Mali | Moscow’s Gamble Unravels
The News: On April 25, 2026, an alliance of the Azawad Liberation Front and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin launched the largest coordinated attack in Mali’s conflict history since 2012, simultaneously…
Somalia: The Return of Piracy
The News: Since April 20, 2026, four vessels have been seized in Somali and Yemeni waters: the fishing vessel Al-Khairi 2, the tanker Honor 25 carrying approximately 18,000 barrels of…
The Corridors Race — Gulf States and Ankara Bypass Hormuz
News: In their most strategically significant response since the war began, major Gulf states — led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE — alongside Turkey as a pivotal regional power,…
Algeria and the Sahel — A Return to Influence or a Mediation Trap?
The security order Mali’s military council had built since 2020 collapsed within 72 hours. On April 25, a coalition of the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and the Tuareg…
UAE Withdrawal from Yemen and AQAP’s Return
News: In a serious security development, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has re-emerged publicly in Abyan governorate in southern Yemen — the first clear indication of its activity since…
Mali: When Jihad Speaks the Language of Diplomacy
The News On April 25, Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), al-Qaeda’s Sahel affiliate, issued a lengthy “victory statement” describing the fighters of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) — a non-Islamist…
Mali and the Sahel: Multi-Dimensional Regional Threat
Since April 25, 2026, Mali has been experiencing the largest coordinated attack in its modern history since the 2012 rebellion, launched jointly by al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and…
The GCC Extraordinary Consultative Summit — Jeddah
Context and Timing The leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council held an extraordinary consultative summit in Jeddah on Tuesday to discuss regional developments and efforts to de-escalate tensions between the…
UAE Withdraws from OPEC and OPEC+
The News: The United Arab Emirates announced through its state news agency WAM its formal withdrawal from OPEC and the OPEC+ alliance, effective May 1, 2026. The announcement came on…
Mali Situation Report
In the early hours of Saturday, April 25, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), al-Qaeda’s Sahel affiliate, carried out a series of simultaneous attacks across Mali in coordination with the Tuareg-led…