Region and Topics
Sudan: A Country with Two Currencies
The News New Sudanese banknotes have begun circulating in areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces, bearing the signature of Hussein Yahya Jangoul, “governor” of the parallel central bank in Nyala. On May 11, the…
The “Gold Strife” Between Egypt and Sudan
The “gold strife” crisis between Egypt and Sudan revolves around the overlap of three highly sensitive files: unregulated artisanal gold mining, the security of the Egyptian-Sudanese border, and the Sudanese war that has…
Qatar: How Gulf–Iran Arrangements Are Redrawing the Rules of Undeclared Deterrence
Press reports indicated that Qatar offered Iran a “secret deal” before the outbreak of the Islamic Republic’s war with the United States and Israel, under which it would halt gas production in exchange for an Iranian…
The Houthi–Shabaab Entanglement and Red Sea Security
The growing coordination between al-Shabaab and the Houthis represents an additional dimension that troubles Washington, because it links two distinct yet strategically connected theaters: the Horn of Africa and the Red…
Assab, Cairo, and Addis Ababa: The New Contest in the Horn
The hottest axis is the Egyptian–Eritrean rapprochement facing off against Ethiopia. On June 10, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aty met his Eritrean counterpart Osman Saleh in Cairo, with Egypt affirming that the…
Saudi–Russian Cooperation: Economic Opportunities and Geopolitical Challenges
Overview: The chairman of the Saudi–Russian Business Council, Tariq al-Qahtani, announced on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum that Riyadh and Moscow are seeking to deepen their industrial…
Is Egypt’s Black Market Currency Making a Comeback?
The News Egyptian authorities continue their crackdown on informal currency traders, with the Interior Ministry announcing the seizure of foreign currency exchange cases worth over 20 million Egyptian pounds…
Egypt and Eritrea Draw New Containment Lines Around Ethiopia
The News On May 16, Egypt and Eritrea signed a maritime transport cooperation agreement during a visit by Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Transport Minister Kamel el-Wazir to the Eritrean capital Asmara, in the…
South Sudan — Closing the Egyptian Base: Rebalancing Power in the Nile Basin
The News Regional media outlets — without official confirmation from Cairo or Juba to date — are circulating reports that South Sudan has requested the closure of an Egyptian military base in the Jot area of Upper Nile…
Macron and Africa — French Repositioning
At the “Africa Forward” summit in Nairobi, Macron announced €23 billion ($27 billion) in investments, distributed between €14 billion from French public and private companies and €9 billion from African entities…
ISWAP Launches Coordinated Strikes Across Three Nigerian States in 48 Hours
The News On May 8, coordinated attacks struck Borno, Zamfara, and Plateau states simultaneously. In Borno, ISWAP fighters attacked a military Forward Operating Base in Magumeri, killing two soldiers. In Zamfara, an IED…
Libya’s Zawiya Refinery Resumes Operations After Two-Day Armed Shutdown
The News Libya’s largest functioning oil refinery was closed and an emergency declared after clashes erupted near the facility in Zawiya on May 8. The refinery, with a capacity of 120,000 barrels per day and connected to…