While waiting for a few articles to come out in the coming weeks (a couple on Libya, something on (in)security in North Africa, and one on Italy as well), I have recently focused my attention on two major streams of research: the future of the Mediterranean and the connections between economy, terrorism and sub-state groups in North Africa, with a specific focus on Libya. 

As for the former, I have published an article for the Italian journal Futuri, the publication of the Italian Institute for the Future, in which I analyse the current state of the Mediterranean and its evolution, arguing that a number of processes of fragmentation will continue deepening in the coming years, although a number of (new) dynamics of convergence in other – and to a certain extent less expected – areas will also emerge. This is just the first publication on this topic, and more will follow.

A couple of months before, I also wrote – with Kacper Rekawek and Habib Sayah – a policy report on NATO: “Of Concerns and Image: The Alliance and Its Southern Flank“, published as a part of the GLOBSEC NATO Adaptation Initiative. In this work, we explored the challenges NATO is facing in the Mediterranean region and suggested a number of orthodox – and less orthodox – approaches to address them.

As for the latter, instead, I focused my attention on the risks associated with Economic Jihad in the Maghreb and the Sahel, on which you can find a summary (in Italian) here. I released a couple of private notes to my network of contacts on the risks for the oil sector in Libya, anticipating what’s going on now, and a report on the state of the economy in Tripoli. If you want to receive these notes or being added to my network, please send me an email by clicking here.