January, 2021

• 26 January

  U.N. sets dates for Libyan transitional government selection

  The United Nations Libya mission said on Thursday that nominations for leadership of a new unified transitional government must be made within a week and voting on candidates would take place in early February.

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• 26 January

  Iraqi PM promises intelligence revamp after Baghdad blasts

  Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi pledged to personally undertake a review of the intelligence services after a double suicide bombing claimed by ISIS killed dozens in the capital on Thursday.

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• 26 January

  Biden to talk Iran deal in early calls with foreign leaders, White House says

  Incoming Biden administration officials have suggested a return to the nuclear deal is a long way off. The Biden administration plans to hold early conversations with foreign leaders ahead of any effort to reenter the Iran nuclear deal, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Wednesday.

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• 26 January

  Legacy of Egyptian revolution? Crackdown on dissent

  It has been 10 years since the 2011 revolution brought down the Mubarak regime, but the pro-democracy activists who led the uprising say repressive policies remain in place and have escalated further under current President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

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• 26 January

  French president says no apology for colonization of Algeria

  Algeria asked France to apologize for its actions during the more than 100 years of occupation. French President Emmanuel Macron said he would not apologize for France’s colonization of Algeria on Wednesday. It is not the first time Macron, heavily active on the world stage, has made controversial comments related …

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• 26 January

  Is Egypt behind Sudanese escalation on border with Ethiopia?

  With the intensifying border conflict between Sudan and Ethiopia and the success of the Sudanese army in controlling the border areas where Ethiopian farmers have been living for decades, Ethiopia has been hurling accusations of a third party planning, funding and executing the recent confrontations on the border between the …

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• 26 January

  Protests, info warfare continue in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor

  Inhabitants of Syria’s eastern Deir ez-Zor region, which has an Arab-majority but is under the control of the Kurdish-led SDF, have protested repeatedly in recent weeks against alleged arbitrary arrests, price gouging, and lack of services; many urge more direct contact between the local population and the international coalition.

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• 26 January

  Iraqi PM vows security changes after Baghdad bombing

  Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi also sacked a number of Iraqi security officials within hours of the attacks. A day after deadly dual bombings tore through a crowded market in central Baghdad, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi promised that the intelligence failure “would not be repeated.” Kadhimi said during an urgent …

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• 26 January

  Political violence in Ankara is more than meets the eye

  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s alliance with his nationalist partner appears under growing strain amid a combination of domestic and external pressures. Three politically motivated assaults on figures critical of the government’s nationalist ally rattled the Turkish capital last week. The brazen violence sent shockwaves across opposition quarters, but President …

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• 26 January

  Egyptian-Russian Naval Exercises in the Black Sea: Strategic Balancing against Turkey?

  In November 2020, Russia and Egypt conducted their first joint naval exercises in the Black Sea. The Bridge of Friendship-2020 naval drills brought the Egyptian Navy to the Black Sea for the first time (PortNews.ru, November 16, 2020). Along with expanding military cooperation with Cairo, Moscow also planned the event …

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