North Africa

Time is Running Out for the Libyan Economy

By Mohsin Khan and Karim Mezran

As Libya spirals out of control, a robust, public discourse about the political and security situation among authorities and policymakers in Tripoli and in Western capitals is strikingly absent.

A Year in the Life of Egypt’s Political Scene

By MENASource

One year since then-General (now-President) Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ousted Mohamed Morsi from the top seat of power in Egypt, the dynamic political scene has shifted decidedly in favor of proponents of the state and against the Islamist project. 

One Year Later: Human Rights in Egypt

By Elissa Miller

Human rights in Egypt over the past year mirrored a history of violations that have long come under criticism by the international community. Under Hosni Mubarak, Egyptians experienced torture and police violence; they were subject to a perpetual state of emergency; and basic freedoms such as freedom of speech were widely violated. Egyptians welcomed Mubarak’s […]

One Year Later: Key Events since Morsi’s Ouster

By EgyptSource

In the one year since the ouster of former Muslim Brotherhood President, Mohamed Morsi, Egypt’s legislative and judicial landscape has seen dramatic developments, with the passing of several controversial laws, and the sentencing of activists and journalists to several years in prison, as well as the sentencing of hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood supporters to death. […]

Egyptians Who Missed the Celebration

By Alaa Al Aswany

1. “The burden will be off your shoulder when you realize that you won’t be burnt to death in one of the trucks of the Egyptian police that carry prisoners to where they’re going to be jailed. But watching a rape attempt will reveal the truth about the situation you live in. After one day […]

Sisi’s Spin Man

By Gilad Wenig

Sometime before the July 2013 coup that put Egypt’s military in de facto command of the country, top officers gathered with Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, then the defense minister, to discuss their concerns about the military’s image. The sixteen months of direct military rule following Hosni Mubarak’s ouster damaged the military’s reputation, and the officers hoped […]

Acknowledging the Corn in Libya’s Wild West

Known for its crime, smuggling, and a rise in Islamic militant activity, Libya’s southwestern border region of Fezzan evokes images of a dry, lawless, and uncontrollable desert with a tribal flare.