Counting Islam: Religion, Class, and Elections in Egypt

By Amy Hawthorne

Rafik Hariri Center Senior Fellow Amy Hawthorne writes for The Cairo Review of Global Affairs to review Tarek Masoud’s book on Egyptian politics:

North Africa

In the News

Jul 2, 2015

Laremont on Violence in Egypt

By Ricardo René Larémont

Africa Center Nonresident Senior Fellow Ricardo René Larémont joins News Plus to discuss the recent violence between the Egyptian military and ISIS militants:

North Africa

Experts