Securing the Red Sea

 The Hollings Center for International Dialogue published in July 2026 a brief titled "Securing Strategic Waters Across the MENA Region: The Red Sea."

The current threat in the Red Sea is not confined to the closure of the geographical Bab el-Mandeb choke point.  It is shaped by persistent uncertainty caused by the security crises in the wider region.

The threat cannot be addressed through conventional naval tools alone, nor reduced to a piracy or law enforcement problem.  The brief recommends incremental cooperation, capacity building, and risk mitigation measures.

Sub-Saharan Africa Little Affected by Trump's New Tariffs

 The New York Times published on 24 July 2026 an article titled "New Tariffs as Old Ones Expire: The Latest on Trump's Trade War" by Tony Romm, Edison Wu, and Lazaro Gamio.

On 24 July, the Trump administration imposed new duties on imports from more than 80 countries as previous 10 percent global duties expired.  The new tariffs range between 10 and 12.5 percent.  

All five countries in North Africa now face the 12.5 percent tariff but sub-Saharan Africa seems to benefit from the new situation as only Nigeria, Angola, and South Africa are impacted--all at the 12.5 percent rate.    

US-China Competition in the Middle East and North Africa

 The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace published on 1 July 2026 an analysis titled "In the Middle East and North Africa, America and China Converge More Than They Diverge" by Amr Hamzawy and Kathryn Selfe.

Competition between the United States and China in the Middle East and North Africa is less a threat and more an opportunity.  The region has important geostrategic significance for both countries.  As great power competition develops globally, Washington and Beijing's positions in the region are increasingly converging.  

The United States and China are united by their primary interest in maintaining free trade in the region.  For both countries, a stable, peace-driven order is key.  Washington is also driven by interest in Israel's security; Beijing is similarly driven by China's need for oil and liquid natural gas.  These two interests are compatible and underscore the need for peace and stability in the region.  

Iran War Increases China's Interaction with North Africa

 The Stimson Center published on 27 March 2026 a paper titled "How Iran War Is Reshaping China's Geo-Economic Cooperation with North Africa" by Chuchu Zhang, Fudan University.

The war in Iran and closure of the Strait of Hormuz have caused China to pursue a dual-track strategy of multi-source procurement and accelerated green transformation, deliberately broadening its oil and gas import footprint while fast tracking the development of new energy technologies.  North Africa has emerged as a pivotal arena for deepened geo-economic cooperation.  

Russia Lags Behind in Africa

 Modern Diplomacy published on 27 February 2026 a commentary titled "Africa's Rise: The 21st Century Story that Leaves Russia Behind" by Kester Kenn Klomegah, an independent researcher.  

Russia has focused on a limited part of Africa.  About 80 percent of its trade is with North African countries and South Africa.  It has sent the Africa Corps to Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.  But it has largely ignored the rest of the continent.

China and Egypt Hold First Joint Air Force Exercise

 Newsweek published on 22 April 2025 an article titled "China Shows Off New Warplanes in Challenge to U.S." by Amira El-Fekki.

China's first joint air force exercise with Egypt highlighted Beijing's push to project power into the Middle East and North Africa.  The PLA Air Force sent J-10c and J-10s fighters while Egypt fielded its MiG-29 aircraft for the exercise.

Charting China's Relations with Countries in North Africa and the Horn of Africa

 The China-Med Index for North Africa and the Horn of Africa consists of a series of interactive charts for most of the 21st century on China's general imports from countries in the region, general exports to countries in the region, mutual energy dependence, contracts awarded to Chinese companies, Chinese workers in countries in the region, China's foreign direct investment in each country, and China's contribution of troops to UN peacekeeping operations.  In the most recent years, all of the charts demonstrate lower numbers than their peak years.  

The index includes the following countries: Algeria, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Tunisia.  The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation supported publication of the data.  

China's Huawei Announces Large Investment in North Africa

 Ahram Online posted on 26 September 2023 an article titled "Huawei Announces $430 Mln 5-year Investment Plan for North Africa."

Huawei's investment over five years includes $200 million for a cloud computing center in North Africa and $200 million to support 200 of Huawei's local technology partners and 1,300 distributors.  The goal is to build a computing backbone for China.

Chinese Private Security Companies in North Africa and the Middle East

 The Jamestown Foundation published on 28 August 2023 an analysis titled "Chinese PSCs in MENA: The Cases of Iraq and (South) Sudan" by Sergey Sukhankin.

The activities of Chinese PSCs in North Africa and the Middle East are more opaque and limited than in other regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa and Central Asia.  

China's Outreach to Political Parties in North Africa and Middle East

 The South China Morning Post published on 14 August 2023 an article titled "How China's Communist Party Seeks to Win Friends and Influence Through Mideast Political Groups" by Zhao Ziwen.  

The Communist Party of China (CPC) recently reached out to political parties in North Africa and the Middle East.  More than 60 party leaders and think tank representatives from 19 countries were invited to the dialogue in China, which has been held every two years since 2016.  At this event, the CPC promotes its governance model to Arab countries as a path to development.  

China's Security Presence in the Middle East and North Africa

Fathom Journal published in its winter 2022 edition a commentary titled "Navigating China's Security Presence in the Middle East and North Africa" by Grant Rumley and Carol Silber.   

The article lays out the growing security relationship between China and countries in the Middle East and North Africa.  It concludes that countries in the region will try to balance their relations with China and the United States.

China's Security Presence in the Middle East and North Africa

 The Washington Institute for Near East Policy published in the winter of 2022 a policy analysis titled "Navigating China's Security Presence in the Middle East and North Africa" by Grant Rumley and Carol Silber.  

The analysis summarizes China's interests and presence in the region and concludes with challenges for U.S. policy.  

China's Security Presence in the Middle East and North Africa

 The Washington Institute for Near East Policy published in October 2022 a study titled "China's Security Presence in the Middle East: Redlines and Guidelines for the United States" by Grant Rumley.

China's security presence in the region comprises a traditional military footprint of naval deployments and exercises, arms sales, and critical infrastructure agreements.  China's base in Djibouti and its naval task force are the most prominent features of its military presence in the Middle East and North Africa.

Chinese Telecommunication Technology Is Mixed Blessing for North Africa and Middle East

 The East Asia Forum published on 20 September 2022 an article titled "China's Technology Is a Mixed Blessing for MENA States" by Passant Mamdouh Ridwan, Fudan University.

While Chinese telecommunication technology is contributing to the economies of countries in North Africa and the Middle East, it may dominate the digital market and affect the ability of local companies to compete.  Chinese influence may also lead to greater internet censorship.  

Impact of Putin's War on North Africa and Middle East

 The International Crisis Group published on 14 April 2022 a review titled "The Impact of Russia's Invasion of Ukraine in the Middle East and North Africa."

The paper describes the economic and political impacts of Russia's invasion of the Ukraine on the countries of the Middle East and North Africa, including Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Western Sahara, and Tunisia.  

China's Huawei Delivers Mixed Results in North Africa

 The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace published in April 2022 a study titled "How Huawei's Localization in North Africa Delivered Mixed Returns" by Tin Hinane El Kadi.

The digital space is a notable aspect of China-North Africa relations.  Huawei's strategies in Algeria and Egypt show that, far from imposing a one-size-fits-all blueprint on other countries, Chinese technical specialists adapt their engagement to local development agendas.  Accommodating local development priorities is central to Huawei's success in globalizing its business ventures.  However, in both Algeria and Egypt Huawei improved its brand image without engaging in meaningful capacity building.  It managed to localize seemingly developmental activities in North Africa without contributing much to technological upgrading.  

China's Evolving Approach to Mediation in North Africa and Middle East

 The Middle East Institute published on 25 March 2022 an analysis titled "China's Evolving Conflict Mediation in the Middle East" by Jesse Marks.

The author concludes that Beijing has gradually assumed a more flexible and adaptive approach toward mediation to manage crises that pose a risk to its interests, and, if possible, resolve the conflict in a manner favorable to Chinese interests.  The article looks specifically at Sudan, Libya, and Syria.

Impact of Putin's War on the Middle East and North Africa

 The Middle East Institute published on 7 March 2022 an analysis titled "Compounded Stress: The Impact of the War in Ukraine on the Middle East and North Africa" by Ferid Belhaj, World Bank vice president for the Middle East and North Africa.

The war in the Ukraine can have a compounding effect on food security and welfare across the Middle East and North Africa region.  The major impacts will be on food price shocks, especially wheat, oil and gas price hikes, capital flight, remittances, and tourism.  There can be no winners, although hydrocarbon exporters will experience some benefits.  

Implications of Putin's War for Middle East and North Africa

 The Royal United Services Institute published on 10 March 2022 an analysis titled "Russia's War on Ukraine: Implications for the Middle East and North Africa" by Tobias Borck and Jack Senogles.

The Middle East North Africa region is treading carefully on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.  Arab states are terrified of choosing sides when it comes to their relations with global powers.  

Chinese IT Technology Penetrates Middle East and Africa

 The Middle East Institute published in March 2021 a report titled "Chinese Technology in the Middle East: A Threat to Sovereignty or an Economic Opportunity?" by Thomas Blaubach.  

China's Belt and Road Initiative is trying to reorient the Eurasian-African economy toward Beijing through infrastructure deals and the Digital Silk Road, which seeks to connect the global economy using Chinese technology led by companies like Huawei, ZTE, and Hikvision.