Libya: Flashpoint in French-Italian Ties

by Giorgio Cafiero One of the important dynamics shaping Libya’s five-year-old civil war is France’s support for General Khalifa Haftar and his forces in the Libyan National Army (LNA). Although officials in Paris generally deny backing Haftar, or remain silent… Continue Reading

Fate of Saudi Religious Scholars on Death Row

by Kristian Coates Ulrichsen and Giorgio Cafiero Last month, the London-based Middle East Eye reported that three Saudi religious scholars—Sheikh Salman al-Awdah, Awad al-Qarni, and Ali al-Omari—were going to receive the death penalty after the end of Ramadan. The report… Continue Reading

Sudan’s Suspension from the African Union

by Giorgio Cafiero Intensifying violence in Sudan following a breakdown in talks between the Transitional Military Council (TMC) and oppositionists have resulted in the African Union (AU) suspending Sudan from all activities in the pan-African body “with immediate effect.” The… Continue Reading

Is Sudan Joining the Anti-Qatar Bloc?

by Giorgio Cafiero Recent clashes between security forces and protestors are destabilizing Sudan two months after ex-president Omar Hassan al-Bashir’s removal from power. Sudan’s transition, which a host of outside actors are working to influence, is not going smoothly. The… Continue Reading