Political Risk

The renouncement of violence by Libya's most notorious Islamist militant group, and the subsequent release of several of its members, is a political coup for the Libyan government.... 2009-10-20

Interference in foreign firms' business dealings and the departure of Libya's top oil official will add to existing concerns about the operating environment for overseas oil investors.

While new internet regulations could strengthen Algeria's business environment, there is a possibility that they could be used to clamp down on press freedom, which is already severely... 2009-09-22

Education reforms announced by the Moroccan government should improve literacy rates, but we believe that a wider overhaul of the curriculum is necessary to cut youth unemployment... 2009-09-07

The return of the Lockerbie bomber is a diplomatic coup for Libya and its leader Muammar Qadhafi, as he prepares to celebrate 40 years in power. However, the controversy surrounding... 2009-08-28

After almost 40 years in power, Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi shows no sign of slowing down. The last few years have seen a fundamental realignment in Libyan foreign policy, which... 2009-08-11

Efforts to promote a moderate interpretation of Islam represent a widening of anti-terrorism strategy in North Africa. However, we do not expect it to have a significant impact on... 2009-07-15

Recent attacks prove that terrorism remains a significant threat in Algeria. A major build-up of military personnel could see the conflict intensify, although we do not anticipate... 2009-06-25

The local elections results were a blow for both the governing coalition and the Islamist PJD. However, the presence of a new party - the PAM - did help invigorate the electorate,... 2009-06-23

The re-election of Abdelaziz Bouteflika as president of Algeria passed without any major surprises: as expected, Bouteflika won a landslide, with more than 90% of the popular vote,... 2009-05-05