Author: Faraj Alasha

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Supporters of General Khalifa Haftar in Benghazi (photo: Reuters)

Khalifa Haftar's role in the Libyan civil war

The fight against political Islam

The news that General Khalifa Haftar had been rushed to the military hospital in Paris on 5 April 2018 for the treatment of a serious health problem caused a variety of reactions in Libya: shock and anxiety on one side; jubilance and rejoicing on the other. To his supporters, he is the "Saviour of Libya"; to his adversaries, the "new Gaddafi". Farag Al Esha provides a portrait of this controversial figureMore

The Gulf States′ proxy war: Baiting at a distanceResolving the crisis in Libya: Another fine messLibya′s domestic crisis: On the road to nowhereLibya: Facing hell in Sirte
Great guys, one and all? Front row, from left to right, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali next to Ali Abdullah Saleh, Muammar Gaddafi and Hosni Mubarak (photo: dpa)

Tyranny in the Islamic world

Keeping the tribe alive

In this essay, Libyan author Faraj Alasha explains how Arab autocrats use tribal logic to run institutions of state, turning political parties into family clubs and loyalty to the country into loyalty to the head of the ruling clanMore

Social unrest in the Arab world: Guilty of gross negligenceViolence in the Arab world: Born of a barbaric statePolitical rule before and after the ″Arabellion″: Internal colonialism and counter-revolutionArab identity crisis: What is left of the Arabs?

In brief

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Land of nomads and desert: Mauritaniaʹs extremely hot and arid climate explains its very low population density. In 2009, the country had just 4 million inhabitants spread over 1 million square kilometres. The Adrar plateau, located in the north of the country near Atar, is known for its gorges and dunes

Mauritania, land of desert and contrasts

Mauritania straddles the transition between the Maghreb and sub-Saharan Africa, its population equally divided between Africans and Arabs. By Pascal Mannaerts