Africa

Sustaining Gains in Somalia’s Offensive against Al-Shabaab

What’s new? The Somali government has gained ground in its war with the Islamist insurgency Al-Shabaab, mainly in central Somalia. Most of the progress is due to Mogadishu’s leveraging of local discontent with Al-Shabaab to form alliances with clan militias.

Leveraging Lives: Serbia and Illegal Tunisian Migration to Europe

In 2020–2022, Tunisian illegal migrants traveled through Serbia to reach Western Europe, as an alternative to the hazardous, more monitored Mediterranean route. This was driven by push factors in Tunisia, including deteriorating economic conditions and government acquiescence, and pull factors in Europe, namely smuggling networks and Serbian authorities looking the other way. While the route was sealed for Tunisians in November 2022, as long as transit states can use illegal migration to secure geopolitical leverage, such actions will continue.

«Dans l’ancien empire colonial, les coups d’État ne sont plus perpétrés depuis longtemps par des anciens des services français!»

Entretien avec l’essayiste Loup Viallet autour de la tournée africaine du président Macron.

Emmanuel de Gestas. Dimanche 12 mars, la chaîne LCP a déprogrammé une interview de Kemi Seba tournée par Yves Thréard, à la suite d’une polémique. Pourriez-vous nous éclairer sur cet événement ?

Le chef d’Aqmi Abou Obeida Youssef al-Annabi répond à 17 questions de France 24

Après un an d’intenses tractations, Wassim Nasr, le spécialiste des mouvements jihadistes à France 24, est parvenu en exclusivité à envoyer ses questions à l’émir d’Al-Qaïda au Maghreb islamique (Aqmi), Abou Obeida Youssef al-Annabi. Départ de Barkhane, menace terroriste sur la France, stratégie d’expansion vers le Golfe de Guinée… notre chroniqueur décrypte et met en contexte les réponses du chef de l’organisation terroriste.

France’s New Strategy For Africa – Analysis

Ever since his first term in 2017, French President Emmanuel Macron has sought a broad reset of national strategy, relations and intervention in Africa owing to France’s complicated and chequered historical legacy in the continent.

China’s Media Propaganda in Africa: A Strategic Assessment

Over the last decade, partnerships with developing countries have become central to China’s geostrategic objectives. In Africa specifically, China has made significant investments to secure favorable media coverage to promote a positive view of China, to counter the influence of the United States, and to assert and normalize China’s territorial claims over Taiwan, the South China Sea, and other contested areas. This report examines China’s investments in Africa’s media sector, assesses their effect, and makes recommendations for how the United States can respond to China’s influence campaigns.

Glass Houses: U.S. Military Trainees and Destabilization of African Governments

  • The United States provided training to several West African military officers who later went on to be involved in at least nine coup attempts in five countries since 2008.
  • Russia may integrate this narrative into overall efforts to undermine the U.S. campaign to convince African governments not to engage further with the Kremlin-linked private military company known as the Wagner Group.
  • Like many global powers, the United States has a history of involvement in engaging in the affairs of governments across the African continent, which can serve to further discredit future U.S. involvement.
  • Russian influence is increasing in sub-Saharan Africa while simultaneously, European countries are drawing down forces from peacekeeping and counterterrorism operations in Mali.