A return to Africa: Why North African states are looking south

• North African countries, each for their own reasons, are increasingly turning their attention towards sub-Saharan Africa.
• Morocco is pursuing a comprehensive campaign to increase its influence and win support with regard to Western Sahara.
• Algeria may be showing new flexibility in its response to security threats to its south.
• Tunisia is beginning to look for new economic opportunities in Africa.
• Egypt is responding to a series of strategic concerns, particularly over the waters of the Nile.
• Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia are also all dealing with increased migration flows, with migrants seeking to work on their territories or pass through it to reach Europe.
• This North African turn to sub-Saharan Africa offers opportunities for European cooperation. But the EU should be aware of the distinctive agendas of North African countries and the reservations that their initiatives engender in some countries.
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