Dakar to Riyadh: Links for 7/26/2024
News and analysis from the Sahel, North Africa, the Horn, and the Middle East.
You can find last week’s links here.
Sahel and West Africa
Reporters Without Borders: “Who Are the Four Journalists That Disappeared in Burkina Faso?”
Human Rights Watch: “Niger: Rights in Free Fall a Year After Coup.”
Mansur Abubakar: “Why Nigerians Are Praying for the Success of a New Oil Refinery.”
Daniel Eizenga and Amandine Gnanguênon: “Recalibrating Coastal West Africa’s Response to Violent Extremism.”
In Cote d’Ivoire, a dispute over the Baoulé monarchy (French) has national political implications.
IOM maps (French) patterns of mobility (human, financial, etc.) in, into, and out of Chad.
North Africa
Last Friday, Tunisian President Kais Saied announced he’s running for re-election (French). The vote is scheduled for October 6.
In Algeria, the prize-winning novel Houaria draws controversy over alleged obscenity (French).
Things are delicate at Ras Jedir, the main crossing point between Libya and Tunisia (French). For context, see Max Gallien’s Smugglers and States.
Coping with heat in Marrakesh (Arabic).
Horn of Africa
Landslides have claimed more than 200 lives in Ethiopia’s Gofa Zone.
Martin Siele: “Kenya’s Ruto Ropes Opposition into His Cabinet Amid Protests.”
In Hammer & Hope, four authors discuss the conflict in Sudan:
With every month, the catastrophe reaches new depths. The need for urgent attention and an immediate response remains. Yet thinking of humanitarianism alone masks the root causes of the violence, which are shaped by colonialism and racial capitalism. The desire to finally confront these historical forces gave rise to Sudan’s December Revolution in 2018, propelling the country into one of the most powerful movements for emancipation in the 21st century. The exclusion of the December Revolution and its demands, encapsulated in its slogan “Freedom, peace and justice,” from political discussions is not just a theoretical failing — it has had an effect on the ground, undermining people’s ability to exercise their agency to help themselves.
Médecins Sans Frontières: “A War on People: The Human Cost of Conflict and Violence in Sudan.”
The Somali Wire charges that corruption is reaching unprecedented levels in Somalia, particularly in the security sector.
Mashriq
Mark Perlmutter and Feroze Sidhwa: “We Volunteered at a Gaza Hospital. What We Saw Was Unspeakable.”
Hugh Lovatt: “Unlawful Practices: How Europe Can Challenge Israel’s Presence in Palestine.”
Ryan Grim: “Leaked UN Report: Israeli War Has Killed 366 UN Staff and Family Members as Netanyahu Prepares to Address Congress.”
Rana Khoury and Emily Scott on the “localization” of aid in Syria:
Time and time again, we saw examples where international humanitarian organisations relied on the labour, risk-taking, access, and knowledge of local actors – all while maintaining their subordination. International humanitarians “went local” in the Syria response by using Syrians for delivery, but they did not “localise” by devolving leadership or authority.
Mike Fleet and Mohanad Adnan on Iraq:
In the aftermath of the December 2023 Provincial Council (PC) elections, political parties across Iraq have been seeking to shore up their gains or minimize their losses in the formation of the provincial executive governments, with some provinces, like Kirkuk and Diyala, remaining in deadlock at time of writing. However, in other provinces, such as Ninewa, those now in power are looking to ensure that they are maximizing their new gains by dominating key administrative positions at the district and subdistrict levels. Since its inaugural session in February, the Ninewa PC, like others nationwide, has been focused on realigning and redistributing the levers of power within its control as political parties look to strengthen their position ahead of Iraq’s next federal elections scheduled for October 2025.
Burhan Ahmed on Yemen:
Through a review of the Houthi movement’s rhetorical shifts, this paper tracks how the Houthis have moved from presenting themselves as an oppressed minority to a popular revolutionary movement and now as a righteous authority with a divine right to rule. This paper examines messages disseminated across multiple platforms, including broadcasts on two main Houthi news sites, Al-Masirah, which the group owns, and Al-Hawiyah, which supports the movement; radio programming in areas under the group’s control, including Al-Masirah Radio and Sam Radio; and the social media posts of Houthi officials. Through investigation of these outputs, it becomes clear that Houthi authorities are continuously adapting their messages to fit new political realities. Examining what the Houthis say about Yemen, the war, and the wider world – and when they say it – reveals the roots of their appeal, anxieties, and ambitions.
Yasmine Farouk: “Saudi Arabia’s Pursuit of Status Recognition.”
Ola Salem: “The Curious Case of a Dubai Prince, a Tiger, Tucker Carlson and Andrew Tate.”