North Africa and the Sahel

On Friday, Spain hosted the EU-Southern Neighbourhood Ministerial Meeting in Barcelona during which the 25th anniversary of the Barcelona process was also marked.

Preliminary results from presidential elections in Burkina Faso show Roch Kabore receiving 1.6 million votes of the nearly 3 million cast, with voter turnout at 50 percent.

Voting took place on Sunday (22 November) in presidential and parliamentary elections in Burkina Faso, a landlocked country in the Sahel Region of Africa. The elections were overshadowed by violence from an Islamist insurgency. President Kabore is expected to win reelection, while opposition candidates have warned of "massive electoral fraud." Official results are not expected for some days

Al Qaeda’s North Africa branch (AQIM) has appointed a new leader and confirmed the death of its former leader Abdelmalek Droukdel who was killed by the French army in Jun

The UN, through its mission – MINURSO, is still expected to maintain the ceasefire, and take quick steps to determine the political future of the Sahara. Yet the effectiveness of MINURSO, without a renewed commitment from Morocco and the Polisario Front, is doubtful.

Libyans elections to be held in December of next year. Current negotiations are being held on the various military, economic and political issues among Libya rival factions.