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TunisiaDemocracy and GovernanceCan Tunisia’s Leaders Forge a New Democratic Bargain?
Dec 29, 2021Daniel BrumbergNothing captures Tunisia’s crisis of democracy better than this act: the sentencing, in absentia, of former President Moncef Marzouki to four years in prison. …
- Policy Analysis
SudanRegional Relations and GeopoliticsSudan Coup: The Regional Interference behind a Faltering Transition
Dec 11, 2021Khalil Al-AnaniOn October 25, 2021, Sudan’s General Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan staged a coup, declared a state of emergency, dissolved the power-sharing Sovereign Council, sacked…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptUS Foreign Policy
Agreements and Tensions in US-Egyptian Relations
Dec 2, 2021Sahar KhamisThe US-Egypt strategic dialogue was held in Washington, DC in early November between Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his American counterpart, Secre…
- Policy AnalysisTunisiaDemocracy and Governance
Is Tunisia Transitioning to a Liberalized Autocracy?
Nov 18, 2021Daniel BrumbergIf in the coming months Tunisia undergoes a transition, given current conditions, it will probably not be along a path back to democracy. Indeed, while Preside…
- Policy AnalysisLibyaDemocracy and Governance
Uncertainty Overshadows Libya’s Elections
Nov 11, 2021Imad K. HarbThe agreement governing Libya’s advancement toward presidential and legislative elections, which are slated to be held in December, ran into serious trouble th…
- Policy AnalysisNorth AfricaConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Western Sahara Figures Prominently in Algeria-Morocco Tensions
Nov 4, 2021Hasni Abidi Aboubakr JamaiAlgeria’s Reasons for Its Dispute with MoroccoHasni Abidi is Senior Lecturer at Geneva University and Director of the Centre d’Étude et de Recherche sur le Mon…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptReligion and Politics
Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood: Old Problems and New Divisions
Nov 3, 2021Khalil Al-AnaniSince its removal from power in 2013, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt continues to face many problems and challenges. Having always prided itself on being the …
- Policy AnalysisTunisia
Saied’s New Decree Deepens Tunisia’s Crisis
Oct 7, 2021Daniel BrumbergTwo telling events unfolded in Tunisia on October 3rd. The first was a demonstration by thousands of flag-waving citizens proclaiming their support for Preside…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptSecurity and Defense
Growing Relations between Egypt and Russia: Strategic Alliance or Marriage of Convenience?
Sep 27, 2021Khalil Al-AnaniOn August 22nd, Egypt’s Minister of Defense and Military Production Mohammad Zaki made a trip to Russia with a high-level military delegation. Zaki attended th…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Arab Women Political Prisoners Jailed by US Middle East Allies
Sep 9, 2021Sahar KhamisWhen President Joe Biden was sworn in on January 20th as the 46th president of the United States, America’s friends in particular hoped that his administration…
- Policy AnalysisTunisiaRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Risky Business: Kais Saied’s Regional Alliances
Aug 20, 2021Daniel BrumbergThree weeks after President Kais Saied used Article 80 of the constitution to impose what can be called a ‘state of exceptionalism,’ Tunisians are waiting for …
- Policy AnalysisEgyptEnergy and Economics
Will Egypt Live with GERD as a Bitter Reality?
Aug 19, 2021Khalil Al-AnaniOn July 19, Ethiopia announced that it had completed the second filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). This unilateral step had been rejected b…
- Policy AnalysisTunisiaDemocracy and Governance
Kais Saied Can Either Save or Destroy Tunisia’s Democracy
Jul 27, 2021Daniel BrumbergThe political earthquake that rocked Tunisia July 25th—65 years after the country’s independence from France—seems all too familiar. Declaring that he was dete…
- Policy AnalysisPalestine/IsraelRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Moroccan Normalization with Israel: Temporary Deal or Permanent Peace?
Jul 8, 2021Khalil Al-AnaniOn June 16, 2021, King Mohammed VI of Morocco sent a congratulatory letter to Israel’s new prime minister, Naftali Bennett. This might not have been surprising…
- Policy AnalysisAlgeriaDemocracy and Governance
Algeria Reestablishes Authoritarianism through Elections
Jul 1, 2021Imad K. HarbOn June 12, Algeria held an early parliamentary election whose results reflected both Algerian voters’ apathy about the system they inherited from former Presi…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Doubts Surround Egypt’s Draft National Human Rights Strategy
Jun 24, 2021Charles W. DunneLong hounded by international criticism of its deteriorating human rights record, the government of Egypt is preparing to respond by launching a new national h…
- Policy AnalysisMoroccoConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The Polisario Front, Morocco, and the Western Sahara Conflict
Jun 22, 2021Houda ChograniThe simmering 46-year-old conflict between Morocco and the Polisario Front over the disputed territory of Western Sahara, a Northwest African area of around 25…
- Policy AnalysisLibyaDemocracy and Governance
The Challenges and Opportunities in Libya Today
Jun 14, 2021Imad K. HarbAfter the uprising against former strongman Muammar Qadhafi in 2011, Libya’s road to stability and order—let alone to full democratic governance—has not been s…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Explaining Egypt’s Role during the Gaza War
Jun 3, 2021Khalil Al-AnaniOn May 21, 2021, a cease-fire agreement was reached between Israel and Hamas after an 11-day military confrontation. Egypt played a vital role in securing the …
- Policy AnalysisTunisiaDemocracy and Governance
Is Tunisia’s President Endangering Democracy?
May 7, 2021Daniel BrumbergRecently, Tunisia has witnessed a political dynamic that is all too rare in the Arab world: Islamists have joined forces with some secularly oriented Members o…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptDemocracy and Governance
Failures of Authoritarian Governance in Egypt
Apr 28, 2021Khalil Al-AnaniOn March 23, the world's attention turned to Egypt as traffic in the strategic Suez Canal was disrupted after the 400-meter container ship, the Ever Given, ran…
- Policy AnalysisAlgeriaProtests and Activism
Democratic Transition in Algeria: The Regime-Hirak Face-off
Apr 19, 2021Louisa Dris-Aït HamadoucheFor the first time in its history, Algeria is experiencing a political uprising that began in 2019 and is characterized as inclusive, peaceful, popular, and re…
- Policy AnalysisLibyaConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The Libyan Interim Government: Hopes and Challenges
Apr 6, 2021ACW Research and Analysis UnitLibya has suffered years of violence and volatility. Recently, Libyan delegates to a conference in Geneva approved the re-formation of two entities: the Presid…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptDemocracy and Governance
An Old, Ongoing Struggle: Domesticating Religious Institutions in Egypt
Apr 2, 2021Khalil Al-AnaniThe relationship between religion and the state is controversial and problematic in the Arab world, particularly with the absence of clear demarcations that co…
- Policy AnalysisTurkeyRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Turkish-Egyptian Reconciliation Efforts Echo a Shifting Regional Order
Mar 26, 2021Daniel BrumbergOver the past month, Turkey has taken steps to restore diplomatic relations with Egypt. That President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has spearheaded this effort is para…
- Policy AnalysisLevant
Egypt’s Ties to Israel Deepen Despite Public Misgivings
Mar 19, 2021Gregory AftandilianThe Egyptian government has deepened its cooperation with Israel on strategic and economic matters in order to root out the extremist threat in the Sinai Penin…
- Policy AnalysisLibyaConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Cautious Optimism a Decade after Libya’s Revolution
Mar 5, 2021Imad K. HarbThe Arab Spring protests that started 10 years ago in Libya and the ensuing collapse of the Muammar Qadhafi regime set in motion a decade of instability that c…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptProtests and Activism
Ten Years Later: Reflections on Egypt’s 2011 Uprising
Feb 19, 2021Khalil Al-AnaniKhalil al-Anani appraises the January 2011 Egyptian revolution that led to the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak. He writes that the revolutionary forces …
- Policy AnalysisTunisiaDemocracy and Governance
Tunisia’s Multiple Crises Threaten Its Brittle Democracy
Feb 16, 2021Daniel BrumbergOn January 26, Tunisia witnessed a scene that echoed the dramatic events of January 6 in Washington, DC. Outside the Tunisian parliament in Tunis, hundreds of …
- Policy AnalysisEgyptRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Egyptian-Saudi Relations: Strategic Ties with Some Political Strains
Feb 9, 2021Gregory AftandilianEgypt and Saudi Arabia continue to be strategic partners in the Middle East, buoyed by shared interests and certain threat perceptions. Saudi Arabia values Egy…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Egypt’s Changing policy in Libya: Opportunities and Challenges
Jan 21, 2021Khalil Al-AnaniOn December 27, 2020, a high-ranking Egyptian diplomatic and security delegation visited the Libyan capital of Tripoli to hold talks with the United Nations-ba…
- Policy AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy
China’s Belt and Road Initiative and US Middle East Policy
Jan 13, 2021Charles W. DunneMore than seven years after Chinese President Xi Jinping announced his country’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the vast infrastructure and economic developme…
- Policy AnalysisTunisiaDemocracy and Governance
As 2021 Begins, Rival Populisms Menace Tunisia’s Democracy
Jan 8, 2021Daniel BrumbergTen years after Tunisia’s “Jasmine Revolution” sparked grassroots uprisings in Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, and Syria, the pressures of an economic crisis, rampant c…
- Policy AnalysisMoroccoUS Foreign Policy
Morocco, Too, Signs on to Trump’s Lawlessness
Dec 11, 2020Imad K. HarbMorocco became the fourth Arab country to normalize relations with Israel without linking the move to progress regarding Palestine. In fact, the agreement had …
- Policy AnalysisNorth AfricaUS Foreign Policy
The Complications Confronting Biden in Northwest Africa
Dec 2, 2020Imad K. HarbFollowing four years of American disarray and the absence of an effective foreign policy, the Joe Biden presidency faces both serious challenges in dealing wit…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptUS Foreign Policy
The Biden Administration and Egypt: A New Course or Business as Usual?
Dec 1, 2020Khalil Al-AnaniSince the announcement of Joe Biden’s victory in the US election, a state of anxiety and unease has gripped Egypt. President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi will now lose…
- ViewpointMorocco
Does Arab Public Opinion on Palestine Still Count in 2020?
Nov 18, 2020Khalil E. JahshanAlthough public opinion research in the Arab world has evolved significantly in recent years, it does not seem to be taken seriously by American policymakers i…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptProtests and Activism
Protests of the Poor in Egypt: Causes and Implications
Oct 21, 2020Khalil Al-AnaniOn September 20th, a series of anti-government demonstrations broke out in a number of Egyptian governorates and villages protesting the social and economic co…
- Policy AnalysisJordanRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Egypt-Iraq-Jordan Alliance Tries to Change Middle East Dynamics
Sep 16, 2020Curtis R. RyanOn August 25, 2020, the leaders of Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan met in Amman for the third in a succession of meetings marking ever-closer relations between the thr…
- Policy AnalysisNorth AfricaGlobal Health and Health Policy
North African Autocrats Use the Pandemic to Expand Power, Settle Scores
Sep 15, 2020Charles W. DunneMany months have passed since the novel coronavirus epidemic began, with wide-ranging and often devastating health, economic, and social ramifications. The pol…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptViolent Extremism
Egypt’s Counterterrorism Strategy in Sinai: Challenges and Failures
Aug 28, 2020Khalil Al-AnaniLooking at Egypt’s counterterrorism strategy against the Sinai insurgency, Khalil al-Anani writes that it is counterproductive and creates fertile ground for e…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptRegional Relations and Geopolitics
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and Egypt’s Military Options
Jul 30, 2020Charles W. DunneWith talks between Egypt and Ethiopia failing to break the impasse over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Charles W. Dunne evaluates Cairo’s military option…
- Policy AnalysisTunisiaDemocracy and Governance
Political Crisis, Regional Power Struggles, and Creeping Presidentialism in Tunisia
Jul 29, 2020Daniel BrumbergAnalyzing Tunisia’s political problems, Daniel Brumberg writes that nearly a decade into the country’s democratic experiment, many of its leaders appear incapa…
- Policy AnalysisLibyaUS Foreign Policy
By Sanctioning Turkey’s Role in Libya, Trump Emboldens Erdoğan in the Eastern Mediterranean
Jul 10, 2020Joe MacaronEvaluating the Trump Administration's policy toward Libya, Joe Macaron writes that from giving a green light to Haftar to march toward Tripoli to endorsing Tur…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Understanding Egypt’s Strategy in Libya
Jul 8, 2020Khalil Al-AnaniKhalil al-Anani discounts the chances for a direct Egyptian military intervention in Libya despite the dangers of instability and chaos there and their impact …
- Policy AnalysisEgyptClimate and Environment
Water Conflict Between Egypt and Ethiopia: A Defining Moment for Both Countries
Jun 16, 2020Khalil Al-AnaniKhalil al-Anani discusses the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project between Egypt and Ethiopia and argues that it constitutes a turning poin…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptDemocracy and Governance
Politics of COVID-19 in Egypt: Between Repression and Opportunism
May 12, 2020Khalil Al-AnaniThe Egyptian regime's medical assistance to the United States and other countries during the coronavirus pandemic is meant to mollify international criticism o…
- Policy AnalysisLibyaConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Haftar’s Secession Must Not Stand
May 2, 2020Imad K. HarbGeneral Haftar's unilateral abrogation of the 2015 Skhirat Agreement is illegal and that his secession in areas under his control paves the way for Libya's dis…
- Policy AnalysisAlgeriaDemocracy and Governance
COVID-19 Promises Algeria Uncertainty, Danger, and—Perhaps—Opportunity
Apr 23, 2020Daniel BrumbergDaniel Brumberg discusses the political and economic circumstances surrounding the Algerian military's handling of the coronavirus epidemic, using the situatio…
- Policy AnalysisLibyaRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Libya: Between Proxy War and International Failure
Apr 14, 2020Khalil Al-AnaniThe domestic, regional, and international players of the Libyan conflict continue to fuel the civil war nine years after the toppling of Muammar Qadhafi.
- Policy AnalysisMoroccoDemocracy and Governance
Morocco: Despite Some Progress, Many Challenges Remain
Mar 31, 2020Nabeel A. KhouryNabeel Khoury discusses Morocco's political and economic conditions and cautions its elite to use the opportunity of the current social calm engendered by the …
- Policy AnalysisEgyptRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Egypt-Turkey Strained Relations: Implications for Regional Security
Mar 18, 2020Khalil Al-AnaniEgyptian-Turkish tensions over influence, Libya, the eastern Mediterranean, and the Gulf region have increased regional insecurity and require de-escalation an…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
State Terror in Egypt: Is It Time for Accountability?
Feb 28, 2020Khalil Al-AnaniThis article by Khaill Al-Anani examines the Egyptian regime’s tools for such repression and the lack of pressure by western governments to hold it accountable…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptProtests and Activism
Egypt’s Puzzling Dilemma: Escalating Challenges and Obstructed Mobilization
Feb 20, 2020Sahar KhamisEgypt’s widening economic and social gaps may lead the regime to adopt harsher measures of political control.
- Policy AnalysisTunisiaDemocracy and Governance
Post-Election Blues in Tunisia: Implications at Home and Abroad
Feb 10, 2020Daniel BrumbergThe fate of Tunisia’s democracy may depend on the leadership of President Saied who, until 2019, neither played a political role nor had links to the existing …
- From our AffiliatesLibyaRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Turkey’s Growing Role in Libya: Motives, Background, and Responses
Jan 9, 2020Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)There are fears that external interventions in Libya may prolong its conflict and threaten the future and territorial integrity of the country. Read this analy…
- Policy AnalysisLibyaRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Is Turkey Playing with Fire in Libya?
Jan 6, 2020Mustafa GurbuzTurkish troops aim to buttress Libya's Government of National Accord, but escalating tensions in the Mediterranean may actually harm both Ankara and Tripoli.
- Policy AnalysisLibyaRegional Relations and Geopolitics
The Libya-Turkey Memorandum of Understanding: Local and Regional Repercussions
Jan 2, 2020Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)The signing of the Libyan-Turkish memorandum of understanding on maritime sovereignty in the Eastern Mediterranean has coincided with increased tensions both w…
- From our AffiliatesAlgeriaDemocracy and Governance
Could the Presidential Elections Constitute a Milestone for Algeria?
Dec 18, 2019Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)Tebboune’s presidential test in the coming months will be in his ability to gain the confidence of Algerians in general, and the popular movement in particular.
- Policy AnalysisLibyaUS Foreign Policy
The Trump Administration Tries a New Policy in Libya
Dec 18, 2019Gregory AftandilianWashington is now firmly pressing Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar to stop his offensive on Tripoli and allow for a negotiated settlement with the GNA. With so …
- Policy AnalysisAlgeriaDemocracy and Governance
Algeria’s Upcoming Elections Are Not the End of the Road
Dec 3, 2019Imad K. HarbThe military-imposed presidential election in Algeria should not deter the protesters from pressing on with their demand for radical political and economic cha…
- Washington Policy WeeklyLibyaUS Foreign Policy
The Conflict in Libya Resurfaces on Washington’s Agenda
Nov 27, 2019Marcus MontgomeryMarcus Montgomery discusses the renewed interest in both Congress and the Trump Administration to address the ongoing conflict in Libya and asks whether the Un…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Closer Egyptian-Russian Relations Causing a Headache in Washington
Nov 26, 2019Gregory AftandilianGregory Aftandilian states that US officials are warning Egypt not to move ahead with the purchase of advanced Russian jet fighters; however, developing ties b…
- Policy AnalysisNorth AfricaDemocracy and Governance
The Tunisian Elections: Surprise Results and Challenges Ahead
Oct 21, 2019Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)Tunisia after its elections will be ruled by a governmental coalition the nature of which will depend on the relationship between the new president and the new…
- Policy AnalysisLevantDemocracy and Governance
By Electing Kais Saied, Tunisians Recast Their National Politics
Oct 17, 2019Daniel BrumbergThe Tunisian electorate has handed the independent candidate Kais Saied a huge victory. With 73 percent of the vote against Nabil Karoui’s 27 percent, he now h…
- Policy AnalysisAlgeriaJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
Algeria’s Standoff between Protesters and the Regime
Oct 2, 2019Gregory AftandilianThere is a dangerous standoff in Algeria between the protesters, who are demanding regime change, and the military establishment, which wants to maintain the s…
- Policy AnalysisNorth AfricaDemocracy and Governance
Presidential Elections in Tunisia: Reading the First Round Results
Sep 25, 2019Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)The results of the first round of the 2019 presidential elections in Tunisia represent an early crisis for a regime marked by the fragmentation of the party ma…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptDemocracy and Governance
Egypt’s Protests: A Sign the Arab Spring Is Alive
Sep 24, 2019Imad K. HarbAlthough the protests today are unlike those that garnered millions at public squares in 2011, the struggle of the Egyptian people against repression remains a…
- Policy AnalysisLibyaConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Libya’s Stalemate Could Lead to Dreaded Partition
Sep 17, 2019Imad K. HarbWhile domestic competition and outside intervention are fueling the dangerous Libyan conflict, General Haftar’s challenge to the GNA and rejection of UN mediat…
- Policy AnalysisNorth AfricaDemocracy and Governance
Tunisia Struggles to Project Foreign Policy Independence
Aug 22, 2019Daniel BrumbergTunisia’s leaders would do well to balance their hopes for democracy and human rights with the pragmatic exigencies of an independent foreign policy that prote…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptEnergy and Economics
Positive Economic Growth in Egypt Belies Mounting Problems
Aug 21, 2019Gregory AftandilianOpening up the political and economic systems in Egypt would allow for sustained private sector growth and a free flow of ideas—and criticism—that would keep t…
- Policy AnalysisNorth AfricaDemocracy and Governance
Tunisia’s Fragile Democracy after Essebsi
Aug 2, 2019Daniel BrumbergDaniel Brumberg argues that Tunisia’s Essebsi leaves behind a political crisis that is partly rooted in a convoluted constitutional language that does not clea…
- Policy AnalysisAlgeriaJustice, Equality, and Human Rights
The Arab Spring May Still Be Alive in Northwestern Africa
Jul 25, 2019Charles W. DunneThe popular uprisings and challenges to the regimes in Algeria, Morocco, and Mauritania indicate that the Arab Spring may not have ended and that authoritarian…
