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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
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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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Algeria: An Aggressive Restoration

Date de publication
07 June 2022
Accroche

The election of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, followed by the Covid-19 pandemic, marked the end of the road for the Hirak movement that had failed to establish itself as a political alternative despite its massive popularity.

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Lebanese Banking Crisis: The Systemic Workings of a Wreck

Date de publication
11 May 2022
Accroche
Two and a half years after the outbreak of an unprecedented banking, monetary and debt crisis qualified by the World Bank as one of the worst financial meltdowns since 1850, fears of intermittent or cascading bank failures are high in Lebanon, as the fate of billions of dollars in deposits remains uncertain.
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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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The French-Greek Partnership: Beyond The Eastern Mediterranean.

04 March 2022
Accroche

This week, Ifri, in partnership with CATS Network, is launching a series of five videos on the tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, seen through the prism of the geopolitical rivalry between France and Turkey. 

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The French Military's Perception of the Turkish Military and Turkey's Expansion in the EastMed.

03 March 2022
Accroche

This week, Ifri, in partnership with CATS Network, is launching a series of five videos on the tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, seen through the prism of the geopolitical rivalry between France and Turkey. 

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Building European Strategic Autonomy vs. Turkish Strategic Depth: Macron's Diplomatic Gamble.

02 March 2022
Accroche

This week, Ifri, in partnership with CATS Network, is launching a series of five videos on the tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, seen through the prism of the geopolitical rivalry between France and Turkey. 

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Conflicts in the EastMed: from Germany's and France's Conflicting Strategies to a Dual Approach.

01 March 2022
Accroche

This week, Ifri, in partnership with CATS Network, is launching a series of five videos on the tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, seen through the prism of the geopolitical rivalry between France and Turkey. 

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France/Turkey in the EastMed: a Closer Look at the Rivalry between the Two Countries.

28 February 2022
Accroche

This week, Ifri, in partnership with CATS Network, is launching a series of five videos on the tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, seen through the prism of the geopolitical rivalry between France and Turkey. 

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ramses2021_batok_24juillet_plat1.jpg

RAMSES 2021. At the Edge?

Date de publication
02 September 2020
Accroche

RAMSES 2021. At the Edge?, written by Ifri's research team and external experts, offers an in-depth and up-to-date analysis of geopolitics in today’s world.

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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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Understanding the Resilience of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Date de publication
10 September 2018
Accroche

The leaders of Iran nurture regional ambitions, and are conscious of the limits of their country’s power.

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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.

Middle East, the new "Great Game"

Date de publication
06 June 2016
Accroche

Will a divided Middle East become the center of a new “Great Game”? The world’s global powers are aligned in it: the United States, falsely tempted by retraction; Russia, establishing its position in an unexpected state of play, France, destabilized by the contradictions of its own policy… In addition are tussles for regional hegemony between Iran, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.

Activists Without Borders

Date de publication
30 June 2015
Accroche

Various associations organise trips to Israel and/or to the Palestinian Territories. Someone who has no previous knowledge of the Near East and who takes part in a journey organised by a pro-Israeli group, would return to France with a very different vision of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to that of someone who had travelled with a pro-Palestinian group.

For more information concerning the complete work, please click on this link.

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.

Israel and Hezbollah: The New Strategic Equation

Date de publication
01 June 2015
Accroche

After the war between Israel and Hezbollah during the summer of 2006, a deterrence strategy was established between the two parties. Occasional subsequent crises have thereby been contained and have been prevented from escalating into extensive confrontations. 

Support independent French research

Ifri, a foundation recognized as being of public utility, relies largely on private donors – companies and individuals – to guarantee its sustainability and intellectual independence. Through their funding, donors help maintain the Institute's position among the world's leading think tanks. By benefiting from an internationally recognized network and expertise, donors refine their understanding of geopolitical risk and its consequences on global politics and the economy. In 2024, Ifri will support more than 70 French and foreign companies and organizations.

Ramses Conference, 2024
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.

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Süleymaniye Mosque, Istanbul, Türkiye
Turkey/Middle East Program
Accroche centre

Ifri's Turkey/Middle East Program aims to provide expertise on the trends and developments in politics, societies and economies across the region.

The programme has the following objectives:

  • Proposing a new approach towards the MENA region through an analysis of local, regional, and international dynamics with the potential to guide and influence new policies.
  • Highlighting the role of foreign powers which have traditionally been present in the region and analyzing the new role taken on by emerging countries ;
  • Anticipating new directions and outlooks in each country.
  • Interpreting risks and potentials and putting forward new templates for analysis.

The programme has built a dense network of researchers and experts who provide expertise on the MENA region and working together on a range of crosscutting themes.

Page image credits
Aerial view of Cairo, Egypt
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