North Africa

Policy Analysis on North Africa

With President Donald Trump participating in his first international summits, several of America's EU and Gulf allies will be considering the future of Libya. Trump's statement in April that he sees no role for the United States in Libya not only signaled a lack of interest in the fragile state

May 24, 2017

◆

Ben Fishman

Brief Analysis

Manchester Attack Highlights Foreign Fighters in Libya

Even as the Islamic State continues to lose territory, its evolution in Libya since 2014 should convince Western authorities not to underestimate its capacity for directing lethal attacks abroad.

May 24, 2017

◆

Aaron Y. Zelin

Fikra Forum

A Change of Power: Morocco after Benkirane’s Ouster

March 23, 2017 In mid-March, the Moroccan King Mohammed VI invoked Article Forty-Seven of the 2011 Constitution to remove President Abdelilah Benkirane from his post. The king asked the career politician from relatively modest means in Rabat-Salé to step down despite appointing him for a second term, his party winning

May 23, 2017

◆

Colette Apelian

Articles & Testimony

Egypt's Failed War on Terror

Cairo has demonstrated a stunning lack of will to eradicate ISIS from Egyptian territory and has been losing ground against a virulent but numerically small insurgency in the Sinai.

May 10, 2017

◆

David Schenker

Articles & Testimony

When International Guarantees Utterly Failed

The international community's vacillation and vague guarantees in the run-up to the 1967 war taught the Israelis an important cautionary lesson: when the chips are down, they need to be able to defend themselves by themselves.

May 4, 2017

◆

David Makovsky

Brief Analysis

Algeria's Growing Security Problems

By encouraging Algiers to develop a more comprehensive approach to the persistent extremist threat in the south and east, Washington can also help manage the crises in Libya and Mali.

Apr 25, 2017

◆

Vish Sakthivel

Articles & Testimony

Could Italy Get Trump to Care About Fixing Libya?

To take a strong step forward on a major ongoing conflict, the president should listen closely to a U.S. ally and make a clear statement in support of Libya's unity government and the UN-sponsored peace process.

Apr 20, 2017

◆

Ben Fishman

Articles & Testimony

Fifteen Years After the Djerba Synagogue Bombing

Tunisia has had one of the largest foreign fighter mobilizations to the battlefields of Libya, Iraq, and Syria, so its outsize representation in the ranks of international terrorist operatives will likely persist well into the future.

Apr 14, 2017

◆

Aaron Y. Zelin

Articles & Testimony

Despite Attacks Egypt Maintains Conventional Military Strategy

Having demonstrated that he is a sincere partner and friend, President Trump can now approach Sisi for a serious conversation about helping Cairo improve its performance against jihadis in the Sinai.

Apr 9, 2017

◆

Eric Trager

Articles & Testimony

Enhancing Egyptian-Israeli Ties under the Trump Administration

U.S. officials should take a four-pronged approach to lowering the barriers that have long impeded true normalization between the two countries.

Apr 2, 2017

◆

Haisam Hassanein

Brief Analysis

President Trump Talks Terror with Egypt's Sisi

To help Washington in the war against the Islamic State, Cairo must first help itself, in part by adopting a modern COIN approach in Sinai and refocusing its military spending toward that end.

Mar 30, 2017

◆

David Schenker

Articles & Testimony

Can Trump Cut a Deal With Egypt?

Washington has a strong hand to ask for real concessions on issues such as aid priorities and prosecution of Americans, as well as clarification of Russia's reported military deployments.

Mar 30, 2017

◆

Eric Trager

Fikra Forum

The View From Marrakesh: "Africans Against Islamic Extremism!"

March 27, 2017 Last month the Marrakesh Security Forum, a semiofficial annual conference of experts and policymakers hosted by Morocco's leading foreign policy think tank, marked the diplomatic reunion of Morocco and the African Union with intense discussion of common continental interests in confronting violent jihadi threats. And last week

Mar 27, 2017

◆

David Pollock

Brief Analysis

Will Morocco Extradite a Hezbollah Financier to the United States?

Last week's arrest highlighted the kingdom's role as a key counterterrorism partner, and following through on the U.S. extradition request could deliver a significant blow to Hezbollah's reputation and finances.

Mar 23, 2017

◆

Hanin Ghaddar
Sarah Feuer

Articles & Testimony

The Moroccan King Dismisses an Islamist Prime Minister

Given the PJD's popularity, the king's decision is surprising and seemingly risky, but the Islamist party may choose to accept the compromise and move forward.

Mar 17, 2017

◆

Vish Sakthivel

Articles & Testimony

Sisi's Domesticated Foreign Policy

Much to his Gulf allies' chagrin, Egypt's president has not toed their anti-Iranian line in the region, instead following his own pattern of supporting state actors against non-state actors.

Mar 8, 2017

◆

Eric Trager

Fikra Forum

The Central Role of Women’s Issues in Post-Arab Spring North Africa

March 8, 2017 Women’s demands in North Africa are increasingly diversified and polyvocal as new actors and agents gain visibility in the public sphere of authority. This diversification is being nourished by new values, such as all citizens’ dignity in the public sphere, and new approaches, such as the use

Mar 8, 2017

◆

Fatima Sadiqi

Articles & Testimony

What an Egyptian-Iranian Thaw Would Mean for U.S. Foreign Policy in the Region

If Washington fails to address Egypt's financial problems, its dispute with Saudi Arabia, and its over-emphasis on the dangers of Sunni Islamism, then American efforts to contain Iran could be in jeopardy.

Mar 4, 2017

◆

Haisam Hassanein

Brief Analysis

Bab al-Mandab Shipping Chokepoint Under Threat

Reports of Yemeni rebel mining activity are only the latest in a string of threats to international vessels transiting the narrow link between the Suez Canal and the Indian Ocean.

Mar 1, 2017

◆

Jeremy Vaughan
Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

Can Algeria's Fractured Islamists Retain Their Appeal as a Movement?

Ahead of parliamentary elections in May, Algeria’s fractious Islamist parties have announced unlikely new sets of electoral blocs. The confusing new coalitions are not just the latest iteration of the alphabet soup of Algeria’s Islamists. They also reflect the enduring limitations of Islamist party politics, which present an incomplete picture

Feb 27, 2017

◆

Vish Sakthivel

Supported by the

Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics

The Washington Institute's Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics focuses on social, political, and economic developments in the Arab world, with an emphasis on the Arab countries of the Levant.

Never miss a breaking event on U.S. policy interests in the Middle East. Customize your subscription to our expert analysis, op-eds, live events, and special reports.

Featured experts

Robert Satloff

Robert Satloff is the Segal Executive Director of The Washington Institute, a post he assumed in January 1993.

Ben Fishman

Ben Fishman is the Steven D. Levy Senior Fellow in the Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics at The Washington Institute, where he focuses on North Africa.

Regions & Countries

Issues

North Africa

Policy Analysis on North Africa

Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics

Sign Up for Email Updates from The Washington Institute

Featured experts