North Africa

Policy Analysis on North Africa

Your Sons Are at Your Service: Tunisia’s Missionaries of Jihad

How did Tunisia, a democratic bright spot of the Arab uprisings with very little history of terrorist violence within its borders before 2011, become one of the largest sources of foreign fighters for the Islamic State? This groundbreaking book presents the first history of the Tunisian jihadi movement and challenges simplified views of jihadism's appeal and success.

Feb 7, 2020

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Aaron Y. Zelin

Video

Brief Analysis

The Persistent Threat from the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda: The View from the UN

The head of the UN team charged with monitoring each group assesses their prospects for bouncing back and recommends further steps that governments can take to counter them.

Feb 6, 2020

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Edmund Fitton-Brown

◆ Counterterrorism Lecture Series

Brief Analysis

Tunisia Turns a Corner Against the Jihadist Movement

Fewer attacks and more prosecutions suggest the country’s integrated approach could eventually become a model for the region.

Jan 27, 2020

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Aaron Y. Zelin

Russian president Vladimir Putin and foreign minister Sergei Lavrov

Brief Analysis

Russia’s Growing Interests in Libya

As in other conflict zones, Moscow cares little about reaching a peace deal so long as it can outmaneuver the West strategically while securing port and energy access—with private contractors playing an increasingly important role.

Jan 24, 2020

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Anna Borshchevskaya

Brief Analysis

Making the Most of the Berlin Conference on Libya

If the latest conference is to succeed, the principal actors stoking the civil war must endorse a genuine ceasefire and a return to Libyan internal dialogue.

Jan 17, 2020

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Ben Fishman

Brief Analysis

Ceasefire or Escalation in Libya?

After the fall of Sirte, Erdogan and Putin’s desired ceasefire can only be achieved with Washington’s support.

Jan 10, 2020

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Ben Fishman

Brief Analysis

Turkey Pivots to Tripoli: Implications for Libya’s Civil War and U.S. Policy

Facing pressure from General Haftar and his foreign military backers, the Tripoli government has welcomed the helping hand extended by Ankara, whose own lack of regional options has drawn it into the middle of another conflict.

Dec 19, 2019

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Soner Cagaptay
Ben Fishman

Articles & Testimony

Russian Private Military Companies: Continuity and Evolution of the Model

In a bid to ensure plausible deniability, address internal rivalries, and advance its competition with the West, the Kremlin has increased its use of such contractors in the Middle East and elsewhere.

Dec 19, 2019

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Anna Borshchevskaya

Articles & Testimony

Turkey Doubles Region’s Troubles—First in Syria, and Now in Libya

New maritime and military agreements may pull Ankara into Libya’s civil war, adding yet another foreign actor to an already tortuous multilateral showdown.

Dec 16, 2019

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Algeria’s Election Is a Make-or-Break Moment

The vote’s outcome will not have much legitimacy in the eyes of the people, so Washington should focus on urging all parties to lay the groundwork for longer-term reforms aimed at breaking the political deadlock.

Dec 10, 2019

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Sarah Feuer

Articles & Testimony

What Will It Take to Repair Middle Eastern Economies?

Directly investing in nongovernmental enterprise and giving international approval to private competition can change the dynamic in individual countries, promote liberal economies, and give citizens greater agency.

Dec 8, 2019

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Bilal Wahab

Brief Analysis

The Islamic State in Libya Has Yet to Recover

Given the group’s operational silence and loss of foreign help, it may not be able to launch the type of insurgency seen in Syria, but that could change if U.S. attention wanes militarily or diplomatically.

Dec 6, 2019

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Aaron Y. Zelin

Articles & Testimony

The U.S. Must Blunt Russia’s Adventurism in Libya

The deployment of Kremlin-linked mercenaries will make a costly civil war even more difficult to end.

Nov 25, 2019

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Ben Fishman

Brief Analysis

Israeli Gas Export Route to Egypt Finalized

The two countries still need to resolve longer-term questions about international export options and energy contracts with Jordan, but the latest step toward reopening the pipeline is encouraging.

Nov 13, 2019

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

The Renaissance Dam Negotiations: An Egyptian View

The U.S.-brokered talks are a good start, but breaking the impasse on the GERD reservoir’s fill rate is crucial to avoiding deep socioeconomic damage in Egypt and potential armed conflict.

Nov 12, 2019

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Mahmoud Farouk

Brief Analysis

The Counter-ISIS Coalition Has Much to Do After Baghdadi’s Death

From dissolving the group’s caliphate to killing its leader, the coalition has notched major achievements, but all that work may be for naught if the United States and other members do not renew their cooperation at the upcoming ministerial meeting.

Nov 7, 2019

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Matthew Levitt

Articles & Testimony

The U.S.: Between Being the World’s Policeman and Trusting Regional Partners

Despite long-documented public weariness with Middle East conflicts, Trump’s successor could well recognize the value of reestablishing American credibility in the region.

Oct 28, 2019

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Dennis Ross

Brief Analysis

Tunisians to Elect a New President

With no clear front-runner emerging and public disillusionment mounting, the struggling Arab democracy is transitioning from a period of consensus to uncertainty.

Sep 13, 2019

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Sarah Feuer

Articles & Testimony

The Development of Tunisia’s Domestic Counter-Terrorism Finance Capability

The country is fast becoming a regional leader in meeting global CT norms, developing the necessary toolkits, and integrating its efforts with those of foreign governments.

Sep 10, 2019

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Aaron Y. Zelin
Katherine Bauer

Articles & Testimony

Another Conference on Libya? Enforce the Arms Embargo Instead

Without a concerted international effort to ground UAVs and halt the flow of weapons, the UN will have minimal leverage to restart the country's long-stalled political transition.

Sep 9, 2019

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Ben Fishman

Supported by the

Program on Arab Politics

The Washington Institute's 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.

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