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North Africa and Middle East

Description

Analysis of changing dynamics in the North Africa/Middle East region, against a backdrop of increasing security crises and their political, economic and energy consequences.

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Aerial view of Cairo, Egypt
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Publications
Press
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Is the Republican People’s Party (CHP) Rising from the Ashes?

Date de publication
24 September 2024
Accroche

The victory of the CHP [Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi, Republican People’s Party] in the Turkish municipal elections of March 2024 firmly established it as the leading party of opposition to the Islamic-conservative AKP [Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi, Justice and Development Party], which has been in power since 2002. 

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Israel-Palestine: The Question of Geography

Date de publication
07 June 2024
Accroche

The attacks on October 7, 2023, and the Israeli retaliation against Gaza have dramatically highlighted the continued absence of a solution to enable the coexistence of two peoples in the same territory. Both sides reject the idea of a single state. But the geography of Israeli colonization makes the territorial inscription of a Palestinian state almost impossible. The exception would be if Israel, possibly under international pressure, made drastic changes to its colonial settlements in the West Bank.

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Israel-Palestine: One Solution, Two States

Date de publication
07 June 2024
Accroche

First proposed in 1936, the two-state solution has got lost over the course of several Israeli-Arab wars, colonization, the failure of the Oslo Accords, and the strategies of Israeli governments seeking rapprochement with certain Arab regimes. But it is currently the only imaginable solution. The numerous obstacles in its path could be overcome if the United States and its allies decided to impose it on the Israelis and Palestinians in opposition to their short-term visions.

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War in Ukraine: How Does the Russian Economy Stand?

Date de publication
05 December 2023
Accroche

The Russian economy is weathering the war and Western sanctions: it has maintained its exports, its business sector has shown marked dynamism, and the population is managing in part thanks to state spending.

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Thirty Years on from the Oslo Accords: An Israeli Perspective

Date de publication
11 October 2023
Accroche

The Oslo agreements signed in 1993 raised high hopes for peace in the Middle East. But appraising the state of affairs, thirty years on, the picture is bleak. 

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A Palestinian Perspective on the Oslo Accords

Date de publication
11 October 2023
Accroche

The Oslo Agreement of 1993 was a declaration of principles that later needed to be clarified through further negotiations. 

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Is Iran the Big Beneficiary of Chinese Foreign Policy in the Middle East?

Date de publication
06 June 2023
Accroche

On March 10, the revelation of an agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran brokered by China took Western observers and diplomats by surprise. Beijing's unprecedented intervention in the dispute between Riyadh and Teheran confirms its growing ambitions in the region.

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Israel and China, a Test of Loyalty for the United States?

Date de publication
26 January 2023
Accroche

Like the Gulf monarchies, Israel has strengthened its economic cooperation with China since Xi Jinping came to power in 2013, leading to an influx of Chinese capital, whether in Tel Aviv's high-tech sector or in Israel's port infrastructure. 

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The United Arab Emirates and Sino-American Competition: Towards a Policy of Non-Alignment?

Date de publication
02 December 2022
Accroche

In just under five years, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has accelerated its rapprochement with Xi Jinping’s China, to the point of becoming the first Gulf country to find itself at the heart of the rivalry between Beijing and Washington. Although benefiting from a large US military presence, the UAE has made its partnership with the Chinese regime a new priority that goes beyond energy and trade. 

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Japan’s Africa policy: Back to basics in times of crisis

Date de publication
16 September 2022
Accroche

Addressing remotely the 8th Japan-Africa TICAD Summit held in Tunis between August 27th and 28th, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged $30 billion in public and private contributions to the African continent over the course of the next three years. This is a quite a remarkable move, as no specific amount was mentioned by the late Prime Minister, Shinzō Abe, at the previous TICAD 7 in 2019. By doing so, Japan aims at demonstrating that its commitment to Africa is solid and sustainable: its traditional approach towards a human-centered development is more relevant than ever in these times of crisis (between the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the adverse effects of climate change), and clearly marks a difference from China’s practices.

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Is the Republican People’s Party (CHP) Rising from the Ashes?

Date de publication
24 September 2024
Accroche

The victory of the CHP [Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi, Republican People’s Party] in the Turkish municipal elections of March 2024 firmly established it as the leading party of opposition to the Islamic-conservative AKP [Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi, Justice and Development Party], which has been in power since 2002. 

Image principale

Israel-Palestine: One Solution, Two States

Date de publication
07 June 2024
Accroche

First proposed in 1936, the two-state solution has got lost over the course of several Israeli-Arab wars, colonization, the failure of the Oslo Accords, and the strategies of Israeli governments seeking rapprochement with certain Arab regimes. But it is currently the only imaginable solution. The numerous obstacles in its path could be overcome if the United States and its allies decided to impose it on the Israelis and Palestinians in opposition to their short-term visions.

Image principale

Japan’s Africa policy: Back to basics in times of crisis

Date de publication
16 September 2022
Accroche

Addressing remotely the 8th Japan-Africa TICAD Summit held in Tunis between August 27th and 28th, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged $30 billion in public and private contributions to the African continent over the course of the next three years. This is a quite a remarkable move, as no specific amount was mentioned by the late Prime Minister, Shinzō Abe, at the previous TICAD 7 in 2019. By doing so, Japan aims at demonstrating that its commitment to Africa is solid and sustainable: its traditional approach towards a human-centered development is more relevant than ever in these times of crisis (between the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the adverse effects of climate change), and clearly marks a difference from China’s practices.

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What Role Should Southern Europe Play After the Pandemic and the War in Ukraine? Towards a Shared Agenda for EU Reform

Date de publication
29 April 2022
Accroche

Relations between southern European member states have often been marked by a loose cooperation or, worse, by logics of competition. Precisely when regional groupings within the European Union are increasingly shaping the agenda, these dynamics have hindered the capacity of France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain to pursue shared interests and objectives, while acting as a force for good for the European integration project. Recent events such as the post-pandemic recovery or the war in Ukraine show that, when cooperation occurs, positive results can be achieved.

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Is Escalation Between France and Turkey in the Middle East and Beyond Inescapable?

Date de publication
11 November 2020
Accroche

In recent years, France and Turkey have been on opposing sides relating to Middle East concerns. 

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A Protest Made in Algeria

Date de publication
02 April 2019
Accroche

Since February 22, thousands and then millions of Algerians have taken to the streets every Friday to protest against the fifth term of their ailing eighty-two-year-old president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

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The Shifting Foundations of Political Islam in Algeria

Date de publication
03 May 2019
Accroche

Understanding Algeria’s various Islamist communities—including militant groups, moderate factions, and grassroots movements—offers a window into the country’s uncertain sociopolitical future.

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The Gulf Monarchies' Armed Forces at the Crossroads

Date de publication
04 May 2018
Accroche

Something is happening with the military forces of the Arab monarchies in the Gulf.

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"Playing with Molecules": The Italian Approach to Libya

Date de publication
13 April 2018
Accroche

This paper aims to analyse the many ways in which Italy is trying to play with the many Libyan “molecules”, the different parties of a fragmented and collapsing country, and the possible implications of the strategy adopted by the Gentiloni government and its Minister of Interior, Marco Minniti, towards the country and the migratory crisis.

Jewish Activism in the United States: Is J Street a Passing Phenomenon?

Date de publication
27 February 2012
Accroche

Created in the Fall of 2008, the J Street movement seeks to represent those in the U.S. Jewish community who would like Washington to be more active in supporting a lasting peace in the Middle-East.

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Another Battle of Algiers

13 May 2019
Accroche

Protests have stopped President Abdelaziz Bouteflika from seeking another term, but it won’t change the military’s domination of the political system.

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China quiere aumentar su protagonismo en Oriente Próximo

18 January 2016
Accroche

Después de haber rehuido durante años implicarse en una región que considera un avispero, China quiere finalmente mostrarse como un participante más activo en Oriente Medio. La visita que el presidente chino, Xi Jinping, comienza este martes a Arabia Saudí, Irán y Egipto señala la creciente importancia que Pekín concede a la zona, tanto desde el punto de vista económico como de seguridad, y representa un paso más en su estrategia para presentarse como una alternativa al modelo estadounidense de potencia mundial.

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Related centers and programs
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KAMPALA, UGANDA - SEPTEMBER 28, 2012. A look at life on the side streets of Kampala, Uganda
Governing the Urban Transition in Africa
Accroche centre

Sub-Saharan Africa's cities are experiencing the fastest growth rates in the world. By 2050, most of the countries in the region will have made an urban transition, meaning that more than 50% of their population will live in urban areas. Urban growth is often presented as a cornerstone of the continent's socio-economic development.

To assess these challenges Ifri’s Sub-Saharan Africa Center is launching, in May 2022, a research program looking into the major socio-economic and geopolitical challenges of urban dynamics on the continent.

The program deals with urban development in Africa through a sectoral and cross-cutting approach based on three key sectors: 

  1. Land issues are the foundation of urban life. Each urban project triggers changes within the relationship between land and its inhabitants.
  2. Urban infrastructure is often presented as a solution to the challenges of demographic growth in cities. However, the lack of infrastructure and its financing remains a concern for specialists.
  3. The mobility of goods, people and financial flows is characteristic of urban life and drives the multiple links between cities and the countryside. Analyzing the urban-rural continuum is at the heart of this program's objectives.

Research will be conducted at the macro (continental), meso (country), and micro (city/neighborhood) levels and will be promoted through events and publications.

Page image credits
Aerial view of Cairo, Egypt
(c) Shutterstock