Menas Associates Blog
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President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz indicates his successor
President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz (left) indicates a successor in General Mohamed Ould Sheikh Mohamed Ahmed Ould El Ghazouani (right) President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz (b.1956) announced to several deputies on 28 January that General Mohamed Ould Sheikh Mohamed Ahmed...
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Big win for Buhari
Muhammadu Buhari wins a second term in Nigeria's Presidency Having won 56% of the popular vote in the presidential election on 23 February and even higher margins of victory in the House and Senate elections, Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC)...
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INSTEX, FATF, and the JCPOA
On 2 February, officials from Germany, France, and United Kingdom (the E3) announced the establishment of the promised special purpose vehicle (SPV), known as the Instrument for Supporting Trade Exchanges (INSTEX). Even though the news was welcomed by Tehran, it is...
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Relations with Saudi Arabia reach a nadir
Morocco recalls its ambassador to Riyadh, Mustafa Al-Mansouri (centre) Moroccan-Saudi relations have continued to deteriorate and reached their nadir in early February when Rabat recalled its ambassador to Riyadh, Mustafa Al-Mansouri, ‘for consultations’. This action...
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Presidential elections postponed by one week
Just five hours before polls were to open, INEC announced that Presidential and National Assembly elections postponed by one week The country was left disappointed when, very early on 16 February, it was announced that the presidential and National Assembly elections...
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GNA visit to Washington underscores US’ evolving priorities
Governemnt of National Accord delegation demand greater assistance during the global coalition to defeat ISIS A Government of National Accord (GNA) delegation — including Foreign Minister Mohamed Siala and Interior Minister Fathi Bashaaga — recently visited Washington...
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Does a Bouteflika fifth term risk serious unrest?
A Bouteflika fifth term could lead to widespread demonstrations and riots in Algeria While President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s announcement that he will contest the April 2019 election may have removed the suspense about a fifth term, there has also been a sense that it...
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Chad’s regime is tested by internal conflict
Conflict in the north puts Chad's dictatorial regime to the test If Chad’s regime have been given a temporary bail-out by France — with €50 million (US$57 million) to the government to pay civil servant salaries for December — they are likely to be further tested this...
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Another mystery on the ‘cocaine coast’
Algeria's cocaine coast: a 300 kg shipment of cocaine was recovered by the coast guard near Skikda in January Besides the current state of limbo — as Algeria waits for confirmation about whether the ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika will run for a fifth term in...
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Special Feature: Iran and the FATF
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has become a political football for Iranian policy makers The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an inter-governmental entity that promotes international anti-money laundering (AML) efforts and counter-terrorism financing...
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