Algeria’s pro-separatism diplomacy collapses on Spanish, French and Sahel rocks – The North Africa Post
The change suggests not just tactical adjustments but a broader rethink of how military-run Algiers wants to position itself. When Paris decided to back Morocco’s sovereignty over Sahara, Algeria responded immediately: it recalled its ambassador, froze aspects of security cooperation, arrested a French novelist and a French journalist and hardened its rhetoric. French Interior minister was received in Algiers, and sensitive files, including security, migration and returns of unwanted migrants are back on the table. After Madrid backed Morocco’s autonomy plan for the Sahara, Algeria recalled its ambassador, froze the friendship treaty and announced economic pressure. Disagreements over armed groups in northern Mali and the implementation of the Algiers Accords have led Bamako to question Algeria’s mediation.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 27, 2026 05:13 UTC
King Receives Newly Appointed Ambassadors to Morocco – The North Africa Post
King Mohammed VI received, on Thursday at the Royal Palace in Rabat, newly appointed ambassadors to Morocco. The Diplomats handed the Monarch their credentials as plenipotentiary and extraordinary ambassadors of their countries in the Kingdom. The Monarch thus received Ambassador of the Vatican, Monsignor Alfred Xuereb, Ambassador of India Sanjay Rana; Ambassador of Japan, Nakata Masahiro; Ambassador of Australia, Damien Patrick Donovan; as well as the ambassadors of of several African, European, and Latin American Countries. The Monarch received the ambassadors representing European countries, namely Berit Basse, Ambassador of Denmark; Dirk-Jan Nieuwenhuis, Ambassador of the Netherlands; Valentin Zellweger, Ambassador of the Swiss Confederation; and Gilles Heyvaert, Ambassador of Belgium. The Monarch also received the credentials of Isbeth L. Queil Murcia, Ambassador of Panama; Arnaldo Tomás Ferrari, Ambassador of Argentina; and Marco Tulio Gustavo Chicas Sosa, Ambassador of Guatemala.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 27, 2026 05:09 UTC
Morocco Reclaims Investment Grade Rating, Standing Alone in Africa – The North Africa Post
Morocco has become the first — and currently only — African sovereign to hold an investment grade rating from Standard & Poor’s on the eurobond market, a distinction that marks a significant turning point in the country’s financial standing and its positioning among emerging market economies. The upgrade places Morocco alongside Botswana (BBB), Mauritius, and Saint Helena (BBB-) — well above regional heavyweights such as South Africa (BB), Egypt (B), and Nigeria (B-). GDP growth is projected to average around four percent annually between 2025 and 2028. It is an implicit contract with markets, conditional on continued reforms, debt discipline, and transforming investment into inclusive growth,” warned economist Adnane Benchekroune. The investment grade label, analysts agree, is a credibility milestone — but the harder task of converting it into tangible economic gains lies ahead.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 27, 2026 03:58 UTC
African UN Security Council Members Praise Morocco’s Peace-building Role in CAR – The North Africa Post
Three African non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council have formally commended Morocco for organizing a landmark international conference in support of the Central African Republic, reinforcing Rabat’s growing diplomatic role on the continent. The Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, and Liberia — collectively known as the “A3” — voiced their appreciation during a Security Council briefing on the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) held Wednesday in New York. The session focused on progress achieved since the Partners’ Roundtable on the CAR, hosted by Morocco in Casablanca last September. The meeting also provided a platform for Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Omar Hilale, to brief the Security Council on peace-building advances in the CAR. On behalf of the Peace-building Commission, he congratulated President Faustin Archange Touadéra on his re-election and on the Central African government’s commitment to democracy and institutional continuity.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 27, 2026 03:48 UTC
North Africa: Firm Taps Biometric Tech to Boost Healthcare Access in N. Africa
Nairobi — A humanitarian initiative in northern Mauritania is leveraging biometric technology to improve healthcare access for thousands of patients without official documentation. HumanCoop, a volunteer-led medical organisation operating in the Tiris Zemmour region, will deploy facial biometric solutions from Identy.io to identify patients during medical missions in Bir Mogrein and Zouerate. By integrating biometric verification tools, the organisation expects to reduce duplicate records, speed up access to patient histories and improve treatment traceability. The initial rollout will establish a biometric patient database in Bir Mogrein, with gradual expansion planned across other operational areas. The initiative reflects a growing trend of humanitarian organisations adopting digital identity solutions to bridge healthcare access gaps for displaced and undocumented populations.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 27, 2026 02:16 UTC
Kim Jong Un vows to strengthen nuclear program, watches military parade with daughter
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un promised to strengthen his country’s nuclear weapons program on Wednesday, before presiding over a nighttime military parade, accompanied by his daughter. North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un attends a military parade with his daughter, believed to be named Ju Ae, on Wednesday night. Members of North Korea's military march during a military parade involving 14,000 troops in Pyongyang on Wednesday. Rodong Sinmun/KCNANorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un promised to strengthen his country’s nuclear weapons program on Wednesday, before presiding over a nighttime military parade. Rodong Sinmun/KCNAAlongside the promise for more nuclear weapons, Kim also reiterated plans for stronger ICBMs, submarine-launch capabilities, and developments involving drones and artificial intelligence.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 26, 2026 23:52 UTC
Israel in a New Strategic Era
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Source:The North Africa Journal
February 26, 2026 17:06 UTC
Morocco’s Gold Potential: What Lies Beneath the Surface? – The North Africa Post
As gold prices shatter historic records on global markets — now trading durably above $5,000 per ounce — the surge is reigniting an old ambition in Morocco: unlocking the kingdom’s long-dormant auriferous potential. But how much gold does Morocco actually have, and what can it realistically produce? For Morocco, the timing is stirring renewed conversation about what lies beneath its soil. Meanwhile, Managem Group — Morocco’s leading mining conglomerate — produces roughly five tonnes of gold per year, but that figure reflects its African operations abroad, not domestic extraction. While Morocco’s proven reserves appear limited, advancing exploration technologies and sustained high gold prices may yet reveal what the subsoil has long been keeping secret.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 26, 2026 16:07 UTC
Trade Leaders Interview: Norhan Ezzat, Bank of Sharjah
Norhan Ezzat, newly appointed head of transaction banking at Bank of Sharjah, is tasked with building the lender’s global transaction banking franchise from the ground up. Ezzat: This is the second time I’m building transaction banking from scratch, and the third time overall in terms of transaction banking transformation. It has a strong legacy with its customers and is seeking growth across transaction banking, corporate banking and retail. GTR: You also have previous experience in Islamic transaction banking – what do you see as the biggest misunderstandings and opportunities in that space? Transaction banking leaders could increasingly come from tech or consumer finance, bringing expertise in platforms, payments and embedded finance.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 26, 2026 13:47 UTC
North Korea’s Kim Jong Un warns South Korea, says US should end hostility
Kim emphasised that Pyongyang intends to cement its position on the global stage through its nuclear capabilities. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has shuttered the door on dialogue with South Korea, claiming his forces could “completely destroy” his southern neighbour, while also signalling that the future of dialogue with the United States required Washington to discard “hostile” policies towards Pyongyang. According to a report on Thursday by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim also called for developing new weapons systems to bolster his nuclear-armed military. Kim stipulated intercontinental ballistic missiles that could be launched from underwater and an expanded arsenal of tactical nuclear weapons, such as artillery and short-range missiles, capable of targeting South Korea, according to KCNA. AdvertisementState media photos of the military parade showed formations of soldiers marching through the brightly-lit Kim Il Sung Square under a podium, where Kim and his daughter stood with senior officials.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 26, 2026 11:09 UTC
Africa primed for solar breakthrough after record capacity growth: Maguire
If sales prices of both solar components and battery systems continue to fall in 2026 and beyond, African consumers will be well placed to take advantage of that greater affordability, especially in areas where tax breaks on imports and favourable pricing on renewable power is newly available.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 26, 2026 09:47 UTC
Bolivia’s new Sahara posture aligns with global tilt toward Morocco’s autonomy plan – The North Africa Post
The move places Bolivia within a broader diplomatic trend that gathered momentum after the UN Security Council adopted on October 31, 2025 Resolution 2797. The resolution describes Morocco’s autonomy proposal as the most feasible basis for a settlement and recentering talks away from the unfeasible referendum option defended by Algeria and its Polisario proxies. Analysts note that the Council’s language consolidated years of incremental shifts and effectively elevated autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as the framework for future negotiations, a development that many capitals have cited when recalibrating positions. US support, reaffirmed in 2025, helped drive the realignment, while Spain and France also moved to back the autonomy plan, adding weight from key Western partners to the emerging consensus. Pro-autonomy momentum has left Algeria and the Polisario Front increasingly constrained internationally.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 26, 2026 03:30 UTC
North Africa Regional Outlook: February 25, 2026 • Stimson Center
Read the North Africa Weekly on LinkedIn or join the conversation on X: @StimsonNAfricaOn Our RadarThe headlines shaping politics, security, and economics across North Africa and the Sahel. OILPRICE.COMHow renewed oil sector engagement by international energy majors could help stabilize Libya economically, even as political reconciliation efforts remain stalled. AL-MONITORAnalyzing the geopolitical frictions between Algeria and the UAE, linking tensions to normalization dynamics, regional alignments, and North African rivalries. BUSINESS INSIDER AFRICAEgypt unveiled a large-scale financing plan to support infrastructure and development projects across Africa, reinforcing Cairo’s regional economic diplomacy. REPORTThis International Crisis Group report examines JNIM’s strategic calculus regarding expansion beyond the Sahel, assessing implications for regional security.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 26, 2026 03:17 UTC
North Korea warns it could destroy South if threatened, but leaves door open for US dialogue
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un claimed his nuclear-armed country could “completely destroy” South Korea if its security were threatened, reiterating his refusal to engage with Seoul, state media said Thursday. But it would make sense to keep his options open as the war in Ukraine could wind down, potentially making North Korea less valuable to Moscow, experts say. North Korea often uses the term to describe U.S.-led pressure and sanctions over Kim’s nuclear ambitions. At the congress, Kim derided liberal South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s calls for engagement as a deception, accusing successive governments in Seoul of seeking Pyongyang’s collapse. He said there is “absolutely nothing to discuss” with an enemy state and that North Korea would “permanently exclude” the South from the notion of a shared nation.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 26, 2026 02:38 UTC
Congress Should Codify Trump’s Commercial Diplomacy in Africa
Having circled the drain for much of last year, the African Growth and Opportunity Act—a preferential trade arrangement that had allowed thousands of African goods to enter U.S. markets duty-free for the past quarter century—lapsed at the end of September 2025. Though AGOA, as it is known, was retroactively renewed after a bipartisan vote earlier this month, it was extended only through December 2026, rather than for the three-year period that was originally planned. When AGOA expires at the end of this year, Congress should seize the chance to do something more substantial and replace it with a codified commercial diplomacy statute that gives U.S. firms the tools they actually need to compete in a region that investors are increasingly treating as a source of opportunity, rather than of risk. Last May at the Africa CEO Forum, the State Department’s then-lead official on Africa, Troy Fitrell, unveiled what would become the commercial diplomacy strategy of President Donald Trump’s administration. This six-point framework made U.S. ambassadors directly accountable for dealmaking, committed the U.S. to pursuing market reforms with partner governments, prioritized high-impact infrastructure, enhanced commercial diplomacy missions, connected U.S. capital to African markets, and promised to modernize U.S. trade tools for faster approvals and bolder risk-taking on prospective deals.
Source:The North Africa Journal
February 26, 2026 02:25 UTC