Region and Topics
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…
The Houthis and the Cost of Iran’s War
The News The Houthi movement is experiencing its deepest financial crisis since seizing Sanaa in 2014 — and the timing could not be worse. Their primary strategic backer is fighting for survival, and the financial…
Strait Vulnerability — A Global Economic Trigger
News: What the Iran-US war has exposed is not merely the vulnerability of Hormuz — but the vulnerability of the entire global economic system. Seven major energy-producing states, representing a substantial share of the…
A New Trade Dispute Between Washington and Brussels
The News The Trump administration raised tariffs on European cars and trucks from 15% to 25%, in a move announced on May 1, 2026. The decision comes in response to what Washington describes as the European Union’s…
Libya: Suspended Legitimacy
The News: Rome hosted the first “4+4” format meeting under UN mission auspices, with representatives from eastern and western Libya agreeing on a mechanism to reconstitute the High National Elections Commission through a…
Nigeria & South Africa | Pressure, Drift, and the Battle for Influence
The News: Two separate crises converge in a single strategic frame. South Africa is experiencing a wave of anti-immigrant violence targeting African nationals, prompting Nigeria to recall its ambassador and Ghana to file…