Africa

Elections scheduled for Dec. 24 are now uncertain because of haggling among Libya’s political factions. Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, late leader Moammar Gadhafi’s second son and once heir, will run in Libya’s Dec. 24 presidential elections. The High National Election Commission (HNEC) objected to his application, but a court in the …

The Libyan electoral commission has confirmed that it will publish the list of candidates for the presidency only after certain legal issues have been resolved, and most of the Libyan figures involved in the process will take part in a scheduled day, with politicians, analysts, and ambassadors. They all say …

The French military has withdrawn soldiers from its base in Timbuktu, Mali, turning over the base to the Malian military as they wind down their deployment after nine years. French troops first deployed to Mali after Islamic insurgents began taking large chunks of territory in 2013. Timbuktu is where then-French …

Qatar is enhancing its presence in the eastern Mediterranean that is rich in oil and gas reserves at a time when tensions are ripping through the region over the maritime borders and excavation rights. Qatar has strengthened its presence in the eastern Mediterranean, which is rich in oil and gas …

The Gulf Cooperation Council also launched a political consultation mechanism with Egypt, according to Egyptian media. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) expressed support for Egypt on Sunday in its dispute with Ethiopia over the Nile river. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met with representatives of GCC member states yesterday. Shoukry …

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Ethiopia to show his nation’s support for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government has put China’s relationship with Egypt to the test. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Ethiopia Dec. 1 and held talks with his Ethiopian counterpart, Demeke Mekonnen. At a press conference …

An army leader miscalculated the costs of wresting back power. Now the country reels from the violence. Few countries this year dramatize more powerfully the need for a global focus on strengthening democracy than Myanmar, now 10 months into a new chapter of military dictatorship and violence following its February …

West Africa’s economic community shows that democracies’ best ally may be regional influence. As dozens of nations seek to strengthen democracy at this week’s White House summit, indicators for effective methods can be found in Guinea, one of five nations that this year suffered a coup by its military. An …

Regional and international actors will need to prioritize locally devised and accepted solutions to tackle the roots causes of Mali’s troubles. Amid a 15-year global democratic recession, the Biden administration is convening over a hundred nations this week to revitalize democracy. This comes at a critical juncture, as democracy’s defenders …

Sudan has been ruled by the military for 53 of the 66 years since it gained independence in 1955. On October 25, the military, in a familiar move, seized power throwing into question the political transition that would result in civilian rule. The civilian cabinet was dissolved, its leaders arrested …