Dakar to Riyadh: Links for 5/3/2024
News and commentary from the Sahel, North Africa, the Horn, and the Mashriq.
Last week’s links here.
Sahel and West Africa
Chad’s presidential elections are approaching on May 6; the north is being ignored by all candidates. Transitional President Mahamat Déby is widely expected to win.
Mauritania will hold its elections on June 29. Among the key candidates (Fr) in Mauritania are current President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, and 2019 runner-up (and anti-slavery activist) Biram Dah Abeid.
In Nigeria, federal government workers get a massive pay hike - part of an effort to keep up with inflation.
The Malian Armed Forces claimed responsibility (Fr) for killing a senior Islamic State leader, a Moroccan fighter nicknamed Abu Hudhayfa or “Hugo” (some have been rendering it “Higgo” too). I argue here that these high-profile deaths don’t matter.
North Africa
On May 2, interior ministers from Algeria, Libya, and Tunisia met their Italian counterpart in Rome to discuss migration.
Can “climate-smart genotypes” help Morocco grow more wheat and barley despite persistent drought?
U.S. Africa Command's premiere and largest annual joint and combined exercise, African Lion 2024, got underway Monday in Tunisia, the Pentagon announced during a briefing today [May 1].
U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa, will be hosting the exercise across Tunisia, Senegal, Ghana and Morocco; with more than 8,000 personnel from over 27 nations participating through May 31, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters.
Greater Horn of Africa
Faisal Ali on why so many commentators compare Gaza (and Haiti) to Somalia/Mogadishu, and why the comparison fails:
In many ways, comparing Mogadishu to Gaza is an attempt to exonerate Israel for its own role in creating this humanitarian disaster as a belligerent occupying power executing a deadly campaign. There is a qualitative difference between one country obliterating its neighbor and factions within a country fighting to ensure their constituency gets power.
U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello testified to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on May 1.
Professor Khalid Medani: “The Brutal Conflict in Sudan is Not a Civil War. It’s a War on Civilians.”
Mashriq
Ibrahim Moiz on the life of Yemeni shaykh/politician Abdul-Majeed Zindani:
When the two Yemens united under Northern dictator Ali Saleh’s leadership in 1990, Zindani worked to undercut leftist influence. He founded the Islah Party, along with the northern Hashid confederation chieftain and assembly speaker Abdullah Ahmar, in 1990. This was a mixture of Ikhwan-leaning Islamists, Salafis, and clansmen: Zindani qualified in each category. It became a major partner to Saleh’s ruling party, with Zindani promoted to the five-man ruling council in 1993.
By 1994 unhappiness with Saleh was mounting among various southern politicians, both the leftists and their former rivals, prompting them to break away and attempt to secede. The resultant war showed the limits of accord between Saudi Arabia and Islah. Riyadh, which had fallen out with Saleh, backed the separatists, but Zindani and Ahmar fiercely opposed them and framed the war as a jihad, for which they recruited both Islamist militants and clan fighters. It was only after the civil war that his relations with the Saudis were repaired.
Amnesty International on Iraq: “Authorities in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq Must Immediately End Their Assault on Press freedom.”
This will be outdated quickly I’m sure, but here’s some of the latest reporting on the “mega deal” the U.S. is pursuing with Saudi Arabia.
Turkey cuts off trade with Israel.